Missional Roadmap

MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
2014 - 2015
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
EXPONENTIAL
LEARNING
COMMUNITIES
ACCELERATING
KINGDOM IMPACT
by SHIFTING PARADIGMS
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
RESOURCING MOVEMENT MAKERS
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
NOTE: Please download the full Prospectus for complete information
regarding Exponential Learning Communities at https://my.exponential.org/
learningcommunities
The Exponential Learning Communities create an innovative journey of
exploration, helping participants shift their paradigms and take action toward
greater Kingdom impact. The content is strategically and deliberately designed
to challenge paradigms and help participants build a strong foundation
for action.
The Learning Community journey consists of three separate gatherings
throughout the year, combining the relational, experiential and informational
components required for transformation. Each of the three gatherings
includes one and a half days of teaching, discussion, breakouts and practical
application.
Each journey includes:
+innovative teaching by widely recognized leaders
+peer-to-peer, small group learning environments designed to be an intimate,
living room experience, with participants engaging face-to-face in small
groups. For this reason, gatherings are limited to 25 or fewer individuals
+case study teaching by host practitioner churches sharing their experiences
in implementation, including lessons learned about what did and didn’t work
THE CORE CURRICULUM
To equip your key leaders to confidently launch a movement and navigate
change, each cohort will comprehensively explore the paradigm of the Church
as a movement. In each gathering, we will explore the elements of missional
DNA (mDNA) as the operating system for Church as apostolic movement
(outlined in the book The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch). A pioneering church
already on the journey will host each gathering.
Primary text: The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
Secondary text: On the Verge by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson
1st Gathering
The week of September 29, 2014
+ RiverTree Christian Church, Massillon, Ohio
BIG IDEAS:
Overview of the Apostolic Movement Paradigm (mDNA: Overview)
A look at the broad outlines of how we can shift church by thinking
“movementally” (reframing the way we see church, ministry, mission
and leadership).
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
The Touchstone of Christian Movements (mDNA: Jesus Is Lord)
Exploration of how and why Christology remains the defining center of all
apostolic movements.
The Strategic Role of Discipleship (mDNA: Disciple Making)
The critical role of discipleship and disciple making in both initiating and
maintaining missional movements.
2nd Gathering
The week of January 26, 2015
+ Soma Communities, Tacoma, Washington
BIG IDEAS:
Incarnational Mission and the Church (mDNA: Incarnational Mission)
Exploration of how the deep theology of the Missio Dei and the incarnation of
God in Jesus can help us reframe how we engage our world in more biblically
coherent ways.
A Missional Ministry for a Missional Church (mDNA: APEST)
Clearly, the prevailing leadership models are inadequate for engaging the
increasingly complex missional context we find ourselves facing. We want to
look at how we can activate a more generative and “movemental” way of
ministering and leading in our churches. We’ll let the Ephesians 4 model
(APEST) reshape our thinking and practice.
3rd Gathering
The week of May 11, 2015
+ The Austin Stone, Austin, Texas
BIG IDEAS:
Reorganizing for Apostolic Movement (mDNA: Organic Structures)
Shifting the Church requires restructuring and reorganizing. We want to tackle
the issues you’ll likely face in transitioning to more “movemental” forms of church.
Putting Adventure Back Into the Venture (mDNA: Communitas)
Engaging the roles of adventure, risk and courage in shaping leadership,
mission, discipleship and community.
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
YOUR GUIDES AND DESTINATIONS
ALAN HIRSCH @AlanHirsch
Alan Hirsch is the founding director of Forge Mission Training Network.
Currently, he co-leads Future Travelers, an innovative learning community
helping megachurches become missional movements. Known for his innovative
approach to mission, Alan is considered to be a thought leader and key mission
strategist for churches across the Western world. Alan is the author of The
Forgotten Ways; co-author of The Shaping of Things to Come, ReJesus and
The Faith of Leap (all with Michael Frost); Untamed with wife Debra Hirsch;
Right Here, Right Now with Lance Ford; On the Verge with Dave Ferguson;
and The Permanent Revolution with Tim Catchim. Alan’s experience includes
leading a local church movement among the marginalized; developing training
systems for innovative missional leadership; and heading up the mission and
revitalization work of his denomination. He is co-founder and adjunct faculty
for the M.A. in Missional Church Movements at Wheaton College. He is also
adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary and George Fox Seminary, among others,
and he lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe and the United States.
Alan is series editor for Baker Books’ Shapevine Series, IVP’s Forge Line, and an
associate editor for Leadership Journal.
RIVERTREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
rivertreechristian.com
Vision/Mission: To be a movement of people with the DNA of Jesus inhabiting
and influencing every nook and cranny of culture and society.
• Come into the presence of God. Since God is present everywhere, when we
talk about the presence of God we are really talking about the realization and
consciousness of His presence. RiverTree’s weekend gatherings are designed
to help people focus on His presence in their lives and that they realize
coming into the presence of God is not just a weekend experience but rather
a daily experience.
• Thrive In relationships with others. God is intensely relational. He sent His
Son so that we can have a relationship with Him. Spiritual growth happens
best when others who have faith in Jesus surround us. RiverTree’s Thrive
Groups (home groups, accountability groups, support groups, etc.) help to
foster authentic relationships that encourage and nurture people to reach
their full, God-given potential. These relationships encourage people to grow
into the life and DNA of Jesus and to impact the world.
• Go serve the world in Jesus’ name. Jesus compels us to go beyond
ourselves to serve the people around us. This can mean across the globe,
across the country or across the street. In fact, our life is our mission and
so the primary place for us to be like Jesus is right where we live—in our
families, our neighborhoods, and in the places we work and play.
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
GREG NETTLE @GregNettle
For more than two decades, Greg Nettle served as the visionary leader of
the RiverTree Movement. He now serves as the president of the international
church planting organization Stadia. Greg’s ministry began in Ireland where
he spent two and a half years as a missionary working to plant a church
in Dublin. Near the end of his time overseas, the 26-year-old, then-single
Nettle was called to be the senior pastor of a small rural church in Ohio
named Jackson Christian, later renamed RiverTree Christian Church. God
has created a passion in Greg’s heart for the Church—specifically how the
Church can reach out to children on the margins of society, and how healthy
churches can partner together to plant new churches, not only in the United
States but also in other parts of the world. Greg’s sense of adventure and his
love for travel have taken him to many places around the world, including
Ireland, Peru, Ecuador, Tanzania, France, England, Holland, South Africa,
Wales, Jamaica, Haiti and Scotland. In Africa and Ecuador, he climbed Mount
Kilimanjaro and Mount Cotopaxi to raise funds for children on the margins
of society. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, often at their local
Starbucks. He and Julie have two children, Tabitha and Elijah.
ALEX ABSALOM @AlexAbsalom
Since January 2011, Alex Absalom has been part of the leadership team of
RiverTree Christian Church, a large multisite church in Northeast Ohio, where
he serves as leader of missional Innovation. Over the last 20 years, RiverTree
has seen thousands of people come to faith. Alex and his wife, Hannah, love
helping develop a strong discipling culture at RiverTree, especially through
missional communities and leadership huddles. Alex also co-leads Synergy,
birthed out of RIverTree in partnership with Stadia Church Planting and Love
Canton. Alex has been married to Hannah since 1994, and they have three
very energetic sons. Both he and Hannah originate from England, so he loves
supporting Liverpool Football Club, drinking good tea (hot, never iced!) and
an occasional single malt Scotch. Connect with Alex via his about.me profile.
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
SOMA COMMUNITIES
wearesoma.com
The vision of Soma is to establish a movement of gospel communities on
mission saturating North America with gospel-centered churches planting
churches. This starts by establishing a church multiplication hub in key North
American cities, with the intent of moving outward to the regions surrounding
each city.
Soma Vision Leader Jeff Vanderstelt explains: “The question we asked was:
‘What would it look like if every member of the body of Christ actually
believed and lived like they were God’s missionary people sent by Jesus and
empowered and led by the Spirit to make disciples who make disciples in their
own cities?’ We took seriously the call to present everyone mature in Christ
and to equip every member for gospel ministry. We dedicated our first nine
months to training up a few to lead missional communities. Soma’s official
‘launch’ took place Sept. 14, 2004, where we commissioned four leadership
teams to start missional communities in their neighborhoods. These original
four teams have multiplied to 50, with the 50 teams comprising five different
local congregations under biblically qualified elders. We have learned much
since 2004, and God has graciously seen fit to use Soma Communities to equip
hundreds of leaders from around the world.”
JEFF VANDERSTELT @JeffVanderstelt
Jeff is one of the founders and leaders of Soma Communities, a movement of
gospel communities on mission saturating North America with gospel-centered
churches planting churches. He is also one of the founders and leaders of the
GCM Collective. Jeff married Jayne in 1993, and they love shepherding their
three children, Haylee, Caleb and Maggie, in life, the gospel and mission.
THE AUSTIN STONE
austinstone.org
Identity and Beliefs: We love Jesus, God’s Word and each other. We’re taking
Jesus’ revolutionary message of grace, truth and compassion to Austin and to
the world. The Austin Stone has become known as a Church for the City. But
we’re much more than a church to attend. We’re a community centered on
the person and mission of Jesus Christ. We’re actively working to build a great
Austin, renewed and redeemed by the gospel.
Mission: To be a New Testament church existing for the supremacy of the name
and purpose of Jesus Christ.
Vision: To build a great city, renewed and redeemed by a gospel movement,
by being a church for the city of Austin that labors to advance the gospel
throughout the nations.
2014 - 2015
MISSIONAL
ROADMAP
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
TODD ENGSTROM @Toodus
Todd provides strategic direction and team leadership for engaging the city
of Austin through The Austin Stone’s campuses and missional communities.
Since 2004, he has served in several capacities at The Austin Stone, including
leading a setup team; leading missional communities; overseeing the college
ministry; directing the connections ministry; and now serving as pastor of
missional communities. A majority of Todd’s time is spent developing staff
and leaders who are willing to follow Jesus and proclaim His gospel to their
neighbors in the city and developing systems to serve people in mission.
God has blessed Todd with an amazing wife, Olivia, and two sons, Micah
and Hudson.
MICHAEL STEWART @VergeNetwork
Michael is pastor of strategic initiatives at The Austin Stone. He has lived out
his passion for holistic community development, advocacy for the poor, and
gospel-centered justice in the inner-city of Memphis; serving children in the
largest slum in Africa; seeing the beginnings of a church planting movement
started in a Muslim country; watching the beginnings of the birth of a spiritual
revolution in Spain; and has seen what God is doing in China, Ecuador, Mexico,
Kenya, Europe, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cuba and other
countries. Michael’s passion is to see ordinary people radically engaged in the
mission of God. He is also the founder and director of the Verge Conference
and Verge Network, which were created as an advocate and champion for
movements of missional communities.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Bill Couchenour:
[email protected]
330.503.3394
RESOURCES
+We hope you’ll join us for what we believe will be game-changing
conversations for the future of the Church!

Download Report