Becoming a Global Christian

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Myles Haynes
5 years ago
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1 Session 1.1 A Heart Like God s When we love God, we ll want to love what he loves. That could change our lives! Participants will trace the theme of God s heart for the world through Old and New Testament Scriptures. They will identify characteristics of passionate caring from Paul s testimony. They will plan ways to grow more like God in love for the world through specific, achievable steps of engagement. Session 1.2 What in the World is God Doing? From 11 disciples to 3 billion followers, God is reconciling the world to himself. He s given us a part in this mission of bringing people back to peace with God. Through a study of 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, participants will make connections between their own conversion experience and the mission given to all Christians. A short overview of statistics about global Christianity will enable participants to explain one fact about the remaining task of the Great Commission. Through a story example, participants will identify what God uses to draw people to himself and outline the role of the church. They will plan one step of participation in their church s outreach: giving, praying, preparing to share their own conversion stories. Session 1.3 Where in the World Am I? When we understand where we are in the spectrum of access to the gospel, our role becomes clearer. As a result of a Scripture study of Matthew 18:16-20 and Romans 10:8-15, participants will be able to explain the scope of the Great Commission and describe the sequence of steps to salvation. 1

2 Participants will understand what it means to be unreached and locate the majority populations of unreached people on the globe (10/40 Window). Together, you will envision ways to get involved in the sequence of steps for the least reached to come to salvation. Session 1.4 The World in My City What if God is moving nations around the world in order to give them greater access to his people? How can I reach out to my neighbors who are immigrants? Through a Scripture study, participants will discover 1) God s involvement in global events and 2) the godly response to the stranger. Participants will be able to trace the movement of unreached people from the 10/40 Window to North American cities and consider the strategic importance of reaching out to immigrant neighbors. Session 1.5 One, for the World What if disunity between racial groups in the church is a major impediment to the spread of the gospel? What might happen if we could bridge the gaps that keep us apart? Participants will gain awareness of the racial divide within the American church and identify types of racism that persist. We ll investigate the emphasis of Jesus and the early church on interracial unity for the advance of the gospel. We will reframe a stereotype about Africans and Christianity. We ll identify some steps to take and rewards to gain working for unity between races in the church. Session 1.6 Irresistible Invitation Those who are called Jesus are given calls to relationship and to responsibility. Throughout the Bible, 2

3 these two callings are inseparable. This is a chance to reflect on our relationship with Christ and how we are growing to know him better through participating in his mission in the world. Participants will review the conversion story of the Apostle Paul and think about their own journey with Christ to this point. Through Scripture study, the group will identify and visualize how the callings to relationship and responsibility are intertwined. Participants will discuss a practical example of a person responding to Christ s call to follow as seen in a video from TEAM. They will reflect on what they have heard from Christ through the sessions in this series, how they may have already taken steps to obey and how they might describe their calling at this point. 3

4 Tier 2 Overview Discerning Your Calling Session 2.1 Trailhead In this session, participants will have a chance to look at what started them on this trail. Why are they interested in missions? What has stirred their hearts? We ll begin at the same trailhead where Jesus stood with his friends and started them on their journey to change the world. Participants will revisit a pivotal past experience and draw some new insights. They will review Christ s commission and assess their own possible responses. They will get to know others who are starting on this journey. Session 2.2 Getting Directions How do we hear God s voice? What does responding to God s voice look like? Participants will notice Kairos moments from Scriptural examples. They will become acquainted with the cycle of life transformation as described in the learning circle. They will recognize what kairos moments are in their lives and how to respond to God in those moments. Session 2.3 Exploring Your Destination This session gives you a chance to discover your affinities what people groups or cultures pull at your heartstrings. You will look into your own life for ways God may have been preparing you to go to certain areas or peoples. Through this session, participants will identify some key elements of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They will think about how the Apostle Paul s ethnic and cultural background prepared him for missions and draw some applications for understanding their own unique preparation. 4

5 Tier 2 Overview Discerning Your Calling They will use the results of their CQ Self-Assessments to think about ways to prepare for living and working cross-culturally. Session 2.4 Exploring Your Role God has created us with innate strengths and abilities. He has also put within us a drawing, a calling, to both BE and DO something that makes a difference in the world. As we draw near to our Creator and our Savior, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of his purposes to us. Looking carefully at what God has created in us is part of listening to his voice for direction. Participants will be able to identify key aspects of their experiences, gifts and interests. They will gain some ideas about how their gifts might intersect with needs in the world through an occupation in missions. Session 2.5 Don t Journey Alone What role should your faith community play in the discerning of your calling? Whom has God placed in your life to give you guidance and support? Participants will identify the role of the body of Christ in Paul s calling and commissioning for service. They will be able to clarify their positions within their faith community and ask God for the launching pad for ministry they need. Session 2.6 Getting Started In this session participants will have the chance to pause and recognize their kairos moments from this series. How has God spoken to them, and what will they do about it? Participants will be able to apply the learning circle to the experience of the workshop and map out next steps to respond what they ve learned. 5

Church Designations and Statements of Public Witness

Church Designations and Statements What s behind all this? In a previous unit, participants were invited to explore actions and functions of the General Synod of the United Church of Christ. There they