What are Community Missions?

At the heart of our ministry efforts at encounterGOD are our community missions. In short, community missions are small, simple, "organic" church gatherings that exist to bring the good news of Jesus Christ where people are, rather than expecting them to show up at “church". They enable us to return to New Testament roots by letting the church be alive - growing and multiplying to invade the darkness across the city in unconventional locations.

There are really only two "rules" that govern the structure and formation of these groups. First, they are expected to be out in the COMMUNITY rather than asking those in the community to come to them. While it is even possible that some of these groups might meet on the campus of a conventional church, they must not allow themselves to be confined by the four walls of the church building. This leads us to the second guiding principle for community missions - those in the group are asked to be MISSIONally minded. This simply means that the group is encouraged to be aware of the ways that God is moving in their community and to jump on board with Him in whatever ways possible. It is our strong desire that each community mission will make a strong impact on those around them simply by living out the realities of the gospel in day to day life. Other than that, each group is simply expected to pursue Jesus with their whole heart, allowing Him to transform them into disciples who truly love God and love others.

Because of the extreme flexibility in the structure of community missions, they take on a wide variety of forms. The two most general forms are discussed in the paragraphs that follow.


Multi-Housing Community Gatherings

From encounterGOD's inception in 1996, we have felt called to be a presence in the multi-housing communities (apartment complexes, mobile home parks, etc.) in our city, especially those in low income areas. The National Apartment Industry conducted a general survey in 1990 through which it was determined that 96% of families who live in low-income multi-housing communities do not have a church home. The great physical need that exists in these communities has often led to bitterness toward God and toward His church - those who represent Him here on the earth. These communities are an incredible mission field for someone who is interested in simply loving God and allowing Him to love others through them.

Our strategy in planting a community mission in these areas is twofold. First, we seek to minister directly to the community through various means, including providing for basic needs such as food and clothing, “life skills” training, youth mentoring, etc. Our experience has shown that when you tell someone, “Jesus loves you,” but that person doesn’t know how they are going to feed their children that night, they are not very receptive to the gospel. That is why we feel we MUST strive to meet the physical, as well as the spiritual needs of those we meet. In the majority of cases, God uses the meeting of physical needs to open the door to spiritual conversations. When this occurs, our goal continues to be to simply and accurately represent the heart of the Father for His children. We believe wholeheartedly that when individuals experience God as He really is, most cannot help but want to know Him more intimately. Because this pursuit of God typically happens best in small community groups, we look for every opportunity to develop a community mission on-site. The leader/facilitator of these groups may be someone who God raises up from within the community, or it may be someone from the outside who simply has a genuine heart to see those in the community grow in their love for God and one another.


Home, Coffee Shop, Park, etc. Gatherings

These gatherings are the most natural, and the most easy to describe. Again, the only "rules" are that these gatherings take place in the community rather than being confined to the conventional church buidling (again, they can meet there, but must not be confined to the building), and that they be missional in nature. In other words, the emphasis is no longer on WHERE the gathering takes place, but on WHAT is accomplished in the gathering. These small groups allow for each individual to know and be known - to be intimately involved in community with others. They also allow for each person to participate in the gathering, rather than showing up as a spectator. Discipleship happens much more effectively, as no participants are able to "hide" in the crowd, but they become accountable to one another and are mutually encouraged by one another's faith (Romans 1:12). At the same time, these groups are effective in evangelism because they allow for a more natural invitation to others to join (after all, is it easier to invite someone to join you and some friends for breakfast, or to invite them to join you at the church building?). Also, if these groups stay true to their missional nature, they will not be able to help but affect the community in which they meet.

One thing that makes these groups slightly different than the typical multi-housing community mission is that they are focused on multiplication. From the beginning, the leader/facilitator of these community missions are focused on raising up a leader who can eventually split off and begin a new group. This allows the groups to maintain the dynamics that are presented by the small group, while also enjoying the benefits of being a part of a larger "network" of other gatherings.