#ReimagineCHURCH...A Fresh Sunday/Weekend Template
One of the changes taking place across the world, is the approach to how we educate people.
Media (TV, radio, social sites, video access) has blown past the lecture-by-expert mode if the Industrial era ... for which we built schooling facilities based on the factory model of mass production. Learning was rote (“mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned”).
Our technology-driven culture provides a variety of learning experiences, such as video-classes, roundtable interaction, TED talks (mini-lectures), self-discovery ...
So, how to we implement changes by incorporating these modes of learning into our “church service” approach to make-disciples?
A revising of our standardized Sunday-morning-Church format:
Week 1 - The Word: Teach the context and content of a biblical passage (sermonic)
- Instruction
Week 2: - The Body: Apply the truths of that passage to contemporary life (workshop-style; discussion)
- Interaction
Week 3 - The Table - A complete dedication of time to the Lord’s Table (praise, prayer, sharing, healing , the bread & wine)
- Inspiration
Week 4 - The Saints - Focus on equipping for leadership, stewardship, worship, discipleship
- Integration
5th Sundays - The Streets - Presence Evangelism: In the Community; for the Community
- Interface
The purpose of a format like this is to create a disciple-making rhythm for the entire congregation.
In many churches, discipleship is an extra class or an annual seminar or retreat.
In too many churches, discipleship relies too heavily on a Sunday/weekend sermon.
This monthly rhythm:
- Views every gathering as disciple-making
- Isolates worship as a discipleship discipline; not merely the prelude to a sermon
- Invites members/attenders into a life experience as a Christ-follower
- Recognizes communication includes exegesis, exchange, exaltation, equipping, engaging
- Employs more than a single mode; seminars, sharing, skill-sharpening, service, each build disciples in ways sermons alone cannot
- Sermons focus on truth texts. Experiential learning enables members/attenders to apply teaching topics and themes to both their life and the mission of the Church
- Pursues disciple-making as leadership development of each member/attender that produces Christ-followers who do not need a "church meeting" to worship, pray, care for others, share their faith.
Another way to reimagine Sundays/Weekends...
Design a rhythm of devoting a week to each of these disciple-making components:
- Worship: Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs; Song then Scripture then Sermon repeated several times; a full service devoted to the Lord's Table
- Discipleship: Biblical truth texts-topics-themes; description-dialogue-discussion
- Fellowship: Celebrate (with a purpose/focus); Small groups share needs; pray for one another
- Leadership: Seminar-styled training
- Stewardship: Ministry/Mission stations focused on prayer, strategic updates, empowering
- Citizenship: Citizens of heaven blessing neighbors and communities through proclamation and service
A Mini-Course to #CoachYourTeam / #ShareWithLeaders
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