Hey friends, Joel here.
As pioneering missionaries who are feeling called towards the start of something new, there have been quite a few moments where people have asked about our plans or strategy. Where does one begin when starting from scratch? “Discipleship Ecosystems” has no model we can borrow from, nor coaching or structure to rely upon for guidance. We are, in many ways, starting from ZERO.
“So where do you start? How do you know where to begin?” The short answer is: CONTEXT. Metaphorically speaking, we want to know everything we can about the soil into which we are going to plant seeds of the gospel. If we don’t know our context, it will be very hard to plant anything that will grow into something fruitful.
In the last several years I have been diving deep into studying this concept of knowing your context. Context is not just one thing. I fact, I would say there are 5 important elements to study to truly understand your context:
The more I learn, the more I am convinced that this concept is not just for Becky & I, the “missionaries”. It is for any of us who want to influence those around us with the message of Jesus. Along the way, I have read several books that I have found particularly helpful. So if you are looking for a good read, and are inspired to know your context, then I highly recommend these books.
1. Books on Personal Gifting & Calling:
So first off, even though the desire is to reach others, we must be certain the gospel has reached us first. Rather than starting with methods of making Jesus’ name known that aren’t natural for our personality, it will be much easier to communicate or act in ways that are God-given. But knowledge about ourselves is not enough to see God working through us, but also must be paired with a willingness to be obedient to whatever God is asking you to do.
5Q – Alan Hirch
Alan Hirsch does an amazing job of unpacking the gifts of the Spirit in order that each believer may recognize how each member of Christ’s body has been equipped in order to make Christ known in this world. One aspect that gets unpacked very well in this book is the fact that we are, with our individual capacities, called to act as a body. What good is a finger, that knows it’s a finger, but is amputated from the hand? Your gifting is not for you alone! In fact, it is for the benefit of all of those that God has put around you.
Reaching the Unreached – Becoming Raiders of the Lost Art – Peyton Jones
If you are brave, read this one! This book will bend your understanding of church planting to the point where you think it might break. But Peyton demonstrates over and over again in this book that truly, if you are going to reach the unreached in your city (province/state/region etc.) you must go where nobody is going and do what nobody is doing. I have had a good number of opportunities to meet Peyton and members of his team at New Breed and they have been a tremendous help and support to us as we navigate these uncharted waters here in the Savoie.
2. Book on Understanding your Local Culture
The Center Church – Doing balanced gospel-centred ministry in your city – Tim Keller
This book is no ordinary book, it is a Tome for all those who are still under the sun and need some understanding of how to begin engaging with the culture that flows freely outside of church gathering. Insightful is an understatement, as this book alone has influenced thousands of church leaders and planters around the world. It is with his typical clarity of communication that Keller approaches cultural analysis, within the church and without, in order that the reader (usually church leaders) comprehend their cultural context. This cultural understanding is intended to guide each leader towards engaging in the cultural spaces where the gospel is not yet present. In my opinion, it’s a must read.
3. Book on Understanding the current Spiritual Reality
Breaking Spiritual Strongholds in your City – C. Peter Wagner
For those of you who know the sorts of books that Tim Keller and C. Peter Wagner write, you might be surprised to see them on the same book list. But I must say, that this book has been exceptionally helpful in our understanding of French culture. This book is not written primarily by C. Peter Wagner, but rather is a compilation of many authors who recount stories of their personal ministry experiences in various cities around the globe. At the end of each chapter application questions are posed for the reader to think through, as they help unpack things you might not have otherwise noticed or observed. As I said earlier, this book has given us incredible insights into the French culture that could not be found in other books. All of the conclusions that we have come to, have been cross referenced with French people, who have been surprised at our capacity to understand French culture and motivations.
4. Books on Understanding the State of Development
If Jesus Were Mayor: How your local church can transform your community – Bob Moffit
I’ll be honest. The title is cheezy. I get it. But this book has been HUGE in my understanding of what it means to live out the Gospel holistically. Bob Moffit makes a strong compelling case for the necessity of all church leaders to be thinking with ministry worldview that includes the physical transformation of a society. The fact that most western pastors rarely consider community development as part of their ministry is unfortunate. I have been brought to a place of repentance many times as I keep realizing the limits of what I thought local church could achieve and the positive change that it could cause in a society. When you read a book like this, it is easy to recognize that we in developed nations tend to have a far more limited understanding of what Jesus meant when he taught the disciples to pray “May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven…”
*FYI – To understand your community’s current gospel presence, looking through current listings and historical archives are your best resources*
If you are inspired to read any of these books, I would love to discuss what God reveals to you! And if you have any book suggestions to throw back at me, I would love to hear from you!
Joel for the Kennedy family
