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.
Why You Keep Saying Yes When You Mean No
Most of us say yes way too often — and we know it. Whether it’s fear of what others will think, or just not wanting to miss out, we keep adding things to our plate until we’re running on empty. We’ve mastered the art of the reluctant yes. And it’s quietly costing us more than we realize.
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to dig into why saying no is so hard, what the Bible actually says about commitments, and 10 practical ways to say no with grace. Plus — how to back out of something you never should have said yes to in the first place. This one is freeing.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- Why fear of man and FOMO keep you locked in yes
- What Scripture actually says about bailing on commitments
- 10 ways to say no gracefully — plus one for telemarketers
- How to back out of a commitment without burning a relationship
How to Stop Loving Stuff and Start Loving People
Being blessed with material wealth, things like a nice home and decorations, cars, clothing and mountains of electronics, is great. I’ve been given all of these things in my life and I’m grateful. But at times, some of these “good things” become “the things” that I begin to worship or protect, in a sense, forgetting what is truly important.
This Could Be Me…This Could Be You
After living in community for a while in Tacoma I met an older couple, not yet retired, but getting close to that stage of life. They were really cool folks who loved food, wine and riding motorcycles. What’s not to like? (more…)
Does Your Gospel Actually Sound Like Good News
A lot of us have been in church for years. We’ve heard the sermons, read the books, studied the theology. But when a real conversation opens up — with a neighbor, a coworker, a friend in crisis — we freeze. The gospel we know in our heads just won’t come out naturally. That tension is real. And it matters.
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to explore why so many believers struggle to talk about faith naturally — and what actually changes when you get the gospel right. You’ll discover how your upbringing shapes the way you see God, and why the gospel is genuinely good news for every part of life today.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- How your upbringing quietly shapes the way you see and share the gospel
- Why so many believers feel awkward or scared talking about their faith
- What it looks like to experience the gospel in everyday life — not just Sunday
- How gospel fluency transforms your relationships, community, and conversations
Community on Mission Works in Any Context
Most church Small Groups follow the same pattern — ya meet, do the study, go home. And after a while, something starts to feel hollow. Not fake, not wrong, just… thin. Like it should be more than this. If that’s where you are, this episode is going to name something you’ve been feeling.
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to redefine what a missional community is actually supposed to be and do together — and it’s simpler than you think. Not more programming. Just a different posture: living like a family with organized and organic rhythms that make room for real discipleship and real life together.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- A clear biblical definition for what a missional community actually is
- What the real mission of a missional community has always been
- The organized and organic rhythms that turn a group into a family
- 6 natural rhythms any MC can adopt right now that fit every context
Ask Caesar #3
Everyone I know seems busier than ever. Work, car pools, school and life in general all seem to be at odds with living a lifestyle of discipleship and mission. In a very real way these things are all competing for the same hours and minutes each day.
One of my readers, Dale, wrote asking, “I’m trying to learn how to integrate my missional life with my family life – balancing family time with discipling in community; how do I do that without killing my family or never really living on mission in community with others?” (more…)
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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.