The Missional Church Video

(ht) Very simple and very good.

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Ecclesiology

I’m not a big fan of big words, but some really do matter. Ecclesiology is one of them.

Over the past couple of years I have been engaged in conversations with a lot of pastors who seem to be saying the same thing.  Over and over I hear, “The most important question for me is ecclesiology.”  Pastors are consistently asking how churches should gather.  It’s an important question to ask.  If our gatherings produce little fruit, is the problem the message or the structure.

Thrive is built on the Jesus Model.  Jesus gathered twelve people together to engage the Way of Jesus.  He made it very simple but highly effective.  He assumed that we needed a support group to do life together, to practice love together, to pray together, and to wrestle through our obstacles together.  He assumed we needed people who had developed a high level of trust together.

This type of gathering is not traditional.  It’s not a small group that gathers together to study a book.  It’s a highly intentional way of gathering.  If your church is looking for a very different, but effective way of gathering, consider the Jesus Model.  And we can help you with that.

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The Core Of Missional Community

Many have asked for a primer on Thrive and what makes up the heart of missional community.  Attached is our six core elements.  You can download it here.

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Ed Stetzer On Missional Communities

This is a fascinating conversation by Ed Stetzer on missional communities.  In it he discusses the shift in culture from a stage model to a community model.  Very much worth the time.

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Excerpt - Cheap Grace

The following is from the updated Leadership Manual, which is expected to be finished NEAR the end of this month.

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“The common concern with grace is that if we offer it freely it becomes cheap. But intentional grace was never cheap. It always costs something. To offer grace meant someone had to absorb the cost of someone’s brokenness.”

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Coming Soon - New Leadership Manual

Over the last three months, we’ve been reworking the Leadership Manual to better communicate the “what”, and “how” of Thrive.  It’s been a thrilling experience to say the least and represents the culmination of so much research and learning over the last seven years. Much of the changes will cover the ethos of Thrive and what really makes the Thrive experience work.

If you have requested a leadership manual in the past, don’t sweat it.  We’ll send you the updated one as soon as it’s finished.  If you have requested a manual in the last couple of days, we’ll send you the new one as soon as it’s finished.  It should be out this month.

Much Love

Jonathan

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Reminder - Conference Call Today

If you are looking to dig deeper into what we do and how we do it, we would like to invite you to a 60-90 minute conference call.

The first Tuesday of every other month at 12:00 PM PST, we will be holding a 60-90 minute conference call for those interested in knowing more about Thrive. This information session will provide you with a deeper understanding of our process, story and what it means to lead a group.

This call is for anyone who is interested in developing a missional discipleship approach in their community, home network, or church. This includes elders, leaders, small group community leaders, pastors, and those who want to follow Jesus in an intentional way.

Participation is by request. Just leave a comment or send us an email with your interest and we will provide you with instructions for joining us on the call. We also ask that you provide specific questions for the call, if you have them.

The next scheduled call is: August 4th, 2009, 12:00-1:30 PM PST

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