LEAD THE WAY
The Core
3. MISSION (Part 1)

CONNECT

  • Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous leadership assignments.

DISCOVER

  • Watch the 5 Parts / 4 Fields video again.

We’ll divide our consideration of the church’s Mission into three parts.

  1. MISSION (Part 1) looks at ENTRY

  2. MISSION (Part 2) looks at GOSPEL

  3. MISSION (Part 3) looks at DISCIPLESHIP

MISSION (Part 1)

Our Relationship with Others

Join Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle.

  • JOIN JESUS - Join Jesus because it’s His mission

  • PRAYER — Pray for others to encounter Jesus

  • CARE — Care for others’ needs

  • SHARE —Share each others’ stories and Jesus’ Story

  • DARE — Dare others to be disciples of Jesus

  • Why is each mission priority important?

  • Why is the order of these mission priorities important?

Mission as Lifestyle

Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

  • How do these passages speak to mission as LIFESTYLE?

Join Jesus

Jesus calls us to partner with Him in the mission of discipling others toward Him.

Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

John 20:21 (NLT)

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

 Matthew 28:18-20 (ISV)

18 Then Jesus approached [his disciples] and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”

1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NIV)

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

  • What do these passages say about God our Savior’s mission and our mission?

  • Why is it important to Join Jesus in mission rather than pursuing mission on our own?

  • How would this impact your focus and your faith?

Jesus-Joined

Only as we remain in Jesus can we bear the fruit of discipling others toward Him.

  • Where do you see the following aspects of remaining in the Vine or staying Jesus-Joined in John 15:5?

    • An active connection with Jesus

    • A humble dependence on Jesus

    • A bold confidence through Jesus

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

  • Why is our first mission priority to stay joined with Jesus?

In Discipling Others toward Him

  • Once again, in MISSION (Part 3) we’ll take a look at how to disciple others toward Jesus.

  • For now, let’s define a disciple as an apprentice of Jesus who is learning to:

  1. Become a disciple of Jesus,

  2. Mature as a disciple of Jesus, and

  3. Disciple others toward Jesus.

  • Why are all three aspects important to being a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ?

Where and Who?

Look around you to see your ripe-for-harvest mission field.

John 4:35 (NLT)

You know the saying, “Four months between planting and harvest.” But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

  • Where is your mission field? In other words, who is Jesus calling you to reach for Him so they in turn can reach others for Jesus?

Here are some possible mission fields:

1. The most obvious is your circle of influence or natural network—THOSE AROUND YOU.

  • Where you live, learn, work and play. You don’t have to go somewhere else to be on mission with Jesus. Just look around you.

  • As you interact, connect, eat and do life with others see this as an opportunity to share Jesus’ love and life with them.

2. God may call you to look beyond your given circle of influence to see some other people, place or pain.

  • People - An ethnic group, sub-culture or age group

  • Place - A foreign country, part of your city or college campus

  • Pain - An addiction, a medical condition, a financial situation or an injustice

Person of Peace

Luke 10:5-9 (CSB)

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this household.” 6 If a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t move from house to house. 8 When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near you.”

  • Watch this video.

Your Mission Fields

  • Who is Jesus asking you to reach?

    Using the Circle of Influence Map below, who are 3 to 4 people that the Lord is calling you to focus on? Include people who need Jesus AND believers who need discipleship. Also ask Jesus to lead you to a Person of Peace. Then see where all of this could lead. Fill in the possible people who could be influenced by your 3 to 4 people coming to faith and maturing in Christ. Get a vision for the mission!

  • Use this Circle of Influence Map with your MicroChurch.

Prayer

Pray for others to encounter Jesus.

Billy Graham

Prayer is crucial in evangelism: Only God can change the heart of someone who is in rebellion against Him. No matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God's Spirit prepares the way.

J. Sidlow Baxter

People may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.

  • Why is prayer not just preparation for the work of mission but the first and most urgent part of the work of mission?

Our first move in joining Jesus in mission is to get down on our knees.

Start using these two missional prayers.

1. For Yourself

Start your day and regularly pray throughout your day (especially as you transition from one interaction, activity or location to another):

Jesus, how can I join You in mission? Give me eyes to see, ears to hear and courage to follow Your leading.

Stay attentive and be ready to follow. Usually, the only way to know if the Lord is leading you is to try it. Faith could be spelled T-R-Y. So give it a try.

2. For Others

Regularly pray this prayer for the people on your Circle of Influence Map.

Father, I pray for _______'s salvation. Help me to live a consistent and attractive Christlike life around _______. Show me _______’s needs so that I can serve him/her with Your love. Do something in _______’s life that can only be explained by Your presence and power. Deepen our relationship together. Open doors for me to have spiritual conversations with _______ and help me to share the Good News of Jesus with him/her. Overcome Satan's blinding of _______'s heart and mind so that he/she will turn from sin, trust in Jesus as Savior, follow Him as Lord and join a community of believers.

  • What strikes you from these two missional prayers?

  • What might you add to these prayers?

  • What would happen if you began to pray these prayers regularly?

Talk to God about people before you talk to people about God.

Care

Care for others’ needs.

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

  • Why is caring such a significant way of entering and impacting your mission field?

  • Give an example of each of the following types of caring:

    • Practical Care

    • Sacrificial Care

    • Supernatural Care

  • Thinking about the people in your mission field (Your 3), how could you practically, sacrificially and supernatural care for them?

Combining Prayer & Care

  • The Vineyard has used the following 5 Step Prayer Model both in worship gatherings and on the streets. It’s a great way to bring supernatural care to enter your mission field.

 

5 STEP PRAYER MODEL

Here’s a simple model to follow when praying for someone. This is only a model and not a magic formula.

1. ASK

Ask, “How can I pray for you?” or “What would you like Jesus to do for you?” Listen well and it may be helpful to reflect back their request. “So you’re asking for …?”

2. INVITE

“Come, Holy Spirit, Come!”

Invite the Holy Spirit to come and reveal God’s presence and love. Let the person know that you’ll pause for a moment to just be still. This gives space and time for them to experience God’s presence and love and for you to listen for direction from the Spirit. Be okay with a bit of silence. Your comfort will make them comfortable.

3. PRAY

Pray for what the person has requested and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If appropriate, lay hands on them. It’s helpful to keep your eyes open—not to stare, of course, but to stay attentive to how the person may be encountering the Lord. This allows you to join in with what the Lord is doing in the moment.

Keep your prayer short and simple—“Jesus-length” prayers. And don’t preach through your prayer; just pray. The prayers that Jesus and the early church prayed were usually quite short and direct. In fact, in many ways, they were more declarations, even commands, than prayers, such as, “In Jesus’ name, medical condition be healed” or “In Jesus’ name, demon come out.” Jesus has authorized us to use His name boldly and compassionately for His Kingdom.

Pray something like this: “Lord, thank You for Your loving presence and Your healing power. I pray that You would heal _____’s knee. Knee, be healed in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

4. CHECK

Ask, “What’s happening?” or “What’s God doing?” For example, if the person asked for prayer for their knee, you could ask them how it’s feeling or how the level of pain is now or if they can do something they couldn’t do before. If the person asked for prayer for wisdom in some life decision, you could ask if they are getting any thoughts that may be helpful. If the person asked for a breakthrough in some relationship, you could ask if they are getting any ideas on how to seek reconciliation. If the person asked for help in overcoming some trauma or addiction, you could ask if they are experiencing any new hope.

After checking, you may want to return to prayer, thanking the Lord for what He is doing and asking Him to continue to do more.

5. NEXT?

Ask, “What’s next?” What about getting together again to pray? Does the person know Jesus? How could you introduce them to Jesus? Could you invite the person out for coffee? How about inviting them to church? How can you use this prayer encounter as an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with them and possible discipleship to Jesus?

5 Step Prayer Model PDF File

Original Version

This video covers the original version of the Vineyard 5 Step Prayer Model.

 

Share & Dare

  • Next session, we’ll look at how to SHARE the Good News and DARE people to become followers of Jesus.

HOW TO USE THE MISSION MATRIX

The MISSION MATRIX will help you visualize how you and your MicroChurch can join Jesus in mission. It highlights who is involved, how you engage, and what you do.

Examples:

LEADER | STRATEGIC | SHARE

As a leader, you may strategically focus on a neighborhood where you're seeking to plant a MicroChurch. You invite neighbors to a backyard campfire to share your vision and the Good News about Jesus.

MICROCHURCH | SITUATIONAL | PRAYER

Your MicroChurch visits a local park and asks people if there's anything you can pray for them about.

INDIVIDUAL | SUSTAINED | CARE

As an individual, you intentionally walk alongside and care for a coworker who is going through a difficult season.

These are just three examples of how the different aspects of mission can work together. Any combination is possible: leaders, individuals, and MicroChurches can all engage in strategic, situational, and sustained mission through Prayer, Care, Share, and Dare.

The key is to prayerfully discern how Jesus is leading you and your MicroChurch to join Him in mission.

Gathering Guide

  • Note the section on MISSION.

Mission and Kids

Get your kids involved in mission. For example, encourage them to practice a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle with their friends and at school. Also, take them with you when you go out for prayer outreach. Kids have a way of making people feel comfortable so it’s often easier to start conversations with people when a kid is present. And, of course, bring them along when you do other mission activities like park cookouts or work days.

LIVE / LEAD

  • What did you discover in this training session?

Assignment

  • Start joining Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle in your mission field.

  • Work through BE THE WAY - Week 6 - MISSION (Part 2).

  • Read chapter 1 of DISCIPLE: The Noun and The Verb (THE NOUN - WHAT’S A DISCIPLE?).

DISCIPLE: The Noun and The Verb

For a deeper dive into The Way’s philosophy of discipleship read DISCIPLE: The Noun and The Verb.

Paperback or Kindle version at Amazon.

Here’s a High Res PDF file and a Lower Res PDF file.

Continuing Ed Sessions on Mission (Part 1)

PRINTABLE PDF

  • LEAD THE WAY - Mission (Part 1)

NEXT SESSION

LEAD THE WAY

The Core

  1. Lead (Part 1)

  2. MicroChurch

  3. Mission (Part 1)

  4. Mission (Part 2)

  5. Mission (Part 3)

  6. Worship

  7. Discovery

  8. Community

  9. Lead (Part 2)

Continuing Ed

  1. Praying Paul’s Prayers (Lead-1)

  2. Disciple-Making Movements (MicroChurch)

  3. Financial Giving (MicroChurch)

  4. Doing the Stuff - 1 (Mission-Part 1)

  5. Doing the Stuff - 2 (Mission-Part 1)

  6. Doing the Stuff - 3 (Mission-Part 2)

  7. A Guide for Guides (Mission-Part 3)

  8. Our Meal and His Supper (Worship)

  9. Baptism (Worship)

  10. Hermeneutics (Discovery)

  11. Mature Community (Community)

  12. Child and Youth Safety (Community)

  13. Welcoming New People (Community)

  14. Spiritual Gifts, Prophecy and Tongues (Community)

  15. Replicate (Lead-2)