18-Month Missional Lifestyle Training Process
The Missional Lifestyle Training Process (MLTP) is, at its core, a re-training process. It re-trains pastors, professional staff, lay leaders and willing congregation members to join Jesus on His mission in their everyday lives, show family and friends how to do the same and then multiply that missional lifestyle and training throughout the congregation and out into the community by prioritizing relationships. The MLTP spans approximately 18 months and includes the following:
Preparation of the leaders and congregation for participation in the MLTP.
Two onsite training weekends, called “Discovery” and “Launch,” which catalyze the congregation for missional living, discipleship and multiplication. The “Launch” training can also be held with leaders at the Finke’s retreat in St. Paul.
12 monthly Navigation Zoom Calls which facilitate implementation of the training into the personal lives of the leaders and the collective experience of the congregation. Participation of leaders on the Navigation Zoom Calls is the single most critical factor in predicting whether the congregation will accomplish the mission, discipleship and multiplication goals of the MLTP.
The MLTP has Three Phases – Preparation, Discovery and Launch
The Preparation Phase (begins now)
Dwelling 1:14 guides leaders through a Preparation Phase and recommends best-practices for preparing the whole congregation for participation in the MLTP.
How to identify and recruit the Implementation Team for the MLTP
How to identify, recruit and train (i.e., disciple) Missional Community leaders now for the Launch Phase
How to introduce the “Joining Jesus” materials to the congregation
What needs to be in place logistically for the Discovery Training Weekend
How to leverage the momentum and clarity created during the Discovery Training Weekend for the season of Discovery that follows
How to prepare leaders and the congregation for implementing the “Connect” strategy during the Launch Phase
The Discovery Phase (first six months of training)
Now that your leaders and congregation are prepared, we enter the six-month Discovery Phase. The goal of the Discovery Phase is to train your leaders and willing members to join Jesus on His mission and then support each other as they implement the training in their personal lives and in the collective experience of the congregation. We start with the willing and give them the opportunity over six months to discover what it is like in real life to seek, recognize and respond to what Jesus is already up to in the lives of people around them and to support each other along the way as families and as a congregation.
The congregation enters the Discovery Phase via the Discovery Training Weekend.
The Discovery Training Weekend facilitates participants developing self-identified plans for engaging three assignments over the next six months:
Assignment #1: I will find out how to seek, recognize and respond to what Jesus is already up to in the lives of people around me.
Assignment #2: I will follow my self-identified plan for getting to know 1 or 2 people who are currently living without the grace and truth of Jesus.
Assignment #3: I will commit to participating in “Take-10” conversations with my church groups and family (if applicable), using the 5 Questions, for the encouragement, insight, accountability and practice I will need to turn my mission hobby into a mission lifestyle.
On Friday evening, an informal meet-and-greet is planned in a member’s home so that key leaders and Greg Finke can meet and talk about the upcoming Season of Discovery.
Discovery Training is held on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
On Saturday evening, a dinner is planned at a local restaurant with the Implementation Team so that they can meet with the pastor and Greg to debrief and talk about next-steps.
Greg stays to preach at all services and lead Bible class so that the rest of the congregation is introduced to what they can expect during the Season of Discovery.
After the Discovery Weekend, implementation of the training is supported through monthly Navigation Zoom Calls. These are held over a lunch hour so that leaders can easily participate no matter where they may be.
The Launch Phase (second six months of training)
With your congregation gaining real-life mission experience, we are ready to enter the six-month Launch Phase. The goal of the Launch Phase is to leverage the mission experience gained during the season of Discovery and help members develop a discipling plan for showing (i.e., discipling) their family and friends how to join Jesus on His mission, too. As part of the Launch Phase, we will also implement the “Connect” strategy, which places a new priority on connecting the congregation in relationship in order to multiply our missional lifestyle and training throughout the congregation and out into the community.
There are two options for the congregation to enter the Launch Phase: 1) a leadership team from the congregation participates in a retreat setting with the Finke’s in St. Paul, crafting a plan for discipleship and multiplication for the congregation and experiencing the dynamics of missional community or 2) Greg conducts an onsite Launch Training Weekend with the congregation.
The onsite Launch Training Weekend facilitates the following:
Participants gain clarity about how Jesus disciples His followers in the gospels
Participants develop a discipling plan to use with their family and friends based on Jesus’ discipling plan and goals.
Participants experience a mock Missional Community
Participants are introduced to how the “Connect” strategy will be implemented.
On Friday evening, an informal meet-and-greet is planned in a member’s home so that key leaders and Greg Finke can meet and talk about the upcoming Season of Launch.
Launch Training is held on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
On Saturday evening, a dinner is planned at a local restaurant with the Implementation Team so that they can meet with the pastor and Greg to debrief and talk about next-steps.
Greg stays to preach at all services and lead Bible class(es) so that the rest of the congregation is introduced to what they can expect during the Season of Launch.
After the Launch Weekend, implementation of the training is supported through monthly Navigation Calls.
Want more information?
Contact Greg at 281.844.7644 or finkeonthemove@aol.com