Steve Timmis and Tim Chester's newest book, Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission, has some really helpful insight for encouraging communities to be on mission for Jesus. One helpful tool they use is the following list of questions designed "to give a snapshot of the health of a missional community." The authors rightly emphasize that this questionnaire is not an occasion for discouragement or blame (107). Instead, this is an occasion to rest in the gospel and do so some self and community reflection.

We encourage you to read this with someone in your gospel community, or take your gospel community through this questionnaire as an opportunity for growth, celebration, and planning new ways to be on mission together. May our Redeemer GCs learn and grow from this tool and may Jesus save many through our ordinary, prayerful missional lives.

Questions for a Gospel Community (adapted from Everyday Church)

1. How often do you have conversations with people in your gospel community (GC) outside regular meetings?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

2. How often are people from your GC in your home or you in theirs?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

3. How often do people in your GC talk about how the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them through God's Word?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

4. How often do you talk in your GC  about your struggles to follow Jesus ?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

5. How often do unbelievers spend time with your GC?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

6. How often does your GC spend time with unbelievers on their territory, in places where they feel comfortable?

a) once a month  b) once a week  c) twice a week  d) more than twice a week

7. Are the prayers of your GC gospel centered? Do you pray regularly for each of these:

a) one another's godliness  b) gospel opportunities  c) boldness to speak of Christ

d) conversion of the lost   e) the spread of the gospel around the world

8. With how many unbelievers does your GC have regular conversations about Jesus and how many are involved in Bible studies?

a) none  b) one or two  c) three or four  d) many

9. How many people in your GC do your most significant unbelieving friends know by name?

a) none  b) one or two  c) about half of them  d) most of them

10. Would you bring your closest unbelieving friends to a typical get together of your GC?

a) no  b) in theory I would, but in reality I don't  c) only if it's specifically designed around them  d) yes

John Owen’s The Glory of Christ is centered on one glorious foundational truth: “one of the greatest privileges the believer has, both in this world and for eternity, is to behold the glory of Christ” (2).

The Glory of Christ is, in essence, a devotional exposition of 2 Corinthians 3:18:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This text shows that by beholding (or reflecting on) the glory of Christ believers are gradually transformed into the image of Christ through the process of sanctification. Practically, this means the key to growth in the Christian life is not about focusing on us as much as it’s about focusing on Jesus and his life, death on the cross, resurrection, and coming return.

The Glory of Christ

Owen defines the glory of God as “both the holy properties of his natures and the things he has purposed to do,” noting that the only way we can know the glory of God is by faith in and through the person of Christ, who is the image of God and the radiance of His glory (2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15). We cannot behold the glory of Christ apart from faith in Christ.

Owen works through the various and endless aspects of Christ’s glory which the Christian is privileged to behold:

• Christ’s Glory as God’s Representative and Revelation (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15; John 1:1;1:18;14:10; 1 John 4:10)
• The Glory of Christ in His Person as Fully God and Fully Man (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 2:7-9; John 1:1-3; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6-8)
• The Glory of Christ’s Humbling Himself  (Phil. 2:6-8; John 8:58; Heb. 2:14-17)
• The Glory of Christ’s Work as Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6; Romans 5:19-21)
• The Glory of Christ’s Exaltation (Luke 24:26; Heb. 1:3-4; Rev. 5:8-14)
• The Glory of Christ in the Old Testament (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 9:6-7; Isa. 50:5-9; John 5:39; 1 Peter 1:11-12; Hebrews 3:3-6)
• The Glory of Christ’s Union with the Church (1 Peter 2:24; Isa. 53:4-6; Eph. 5:25-32)
• The Glory of Christ in Restoring All Things (Eph. 1:18-20; Col. 1:18-20; Phil. 3:21; Rev. 21:1-5)

In this layout of his text, Owen gives us a great diverse list for mediating on the glory of Jesus.

The Benefits of Beholding the Glory of Christ

Why make the effort to behold the glory of Christ by faith? If you desire stronger faith, rest, peace, and joy in Christ, then beholding the glory of Christ is your answer.

Concerning the great benefits of beholding Christ, Owen declares:

It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world, for as we behold his glory, the life and power of faith grow stronger and stronger. It is by faith that we grow to love Christ. So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which give us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith (7).

Beholding the glory of Christ in this life is preparation—small “dawnings of eternal glory”—for the joys of heaven, where we will see Christ in His glory fully.

How We Behold the Glory of Christ

How do we actually do the work of beholding Christ’s glory? Owen sheds much light on the “how-to” of this glorious duty and below are some of his most central insights.

1. Make Up Your Mind that to Behold the Glory of God by Beholding the Glory of Christ is the Greatest Privilege for Believers in This Life

Savoring the glory of Christ here and now is a taste of eternal blessedness!

Owen notes that this is a glorious but hard work in which we as believers are often “lazy and ignorant” and as a result “we do not experience more and more in our souls the visits of grace and the dawnings of eternal glory (10).” This is precisely why we need point number two, prayer.

2. Pray to God Asking for the Spirit’s Help to Behold the Glory of Christ

Because we are weak and frail, we need God’s help by His Spirit to behold the glory of His Son (John 16:13-14). The entire Godhead is at work in this and Jesus prays this for us (John 17:24). Amazing!

Christ’s glory cannot be seen or understood apart from faith fixed on divine revelation, the Word of God. Memorize and mediate on passages of Christ’s glory (see the chapter references above for some ideas).

3. Fill Your Mind with Scriptural Thoughts of Christ

Owen encourages believes to “learn how to behold the glory of Christ by remembering how you once set your mind on world things” (23). This means take the concentrated effort in which you once anticipated and imagined partaking of your past favorite sins and use an even greater focus to behold and mediate on the glory of Christ in God’s Word.

A Prayer to Behold Christ’s Glory

Blessed Jesus! We can add nothing to you, nothing to your glory. But it is a joy to us that you are what you are—that you are so gloriously exalted at the right hand of God. We long to behold that glory more and more according to your prayer and promise. Amen (68).

Our Gospel Leader Residents at Redeemer have been studying what it means to live as ambassadors of the gospel. They have spent a good deal of time reflecting on the idea of OLGI—ordinary lives with gospel intentionality. Based on their study and missional experiences, some of our residents collaborated to write and create this post on OLGI with the hope of helping the church grow in gospel intentionality so that more of our neighbors and friends come to know Jesus!

We will have more info on how to apply for the 2012-2013 Gospel Leader Residency in the coming weeks if you are interested.

What Does it Mean to Live an Ordinary Life with Gospel Intentionality?

Sometimes, every day seems the same.

Boring, even.

We wake up at the same time. We go through the same morning routine before heading off to work, or school, or whatever God has placed before us in His (sometimes non-obvious) providence.

Many approach these events as just that—events. They are things we do that take up time and resources, only to require doing again the next day. But along with these events and routines, we’ve, as Christians, been given the Great Commission—a joyous call to make disciples in response to the saving work of our risen Lord and King, Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20).

Sometimes we think we have to free up our schedules in order to fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples. But here’s the good part—whatever routines or events God has placed you in, He’s placed you there, in part, to make disciples of Jesus for His glory. This means we get to do things that are already in our schedule, with a new intentionality—a gospel intentionality.

This means that mission –a reference to the Great Commission- is not an event.

Mission is a lifestyle.

This idea can be expressed more tangibly as “living ordinary life with Gospel intentionality”. Steve Timmis and Tim Chester describe gospel intentionality as going through ordinary life with the intentionality or purpose of a gospel ambassador.

All of us have some sort of routine, something we ordinarily do.

You will still (by God’s grace) wake up at the same time. You will probably eat breakfast. You will go to work, school, or wherever God has placed before you in His providence.

But, as an ambassador of Christ and minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), redeemed by the blood of Christ, you get to go through your routine with the prayerful intent and desire of pointing people to Christ in hopes that they will come to a saving relationship with him. Our new gospel identity makes this mission our lifestyle.

And that means gospel-driven intentionality affects everything we do—especially the ordinary stuff.

Gospel intentionality affects the way you talk to the barista when you order coffee. Be gracious and kind with them, just as Christ has been so gracious with us, and get to know them with the hope that you can build relationships with them and get an opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Gospel intentionality affects your interactions with others around the water cooler at work. Use the times people are gossiping to speak positive truth about the victims, because even though Christ has all the “dirt” on us, He still approaches His Father in our favor.

Gospel Intentionality affects your interactions with your neighbors. Know your neighbors to the point that you can ask for their help, and they can ask for yours. When they thank you for your help give a simple, authentic, gospel reason as to why you served, in hopes that this would create an opportunity for a gospel conversation later on.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you use your meal times. Use a couple of your 21 meals each week to invite your neighbors and non-Christian friends over for food. Use this time over a meal to get to know your neighbors and non-Christian friends better, looking for opportunities to share the gospel.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you interact with your kiddos. As you raise them, you get the opportunity to help grow them in the gospel and lead them to Jesus—that’s working to fulfill the Great Commission right inside of your home!

Gospel Intentionality affects how you study for school. Instead of studying alone, you can work with other students to develop friendships and create opportunities to share the gospel.

When you go on your weekly play-date with another parent and your kids are running around playing and you get a few moments to converse with a fellow adult, pray for opportunities to speak about Jesus. By God’s grace and the help of the Spirit, you can even use the ordinary event of a play-date with gospel intentionality by asking your friend what they think about Jesus, religion, or the gospel.

When there’s a game or show on T.V. that you were planning to watch, invite people who don’t know Jesus to watch with you. (Here’s a tip: start with your neighbors!) Let them grub on your nachos and as you work to develop genuine friendships that will hopefully lead to their new life in Christ.

Every step of your routine is a chance to reflect on the gospel, and how while you were a sinner, Christ died for you.  Praise God that our salvation is not based on how well we have represented Jesus, or how well we represent Jesus in the future. Let this grace God has shown drive us to point others to him in gospel conversations through our ordinary routines, in hopes that Jesus would save them as well.

Additional Resources

30 Ways to Engage in Your Workplace

8 Ways To Engage Missionally 

This resource is designed as a sort of Gospel Community Leadership development “cheat” sheet. We want to have many different resources available for training people toward GC Leadership. This document is designed to help you draw from a wealth of potential action items in order to develop your emerging leader’s GC Leader Personal Discipleship Plan (PDP). The suggested action items in each category will help guide a fair amount of your training and interaction with your emerging leader as they work with you to develop in their particular growth areas. The actions items that are bolded are items that we have used several times and have found to be effective. This means the items in bold come highly recommend and encouraged.

Directions for GC Leader Resource PDP

1. Review your emerging leader’s GC Leader Pre-Assessment prayerfully with your emerging leader
2. Determine what action items from the GC Leader Resource PDP best fit your emerging and their growth areas
3. List these action items (with up to 1-5 items for each sub-category—be sure to include a date for completion) on their GC Leader PDP with the assistance of your emerging leader
4. Begin using your emerging leader’s GC Leader PDP items for training

GC Leader PDP Resource Sheet

LEARNER This Category May Include Goals Related to the Spiritual Vitality, Study, Theological Clarity

• Write a one-page description of your current typical devotional pattern (Word and prayer) and how you specifically plan to develop this area.  (Spiritual Vitality)

• Determine a Scripture memorization plan to develop love for Jesus, God’s Word, and fighting particular sin (Spiritual Vitality)

• Memorize and mediate on 2-3 biblical passages that focus on the glory of Christ (Spiritual Vitality)
• Develop and implement a prayer list/chart/journal/spreadsheet with categories for adoration, thanksgiving, praise, and intercession and room to track prayer requests and answered prayers over time (Spiritual Vitality)

• Read CJ Mahaney’s Living the Cross-Centered Life and write a reflection on how the importance of the gospel in your daily life (Gospel)

• Watch the Gospel Fluency talks and write a reflection on the centrality of the gospel (Gospel)

• Read selected chapters from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write short reflection  (Theological Development)

• Read Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read select chapters from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read Sam Storms’s Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election and write a short reflection (Theological Development)

MISSIONARY This Category May Include Goals Related to Personal Evangelism, Living on Mission, and Missional Engagement

• Develop 2-3 friendships with non-Christians in the next 2 months and engage in gospel conversation

• Pray regularly for salvation of 2-3 local non-Christians acquaintances and pursue them in friendship

• Read Porterbrook Module: Missional Community Life and write a short reflection

• Read Porterbrook Module: Apologetics and write a short reflection

• Set up a time to Interact with Your GC Leader on how to present the gospel and call for a response

• Co-lead a discussion or training session on Missional Engagement/Gospel Conversations in your GC

• Write a short reflection on how the gospel addresses “fear of man” and the implications for you and evangelism and share with your GC

• Read the “Ordinary Lives with Gospel Intentionality” Redeemer Blog Post and write a reflection of how you can develop this type of missional living

SERVANT This Category May Include Goals Related to Serving in Your Neighborhood, Church Family, and Beyond

• Take over all administration tasks in the life of your GC for a month

• Organize and lead a monthly prayer night for your GC

• Brainstorm ideas with your GC Leader and organize and cast vision for a service opportunity for your GC

• Co-plan and co-lead all GC discussions with GC Leadership for the next 2 months

• Assist your GC Leaders in the GC Monthly Check-In Process

• Begin discipling 1-2 people and work with them to develop their own condensed PDPs

FAMILY This Category May Include Goals Related to the Local Church, Gospel Community, and Marriage if Married

• Help develop and implement PDP for your spouse and family

• Identify area of Sunday service at your local church and begin serving

• Read Ephesians and write a short reflection on how the gospel impacts and unites a church community

• Read the Gospel of John and write a reflection on how Jesus made disciples and share with GC Leaders

• Read “Local Church” chapter from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write a short reflection

• Read Redeemer’s “Marks of a Healthy GC” document and select and implement one or two “suggestions for growth” with the help of your GC Leader

Each of Paul’s letters served to establish, that is to mature or strengthen, each of the specific congregations he was writing to. While there are certainly levels of overlap, there are some distinct and helpful aspects of church establishment seen in Paul’s letters when considered chronologically. My hope is that reading the following summary of Paul’s emphasis in church establishment will aid you in playing your part to strengthen and establish your local church and grant you more insight into God’s Word. Key Emphasis of Establishment in Early Letters (Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans)

Firm Foundation in the Gospel

For Paul a church was birthed through the gospel as the power of God for salvation and a church was considered established only in so far as the church was firmly rooted in and grounded in this same glorious gospel. If a church did not sufficiently cling and hold fast to the gospel of Christ, that congregation was not yet established in Paul’s mind (Galatians 1:6; Romans 1:15; Romans 1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5). The fact that almost nowhere in the epistles do we see such an intense anguish from Paul than in his astonishment at the young Galatian church's abandonment of the gospel proves the importance of this aspect of establishment (Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-6).

Gospel Foundation Producing Gospel Ethics and Conduct

In Paul’s early letters there is a strong call to these early churches to be firmly planted in the gospel and for the churches to begin to flourish in lives of gospel conduct. Therefore, an established church would not only see the gospel as central to salvation but as the center of their conduct in all spheres of life and obedience as evidenced in Romans 12:1-2 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. In Paul’s early letters, we see this call for gospel ethics address:

• sexuality (1 Cor. 5:1-12; 6:19-20; 1 Thes. 4:7)
• food (1 Cor. 8:1-13)
• authority and submission (Romans 13:1-7)
• giving (2 Cor. 8-9)
• marriage (1 Cor. 7:1-40)
• laziness (2 Thes. 3:12)
• sensuality (Romans 13:14)
• the use of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12)
• conduct in Christian community (1 Cor. 6:1-11; Romans 12:9-13)

Sound Doctrine Addressing Critical Theological Landmines

While all of Paul’s letters are theological and address theological issues specific to each audience, there seems to be more particular pressing theological issues addressed in his early letters. It seems appropriate to think of these issues as theological “landmines” that threatened to disrupt the faith of these young churches. For the Galatians, Paul addresses the crucial theological landmine of the gospel plus works of the law (Galatians 1:8). For the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, he addresses doctrinal issues concerning Christ’s return, the state of deceased believers, and the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15; 1 Thess. 4:13-5:11). In order to establish these young churches, Paul needed to correct the theological landmines that posed the greatest, immediate threats to each newly birthed church community.

Biblical Understanding of the Christian Life

Of all Paul's early letters, the call to expect tribulation and difficulty in the Christian life is echoed most clearly to the suffering Thessalonian churches. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4 reveals the importance of a proper understanding of the Christian life in establishing churches. Paul states:

“we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴ For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. ”

Thus all Paul’s planting labors would be in vain if his churches were not established in their understanding of supreme centrality of the gospel, sound doctrine, gospel ethics—and the hardships of the Christian life. If Paul had not prepped them for the trials to come and they expected only ease and pleasure in the Christian life, they would be quick to desert the faith and Paul’s work would be in vain (Romans 12:12; 12:19-21).

Key Emphasis in Establishment in Middle Letters (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon)

Maturing Foundation in the Gospel

One of the central features of Paul’s middle letters is the pattern of gospel grounding in the opening sections of each of his letters, leading to a call for responsive gospel-informed living. This is particularly seen in Colossians and Ephesians. Additionally, there is a sense of re-establishment or maturing gospel foundation for each of these congregations. The Ephesians and Colossians are given the most detailed treatise on the gospel while the Philippians are presented with the gospel’s implications for humility and unity while being warned to avoid any gospel plus law philosophies (Ephesians 1-3; 2:1-10; Philippians 3:1-11; Colossians 2:8).

For the Ephesians, there is a focus on developing a mature gospel foundation that leads the church to fully realize what it means to be one body through Christ’s work (Eph. 2:11-22; Eph. 4:1-7).

For the Colossians, there is a focused call to rest in the “circumcision of Christ” as opposed to philosophies and “empty deceit according to human tradition” (Col. 2:8; 2:11) and to see and soak in the supremacy of Christ, the head of the church.

Gospel Foundation Producing Gospel Ethics and Conduct

There is a clear turn in both Colossians and Ephesians that shifts from the truth of the gospel to the type of living that the truth of the gospel produces in a community. Even the language used to describe this gospel living—“walk”—is repeated across Paul’s letters (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 2:6). For the Philippians, Paul urges a gospel-produced unity and humility in their lives. For Philemon, Paul calls for relational unity and restoration informed by the work of Christ in the gospel. Much like his early letters, Paul expects the gospel to influence the conduct of the churches in areas of sexuality, food, family, marriage, drinking, and general conduct with in the church (Eph. 4:17-32; 5:1-21; 5: 22-33; 6:1-9; Col. 2:16-23; 3:5-17)

Helping Churches Understand their Role as the Church

A key aspect of an established church was their “one-mindedness” as a gospel community. According to Jeff Reed, Paul labored to help the churches “understand their place in the magnificent, unfolding plan of God so that as church they might grasp the significance of their calling...with one mind participating in the progress of the gospel”. A large part of this understanding is Paul’s strong emphasis on how Christians are to live and behave in and as the church. For Paul, an established church would understand how the household of God was to be ordered in its leadership and in its relationship to one another and though this ordering is primarily seen in his late letters, his middle letters also speak to the role and importance of the church as one united body partnering in gospel ministry under one Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:14-16; 3:8-10; 4:1-6; Colossians 1:18; 2:9-10; 3:12-17; Philippians 1:5; 1:27-30).

Key Emphasis in Establishment in Late Letters (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus)

Qualified Church Leadership

The appointing of qualified elders was a pivotal aspect of Paul’s concept of establishing churches. This appointing of leaders is clearly seen in Acts 14:21-23 as a vital step in the establishment process in addition to being explicitly instructed in Titus 1:5 with the elder qualifications unpacked in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-8. The practical necessity of this element of church establishing is revealed in Acts 20:17-38, particularly verse 28, which declares that establishing churches requires appointing qualified elders to shepherd, protect, and feed the flock of God purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This key call for qualified leaders as an aspect of establishing churches is crucial given that such elders/leaders must rightly teach the Word of God, shepherd, care, protect, and nurture the church. Unqualified men or men greedy for gain in such positions would surely damage the churches even if such churches were established for years. Therefore, Paul takes great effort to ensure that his key men would do the work to see other qualified leaders appointed to lead the local churches.

Intense Gospel Focus on Developing Gospel Leaders Who Develop Others

With his impending death in view, Paul’s last letter, 2 Timothy, has a strong emphasis on urging his key leader to continue to develop leaders who develop leaders by and in light of the gospel (2 Timothy 2:1-10). The establishment of the churches at this point meant that they must be able to not only maintain but multiply and thrive beyond Paul’s lifetime and oversight. This is the clear burden of Paul’s letters to Timothy; as Paul as fought the good fight (2 Tim. 4:6-8), he urges his key leader to do the same (1 Tim 6:12) and develop men who will join the fight (2 Tim. 2:1-10) for the advancement of the gospel through the church.

Instructions for Life in the Local Church

Paul’s later letters to his key leaders are more focused on the organization and “household” rules of conduct within the local church community. In these letters, we see Paul display the manner of godly conduct for young men, older men, young women, widows, elders, end even elders and the congregation (Titus 2:1-15; 3:1-11; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:14-16; 1 Timothy 5:1-25). In Paul’s mind, his key leaders (who would be establishing churches after his life ended and in regions where he could not minister) needed to be able to pass on the ways of conduct in the church of God (1 Timothy 3:14-16).