By: Kati Berreth

What would your summer look like if as you made plans for yourself, your family, with your friends, you did so with missional intentionality? Would it look any different than the plans you are making now? Would it place the Gospel first and have everything else line up in accordance with that? Would it give purpose to the conversations you have, the camps you sign your kids up for, the vacations you aspire to have, and the time in the sun you so desperately are hoping for after our rainy winter?

Join me this spring in making our summer vacations, our plans for our kids to be home, and even where and how our Gospel Community are going to meet intentionally missional.

Jonathon Dodson, a lead a29 pastor and author of the article “8 Easy Ways to be Missional” defines being missional in this way:

“Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”

So how can you, your family, your roommates, your Gospel Community, your kids be missionally intentional with your time this summer?

Over the next few weeks, I will highlight some specifics and ideas for doing just that, being missional this summer in Bellingham and Whatcom County, but to start let’s pray together.

“Father, You are a good and gracious God. You are mighty and just. We praise You alone for speaking this world, this universe, into existence as well as knowing even the smallest details of our lives as the number of hairs on our heads.

Even as we pray this prayer, we confess that our motives for making plans and pursuing ideas can be selfish, seeking worldly comfort, safety and peace, as well as worldly excitement. We confess that we often love the gifts of this world more than the Giver of those gifts – You.

Please God, change our hearts and our minds to put You and Your mission, “To make disciples of all nations” first in all we do, especially as we think about this summer. Please remind us of the good news of Your Gospel, that Jesus died for our sins, taking on our punishment, the Your wrath, then rising from the grave, defeating sin, satan, and death, so that we might be in relationship with You, the eternal and everlasting God. And please ignite us to share this amazing news with those around us…intentionally this summer.

Father, we thank you for what Jesus has done for us. We thank You that we live in a time and a place where we have the ability to even ponder what our summer plans will look like. And we thank You for loving us even when and if we don’t do this right.

God be with us as we seek to be intentionally missional this summer.

In Jesus precious name we pray.

photo credit: Whiskeygonebad via photopin cc

Steve Timmis and Tim Chester's newest book, Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission, has some really helpful insight for encouraging communities to be on mission for Jesus. One helpful tool they use is the following list of questions designed "to give a snapshot of the health of a missional community." The authors rightly emphasize that this questionnaire is not an occasion for discouragement or blame (107). Instead, this is an occasion to rest in the gospel and do so some self and community reflection.

We encourage you to read this with someone in your gospel community, or take your gospel community through this questionnaire as an opportunity for growth, celebration, and planning new ways to be on mission together. May our Redeemer GCs learn and grow from this tool and may Jesus save many through our ordinary, prayerful missional lives.

Questions for a Gospel Community (adapted from Everyday Church)

1. How often do you have conversations with people in your gospel community (GC) outside regular meetings?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

2. How often are people from your GC in your home or you in theirs?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

3. How often do people in your GC talk about how the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them through God's Word?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

4. How often do you talk in your GC  about your struggles to follow Jesus ?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

5. How often do unbelievers spend time with your GC?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

6. How often does your GC spend time with unbelievers on their territory, in places where they feel comfortable?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

7. Are the prayers of your GC gospel centered? Do you pray regularly for each of these:

a) one another's godliness  b) gospel opportunities  c) boldness to speak of Christ

d) conversion of the lost   e) the spread of the gospel around the world

8. With how many unbelievers does your GC have regular conversations about Jesus and how many are involved in Bible studies?

a) none  b) one or two  c) three or four  d) many

9. How many people in your GC do your most significant unbelieving friends know by name?

a) none  b) one or two  c) about half of them  d) most of them

10. Would you bring your closest unbelieving friends to a typical get together of your GC?

a) no  b) in theory I would, but in reality I don't  c) only if it's specifically designed around them  d) yes

As part of our ongoing international missions blog series, I though I would post a journal entry which I wrote on my way to Kenya back in 2010.  God blessed that trip in unexpected ways, and began relationships that continue to this day. Some thoughts from a justified sinner on his way from Bellingham to Bomet

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” - Mark 10:42-45

As one who has never consistently journaled before, it seems like a good idea to start this with God’s words rather than my words.  I have started many times to journal my thoughts and feelings and prayers, but after a few entries, I ask myself “who am I writing this for?” and “wouldn’t my time be better spent doing something else, like praying, reading my bible, or eating humous?”.  But I have felt a certain “tugging” at me in the weeks leading up to this trip to write about my experiences.  I am still not sure who I am writing this for (for God?, for myself?, for some unknown audience who will one day read these words alongside those of Anne Frank?)  But I am committed this time, and I have armed myself with the world’s most expensive journal .... the MacBookPro.

So where do I begin?  I guess back at God’s word (see above).  This verse was written in the bible that was recently given to me by World Medical Mission, who is the agency sending me to Kenya for 3 weeks to the Tenwek mission hospital in Bomet, Kenya.  Currently I am sitting in the LA airport, where I just arrived from Seattle, and am now waiting for my 15 hour 50 minute flight from LA to Dubai.  I will spend the night in Dubai, then fly to Nairobi.  I will then spend a night in Nairobi, then be driven (about 3 hours?) to Bomet where the hospital is located.  And then I will see what God has in store for me over the following weeks.

I love the verse above from Mark.  It is one of my favorite verses in the bible.  The relationship between social justice and evangelism is one that has fascinated me for months now.  Obviously God passionately loves both, but big questions have been percolating in my mind, like “what does God intend the relationship between the two to be?”, “is it wrong to use social justice as a springboard for evangelism”, “how can we do both of these well?”.  I don’t claim to have answers to these questions, but perhaps with time and prayer, God will open my eyes more to His wonderful plan.

I suppose I should spend some time exploring my motivations, and my expectations for going on this trip (since it is just getting started).  I figured out on my drive to the airport that this is my 10th trip to Africa (although 2 of these were when I was a baby, but I am still counting them).  It is my 7th mission trip.  And I am constantly asking myself, “why do I keep making these trips?”.  I am always concerned that my motives are more selfish that Christ-centered, and that the cost of the trip is so much, that wouldn’t it be better to just send them a check to feed starving people?  So here is a list of possible motivations for me to take another mission trip to Africa:

1. I like to travel, especially to exotic places.
2. I like to see the look on someone’s face when I tell them I am going to Africa to care for sick people.
3. I like racking up frequent flyer miles.
4. I like studying foreign languages.
5. I like bringing home little African “treasures” to give to my wife, kids and friends.
6. I like the idea that I have in some small way grown into a man like my dad, who travelled all over the middle east.
7. I like to buy travel-sized electronic gadgets (like the computer I am typing this on), justifying it by saying that I REALLY need this for my next trip.
8. I am a wretched sinner, who God pursued, then saved through the blood of His Son on the cross, and as a result of my love for Him, I want to pour out my life in His service.

Pretty horrible, right?  I wish I could say that reason number 8 is the only reason I make these trips, but I feel that I should be confessional with you (whoever you are), and tell you that although I desire for that to be my sole motivation ... it is not.  I am a horrible person, thank God that it is not about me.

I pray that God will forgive me for my selfish motivations, and will take my life and make it His, all for Him and for His glory.  I do want this more than anything, to have the faith and the selflessness I believe Christ has called us to.  I make these trips because I do feel that God has called me to serve in Africa.  When I stand back and look at what He has given me to do this, it astounds me.  He has given me a profession that is useful for service, the money and physical ability to make these trips, a job that allows me the time to do this, a desire to travel, and above all, a wife who is willing to send me.  All praise be to God!

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” -Isaiah 55:10-11  

God gave me a very special gift last year.  It came in the mail in late summer.  It was a small booklet, maybe 40 pages long.  It was a booklet that would change the lives of 400,000 people forever.  And I could not read a single word of it.

At the end of 2010, my wife Stephanie was praying, and asking God in what particular ways He wanted us to follow Him in the coming year.  She heard from Him, and believed that He was encouraging her (and I) to give away a greater percentage of our income that we normally do.  She did not share with me what God had told her, but instead asked me to spend some time in prayer over this as well.  God told me the exact same percentage.  When I told Steph what I believed God was calling us to for 2011, her eyes filled with tears of joy.

As part of our giving, and as we prayed about how to steward this money well, I felt called to start investing in bible translation work.  I have always had a great interest in language, and since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, that interest was transformed into a desire to see God’s word translated for those who do not have it.  I had heard of Wycliffe and the Seed company, and after time on the internet, as well as time in prayer, Stephanie and I decided to begin monthly financial and prayer support for a bible translation project in Mozambique for a people group of 400,000 who had never experienced God’s word in their own tongue.

Through the Seed company, we would get quarterly updates on how our project was doing.  But then, one day in late summer, a package came in the mail.  It was sent to us from the Seed company, and it was the first ever translation of the Gospel of Mark for this particular people group in Mozambique.  It is impossible for me to convey to you the inexpressible joy that opening this package filled me with.  Everyday for weeks afterward, the first thing that I would think about every morning, was this huge population of people, who would now get to read God’s word in their own language.  It was one of the greatest encouragements to my faith I have ever received.

There is a massive need for missionaries to GO to the ends of the earth and share the gospel with people who have never heard It before.  Clearly Jesus has called all of us, as His disciples to now “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).  We believe that many at Redeemer are called to GO, and indeed we have people within our church family, who are preparing even now to GO, to some very far off and very dangerous places, because their hearts are breaking for those who have never heard the Gospel.

Not all of us are called to go to foreign lands, but we can all be a part of the work that these international missionaries are doing by sending them, by praying fervently for them, by encouraging them, and by supporting them financially in this work.  This work comes at a great cost, and without the support of the church body, this work will not get done.  Some of us are called to fulfill the great commission by quitting our jobs, boarding an airplane, and living among a people group in a distant land.  And the rest of us are called to fulfill the great commission by sending them with our time, our prayers and our money.

We will be posting on the City periodic letters from members of Redeemer who have been involved in short term or long term international missions work, or who are preparing to GO.  If you are interested in learning more about how you can support international missions, please contact one of the elders or deacons of Redeemer.  If you are interested in supporting the Seed company, you can learn more at: www.theseedcompany.org/

Our Gospel Leader Residents at Redeemer have been studying what it means to live as ambassadors of the gospel. They have spent a good deal of time reflecting on the idea of OLGI—ordinary lives with gospel intentionality. Based on their study and missional experiences, some of our residents collaborated to write and create this post on OLGI with the hope of helping the church grow in gospel intentionality so that more of our neighbors and friends come to know Jesus!

We will have more info on how to apply for the 2012-2013 Gospel Leader Residency in the coming weeks if you are interested.

What Does it Mean to Live an Ordinary Life with Gospel Intentionality?

Sometimes, every day seems the same.

Boring, even.

We wake up at the same time. We go through the same morning routine before heading off to work, or school, or whatever God has placed before us in His (sometimes non-obvious) providence.

Many approach these events as just that—events. They are things we do that take up time and resources, only to require doing again the next day. But along with these events and routines, we’ve, as Christians, been given the Great Commission—a joyous call to make disciples in response to the saving work of our risen Lord and King, Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20).

Sometimes we think we have to free up our schedules in order to fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples. But here’s the good part—whatever routines or events God has placed you in, He’s placed you there, in part, to make disciples of Jesus for His glory. This means we get to do things that are already in our schedule, with a new intentionality—a gospel intentionality.

This means that mission –a reference to the Great Commission- is not an event.

Mission is a lifestyle.

This idea can be expressed more tangibly as “living ordinary life with Gospel intentionality”. Steve Timmis and Tim Chester describe gospel intentionality as going through ordinary life with the intentionality or purpose of a gospel ambassador.

All of us have some sort of routine, something we ordinarily do.

You will still (by God’s grace) wake up at the same time. You will probably eat breakfast. You will go to work, school, or wherever God has placed before you in His providence.

But, as an ambassador of Christ and minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), redeemed by the blood of Christ, you get to go through your routine with the prayerful intent and desire of pointing people to Christ in hopes that they will come to a saving relationship with him. Our new gospel identity makes this mission our lifestyle.

And that means gospel-driven intentionality affects everything we do—especially the ordinary stuff.

Gospel intentionality affects the way you talk to the barista when you order coffee. Be gracious and kind with them, just as Christ has been so gracious with us, and get to know them with the hope that you can build relationships with them and get an opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Gospel intentionality affects your interactions with others around the water cooler at work. Use the times people are gossiping to speak positive truth about the victims, because even though Christ has all the “dirt” on us, He still approaches His Father in our favor.

Gospel Intentionality affects your interactions with your neighbors. Know your neighbors to the point that you can ask for their help, and they can ask for yours. When they thank you for your help give a simple, authentic, gospel reason as to why you served, in hopes that this would create an opportunity for a gospel conversation later on.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you use your meal times. Use a couple of your 21 meals each week to invite your neighbors and non-Christian friends over for food. Use this time over a meal to get to know your neighbors and non-Christian friends better, looking for opportunities to share the gospel.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you interact with your kiddos. As you raise them, you get the opportunity to help grow them in the gospel and lead them to Jesus—that’s working to fulfill the Great Commission right inside of your home!

Gospel Intentionality affects how you study for school. Instead of studying alone, you can work with other students to develop friendships and create opportunities to share the gospel.

When you go on your weekly play-date with another parent and your kids are running around playing and you get a few moments to converse with a fellow adult, pray for opportunities to speak about Jesus. By God’s grace and the help of the Spirit, you can even use the ordinary event of a play-date with gospel intentionality by asking your friend what they think about Jesus, religion, or the gospel.

When there’s a game or show on T.V. that you were planning to watch, invite people who don’t know Jesus to watch with you. (Here’s a tip: start with your neighbors!) Let them grub on your nachos and as you work to develop genuine friendships that will hopefully lead to their new life in Christ.

Every step of your routine is a chance to reflect on the gospel, and how while you were a sinner, Christ died for you.  Praise God that our salvation is not based on how well we have represented Jesus, or how well we represent Jesus in the future. Let this grace God has shown drive us to point others to him in gospel conversations through our ordinary routines, in hopes that Jesus would save them as well.

Additional Resources

30 Ways to Engage in Your Workplace

8 Ways To Engage Missionally 

This resource is designed as a sort of Gospel Community Leadership development “cheat” sheet. We want to have many different resources available for training people toward GC Leadership. This document is designed to help you draw from a wealth of potential action items in order to develop your emerging leader’s GC Leader Personal Discipleship Plan (PDP). The suggested action items in each category will help guide a fair amount of your training and interaction with your emerging leader as they work with you to develop in their particular growth areas. The actions items that are bolded are items that we have used several times and have found to be effective. This means the items in bold come highly recommend and encouraged.

Directions for GC Leader Resource PDP

1. Review your emerging leader’s GC Leader Pre-Assessment prayerfully with your emerging leader
2. Determine what action items from the GC Leader Resource PDP best fit your emerging and their growth areas
3. List these action items (with up to 1-5 items for each sub-category—be sure to include a date for completion) on their GC Leader PDP with the assistance of your emerging leader
4. Begin using your emerging leader’s GC Leader PDP items for training

GC Leader PDP Resource Sheet

LEARNER This Category May Include Goals Related to the Spiritual Vitality, Study, Theological Clarity

• Write a one-page description of your current typical devotional pattern (Word and prayer) and how you specifically plan to develop this area.  (Spiritual Vitality)

• Determine a Scripture memorization plan to develop love for Jesus, God’s Word, and fighting particular sin (Spiritual Vitality)

• Memorize and mediate on 2-3 biblical passages that focus on the glory of Christ (Spiritual Vitality)
• Develop and implement a prayer list/chart/journal/spreadsheet with categories for adoration, thanksgiving, praise, and intercession and room to track prayer requests and answered prayers over time (Spiritual Vitality)

• Read CJ Mahaney’s Living the Cross-Centered Life and write a reflection on how the importance of the gospel in your daily life (Gospel)

• Watch the Gospel Fluency talks and write a reflection on the centrality of the gospel (Gospel)

• Read selected chapters from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write short reflection  (Theological Development)

• Read Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read select chapters from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read Sam Storms’s Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election and write a short reflection (Theological Development)

MISSIONARY This Category May Include Goals Related to Personal Evangelism, Living on Mission, and Missional Engagement

• Develop 2-3 friendships with non-Christians in the next 2 months and engage in gospel conversation

• Pray regularly for salvation of 2-3 local non-Christians acquaintances and pursue them in friendship

• Read Porterbrook Module: Missional Community Life and write a short reflection

• Read Porterbrook Module: Apologetics and write a short reflection

• Set up a time to Interact with Your GC Leader on how to present the gospel and call for a response

• Co-lead a discussion or training session on Missional Engagement/Gospel Conversations in your GC

• Write a short reflection on how the gospel addresses “fear of man” and the implications for you and evangelism and share with your GC

• Read the “Ordinary Lives with Gospel Intentionality” Redeemer Blog Post and write a reflection of how you can develop this type of missional living

SERVANT This Category May Include Goals Related to Serving in Your Neighborhood, Church Family, and Beyond

• Take over all administration tasks in the life of your GC for a month

• Organize and lead a monthly prayer night for your GC

• Brainstorm ideas with your GC Leader and organize and cast vision for a service opportunity for your GC

• Co-plan and co-lead all GC discussions with GC Leadership for the next 2 months

• Assist your GC Leaders in the GC Monthly Check-In Process

• Begin discipling 1-2 people and work with them to develop their own condensed PDPs

FAMILY This Category May Include Goals Related to the Local Church, Gospel Community, and Marriage if Married

• Help develop and implement PDP for your spouse and family

• Identify area of Sunday service at your local church and begin serving

• Read Ephesians and write a short reflection on how the gospel impacts and unites a church community

• Read the Gospel of John and write a reflection on how Jesus made disciples and share with GC Leaders

• Read “Local Church” chapter from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write a short reflection

• Read Redeemer’s “Marks of a Healthy GC” document and select and implement one or two “suggestions for growth” with the help of your GC Leader