A missional community is a way to organize the church to gather and send groups of people on the mission of God. Simply put, a missional community is a group of people who are learning to follow Jesus together in a way that renews their city, town, village, hamlet, or other space.
They aren’t fancy. In fact, they can be a pretty messy community of everyday citizens who are devoted to Jesus, to one another, and to their neighbors and city. They are multi-focused: internally and externally driven. They share burdens with one another and spur each other on to love the city.
A missional community is much more than a weekly event. MC’s gather together at different times throughout the week to fulfill Jesus’ mission of being disciples who make disciples. Together we learn how to worship and submit to Jesus in all of life by learning how to love one another as family, worship Jesus as servants who serve others, and share the good news of Jesus Christ as His sent witnesses.
A missional community life includes these things:
- Life with Jesus
- Life-on-Life Community
- Life on Mission
It is through these pursuits we begin to live lives that reflect our belief in the gospel. We live the gospel.
It’s our prayer that Saturate helps equip and encourage you and your community to live the gospel in these ways.
Study guides can be a helpful tool for your missional community to grow in love for God and one another and equip your community to live on mission in your city. Below we’ve highlighted four community guides included in your membership. Whether your group is currently meeting over Zoom, in backyards, or around a kitchen table, these resources exist to help you take next steps as disciple-making disciples.
EPHESIANS
HOW THE GOSPEL MAKES A NEW PEOPLE IN A NEW PLACE
What is the true story of the world? Who is Jesus? What has He done? Who are we? How do we live? These are the crucial questions of the life of every disciple. In Ephesians we read a powerful letter answering those questions in remarkable ways: the story is about God making all things new through Jesus. The Church is a family saved by grace. The life of a disciple is an empowered life of resurrection. The purpose of the Church is more than we could ask or imagine.
In this guide, you will walk through the book of Ephesians with an ear for the essentials of the Christian life. It will encourage and challenge you to examine what you believe, who you are, and how you live. The Scriptures, studied in community and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, change us. This guide aims to make space and help communities engage Ephesians that way.
JONAH
HOW WE ARE GOD’S MISSION WHILE ON GOD’S MISSION
Jonah is a story about a sour prophet on the run. It’s also a story about a large fish with an appetite for prophets. And, it’s the story of a rebellious city sprung into a revival of repentance. But, it’s first and foremost about God and His mission. He gets the first words, and He gets the last. He is the cause and the conclusion of this story. To journey through the book of Jonah is to go on a long walk into the heart of God and His passion for making Himself known to all people.
In this guide, you will walk through the book of Jonah with an ear for the essentials of the Christian life, particularly the mission of God. It will encourage and challenge you to examine what you believe about God, the mission He calls us to, our role in it, and how the gospel can come to our cities. The Scriptures, studied in community and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, change us. This guide aims to make space and help communities engage Jonah that way.
SATURATE FIELD GUIDE
BEING DISCIPLES OF JESUS IN THE EVERYDAY STUFF OF LIFE
When God’s people commit together to sow gospel seeds in the everyday rhythms of life, a ripple effect moves through our lives, out toward the whole earth, saturating it with the good news of Jesus.
This 8-week guide offers an all-of-life approach to being disciples who make disciples of Jesus. The questions, activities, prayers, and exercises will prompt you to do exactly that—put your thoughts and theology into hands-on practice. Designed for both group and individual use, each week will build on the next, aligning your heart with the will of God, examining your core identity beliefs, and launching you into mission.
GOSPEL FLUENCY HANDBOOK
SPEAKING THE TRUTHS OF JESUS
The Gospel Fluency Handbook is designed to help you and your group become fluent in the gospel—in other words, to help you move from unbelief to belief. The discussions and exercises in this 8-week interactive handbook provide a step-by-step immersion of your mind, heart, soul, and life in the gospel. Each week follows a simple format: three sets of personal Readings and Reflections, a weekly guide for Group Discussion, and Exercises that will lead to becoming a more gospel-fluent people, people who are learning to see and then speak the truths of Jesus into the everyday stuff of life.
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