Meeting 7 [Community] - Meeting Candidate Pastor
Icebreaker: "What is something you signed up for thinking it would be fun, easy, or glamorous, but it turned out to be a lot of hard work and mess? (e.g., getting a puppy, planning a wedding, a specific job, a 'simple' DIY project)."
Introduction: We often love the idea of something more than the reality of it. We found out in our last meeting on mission, that 'Mission' is similar—it sounds heroic, but the daily reality is often messy and unglamorous. In our last [mission] meeting, mission was described to be about restoration, and that restoration—like fixing up an old house—is messy. We often avoid mission because we avoid the mess.
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Tools and Culture: Culture of Sharing and Receiving Others, Tools for Safe and Brave Space
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Access’ Mission
We are a church seeking to live life with God in soul, community, and mission.
Mission
The world is not the way it should be. It has been ruined by human sin, but God invites us to join in his redemptive work bringing healing and restoration to our world.
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Discussion Questions
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Identifying the Mess: We were reminded of something Ted often said (which is actually in Access' Mission Statement, which he actually wrote - ha ha), "The world is not as is should be." Where did you see that specifically this week? Was it in a broken relationship, a stress at work, or an internal struggle?
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The "Fix-it" Instinct: When we see that mess, our instinct is often to fix it quickly or look away. What does it look like to "sit in the mess" with someone as a form of mission, rather than just trying to solve their problem?
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Internal Barriers: It was mentioned that mission is about posture. What is one "messy" area of your life where you are hesitating to invite God or community in?
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Prayers
- write out a prayer or two or more and exchange written prayers with another to be praying for another until the next time we meet.
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Engagement
- Try to identify one moment where you felt the tension between 'comfort' and 'mission.' Don't feel you have to fix it, just notice it, and pray about what God may be telling you about it. Or share it with someone else.
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Group Notes
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