For three days in February leading thinkers and practitions of missional community will come to Austin, TX to share and teach from their own experiences, convictions, and lessons God has shown and taught them. Verge is a national conference involving people from many churches in Austin and beyond.
Come learn with others from across the nation as we listen to these leading thinkers and practitioners of Christ-centered missional community. Whether you are a leader of a group or serving team, or are simply interested in the redemption and renewal of your community, the Verge Conference will give you the tools to unleash a Christ-centered movement wherever you are. Speakers for the event include Francis Chan, Alan Hirsch, Dave Gibbons, and many others!
Regular conference registration is $99 (for three days of high-quality learning and powerful community with others who share your passion for impacting the world), but we're offering a discounted price to The Austin Stone of only $39!
We'd love for our missional community leaders or members, ministry leaders or volunteers, and anyone else from The Austin Stone to join us. Please don't come alone! Ask your missional community, those you are discipling, your roommate or neighbor to come along! Click here to register. Once there, select the "All-Inclusive Badge," and use the discount code "ASCC" to get the $39 rate ($59 after January 11).
You can find a few more details below or to learn more visit the Verge Conference website or [KEEP READING]
Leader's Guide
1. Debrief your party from Week 6. Use the first three questions on page 161 as a guide
2. If your group didn't host a party, talk about why. What hindered your group from having the party?
a. Plan another time where your group will throw another party. The week before Thanksgiving would be a great opportunity to have a Thanksgiving party.
3. Now discuss what apprenticeship might look like for your particular community.
a. What is apprenticeship?
b. How is it different from discipleship?
4. Do the activity together on page 160.
Leaders Note: There are several different ways you can do this activity:
- Have each person take a couple of verses. Have them read the verses while thinking through how they might apply to your particular group. After a couple of minutes come back together and have each person summarize what they learned.
- Split your group into smaller groups (2-3 people each). Give them a couple of verses to discuss together. Come back together as a large group. Have one representative from each group summarize what they learned.
- Read through each verse as a whole group and discuss how they apply to your particular group.
- Be creative and think of another way!!
5. Read page 155.
a. Which are areas you need to grow [KEEP READING]
Leader's Guide
1. Do the following activity that is on page 88.
"Split up individually or in groups of two and make alist below of all the words that come to mind when you think of Community. Set a timer for five minutes."
2. Discuss the questions on page 89.
3. How would you explain what biblical community is?
4. What practical steps can you take to move towards deeper community with those in your missional community and those outside your missional community?
NEXT STEPS
1. In two weeks, you will be challenged to throw a party and invite some sojourners (see pages 136-137). Read page 87. Brainstorm ideas for your party and begin to plan it.
2. Next week your MC will meet in a local bookstore or library (see the bottom of page 89). Decide on a place to meet.
Whether you're a pastor, church-planter, or simply interested in the redemption and renewal of your community and city, the Verge Conference will give you the tools to build gospel movements wherever you are. It is unique in that it is committed to the development and multiplication of missional communities, with a theme for 2010 of The DNA of Gospel Movements.
Francis Chan, Matt Carter, Alan Hirsch, and many other speakers will be speaking on numerous cutting-edge movement strategies and practices to help pastors, planters, leaders and ordinary people build gospel movements in their own contexts.
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010 through Saturday, February 6, 2010
Location: Austin, TX
Registration: Vist the Verge website for more information or click here to register!
Leader's Guide
1. How would you describe the gospel to someone who asked you?
2. Read page 51, starting with the second paragraph:
"When and where the Gospel lost its place in the everyday life of believers is a mystery, but there is no doubt that it is not informing most of our basic life issues. We often end up shrinking the Gospel down to a small set of beliefs or doctrines that have no practical effect on our daily lives. At the same time, we neglect to live out the greater story."
3. Is your own view of the gospel missing anything?
4. In what ways could you expand it?
5. Read Isaiah 61:1-4 and Luke 4:16-22.
- List some of the key aspects of the Gospel illustrated in the given scriptures.
- What do these mean for a modern reader?
6. Discuss the chart on page 58. Explain each of these elements in your own words: Communion, Community and Mission. (You can also [KEEP READING]
1. What does incarnational mean? (Refer to last paragraph on page 26 and last paragraph on page 30.)
a. What examples of this have you seen in your own life?
2. At the bottom of page 26, the author says that missionality by itself can hurt the cause of Christ more than it helps. Why do you think that is so?
3. Read together the first paragraph on page 35.
4. Now read together the story in John 8:1-11
a. Why do you think Jesus chose to get involved in the woman's story?
b. How do you think an advocate is different than a friend?
c. What does it require for us to become advocates?
5. Referring to pages 38-39, what were your experiences with this weeks action step?
(Note to Leader: Encourage your group to make this a lifestyle, not just a one time activity.)
6. Discuss the questions on page 41.
7. Close by praying together as a group.
NEXT STEPS
1. Walk through the [KEEP READING]
TK PRIMER: Week 1 Discussion
Leader’s Guide
1. As a missional community, read together the story of Abraham in Genesis 12: 1-5.
2. How has your idea of being missional changed based off what you learned this pastweek? (Refer to section 1.1)
3. Read together the last paragraph on page 2:
“The foundation of a missional life is the decision to offer God our plans in exchange for his plans. It requires that we are willing to leave our world so he can send us to extend his Kingdom. Whether we choose to engage the call is up to us.”
a. What are some things you have had to give up to follow God?
b. What things hinder you from making the decisionto live a missional life?
4. Discuss together each of the four immersions on pages 10-11.
a. Which ones are personally intimidating for you?
b. What are some examples in your life of some ofthe four immersions?
5. Referring to page 15, what were your experiences with this weeks action step: crossing your fence, crossing your street, crossing a social, political or ethnic barrier? (Note to Leader: Encourage everyone to share.)
a. Did you have any fears? Any hesitations?
(Note to Leader: Encourage your missional community to make this a lifestyle, not just a one time activity.)
6. Spend some time thinking through non-Christian friends who you may want to include in your community. Write their names down at the bottom of page 16. Share who they are with the [KEEP READING]