I am super honored to be able to speak at the Metro Mission Quarterly today on the topic The Pastor as Missionary. My time is limited, so thought I would create a post with my notes and some other ideas and materials for the talk.
The first item is a survey I created when we first planted, adapted from the book Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer. This survey contains a list of questions designed to be used by a pastor in an interview setting with those outside of the church. The goal is to get thoughts and opinions about the ways a church in a given community might connect and serve that neighborhood. This survey can be used to engage non-Christians, but also would be useful when gaining insights from civic leaders and others with influence in the community (school teachers, policemen, parks department representatives, etc.). I have also asked people from Genesis to gather a group of friends and used this as a group project.
Talk Outline and Ideas
1. Research your city
- Satellite View – Do a demographics study – NAMB Demographics Request
- Street view – meet with lost people and key leaders to find out how a church in the area could love and serve the city well.
2. Know your neighbors
- Take cookies or a gift at Christmas
- Host a movie night or driveway barbecue
- Create a notebook with the names and needs of the people who live around you so you can know and pray for them
- Be in your driveway on Halloween
3. Find a place to serve your city
- HOA Board
- Youth sports coach
- Civic leadership team
- Volunteer for the parks department
4. Get out of your office
- Do sermon prep in a coffee shop, city park, or Breadco.
