Membership for THE Mission: Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing

COMMUNITY GUIDE

The Community Guide below is based on Sunday’s teaching for our current series: Membership for THE Mission. As your whole Community gathers (in-person or online), use the Community Guide below to give shape to your time together.

Begin by Practicing the Lord’s Supper Together (5 minutes)

Begin your time by partaking of the bread and the cup together. Have each person bring their own Communion elements or provide elements for the group. To facilitate your time, you can either ask a member of your Community to come ready with a short prayer, scripture reading or read the poem/prayer we’ve provided below. After reading (aloud), spend a few moments in silence, take the elements and then close in prayer:

Here is bread
Good News for the world
with a headline that says:
let all who are hungry for justice
come and eat

Here is wine
Good News for all who long
with a headline that says:
let all who thirst for righteousness
come and drink

Here is the table
Good News for all who are lost
with a headline that says:
all who are weary
come and gather here

Here is community
Good News for all whom the world ignores
with a headline that says:
behold I make all things new
come and be renewed

Here is Jesus
Good News for all who wait
with a headline that says:
I have come that all may have life
come and live life fully

- Roddy Hamilton
(used with permission)

CHECK-IN (10 MINUTES)

As we focus on this series, we want to continue to create space for checking in on each other, but doing so in a shorter amount of time. Take a few minutes to do a whole health check-in (emotional, spiritual, physical) with your Community, creating space for each person to answer the question below:

• What is one thing you thanked Jesus for last week? What comes to mind that you would like prayer for this coming week?

If the need arises, spend a few minutes praying for one another, asking God to meet needs and help each person carry what feels heavy right now.

READ THIS OVERVIEW (2 MINUTES)

Two weeks ago, Todd established the role of leaders found in Scripture. Specifically, how they work together to provide an environment for people to become who God intends them to be so that they might join Jesus in his mission through a local church. As we wrap up our Membership series this week, Todd will help us understand how each of us plays a role in creating a healthy atmosphere for people to encounter Jesus and flourish as disciples of Jesus Christ.

QUESTIONS (20 Minutes)

1. Sometimes we struggle to hear words like “submit” or “obey” in relationship to us. Why do we struggle? 

2. Todd talked about different “identities” of the local church (i.e., body, flock, Kingdom, temple). Which identity helps you to best see how the church should work together so that all might flourish? Why?

3. Why are practicing the “one anothers” so important to a healthy atmosphere for people to flourish as disciples?

4. Take a moment and reflect on this question: What does it look like for you to help create a healthy atmosphere at Cornerstone for others to flourish?
   

Missionary Practice For The Week Ahead: BLESS (10 Minutes)

ᐅ B.L.E.S.S.

• (B)egin with Prayer:

  • Pray for the people in your life and the places that you’re in.

    • People: Who do you live, work and play with that is far from God? Pray that God would create spiritual curiosity in them, and then spend time with them.

    • Places:

      • Where does pain exist here?  Pray for healing.

      • Who makes the decisions here? Pray for integrity.

      • Who throws parties here? Pray for community.

      • Where are the pennies spent here? Pray for provision.

• (L)isten:

  • Listen to and discover the needs of others and for the places where God is at work.

    • Before you can help others find Jesus, you need to listen to them first - their hopes, pains, challenges and dreams.  In your interactions with others today, take the posture of a learner.  Lay down assumptions and practice being present in conversations. 

• (E)at:

  • Share meals, drink coffee, and spend time with people in your life that don’t yet know Jesus.

    • Who can you eat with (or have coffee with) that is far from God? A co-worker over lunch? A neighbor during the day? A friend or family member over the weekend?

    • Is there a place that you regularly visit (coffee shop, gym, etc.)? Ask God to grant you opportunities to eat with people.

• (S)erve:

  • Who can you serve this week? Who do you know that has a practical need? Ask them how you can help.

    • Before jumping into serving, have you taken the time to pray for, listen to and eat with these people? Doing these things first helps you discover the way that you really need to serve them.

• (S)tory:

  • Share the story of Jesus and what He is doing in your life with others.

    • Start by sharing how God has blessed you and made a difference in your life.

    • Share your story in such a way that demonstrates that Jesus is also at work in their life. 

    • Don’t feel like you have to tell your life story at once.  Think “bite-size” stories. 
      
      
      

Prayer (10 Minutes)

Spend a few minutes praying for God’s grace over each other, that we might become a people who make Jesus our Lord, and that there might be a sweeping renewal of the Holy Spirit in our city. Ask that God would stir up within us a desire to be with him in prayer and to serve him, one another, and our neighbor in love.