Seventh Leadership Training: Discernment Team Workshop on August 17, 2014, 7:30 pm – 10 pm in Granite Bay, CA
TASK 4: Finding the Missionary Leaders Step 1: Are We Going or Sending? Scriptures: Isaiah 6:1-9 Reflections:
• Have each person in the group share what it means to them that God is “Holy.”
• What does it mean to you to be “sent by a Holy God”?
Living holy requires separation from the world (sins), however, we are also called to go into the world to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through whom we become holy and heirs of Him.
• Do you believe you have ever been “sent”? If so, describe that time.
• How have you experienced the Holy in your work so far? What have been the Holy moments in this discernment process?
As we engaged in to start a new church plant, we stepped forward with our faith into the unknown, unclear and unsure sphere of God’s activity, which is the holy moment. Each and every gathering were (and are) our holy moments as we faithfully gathered (and gather) for His guidance and wisdom. Our worries are gone now and our provisions have been met as we risk ourselves to start this new worshiping community.
Scriptures: Acts 13:1-3
Reflections:
• What is the difference between “sent” and “sending”?
“Sent” is a calling to the individual person, whereas “sending” is an indirect calling of the group (including denomination, church and/or small group) to support the “sent” ones with continuous prayers and financial supports.
• What would be the challenges of being one who is “sent”? What is required of one who is “sent”?
The challenges of being one who is “sent” requires faith and bold action to engage in the ministry God prepared for the one. This person is the one who is evangelizing the target people in his/her daily activities and ministries. This person is like an soldier in the battle field fighting for the freedom of captive people against devils. The sent one requires strong faith and actions to be able to harvest in the battling harvest fields that is interfering by Satan.
• What would be the challenges for a person who was not sent but who remained in the group that was “sending”? What is required of one who is “sending”?
The challenges of one who is “sending” requires faith and continuous support to the sent ones who needs prayers and financial supports. Although, the sending one doesn’t require direct encounter with non-believers, this person has responsibilities and accountabilities to make sure the sent ones’ needs are met. As an intercessor, this person may encounter with continuous spiritual battles in his/her prayer times. The sending ones needs to discern what’s going on in the harvest and spiritual battle fields.
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Step 2: Who Are We? Who Is Missing? Scriptures: Romans 12:1-9 Reflections:
• What does it mean to you to be a “living sacrifice”?
• How is “being a living sacrifice” of verse one connected with “sober judgment” in verse three?
• What is required of you, of the team, of the church to speak truth about our own gifts and abilities and the gifts and abilities of others?
• How would you handle the situation of a person who believes they are gifted and called to a certain position but the rest of the team does not see that?
• What is required of your team to speak honestly to one another about your roles in this mission from here forward?
• Is your team at a point that you can speak truth in love to one another about your gifts, the gifts of each team member, the gifts needed in those who are to be sent, and the gifts needed of those who are to be the senders? If not, what needs to happen?
Discussions:
• Have each person share who they see on this team who belongs to:
o People of the Vision
o People of the Vision with Jesus
o Senders/Supporters
o Missionaries/Cross-Culturals
• Have each person also share where they see themselves.
• Have each person share his or her homework from the last task identifying who on the current team is “sent” and who is a “sender.”
• Reviewing the last two exercises, come up as a team with a list of those on the current team who are “sent” and a list of those who are “senders.”
• Who needs to be added now? Is everyone on the team “sent” and you now need to recruit “senders”? Is everyone on your team a “sender” and you now need to recruit people who will be “sent”?
• If you are all Missionaries/Cross-culturals, it is most likely time to recruit a few Senders/Supporters to join the team. If you do not have any contacts with people who are “People of the Vision with Jesus” it is most likely time to recruit a few “People of the Vision” to join your team as advisors. Finding the right “People of the Vision” to join your team needs to be assigned to a few of your team as their task before you meet again.
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Step 3: What Roles Are Needed? Scriptures: Acts 18:1-11 Q & A:
• Do you have the senders you need to support this new work?
• What roles will the people on your list of senders play for the future strength and work of this new worshiping community?
• What roles are missing?
• Who will recruit the people who need to be added to the sending team?
• What is the timeframe required to add new senders if that needs to happen?
• Who is now a part of the team sent?
• What gifts do they have?
• What role will each play?
• What roles are missing?
• Do you have a lead missionary or do you need to add that person?
• Will the lead missionary be a “tent maker” (earn their living expenses apart from this new worshiping community), a person who begins a business related to this new worshiping community (earning their living expenses from the new worshiping community’s business income), or will the lead missionary be supported by the senders?
• Who else on the team sent are tent makers, part of the new worshiping community’s business, or supported by those who are sending?
• Do you have the right team to be sent? Who needs to be added? Who is missing?
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Step 4: Finalize Your Description of the Missionary Leaders
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-16
Reflections:
• Reread verses two and three of Ephesians 4. How has your team done with bearing one another and making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit? Is there anything that the team needs to address now?
• What does it mean to you that the apostle Paul connects God’s gifts and grace?
• How can “grace” dominate your conversations about roles, gifts, and plans?
• What does it mean to you to “equip the saints”?
