EVANGELISM, MISSION & SMALL GROUPS
At the heart of the Gospel Future Fund is the desire to see the lost reached. So the first set of resources are around how we begin to mobilise our church around the Gospel convictions we have for reaching the lost.
First, mobilising for mission. This course is for churches that want the tools and framework for moving towards mobilising the whole body towards evangelism and mission. That is, how to shift to being a church around both maturity AND mission.
Second, mission in the Church ecosystem. A biblical and practical framework for maturing and mobilising the saints to reach the lost.
Third, your small groups. This course is designed for small group (bible study/growth groups) leaders. It looks at biblical interpretation, writing studies, people and facilitation skills, building community, pastoral care and prayer.
SUPPORT-RAISING & FINANCES
While our first love may be evangelism and mission, we also need to be responsible stewards of the resource God has entrusted to us. The below courses are key for helping people partner with us well, and for us using what they give us wisely.
First, raising support for your church. Raising support for Gospel projects can be intimidating. It can be hard to know where to start, who to ask, how to ask them, how much to ask for, and why it is you’re asking them. We want to give you confidence that the Gospel provides the context for talking to people about partnering with you in God’s work, as well as giving you the tools to be able to helpfully plan, connect and help people do this well and wisely.
First, money matters for your church. This course is designed to help church planters and leaders understand their basic responsibilities when it comes to money and finances in their church, and to be able to approach this with some confidence.
BUILDING TEAMS & LEADERS
The engine room of mobilising people for mission is teams. And every teams needs healthy, Gospel-centred leaders, that are leading towards the same vision. Below are some courses to help you consider how to build teams from the ground up, and how to begin to develop leaders along the way.
First, building Teams. This course is designed to help churches move from rosters to teams. Rosters are about jobs – but Teams are about people. So in this course we want to help you understand the impact teams can make in the life of your church and the pursuing of Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations.
Second, building Team Members. This course is designed for team members to help them consider what it looks like to be a constructive and godly part of a team within church.
Third, building Team Leaders. This course is designed for team leaders to help them understand what it looks like to disciple those in their teams while helping them serve in such a way that sees people won for Christ.
GATHERINGS, PREACHING & INTEGRATION
While there is more to church than the main gathering, it is a key moment in the life and growth and mission of the church. For this reason, it’s worth paying attention to three key elements to maximise this moment for growing God’s people and helping those who don’t know Jesus come to know him. Below are five courses to help.
First, your Gatherings. No matter how big or small, the key here is intentionality. Click on the course beside to build a framework for directing intentional gatherings in your church or plant.
Second, your Preaching. Bringing God’s Word to bear on the life of those gathered is a great privilege and a responsibility. And the hope is in our churches we’ll be speaking to both Christians and non-Christians. This course will help you build up the Christians listening, while helping those searching follow and ask the right questions.
Third, Community & Integration. This course is designed to help you grapple with the importance of biblical community, build a pathway for people to engage with your community, come to know Jesus and join you on mission.
Fourth, Musicians & Singers. This course is specifically designed towards those serving on music teams to help them think about how best to serve and lead others.
Fifth, Praying on Sundays. This course is put together to help those praying on Sundays prepare and lead prayers at the main gatherings.
COMMUNICATIONS & IT
Communications, Social Media and technology are an increasingly key part of helping the lost engage with our churches, and ensuring we care for them well when we do. Below are two courses to help you think through your communication strategy, your technology, and how you can positively engage with the media.
First, Communications & IT. Social Media and the web is the new front door for most churches, and we’re convinced that by making some tweaks to how we engage in this area, we can create more opportunities for the Gospel to be heard.
Second, Working with the Media. This course is designed for church planters and leaders so they can understand how the media works, and actively and positively engage with them. There’s no silver bullets, and opposition to God often rears itself in unexpected and confronting ways, but that doesn’t mean we can’t employ wisdom to minimise issues and maximise opportunities.
KIDS & YOUTH
Kids & Youth are key evangelism and discipleship areas in church, no matter what the church age or stage. Below are two courses to help you think through building and growing a disciple-making kids and youth ecosystem.
First, Kids & Storytelling. A course from Sandy Galea about storytelling in kids and childrens ministry.
Second, Building a Youth Ministry. This course is for anyone wanting to start, or sharpen, a biblical and engaging youth ministry in their church. This course will give you a biblical foundation, a framework that springs out of our biblical convictions, and tools to help you implement these in your local context so that you can see the youth in your church and community come to know Jesus and grow to be like him.