Many church leaders are recognizing that more and more people are less and less interested in the programs of the church. There is a new realization that the church has lost its ability to “attract” people to church activities and events. Further, many leaders are struggling with the church’s inability to have a lasting impact on their local communities. In the midst of this struggle, they sense that something has changed, but they are unsure about the essence of the change and what ministry adjustments might be necessary. In most cases, the leaders have no “grid” or framework to rethink the form and function of the church and its relationship to God’s mission.
I am convinced that a significant piece of the solution begins with recapturing the missionary nature of God and His church and the implications this has on how we think and do mission and ministry. The best summation of the changes that I believe need to occur in the life of the church are available in a free e-book titled ReThink: 9 Key Paradigm Shifts for Activating the Church. You can download that book here.
After reviewing the e-book, if you think I might be able to help you, your church, denomination or network in rethinking what it means for the church to more fully engage in God’s mission contact me and we can discuss different ways I might be able to assist. I can customize training sessions to any size group; including a staff training, a workshop presentation, a full day interactive seminar presented to the whole congregation, or a learning community process over several months. You decide the best fit for your situation and local context.
Before talking about the how of missional living, it is important to discuss the why. In this seminar we will survey the theological foundations that set the stage for the church to move in a missional direction. Without a clear understanding of certain foundations, any change a church attempts to make will simply not be sustainable. Topics will include the missionary nature of the church, incarnational mission, participation in the missio Dei, and focusing on Kingdom living.
While more and more people are less and less interested in the programs and activities of the church, missionally minded people must learn how to lovingly engage people in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places that we inhabit. In this seminar we will discuss the topics of biblical hospitality in & through our homes (1st place), understanding how God has placed us in a vocation for His missional purposes (2nd place), and what it means to identify, create, and support Third Places in our communities.
In the midst of the proliferation of church planting, one of the most significant trends is the starting of new churches by bivocational leaders. Today there is a new movement among bivocational leaders. More church planters who are choosing to plant bivocationally. They are making this decision out of the conviction that bivocational church planting actually provides a more desirable way to plant a new church, rather than on the basis of limited funds. In other words, it is becoming a first option, not a last resort. In this seminar we will discuss the benefits of planting as a bivo or “covo” leader and how to best get the process started.
If you have questions or would like to discuss how a training might fit your context, simply email me at bradbrisco@gmail.com