Forming Missional Teams

MISSIONAL TEAM

A group of everyday people partnering together to make disciples.

WHY TEAM?

Jesus sent his disciples out on mission in the context of team. Partners or groups with common purpose is almost always the Biblical blueprint for mission and new disciple-making.

TEAM FORMS

A team can take on various forms. Here are a few examples:

• Partner-Up: A Single teammate on the ground who shares the same mission context as you (i.e. Luke 10, Jesus sending out the 72 in pairs).

• Shared Mission Team: A team with a shared missional focus/context in which them members serve together on the ground

• Scattered Mission Team: A team in which its members focus on a variety of different missional environments, and gather together for encouragement, prayer, and strategy

• Prayer Team: A group of people committed to praying for you and your missional context.

FIVE STEPS TO FORM AND LAUNCH A MISSIONAL TEAM

Build a team with clear missional context and calling

• Know where you’re sent and be as specific as possible.

  • Move from big picture people groups (i.e. “refugees”) to specific people groups (i.e. Somalis in Northeast Kansas City)

• Keep the goal of disciple-making and seeing new churches emerge in front of you

  • Move beyond meeting physical needs to meeting needs as an open door to finding spiritually interested people

• Find the right teammates

  • Find (or help form) teammates who have a burden for the multiplication of disciples and microchurches

Build your team around clear vision and purpose

• What is this team running towards? What is the “WHY” of this team?

  • It might be helpful to work through the vision statement exercise (see pg 4).

Be specific about your missional activity and strategy

• Be intentional in your “HOW.”

  • In what ways are you meeting people?

  • In what ways are you being Good News and discovering persons of peace?

  • How are you engaging in spiritual conversations and inviting people into Discovery Bible Study environments?

Build your team around prayer

• Determine your prayer rhythms as a team

  • Be intentional and schedule times together (be creative: use Zoom if needed)

  • Pray on mission and “on-site” when possible. Prayer walking is an extremely important strategy for missional teams

Determine the rhythms of the team

• What are the regular and intentional rhythms of this team that must be in place in order to reach the purpose and goals?

  • Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly?