I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

– Jesus

Our hope is to equip people to follow The Way of Jesus in an increasingly complex world.  This fall we are launching a new opportunity called The Discipleship and Mission Intensive. This intensive will create a high challenge/high support environment for those who are ready to engage in a more intentional and intensive format of learning and practicing The Way of Jesus. 

The Discipleship and Mission Intensive is for people in any life stage who is ready to be challenged to grow in their trust in Jesus and to commit to going deeper in their dedication to live The Way of Jesus.

The intensive will focus on three discipleship priorities:

Loving God, living like Jesus and being led by the Spirit.

What is expected of participants?

• Sessions will occur on Wednesday nights from 6-7:30pm with a break for the holidays.
• That they can attend at least 90% of the sessions for BOTH part 1 and 2 (fall and winter/spring).*we plan to offer yearly if you have a conflict this season.
• Childcare will be provided for those who need it
• That the participants will invest in others formally and/or organically in the future.

What will the evening entail?

• About half of the nights will be teaching & training – anchored in scripture and time to put the teaching into practice
• Another half of the nights will be in discipleship groups – everyone will be in a consistent small group to journey together in applying the teaching and training to their life.
• 4 Nights will be musical worship & spiritual practices 

Overview:

The purpose of The Church is to equip God’s people to follow The Way of Jesus in an increasingly complex world. Our goal is not to have more and more people merely participating in activities, but rather to deepen a discipleship culture in our communities. That culture will lead to more individuals and families living as committed disciples on mission in their everyday spaces.

Purpose:

The purpose of the intensive is to create a high challenge/ high support environment  for those who are ready to engage a more intentional and intensive format for putting into practice The Way of Jesus. We have led intensives like this in the past and seen the fruit of this investment.  

Who is this for:

People of any life stage who are in a season of life where they are ready to be challenged and to grow in their trust in Jesus and committed to going deeper in their dedication to live the way of Jesus.

The intensive is open to anyone who would like to be equipped from our Network churches and beyond. We will be intentional to create a culture that includes those who are a part of various churches or those who are not formally a part of another faith community.

What are the hopeful outcomes:

The intensive will equip participants to:

Know God – 

• • covenant and kingdom – we relate to God as our parent but have responsibility as heirs of God’s kingdom
  • receive and reflect – we receive God’s love and grace for us so we can reflect God’s love and grace to the world
  • shaped by scripture – God’s word shapes our hearts and mind
  • spiritual rhythms – practicing the presence of God in our lives through spiritual practices deepens our trust in God and sensitivity to God’s voice
  • God’s mission has a church – The Father sent the Son and the Spirit into the world and the Father, Son and Spirit are now sending us to join in the restoration of God’s world
  • Belonging in community – God exists in triune community, we are only able to reflect the image of God when we seek to be a unified body of Christ

Live Like Jesus 

• surrender – Jesus modeled surrender and invites us to give our lives in full surrender to him
• words, works, ways – live what Jesus taught, live with authority in Jesus name, live compelled by love
• forgiveness and freedom – what Jesus accomplished on the cross offers forgiveness and freedom from sin and brokenness for those who choose to receive it
• up, in, out – Jesus prioritized his relationship with the Father, with his community and with those he was called to reach
• kingdom justice – we join King Jesus in making wrong things right in the world around us
• spiritual authority – we have the authority to pray for protection, healing and blessing in the name of Jesus
• multiply disciples – The Way of Jesus is marked by those who reinvest what has been invested into them.

Led by the Spirit

• listen and respond – discern the voice and movement of the Holy Spirit and join in 
• kairos moments – The spirit breaks in to lead us throughout our everyday life if we pay attention
• 5 Fold Gifts – We all have gifts from the Spirit that help us live the way of Jesus
• staying curious – the life of faith is full of mystery and the Spirit guides as we ask courageous questions
• radical generosity – the Spirit guides us to be others focused and to be people who live as though everything we have is God’s
• holistic hospitality – the Spirit empowers us to be people who show hospitality in all interactions with others
• people of peace – the spirit guides us to those who God is inviting us to love in his name
• experimenting – discernment is found through experimenting step by step into God’s future for us

What the Discipleship & Mission Intensive is NOT:

• • The only way to be grow in discipleship – there are many ways to be equipped as a disciple of Jesus
  • A program to develop leaders to lead church programs – of course we want our leaders to participate, but the purpose of this intensive is to equip people to deepen their commitment in their everyday life as a disciple of Jesus.
  • Going to end with an obligation to lead a specific group/team/program at church – those who participate will be invited to invest in others and given opportunities, but most importantly will consider how they invest in others in their every day lives. There is no obligation to lead in any specific way. 
  • “Small groups” that will continue on after the intensives.