Missional Collective
What is the Missional Collective?
The Missional Collective is expanding the missional imagination of the church beyond charity and towards empowerment. As a growing collective of individuals and organizations, the Missional Collective is cultivating lives of experiential neighboring through annual immersive learning retreats, cultural discernment training, and skill sharing.
What different will the Missional Collective make for me?
Only time will tell the unique and contextual ways that this partnership will transform us. Here’s the impact prior participants have reported:
- Prioritize personal, spiritual, and leadership flourishing
- Improve your understanding of, commitment to, and accountability for empowerment models of ministry
- Expand your network of collegial support for missional endeavors
- Strengthen your skills for environmental scanning (ethnography)
- Increase your capacity for personal and cultural discernment
- Develop resources for asset-based and community-led ministry
- Build your confidence on how to engage your community
What is the Experiential Neighboring Journey?
An annual retreat series that move through 5 “Neighborway Principles” for missions with a commitment to our holistic methodology:
- Experiential: Field trips with select Guiding Practitioners to practice perspective taking
- Intellectual: Wisdom from Grounding practitioners to stimulate further exploration of resources and ideas at the intersection of ethnography and mission
- Invitational: Unique spiritual practices to nurture opportunities for growth and deepened faith
- Contextual: Collegial support to translate concepts & practices into local settings
- Personal: Time and space for participants to internalize and embody learning for growth and integrity
How can I connect with the Collective?
2024 Retreat Series* Dates:
April 23-25 | Looking for God & Hearing Humanity (Click here to view the flyer for the Spring Retreat.)
July 18 | Finding Your Place: A Day of Missional Discernment
September 11-13 | Connecting Cultural Dots & Bridging Divides
*The WNC Conference is providing this experience valued at $3,500 to a limited number of people.
Register Here: https://missionalcollective.churchcenter.com/people/forms/688426
Interest applications are open to United Methodist clergy, laity, or students in Western North Carolina, as well as interested individuals from other denominations that are engaged with Christian mission activity in a local community.
*Best experienced as a 3-part series, but you may elect to attend any single event as needed.
Events:
June 2024
An evening for Justice & Jazz
Frog Level Brewing, Waynesville, NC
Tickets will be available on EventBrite starting in May (or linked here).
October 2024
Theology of Disruption | Online Offering
This is a 6-part conversation about the intersection of missions and ethnography. Participants will work through topics including Analyzing Culture | Systems of Control | Challenging the Powers| Religionless Christianity | The World Come of Age | Discipleship Reimagined
Each session offers a reading assignment, brief video content, online discussion group, and contextual applications.
Thursday evenings in October, suggested donation to come.
Register Here: https://missionalcollective.churchcenter.com/people/forms/688349
November 2024
Resourcing and Grantmaking for Missional Practitioners
One of the latest ways the Collective is sustaining missional ideas and endeavors is through membership and grant making. Contribute to giving circles by becoming a top tier missional member and participate in granting micro-funds to applicants.
Learn more here: https://www.missionalcollective.life/_files/ugd/72e270_fb5215ce567e4ad0b17ef1fd8ea6935b.pdf