Mission Development Academy

Program Objective

The primary mission of the church is to make disciples of every nation by bearing witness to Jesus Christ through the sharing of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. The Mission Development Academy will prepare Mission Outreach Teams to explore, develop, and launch an outreach ministry or a congregational revitalization effort within a local congregation, community or potential new site.

The Mission Development Academy will provide in depth courses related to mission development that equip teams of mission-driven disciples with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to launch new worshiping communities or revitalize existing congregations so that they become again focused on bringing new people to Christ and his Church.

What will you gain from the Mission Development Academy?

Students will acquire the vital knowledge, insights, and skills necessary for developing mission-focused ministries. The program equips teams to create a strategic mission development plan, beginning with an analysis of the people in the specific mission area and then examining appropriate ministry models. This will allow Mission Outreach Teams to apply the concepts presented in the remaining courses to their specific situation.

Jesus always sought the will of his heavenly Father, so throughout the program, students will learn and experience a variety of prayer and discernment practices, learning how to apply them to the mission development process. Individual students will grow in their personal relationship with the Lord, and each team will grow together as a Christian community of faith.

In John 13:34 Jesus said: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Teams will learn healthy patterns of living together in community as the body of Christ so that effective ministries may grow as God desires.

What is a Mission Outreach Team?

A mission outreach team is composed of two or more individuals prepared to develop and launch an outreach effort within a local congregation, community or potential new site.  Teams must be connected to and working in cooperation with a congregation or a circuit to develop and launch the new outreach ministry.

What is a New Outreach Ministry?

A New Outreach Ministry is any ministry that is touching people who are unchurched with the love of Christ that are not being reached through an already established ministry.

Delivery Model

The program wil begin with a Community Life Retreat where all learners come together so that faith can be nurtured and peer relationships can be formed. Courses will be deliered via interactive webcast technology. This easy-to-use method allows teacher and students to connnect with voice and video for a virtual classroom learning experience.

Who should apply to the Mission Development Academy?

People with a heart to reach out with the love of Christ may be at various stages of considering mission.  The Mission Development Academy will prepare teams at every stage: exploring, developing, revitalizing, and launching:

• Exploring: A congregation or a circuit may be considering expanding its outreach ministry offerings in hopes to reach people in their community.  An area may be growing with new housing, there may be an influx of a particular group of people into the community, established neighborhoods may be turning over as long-time residents move away – there are multiple possibilities. If your congregation or circuit is committed to reaching these people, but have no strategic plan in place to develop that ministry, the Mission Development Academy will train a team to identify the people in the community, evaluate mission-oriented models for ministry, and put a plan in place to establish that ministry.  The team should already have a support connection with a congregation or a circuit

• Developing: A group within a congregation or circuit may have identified a direction in which to expand ministry, but has not done the strategic work of putting a plan in place.  The Mission Development Academy will provide answers to some of the “how to” questions of establishing a mission-oriented ministry such as drafting a ministry plan, developing leaders, developing as a spiritually supportive team that can expand into a ministry, understanding how to work in the cultural context of your area, learning processes for evangelism and witness, and getting established as an Christ-centered organization.

• Revitalizing: A congregation or an existing outreach-oriented ministry may need refocusing to be effective.  The Mission Development Academy will prepare existing ministries to use the same evaluation and planning processes as used in the development of new mission to establish a solid foundation on which to grow.  Teams in a revitalization process will be tasked to identify a new outreach effort for the congregation, develop it (using resources from the Academy) and work the plan.

• Launching: A team that is ready to or has recently launched a new outreach ministry can still benefit from the Mission Development Academy.  The community life component and the courses will allow team members to develop as a spiritually caring community, not just an organizational system; to gain depth of understanding in missiological concepts that will enhance the mission effort; and will provide a support system of instructors, mentors, and coaches to encourage the team.

What kind of a person should be part of a Mission Outreach Team?

Do you have a burden for the unchurched people in your community?  Are you eager to share your faith in Jesus Christ?  Do you have a passion for connecting people to the love of Christ and to a faith community?  If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions, then God may be calling you to be part of a Mission Outreach Team.