Missional Opportunities for you and your Congregation

Marilyn Houser Hamm

Congregational Partnerships invites you to "dig in" and understand the life and ministry of a Missional Church

Dear Church Leaders:

Much enthusiasm and excitement has been expressed in response to the missional church vision you have read and heard about in the past months. Our congregations clearly want to be continually nourished and challenged by God's hope for the world. We need to see the world through the eyes of the kingdom of God?not an easy task in a media-driven, revenge-seeking world. God's desire is to create strong people, discipled and rooted in scripture, inspired by vision, and equipped for ministry.

To assist congregations and individuals in advancing their knowledge and awareness of the missional church, Mennonite Church Canada Witness is developing several educational and awareness building opportunities. The enclosed materials (Take A New Road and Join the Journey) present these opportunities (at varying levels) to help us carry forth both missional vision and action.

This is an invitation to discovery for your congregation and its leaders. As an introduction to this invitation, we present to you the Take a New Road brochure (full colour) that illustrates some key missional church information and education opportunities. These opportunities represent a direct link from vision to action through MC Canada's Congregational Partnerships services.

This brochure is separated into two parts: Missional Formation and Congregational Partnerships in Mission. I encourage you to use this brochure as a tool to speak with your congregation's committees and groups, or to encourage individuals to consider the missional leadership education opportunities available through Missional Formation. The Congregational Partnerships in Mission section illustrates the levels of missional connection (action) that are possible through national, international, and peace & justice ministries and partnerships.

Missional Formation opportunities #1-3 are congregational processes that logically lead to opportunity #4, Congregational Story-telling. The Leadership/Mentor Training (opportunity #5 described in detail in the attached blue leaflet Join the journey…) is being offered beginning in January of 2003 in Winnipeg. In the following year, offerings will be available in other regions. Opportunity #5 is intended for individuals (as opposed to groups), but enrollment is limited, so start tapping shoulders now! Prayerfully consider your participation in this training, if not for 2003, then in a subsequent year.

These Missional Formation opportunities provide a solid foundation for engaging in Congregational Partnerships in Mission, but are not prerequisites for getting involved in the partnership opportunities. Your congregation is invited to explore a potential partnership at any time!

Additional copies of these materials (and more in-depth explanation) are available on request. Contact the MC Canada Missional Facilitation Coordinator in your area to express your interest (see the back of this sheet), or contact me directly with your questions and comments. Feel free to make copies of this material for persons whom you feel should know about this training, or to use as a reference yourself.

God's blessings to you as you approach the Advent season.

Marilyn Houser Hamm
Executive Director, Congregational Partnerships
(1-866-888-6785 or mhhamm@mennonitechurch.ca)