What is a missional community?
A missional community is a group of 20 to 50+ people who are united around a common purpose to a particular neighborhood, network of relationships or cause. The missional community is group that works in the world for the sake of those who otherwise would likely not walk through the doors of the church. A missional community would also be rightly viewed as an extended family – the kind of family that our grandparents once enjoyed. They take the word community seriously as they live out their faith together – supporting one another, worshipping together and serving around the neighborhood and/or greater city, wherever God calls them to go. Missional communities are intended to move us beyond the walls of the church building for the sake of the city.
Here is a set of videos that provide a picture of what life within a missional community looks like:
www.vergenetwork.org/films/
Prince of Peace Missional Communities:
These are descriptions of the missional communities launching in the spring of 2012. A variety of other communities will begin in the future. For details, please contact a missional community leader or contact the church office at (513) 683-4244.
Families Matter
connect4
The Supper Club
More Than Paws
Vámonos
ZOE
Families Matter
Mission - We seek to be a resource to families in the Roselawn area particularly in the areas of education and faith development. Through intentional service and community building we seek to grow in faith, make disciples and work to extend the reach of God’s kingdom.
Plan - We will begin with “In” and “Up” activities to develop relationships with those from Prince of Peace and Roselawn Lutheran churches who will serve in this area. Beginning this summer we will connect with the Roselawn community by helping to sponsor an “Amazing Grace” day camp and an academic “camp” to help grade school children start the school year off well. Depending on the needs identified in conversation with the community starting in the fall we expect to sponsor tutoring for school children along with programming for their parents 2 times a month. We will also gather once a month for fellowship, faith building and just to have fun together.
Missional community leaders– Eugene & Terri Rutz (terrirutz@gmail.com & Eugene.rutz.uc.edu)
connect4
Mission: To reach out to families with school age children. We seek to see God at work in our lives through regular times of play, prayer, and service.
Do you want to see...
* kids growing in faith?
* parents connecting with other parents?
* your family supported in practical ways?
* kids developing strong faith friendships?
* your family serving together?
* a deeper faith life in your family?
* your kids loved and supported by caring adults?
That's what happens with connect4.
We connect our faith to our everyday lives.
connect4 is a group of families who seek to grow through regular times of play, prayer, and service.Over the past few months through connect4, we've formed meaningful relationships within our community and grown in faith.Kids and parents gather on the first and third Tuesday for dinner. We've had six of us and over thirty depending on the night, gathered in different corners in each other's homes for great conversation and food. After dinner, we spend time connecting with each other and with God through games, songs, prayers, and service.
Once a month, on the final Friday, we get together for pure fun. We've played games, watched the Olympic Opening ceremonies, and had a pumpkin carve-off in October. These times help us to grow as family on mission.
Once a month, we have a G.O.D.S. time - Go Out and Do Something. During these times we serve others - and expose our kids to a variety of ways to grow and care for God's kingdom. We've made lunches for Roselawn's daycamp, invited friends to join connect4 through making invitations, sent the POP Youth group off with joy on their trip to New Orleans, and helped host a Trunk or Treat at Roselawn Lutheran Church in October. In November, we'll serve a meal at a community dinner in Mt. Healthy.
We would love to have your family give connect4 a try.
Our vision is one of enriching the faith lives of families - here at POP, and beyond. In the coming months, we'll continue to invite friends to join us for our family dinners and get-togethers. Our hope is that our love for each is evident of our love for God- and that combined, those loves are contagious in our families, in our communities, and in the world.
Missional community leaders: Suzanne Eilert (eilerts@cinci.rr.com) & Mary Ellen Helms (mehelms@fuse.net)
The Supper Club
Mission: The mission of this group is to serve the families in our neighborhoods who utilize the LIFE Food Pantry and other Loveland agencies. We will begin by offering a meal in the PLC. With God’s help, we will get to know the people and determine where God is calling the group and our gifts to share with the community. This may come in ways of service such as tutoring for the students, mentoring for the parents, fellowship and support.
Plan: We will begin with inviting our POP family members (adults and youth) to help serve a monthly meal to the clients of the LIFE food pantry. We envision to have 1 scheduled in May and 1 in June (dates to be set). We will plan on using the PLC and kitchen for this meal. This missional community will also meet another 2-3 times each month to gather in one of our homes, to share a meal or snacks, to catch up and pray for one another and to listen to what God is doing in our lives.
Missional community leaders: Danette & Scott Miller (dmiller1@cinci.rr.com), Joel & Jody Peterson (jody.petersen@chca-oh.org), Rosann & Chad Mclelland (rmclelland@cinci.rr.com)
More than Paws
Mission: This animal and God loving group from Prince of Peace will be intentionally seeking out people who love animals for the purpose of forming relationship based on a mutual love of pets. We will conduct loving acts of service for our neighbors in the Loveland area.
Plan: We will meet three to four times per month. Summer months we will meet on the second and fourth Saturdays at Loveland area parks (purely social with an opportunity for inviting our friends with pets to join us). We will also meet on the third Sunday evening of the month for outdoor prayer experiences. (pets will be optional). Winter months we will socialize and have our prayer experiences in homes. (no pets. SLO will also take place.
We will also have periodic SOLE and LASO times. SOLE: These are Special Outdoor Loveland Events (such as Symmes Fest, The Amazing Race, Christmas in Loveland) where we will be intentional in seeking out pet lovers; and LASO: Loving Actions Serving Others (handing out water, helping to clean up trash, poop scooping, etc.)
Missional community leaders: Scott and Marylu Torrison (torrison@fuse.net)
Vámonos (Let’s Go!)
Mission: We are adults of all ages who have a passion for “getting up and moving together” in order to keep our bodies healthy. By staying physically healthy, we are better equipped to do the things that God has called us to do individually and as a community.
Plan: We develop deeper relationships with one another and with our Father by moving & dancing together at Zumba™Fitness Classes at POP each week and bi-weekly joining in fellowship after class and separately in people’s homes.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”.
Missional community leader: Karen Skarda (kskarda@popluther.org)
ZOE
Mission: Our mission is the intentional inclusion of young adults with cognitive, physical and emotional challenges in the community of believers.
Missional community leaders:
Marti Lemond (mdlemond@gmail.com) 513-777-0042
Linda Paduk (lpaduk@cinci.rr.com) 513-683-7188
Please pray for God’s blessing on all of our missional communities as they begin to grow and serve.
For general information, please contact kskarda@popluther.org.
