Here are the Stages of Growth we followed as a Missional Core Team (see separate document Stages of Organic Growth for further explanation)
- Meals & Mission: time spent cultivating community over shared meals, missional conversation, and being on mission together socially and evangelistically.
- Vision & Mission: time spent in community discussions around vision and values, while continuing to practice mission.
- Commitment Night: an evening in which I gave a charge, we prayed for our city, had first communion over a meal, and celebrated God’s work in our Core Team.
- Bible Study & Mission: spent time teaching through Luke-Acts, identifying the themes and challenges of gospel, community, mission.
- Strategy & Missional Community: time spent in more strategic conversation and planning to be a church in the city and for the city through what came to be called City Groups (aka Missional Communities).
- Low Profile Public Gatherings: our first public gatherings which included preaching and primarily built up the existing Core Team
- High Profile Public Gatherings: our first attractional, public gatherings in a city centre location
- City Groups Multiply: existing City Groups multiply through mission and leadership development