Gospel Communities are our weekly small groups that meet in people’s homes.

We meet together to discuss how God’s word and Spirit are challenging and convicting us. We talk about the difficulties of work, marriage, sin, idols, and adulting—always looking for ways to apply the gospel in all of those realities.

Our GC’s are discussion-style—not fill-in-the-blank Bible studies. We have a leader who facilitates the discussions, but is not teaching a lesson.

Our GC’s are purposefully trying to go deeper. In a world distracted by trendy hype and fleeting elements—we want to learn the lost art of truly being present.

We want to have time for the people who God has placed right in front of us. That means going deeper in transparency, vulnerability, and authenticity.

Our groups usually meet for 3 weeks/ON and 1 week/OFF each month.  

We also love to enjoy cookouts and meals together.

MISSION DRIFT

So, what do we do instead of getting involved with people’s lives? 

1. We go to meetings on discipleship. We go to classes on discipleship. We study the word about discipleship. We discuss our need for discipleship. And all that keeps us busy enough up at the building to keep us from having to engage with lost people.

2. We substitute “busyness in the building” in place of OBEDIENCE. When we have all these classes, studies, meetings, and trainings DETACHED FROM MISSION & RELATIONSHIPS—we do it as a way to justify how we spend our time and how we're not making disciples. It is much, much easier to sit and listen to teaching than listen to people’s deep, complex problems and horrible decision-making.

3. We expect the church to set up events that might lure in the lost—where they might accidentally rub up against salvation and get it on them. Many people believe the paid staff guys job is to create and organize events or provide the newest programs so people can bring their acquaintances to a building/event where somebody else might share the gospel with them. This must change in the coming decades.

4. We focus on people “making a decision” or “making converts” instead of making disciples. And when people do walk an aisle—pray a prayer—join a church—What happens next? That person should be bombarded with people trying to walk them to deeper growth.

FINDING JESUS IN THE MESS

As we engage in gospel word and deed for the good of our city, Christ is in the midst with us. We will see Jesus re-creating what Satan has tried to destroy. We will see Jesus redeeming people and restoring relationships. We will see Jesus reconciling people to His Father. And we will see Jesus blowing our mind on what living is--"seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." 

We will be together in the mess. But Jesus will be there with us in the mess--and in that experience--He will become more captivating to us and He will receive glory!

WE NEED THE GOSPEL FOR THE CITY...AND WE NEED THE GOSPEL OURSELVES IN THE CITY

The task seems daunting. There's no script, no secret strategy, and no perfect program. We must trust the Holy Spirit, as we clarify and articulate the gospel, and enjoy God in the process. 

So when we engage in missional living, we have to deepen our trust in the gospel. The city's complex lostness focuses our own need for the gospel. So we not only offer the gospel to the city, but we need the gospel ourselves--the only thing that saves as well as the only thing that keeps us. 

So when we engage in disciple-making and missions--we have to trust God more. We have to look to the gospel with our own hearts as we come up against things we know we're inadequate for. 

God uses the tension of mission to get us to see the glory of the Tri-une God as all-sufficient.