Developing Mission Communities

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Develop small groups that will support each other and go together into serving the world.

by John A. Studebaker | posted 2/14/2007

Topics:	Accountability, Outreach, Purpose, Spiritual formation, Spiritual gifts
Filters:	Coach, Director, Leader, Member, Train
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	John 15:26-27 , John 16:13-14
Date Added:	February 14, 2007

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Ever watch old episodes of "The Lone Ranger"? What an idyllic figure of American heroism. He was tough, independent, and never let anyone know his true identity.

It is probably not a shock to hear that God does not want us to be "Lone Ranger Christians." No one person can exemplify the complete life of Jesus to the surrounding world. We need a circle of believers around us who go forth into the world with us. We need what I call a "mission community"—a small group of believers who reach out to specific people and meet specific needs in this world as a means of sharing the grace and truth of Christ.

This brings up some key questions: Just how does the Holy Spirit create these diverse mission communities within churches? Then, once created, how does the Spirit use these communities to reach people for Christ?

A Biblical Model for Mission Communities

In John 15 we discover that the Holy Spirit creates these communities. Jesus says he will "send" the Holy Spirit "from the Father" and that this Spirit will "bear witness" of Jesus in the world (verse 26). This not only implies that the Spirit is God, but also that the Spirit will be the authorized representative of Christ after his departure. How will the Spirit "bear witness" of Christ? Jesus, who previously described himself as "the truth" (John 14:6), now says he will send forth "the Spirit of truth." This Spirit of truth will come to Jesus' disciples so they might "bear witness also" (15:27) of Jesus and his truth in the world.

In John 16 we discover how this "witness" will go forth.Â Jesus' ministry will continue after his resurrection and ascension because the Spirit of truth "will guide you into all truth" (16:13). It is critical to note that, in this verse, "you" is plural. The implication is that the Spirit will open up the truth of the Good News to communities of believers.

Jesus adds that the Spirit would "glorify me by taking what is mine and disclosing it to you [plural]" (16:14). This implies that the Spirit of truth would allow believers to know Jesus—particularly his truth and glory—within communities. It also implies that the Spirit would glorify Christ in the world through such Spirit-guided communities.

Do you see the flow? In each passage the knowledge and truth of God moves from the Lord Jesus to the Holy Spirit to the disciples. Jesus sends the Spirit into the world, and the Spirit makes Jesus known within believing communities (i.e., the local church). Then this community bears witness of Christ to the world.

Mission Communities and the Great Commission

How does the Spirit use mission communities to fulfill the Great Commission?Â

Jesus commissions all believers in Matthew 28:18: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, into all the world and make disciples." Here Jesus actually extends his very own authority to believers so that they might fulfill the task he has given them: making disciples. As a result, when believers "go into all the world" they can see themselves as having received a personal commissioning from Jesus.

It is important to note that this commissioning was given in the context of community: the Great Commission was delivered to the disciples as a group, and Jesus' words "go" and "make disciples" are in the plural. Combining this with what we learned above regarding mission communities, we can conclude that our commissioning should occur within the context of a local body of believers. The Holy Spirit can turn a Christ-centered small group into an environment where each believer's gifts and motivations for ministry can be both confirmed and activated.

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