I love that idea ..”serve before you gather”…

I wanted to go to the back porch, but when the end of the week rolled around I opted for an unquiet night with the fam and little caesar, instead of quiet hot dog and discussion.

This is partially off topic, but related so I’ll shoot. I know you are committed to the 150 limit for churches; what happens when you get there. The most organic thing that comes to my mind is a 50/50 split or 67/33 split where a significant part of the community decides as a group to meet together in a different location. Some of the paid and unpaid leaders tranistion with the new community as well and in both places new leaders will need to be identified and brought up in time. Any thoughts?

I do really appreciate your thoughts on the missional order team though. I would think that these missional orders would be formed from start, yes?

Nonetheless, I have been praying with a close friend about doing such. Again thanks for the post.

David, we’ve been morphing into what you are describing – both as a mission team living incarnationally and church community that is striving to be less 101 and more organic throughout. Alan Hirsch (and Michael Frost) has been very helpful to us as a team and the organization I am still with.

To answer Michael’s questions. Some context: I was a banker and left ’secular’ work to do ’sacred’ work as a church planter. I’ve since had my theology reformed – heavenly good of earthly work – and have been moving away from being 100% support based (really only 50% support & all donors from the USA). Now I opened a business that is increasingly and very soon to be 100% of our support. An angel investor helped me do this but I was formerly a banker and that field wasn’t what I thought was my next step as it meant moving further away (proximity and lifestyle) from the missional leadership community I have covenanted with.

If I had to give advice about a shift or finding others. First, I’d do what a graduating student or person contemplating a change of careers would do. Look at your gifting, skills, speaks with trusted friends/colleagues, survey the needs of the community you are in and take a educated plunge into a new/different line of sacred work; perhaps morphing into something that is part time paid church work and part-time other? For me it was originally connecting with a church planting organization that had values and approaches that were missional and incarnational rather than a prescribed model. They valued diversity in approaches and teams. Second, for finding others, I’d work through existing friendship or networks within your denomination/church. You’ll likely find others who would have a similar desire to be a covenanted missional leadership/church planting team. From there lots of dialogue & prayer to confirm agreement/unity in the Spirit. It the end, it might mean that you stay put and just change the way you do things locally amongst your existing friends. I recommend Alan Hirsch’s book the Forgotten Ways (page 40-42 talk about their personal & community shift).

As a side note to this post: I have found I am providing personal (pastoral) counseling to employees, building friendships with customers, displaying godly work & Kingdom values as I network with other businesses, am worshipping like mad as I am so hungry to be filled and generally feel more in touch with my gifting in my current business owner role than I did as a full time support based missionary church planter. For me, it was realignment rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water!

Peace, Mike