WHAT is family on mission?
The early church was in the habit of being together -- a lot. We read in Acts 2:46 that “every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Notice how the church gathered in both “the temple” and in “homes.” There is great value for our shared life in Christ in both contexts - community in a larger setting like temple (for us Sunday worship and/or Connections) as well as smaller, more intimate settings like homes.
Family on Mission is a means for pursuing a life of following Jesus together at MCC. The basic structure is described below.
Frequency: One evening a week. We have a Monday or Thursday option.
Size of group: 20-30 people committed to a 6-week session.
Meal: Each week, we will eat together. To keep the meals simple, we will have a pizza potluck.
Family: We want this to be a multi-generational family including individuals, couples, and families. Children are welcome.
Mission: Each week, we will talk and pray about people of peace in our lives and focus on the missional purpose that God has for us.
Hearing and Doing: To grow in a Jesus-shaped life we will share about God’s movement in our lives, hearing God’s voice and doing what he says. In other weeks, we will hear God for others by sharing a word of encouragement, praying for healing, and sharing words of Scripture or prophecy. We invite the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
The main focus of Family on Mission is mission. We want others to know Jesus. We also want to hear God and do what he says for ourselves and each other. The emphasis of these groups will be growing as disciples who are on mission, in community, and devoted to Christ.