Nanowrimo 2017: Stories from the 4 Cornered Room
This novel is about four small churches who’ve been told they were dying, and how they learned to grow and thrive again.
JANUARY
What did they tell you as to why your church is dying?
F is for following.
F is for fishing … learning how to fish.
The benefit of the small church for the left-hand ministry? (Highland Hope sermon)
Right handed evangelism vs. Left handed evangelism?
FEBRUARY
F is for fellowship.
Love one another. John 13:34-35. … where neighbors are loved …
My four neighborhoods: FISH.
My neighborhood map.
Mission: Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission
(Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional.
Vision: We are a functional family of God, where Jesus is Lord, neighbors are loved, and people grow.
MARCH
Organizing fellowship: Wherever two or three:
Intentionally loving one another: The Prayer Tool.
Praying creates fellowship.
After loving God first, the second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. The focus of fishing for people is the neighborhood. The first word of the great commission is ‘Go.’ Where we are to go is our neighborhood, and our neighbors are people we encounter wherever we are.
APRIL
Where Jesus is Lord… is the line.
The shape of the church … ascending grace, descending grace.
The shape of the church … right handed and left handed. Ambidextrous.
I is for Interest.
Easter. Baptism. Rise to walk in newness of life. Romans 6.
Emmaus – learning how to listen to Jesus in hard times.
Jesus speaks with the language of scripture.
MAY
And people grow.
When exactly does one know that one has become a disciple?
A disciple is one who learns scripture. John 8
A disciple follows Jesus using the map revealed in scripture by the commands of Jesus.
What instructions do you get from Scripture?
CPM Bible study SOW questions.
JUNE
The Great Commission … Gospel commands.
Now they know how to fish, how to make disciples, and how to teach disciple-making:
Mt 28:20.
Making a list of commands.
Checking for Jesus imperatives … http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1.htm
Holiness is applying scripture to your life.
Jesus is Lord.
Use fellowship to do this – JUMP group – questions.
JULY
The rite of passage.
The purpose of transition from right-handed church into left-handed church.
The 40 days in the desert – The Walk to Emmaus.
The 70 sent out – The Mission Trip experience.
Robert Bly … the rite of passage is conducted by the grandparents.
They leave as children and return as adults.
A walk about … a disciplewalk …. a pilgrimage.
AUGUST
Carrying your cross … what it means.
A disciple has a cross … God’s plan for how they will serve.
God’s plan matches your SHAPE.
What is your shape?
SEPTEMBER
The shape of the church … ascending grace, desending grace.
The shape of the church … right handed and left handed. Ambidextrous.
How can you use your shape in your neighborhood?
The benefit of the small church for the left hand ministry. (Highland hope sermon)
Right handed evangelism vs. Left handed evangelism.
Which corner of the room has your internal shape ministry?
Which corner of the room has your external shape ministry?
OCTOBER
Being a disciple maker.
Seeking and saving the lost.
NOVEMBER
Bringing the new disciple around the four cornered room.
Monitoring the transitions. Keeping in touch with the prayer tool.
DECEMBER
Who’s in your back seat?