Mid-sized Missional Communities (or MSCs), have been found to help European churches in growing membership. This from the Christian Post:
"Churches across Europe are reporting that setting up midsize missional groups alongside their worship services is proving to be an effective strategy to not only revitalize struggling congregations, but also to help attract new people in a post-Christian society.
Midsize groups range in number from 15 to 70 members and do anything from handing out flowers to women on Mother’s Day, meeting in cafes with non-Christians to explore the practices of the faith, to serving in a discipleship program. ...
Five years ago, the church was confronting declining attendance and less than 12 percent of the congregation was in small groups, recalls Andrew Williams, associate vicar at St. Andrews. Now, 72 percent of the church members belong to one of 32 midsize missional communities serving their neighborhood by working with the deaf, elderly and homeless."
thnku Jenn Riley.
Also, read an article by Joanne Appleton from Leadership Network
Mid Sized Mission - The Use of Mid Size Groups As a Vital Strategic Component of Church Planting (ECPN)
What's your experience with "Missional Communities"? Do you have a missional community at your church?
Hey Jesse
Intriguing thoughts…
First I’ve heard of the term MSCs - although I guess the concept is certainly not new in the UK - but how well people are doing it is another question. You’ll probably find these often are associated with the more traditional denominations like Anglican and Methodist - because the more modern forms of church are engaging in this kind of thing as a natural expression of what they do.
We don’t have MSCs particularly as part of our programme but we do have over 60% of our congregations in our Connect small groups with an aim to drive relational evangelism. We have also set up three major community centres in 3 Northern cities of the UK with the purpose of facilitating some of those items that may be associated with MSCs. For example we have a night school and full time academy (’discipleship programme’) that works in schools and in the community throughout the week.
What they’re really saying is that thriving churches are churches that try to engage every person (the body) in some form of activity that connects people in their world with the life of the church and the Gospel. That is certainly our experience.
Comment by Chris Denham - Jul 30, 2008 @ 04:14 PM