Group #1:
15 & 26 & 38- Shalom bringing gospel living
23 external focus
24 & 17- Community that values Intentional Grace Filled Relationships
13- Missional
7,3,8 & 47- Radical Generosity
58- Shaping Future Generations
46 & 52- Spirit led prayer
44 & 39- Story shaped living
Group #2
35- Shaped by Worship
46- Dynamic, open to change
52- Spirit led, praying people
1 Kingdom Reality (God’s power made manifest through weakness- Upside-Down, Broken People, Counter-cultural
3 Dangerous self-giving
5- immersed in biblical story
9 Hopeful community, hope-shaped
11- Broken/ Yet Loved
15- Shalom Bringing
22- Loving the City- City Positive
Commonalities:
15, 26, 38- Shalom Bringing
3& 7- Dangerous Self-Giving & Radical Generosity
46 & 52- Spirit-Led, Praying People
5, 44, 39- Shaped by & immersed in biblical Story
Commonalities at a Conceptual Level
Community marked by hope (group 2) and grace (group 1)
External Focus/ City Positive
NOTE ON POINTS OF DISCUSSION:
1. WORSHIP
Why Worship? Should be a value, we don’t worship to bring shalom- worship is not a means to another end. It is central to our identity, it feeds and shapes us, fruits of worship lead into other things. We can be so focused on the mission that we don’t focus on God himself. This has to be central. We can’t trust that it would be assumed. Worship nourishes us and forms identity.
Does Spirit Led Praying Tie in with this Value? Karl suggests that this could be connected with worship.
Worship as intentional practice: Create space in your life for the specific purpose of praising God. You can be involved in the city and bringing shalom, etc without a heart for God. This includes the “typical Christian things” bible reading, prayer, singing, mutual ministry, just as in a marriage you “rope off time”. It is an intentional reason why the family exists.
2. BEING DYNAMIC
Another way of putting it: We are a historic community that is open to change. We can combine this idea with the idea of future generations.
“The Dynamic shaping of future generations.”
3. KINGDOM REALITY:
Kingdom Reality: Keeps us out of middle class religiousity- Power through weakness. There is a tendency to think that we can through our own efforts, talents and gifts “produce the kingdom” rather than to see that the kingdom comes to expression in the most surprising ways, through the most surprising people (think Cross- Cross-shaped living). There is something broken about us, and God is pleased to use us in our brokenness. Are we only going after the influencers? We have to reach high and low. Cruciform way of life.
Buzz Words: Upside down kingdom, counter-cultural, cruciformity, non-triumphalistic,
4. HOPEFUL COMMUNITY:
You cannot pursue shalom without hope.
Missional or Counter-cultural community marked by: Hope for this world, grace-filled relationships, expectant prayer. These things fit well with missional people- these are the marks of a missional community. Hospitality…broken, yet loved
A SUGGESTION: Categorize these under… God
P
osture towards ourselves (Missional, Counter-cultural)
Posture towards the world (externally focused, city-positive)
Posture towards God (Worship)
Church World
It could be possible…
Counter-Cultural
Missional
Worshipping
Or…
Missional/ Counter-Cultural
Worshipping
Externally Focused/ Shalom Bringing
We as a local church have a distinct posture towards ourselves (counter-cultural/ missional), the world (externally focused) , God (worship), the bible (story)...
