The Missional-Ecumenical Leadership Cohort

Jesus plainly taught us two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40). First, we must totally abandon ourselves to loving God. This requires that everything in us be energized under the power of the Holy Spirit’s gracious influence so that we grow into mature love. Second, we must love our neighbors in both word and deed. This too is a difficult calling, indeed impossible but for the grace of God. But the whole church has given both tasks. We are designed by the Triune God to corporately share the life of Christ together in dynamic relational unity so that the world may know that the Father sent the Son to save it (John 17:23). When we gather together as followers of Jesus it is primarily to love God and other believers. When we go outside the doors of our church gatherings we scatter into the world in order to become Christ’s missional people through loving our neighbors. We accomplish the two great commandments through the power of the new commandment; divine love revealed in Jesus (John 13:34-35). When we truly love one another with his love we will seek the relational unity of all Jesus followers before the world (John 17:20-23). This will lead us into holy friendships/partnerships that will demonstrate Christ’s mission of incarnation. This is seen through the power of our divine/human presence which serves others by going into the world in much the same way that the Father sent Jesus into the world (John 20:21). This is what we call missional-ecumenism.

If the church in the West is to become God’s people in such missional presence then the unity of the Spirit in our relationships with one another must become a bold priority that is pursued in creative and fresh ways. Together we must learn how to truly follow Jesus from our congregations back into the world. This will require the church to transform how it actually does mission.

ACT 3 believes that the church will not pursue this simple, biblical way of mission unless gifted risk-takers grasp these simple truths and live them out in life together. This why we have created missional-ecumenical cohorts, small groups of associates that become together an equipping model that actually shows followers of Jesus how missional-ecumenism can be artfully and creatively done. The cohort group accomplishes this goal by teaching, mentoring, relational networking and spiritual formation. Each cohort is formed by gathering 15-25 people who commit their time, talent and treasure to follow Jesus into the 21st century world.

The Missional-Ecumenical Leadership Cohort is a nine-month process in which Christian leaders actually learn how to be seen and heard by the world of our time, a world that no longer cares about what the church is doing and saying. Members of each cohort will learn Christian life-skills and share personal experiences. The cohort will fundamentally will attempt to alter your way of thinking about the gospel, the church and the world. The goal of each cohort group is nothing less than total life change. If you are prepared to enlist in the kind of experienced learning that will change your life and practice consider applying for participation in an ACT 3 Missional-Ecumenical Leadership Cohort.

The ACT 3 Missional Cohort Program