The First Time I Tried Starting a Missional Community I Failed
Have you ever tried starting a missional community from scratch?
“Missional” is a label we give to the qualitative and descriptive aspect of how a church or group of people actually lives. My buddy Hugh Halter says it simply,
“It’s about how much like Jesus people become… how much they influence, woo, and transform the culture in which they are placed.”
A family, group of friends or church that lives like this… Sounds good!
Well, a few years ago my friends all thought so too. We were excited to be rebels who were starting a missional community.
Excited, that is, until things progressed to where we moved beyond our weekly meal and discussion about being missional. It was time to start heading out and building new relationships, serving those in need in our city… actually making disciples.
That’s when everyone recoiled a bit.
Let’s Try This Missional Community Thing Again
Now I’ve learned how to make discipleship and mission a reality–something simple that everyone can live out in everyday life.
What I didn’t know back in those earlier days of starting a missional community was that while most Christians want to make disciples and live on mission with God, they also feel way to busy!
Often, when moving toward a lifestyle of discipleship and mission, people become overwhelmed with what they perceive as the risk of their family time, “margins” and sanity!
The secret is moving from “additional” to “intentional” in our thinking.
Discipleship is not a set of activities we need to jam into our lives, or a series classes that we need to take. And a missional community is more than just a weekly meeting of our small group with a name change.
It’s a series of simple, rhythms or “moves” we can easily, and intentionally, engage in our everyday life. Step by step.
Imagine…
- Making new friendships that naturally lead to “doing life” together.
(I can show you how.) - Or knowing how to talk with others about spiritual things without feeling awkward or pushy.
Discipleship becomes a way of life that includes your kids, close friends and neighbors.
That’s what my family and friends now experience.
If you want it… I’m here to get you started without all the headaches, stop/starts and frustration.
The best part? It’s 7 simple steps.
This process takes a little effort and intentionality. But it’s not complicated. And it’s one of the fastest ways I’ve discovered to get started with others making disciples and building community.
(You can do Steps 1 and 2 today!)
I want to give you access to this free Start-Up Guide (including ‘How To Start a Missional Community From Scratch’). Just click the button below and I’ll send it over.
Discipleship Is Spiritually Re-Parenting People
So many people were never taught the basic skills needed for everyday life—let alone how to see it all through the lens of the gospel. Discipleship isn’t just a transfer of biblical knowledge or theology; it’s about helping people actually live as part of God’s family. And in many ways, it’s like reparenting others in light of what our Father now says is true about them.
This week on the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we talk about how discipleship often mirrors what it’s like raising kids. Over the years, I’ve seen the same patterns in our missional community that my wife and I walked through while raising our own kids. It’s slow. It’s beautiful. It takes grace and patience. But it’s how people learn to live out their new identity in Christ.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why discipleship is truly a form of reparenting people
- The key areas in life where people need help learning to live like God’s kids
- Why traditional discipleship often misses the mark on real life transformation
- How God equips us to be spiritual parents who walk with others in love and grace.
Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.
Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.
The Common Good Should Be Good News
So we’ve seen in our discussion on the Common Good from last week that we are not looking to be “benevolent stoopers” who throw a bone to those we perceive as needy. And we’ve looked at who really are our brothers and sisters, and how our Father God would have us view them. Now, in this 3rd and final part of the series, let’s look at how the Gospel informs our response.
Hearers and Doers
So do we just hope and wish for a common good, or do we actually have to do good? Remember, Jesus said that we are to be both hearers and doers of the truth…and yet he offered no grand, sweeping social programs or schemes. (more…)
Jesus Didn’t Speak Christianese—Why Do We?
Many Christians unknowingly speak two languages — one for everyday life and another for talking about God, faith, and spirituality. But what if the words we use are actually confusing and off-putting to those outside the Church?
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we explore how the language we use can either draw people in or push them away. We’ll unpack some of the top Christianese phrases, why they’re problematic, and how to communicate the gospel more clearly — just like Jesus did.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How the language we use as a church shapes our culture and perception
- The Top 10 Christianese words or phrases and what they really mean
- What our words say to those outside the Church — and how to rethink them
- Practical steps to grow in gospel fluency and speak more clearly about faith
Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.
Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.
Are We Called to the Common Good or the Common Best?
I’ve heard it said that sometimes “good” can be the enemy of “best”. And it can be hard to tell the difference. I wonder if ministry and mission get mixed up in this way too? At times I think I have been happy just to get some good stuff done without knowing if it really accomplished all that much in the long run.
The Daily Life of a Missional Family
There’s no such thing as a “typical” week in the life of a missional community. Healthy rhythms often follow surprisingly simple patterns, and family schedules don’t have to be crazy packed to live on mission.
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, Caesar shares a running narrative from the daily journals of a married father in a missional community. You’ll get a glimpse into the organized and organic interactions that arise as they live as a family on mission for one week. It’s messy, it’s glorious, and it’s a powerful look at real-life discipleship in action.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- How a married couple with three kids lives on mission together.
- The gospel-intentionality woven into their everyday life.
- Why living this way in community doesn’t overload their schedule.
- How to invite others into your daily rhythms for deeper discipleship.
Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.
Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.
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ABOUT ME
I am the author of the top selling book, The Gospel Primer. My latest books, Transformed and Small is Big, Slow is Fast came out recently on Zondervan.
I help those with a high commitment to intentional living in the areas of their discipleship, family and mission acquire the leadership skills and tools necessary to succeed and leave a lasting legacy.