Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Engaging Your Church in Mission

Simpsonwood UMC is a neighborhood church in Peachtree Corners near Norcross, Georgia (a bedroom community of ATL northeast OTP [ha, that's another blog worthy mission story that's a powerful local descriptor re. "outside the perimeter"]).

Simpsonwood UMC has a strong mission movement in their congregation that continues to grow and define the church. This hasn't happened by accident! They work hard every year in a process which involves more people, is action oriented while using committee structures, and is embraced by the church so that it is a movement. They also continue to communicate to everyone so that they enhance a missional church culture and personal lifestyle.

Check out some of their forms and schedule in the links below and think about how you work your mission process every year. This is easy to modify to your church context and works for both small and large congregations. Do notice the mission teams and committees fall under the whole life of the church including the proper relationship with all the committees of the church, i.e. they send their recommendations "up the chain of command" so that church leaders are appropriately involved and have "buy in" with their prayers, funding, and participation. I especially appreciate the sense of alignment to the church priorities and a sense of assessment, so that mission doesn't get caught in the relational or history traps and therefore stuck funding or doing the same things every year. This is an engaging, vibrant, present sense of mission that is worth your review and experimentation.

2016 Mission Funding Request

Funding Request Schedule

Criteria for Funding

Funding Request Template



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