MISSIONAL EXPERIMENT PROCESS
A Missional Experiment Group (MEG) is made up of 6-8 people who are identified by the church leadership. The minister is included in the MEG. The MEG is conducted over 12 month which involves attending 4 intensives. The participants will be engaged in reflective learning on the missional experiments they conduct, and will be supported by a coach. Several delivery options are available.
Intensives:
These will be focused in the following areas:
1. Listen: Creating awareness and understanding. Tools provided for how to get to know your community.
2. Learn & Plan: Identify a people group, activity or issue in your community and construct an experiment that will assist with a missional response.
3. Act: reflect on the experiment, learn from each other and adjust where necessary.
4. Evaluate & Commit: committing to new ways of being the church including new practices in response to the experiment and identifying other opportunities.
Coaching:
Each MEG will have an appointed coach. The coach will meet with the MEG once every 4-6 weeks. The coach’s role is to be an outside guide to walk alongside the church as it responds to each intensive. They will attend intensives with the MEG and participate in all conversations. The coaches are trained within the Ecclesia Leadership MEG process and have been selected as an experienced and skilled facilitator and leader.
Do you think your church is ready to get involved? Here’s the criteria for getting on board:
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An openness and commitment to discerning the Spirits leading in deepening the missional practices of the church
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The experiment will be in response to a new initiative identified through the listening process. This is not for existing projects
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The church leadership needs to be engaged in prayerful support of the MEG and needs to sign off giving their full endorsement to the process before a MEG is formed. This includes the board signing a licencing agreement for the process.
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There is a high expectation that all MEG participants attend all meetings and intensives.
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The minister needs to be a member of the MEG
This team needs to be made up of people who are part of the congregation with a commitment to participating in the action learning model. People for this group should be selected carefully by the church leadership. The team including the minister should be no smaller than 4 and no larger than 8 people. Please consider:
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Availability to the process
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Readiness for local mission
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Talents, skills and experience they bring to the process
Delivery Methodology
Missional Experiment Groups
(MEGs)
A Missional Experiment Group meets regularly and designs the missional experiments. Time will be spent reflecting on what is being learnt about themselves, God and the missional context of their local community.
Intensives
Four intensives are conducted through the twelve months of the process. Each intensive is designed to provide teaching on the tools and methods utilised in understanding the missional context, designing the missional experiments and how to reflect on what the participants are learning.
Coaching
Each Missional Experiment Group is provided an experienced and skilled coach. These coaches have been accredited and trained in the Ecclesia Leadership Missional Experiment Process.
"Leading a church in today’s context is extremely challenging. The Mission Experiment Group (MEG) process has helped our church to focus on what it means to be a church engaged in mission. Phil does not come in with the answers but teaches, equips, and walks along side as you seek to find where God is at work in your church and community. This is not another program to run, but an opportunity to learn, listen, dream, and experiment."
Major Catherine Spiller
Salvation Army
