Convergence Columbus: Part Two Building Community
Mobilizing A Missionary Movement
What has been happening over the last six months is revolutionary as our leadership grows together and we become a family on mission. We are evolving in multiple ways.
When we meet for discipleship and relationship building we learn about one another. As we discuss key concepts we stretch one another. When we pray together bonds of love are formed. Experiencing what incarnational life is like deepens our friendship and creates vision for ways to reach those around us.
We are moving from a group of individuals into a team who genuinely cares for one another. The steps of transition from being pastor of an established local church to life and ministry as a missionary have anxious, uncertain moments to work through.
This is very much about a transition from depending on …
- a ready made group of people we refer to as the local church
- programs we call ministries that are used as mediums to do our work
- Sunday worship services as the primary point of contact
It’s easy enough…until you try to do it, then you discover just how much you depended on the people of your congregation and the local church to open the door to ministry.
Instead, we find ourselves alone or with a few others doing things like ...
- building relationships with non-followers of Jesus
- discovering the needs of a village and what can be done to meet them
- figuring out the best way to share the Gospel with them in a meaningful way
This is a team of people willing to go to the ends of the earth or to the end of themselves in order to share the Gospel. Their very presence speaks of a commitment to seek out and hopefully save a people group missing from the table.
We started out with an idea to get one new church startup going and work towards developing others once it matured enough to become a sending station. Instead, we have three new gospel community startups in the Columbus area. Incredible!
27 Strategic Communities
To help grasp our plan we created maps so you can see a network of Gospel Communities across the Columbus area. Last month we shared communities inside the I-270 loop. This month we reveal the rest of the 27 strategic villages in Central Ohio where we intend to seek and save those who are lost (even some who have no idea they are lost) by mobilizing a missionary movement.
One key factor we discovered is the people who work for or around the university are not interested in attending a place of worship at or near the school. They want a place of worship to be in their neighborhood, if possible. And here is the kicker, the people of the University District Village live everywhere.
Outside the I-270 Loop
Shift your attention with us to outside the I270 loop where we selected 15 communities in which we believe a new Gospel Community can flourish. Some are in small towns where a university or college exist and bring a tremendous influence to the area. Other places are integral parts of Columbus life that happen to be outside the loop.
These are areas with high populations of people who have achieved at least one Master’s Degree or have earned a Doctorate in their field of study. They are the suburbs and rural communities where the people who work for or around the university of Central Ohio’s 54 institutions of higher learning actually live.
locations we've begun establishing a new church
locations we hope to establish a new church
Consider This
There are two important things we hope you will prayerfully consider as you read each part of this series:
Are you a possible Missionary Church Planter?
We will equip you for a missionary approach through a missional life and ministry. Contact us and let us know; we'd love to hear from you.
Could you be a Sustaining Support Team Member of the Bennetts?
This enables us to give ourselves fully to recruiting, training, deploying, and reviewing with missionary church planters. If you are interested, go to giving.ag.organd make a Faith Promise today. Have questions? Contact us and we will be glad to answer anything you need to know.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support!