Resources

Below are several resources that have served individuals and churches over the years!

Long-Form Writing

• Missional Community as a Model for Integrated Discipleship in an American Context
  My doctoral thesis, which is an academic perspective on missional communities and making disciples in American culture
• 3 Ways to Kill a Missional Culture
  An eBook providing a brief overview of the mistakes we made in transitioning The Austin Stone to missional communities
• Transitioning Your Church to Missional Communities
  An eBook providing a summary of the process to transition your church to missional communities.

Curriculum and Other Missional Community Tools

1. What is a Missional Community? – An article overview the definition and practices of MCs
2. MC Roadmap – a graphical overview of the MC model at The Austin Stone
3. LTG Overview – A basic overview of the Life Transformation Group model
4. The REAP Method – A simple tool to teach people to study the bible
5. What is a Third Place? – A brief article on Third Places
6. MC Leader Field Guide – The Austin Stone’s leadership manual for MC leaders
7. MC Basic Training Materials – Teaching Notes and Student Guides
8. MC Launch Curriculum – A 6-week primer for MCs that are brand new
9. MC Baptism Booklet – A short booklet that helps MCs navigate baptism in their community
10. MC Communion Guide – A short guide to celebrating the Lord’s Supper in your missional community
11. Who is the Missionary? – a graphic we frequently use in teaching MC ideas

Blog Series

Click the heading titles for the entire series of posts, or click the individual post below the heading for the specific article.

Why Missional Communities?

1. A Theological Reason – The Community Apologetic
2. A Philosophical Reason – Discipleship in a Consumer Culture
3. A Pragmatic Reason – Reaching All of Our City

What is a Missional Community?

1. Other’s Definitions of Missional Community
2. A Vision for Missional Community
3. A Definition of Missional Community
4. On Mission with God
5. A Pocket of People
6. More Than a Bible Study

Practices of Healthy Missional Communities

1. An Overview of Missional Community Practices and a Story
2. Why We Need Different Kinds of Gatherings
3. The Family Meal
4. The Family Meal – Sharing a Meal
5. The Family Meal – What Do You Talk About?
6. The Family Meal – An Evening of Prayer
7. The Family Meal – Celebrating Communion
8. Life Transformation Groups
9. Implementing LTGs in a Small Group
10. A Third Place
11. Putting the Gatherings Together
12. Missional Communities in the Suburbs

Multiplying Missional Communities

1. Why multiply missional communities?
2. When you should multiply a missional community
3. When you should NOT multiply a missional community
4. How to multiply a missional community
5. Identifying a Mission

Missional Community Values

1. Why Values?
2. The Word
3. Prayer
4. Demonstrating the Kingdom
5. Declaring the Gospel

Helpful Books on Missional Communities

1. Books on Missional Communities
2. Theology that Informs Missional Communities
3. Philosophy of Missional Communities
4. Missional Community Practices

The Four Stages of Missional Community Formation

1. Community Group
2. Small Group
3. Team of Missionaries
4. Missionary Team
5. Data on Missional Community Development Over Time

How are Missional Communities Different?

1. Missional Community vs Bible Study
2. Missional Community vs Small Group
3. Missional Community vs Community Group

Leadership Development Systems for Missional Communities

1. Introduction
2. Discipleship and Leadership Development
3. Identifying Leaders – Two Different Methods
4. Questions to Ask When Considering a Leader
5. The Basic Qualifications for Leadership
6. Basic Training for Missional Communities
7. Ongoing Training for Leaders
8. Caring for Leaders

Coaching of Missional Communities

1. Philosophy of Coaching
2. The Gospel and Coaching
3. Coaching Questions
4. Who Coaches?

Assessment of Missional Communities

1. The Philosophy of Assessment
2. Leader Self-Assessment
3. Coach Assessment

Connecting People to Missional Communities

1. The Difficulty of Assimilation and Mission
2. The Basic Philosophy of Assimilation
3. Barriers to Connection
4. Strategies for Overcoming Barriers
5. A Few Things We’ve Learned About Assimilation
6. Creating Environments for Launching Missional Communities – Part 1
7. Creating Environments for Launching Missional Communities – Part 2

What’s Next After Connection?

1. What’s Next?
2. The First Four Weeks
3. Processing a Preferred Future
4. Establishing Healthy Rhythms
5. Thinking Critically about the MC
6. Considering Multiplication

Kids and Missional Communities

1. Why involve your children?
2. Kids and the Family Meal
3. Kids and LTGs
4. Kids and Third Place
5. Kids and Demonstrating the Gospel
6. Different Ages of Children

Student Ministry and Missional Communities

1. Student Ministry and Missional Communities
2. Student Ministry Gatherings
3. Student Ministry and LTGs
4. Student Ministry and Third Place
5. Student Ministry and Volunteer Missional Communities

Transitioning Your Church to Missional Communities

1. Transitioning Your Church to Missional Communities
2. Two Ways to Transition
3. Creating a Sense of Urgency
4. Forming a Strategic Team
5. Crafting a Vision
6. Communicating the Vision
7. Empowering Others to Act
8. Celebrating Wins
9. Building on the Change
10. Institutionalizing the Change

Missional Community FAQs