Before you turn the page....

If you are looking at the New Year and find it a bit daunting because of the weightiness of what’s already in your hands, I’d love for you to spend a few minutes and meditate on this post!

What are you carrying into 2023?

If you are finding yourself carrying a lot of weight, I’m encouraging you to let this part of Jesus’ prayer be a core phrase for the new year!

“Your kingdom come… your will be done…”

So what is the weight? Is it Frustration? Weariness? ? Painful situations that haven’t resolved? Betrayal? Loss? Anxiety over the reality of your home, marriage, dating relationship? Insecurity at your job? A new boss, frustrating co-worker, or potential lay-offs?

Or maybe it’s disappointment, missed expectations, and honestly you you have just a little hope left in the tank on a good day? It could be with your MC, with Missio, or even with God himself.

Good news…. Those difficult things mixed with trust in Jesus is a fertile environment for experiencing the kingdom!

At Jesus’ first Advent the kingdom came into normal nitty-gritty life. He came into a weary world longing for redemption. A world of groaning creation, oppression, loneliness, dissatisfied hearts, manipulated man-made religion, broken and bruised relationships.

The world has all those hard things, but now it also has Jesus. He rescuer, redeemer, healer. Immanuel. God is with us. In the hurt. And will one day make all things new. But while we wait for that day he is making us new- right now. It’s as we are wounded and healed that we bring a message of healing and hope with us into the networks and neighborhoods we live in.

As you turn the calendar page to 2023 I’m not telling you to just try harder to leave behind the hurt, the disappointments, or even frustrations- that’s too simplistic and honestly ineffective. But don’t let those places be the final destination on your journey.

I’m encouraging you to enter even more fully into the story of God and recognize that the Kingdom of God is for people who know the wounds of the world and trust Jesus anyway. Those of us who bring faith, hope, and love because of Jesus with us on this often confusing journey. He has given us His Spirit. We Abide in His love. And we continue on asking him to bring his kingdom even more fully into our midst.

Friends, having the bravery to Hope, choose Love, and cling to Joy in the midst of a groaning creation would truly be evidence that his kingdom has come in Mesa and Gilbert!

Matthew 5-7 may be a a great place to meditate starting the new year!

Pray with us! “Your kingdom come….”

Reflection Questions:

1) What are the weights you are you carrying with you into the New Year?

2) When you reflect on God’s presence with you in those situations? What do you feel Him saying to you?

3) Who can you share what God is doing in you with? (MC? Spouse? Friend?)

#missiomesa @missiodei_mesa @missiodei_communities #disciplesmade #disciplemaker #makediaciples #kingdomcome #mesaaz #gilbertaz #eastvalley #dontloseheart #yesandamen #tempeaz #chandleraz #sobremesa

A Word On Hope

"We call this time Advent because it reminds us of what comes from God for the creation of his kingdom on earth. Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying. And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what He said He will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it His way and in His time."

- Eugene Peterson

Read this one slow over a whole cup of coffee (or tea.). These words should linger in our hearts and minds as we plan our calendars, budgets, and meals. Hope isn’t wishful thinking or passive. Enjoy these words from Eugene.

Happy Thanksgiving (Please Read The Warning Label)

Happy Thanksgiving.

We are blessed. That isn’t just a hashtag, it’s a state of being for everyone who is in Christ. God has poured out his blessings on us (see Ephesians 1-3 for some reminders) AND we get to enjoy those in the everyday, not just the someday. Thanksgiving is a day where our culture turns their collective gaze to the blessings that have been there year round. We should be at the frontlines of those celebrating! 

In it’s core principle- Expressing gratitude as a community over a shared meal is a beautiful preview of what we participate in everyday as the people of God. Expressing gratitude does not negate the groaning we experience, but gives voice to both realities! 

All of our communities have rhythms of gratitude and feasting that go far beyond one day a year- but this one day can be celebrated as well- and we’ve had a lot of practice!

The Warning Label

Today marks open season for your greed, consumerism, and selfishness to be targeted by the enemy. Yes, he’s always attacking on these fronts, but this season billions more dollars are invested in his devious strategy. Whether it’s an instagram ad campaign, cleverly rigged tik tok algorithm, a substance used to escape, or a conversation with a sibling, his aim is to stir up your good desires and twist them. Decisions made these months often move us into places of debt, decreased capacity, relational strain, and addiction. Let us be wise. Let us be loving. Let us be faithful.

This isn’t a call to do more religious to offset the irrieligious. It’s a call to stay faithful in the face of a great adversary. It’s a call to rest in the reality that we are not what we own. We are beloved children who have been given resources of time, talents, and treasures and they are meant to be used as blessings towards others. The blessing is never meant to end on us!

Ephesians has taught us that it’s not a visible enemy we face, but principalities, powers, and darkness. Jesus is victorious, but maybe even more than other seasons we need to keep watch over our hearts, our wallets, and our calendars to stay faithful to our role in God’s story and live in that victory!

A Practice: We encourage you to pick your percentage of generosity before setting your gift budget for the year. This doesn’t earn God’s blessings, but is a response to it. 

A Practice: Carve out a rhythm of prayer (Like This) for your days during the holiday season.

A Daily Rhythm of Prayer

Thank you for taking up your role in God’s story by being a person of prayer. God’s people have been experiencing God’s presence and finding strength for the journey by talking with God himself since… well since the beginning of time. The first stories in the Bible tell of an uninhibited life of communication with God, and with life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that sort of access is welcomed again. In the words of Ephesians, we have both access and proximity to God.

In fact, Paul reminds us all throughout his letters that one of the responses to good news of Jesus and His Kingdom is a prayerful life. I think this means the consistent and constant listening, talking, and responding to the movement of the Spirit all throughout the day is a mark of every maturing follower of Jesus.

If you ever need someone to sit and pray with you (not give you advice, but just pray and listen with you) please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Missio Community leader to ask. If they aren’t available, you can text us and someone will join you in prayer!

Morning

An ancient practice that has helped people across time, culture, ethnicity, age, personality, and even enneagram type is starting the day in prayer. We add the added strong suggestion of taking a moment to turn to Jesus before turning on your phone and simply praying the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer isn’t a spell to make you have a better day, but a pattern of life to live into throughout your day. It does however shift the start of your day from the stress, pressure, and priorities of others for you- to simply sitting with God’s voice in the words Jesus prays for you! It will change your day to start by speaking with Jesus and letting Him speak a better word over you than opening your first waking moments to the myriad of voices on your phone!

Midday

Pausing at the halfway point of your day to intercede for friends is a simple practice. You can do while waiting in line at the cafeteria in school, on a park bench as you get some fresh air, or between meetings. Seriously, you can even do this between taco bites! We recommend using this time to both pray for those who don’t yet know Jesus Spirit, Here’s a sample prayer:

• I pray you would open the eyes of the hearts of my friends that they would receive the gospel. (Then pray for them by name.)

Evening

I really don’t know a better way to prayerfully reflect over your day then using the Examen that we’ve developed. It’s a twist on the Ignatian process of looking over your day and paying attention to what God was doing that day. Often moments seem like a blur passing by you- but God is present in each of them. In true Missio fashion we’ve modified the questions to reflect the overarching True Story of the Bible.

Bonus: It also ends with one of my favorite questions “What are you trusting God with as you go to sleep tonight?” It is a way more soul satisfying than a Netflix Binge. I promise you!

What do we do with our past?

There is darkness in our past.  We have made embarrassing choices. We’ve been harmed and, whether we meant to or not, we’ve been the cause of harm in others lives. We have done harm to God’s creation, and in rebellion raised our fists to Him. Wounds that we’ve received and wounds we’ve caused others are on almost every page of the story of our lives. And hear me, I’m not dismissing or minimizing the pain that we’ve experienced or the choices we’ve made, but I’m offering good news from the pages of Ephesians.

The good news that because of the new work of Jesus, in his life, death, and resurrection-  painful things that have been done to us and that we have done are now swallowed up in this new reality and find a new order. 

Paul is clear- our sins are forgiven and our pain can be redeemed. The guilt has been removed, the unhealthy shame that clings to us can be shed. We are saved and raised up with Christ. Not because we worked hard to pay ooff our sin and the wrath we’d earned, but because we were saved from them and Jesus took them on himself.

The gospel speaks to our dark and painful pasts and says that they can change and be part of our redemption story. What do we do with our pasts? We bring them to Jesus.

 This is good news for the world. It’s good news for Mesa. It’s good news for us.

May this reality guide our steps this week and prompt deep joy as we walk in the world!

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved”

— Ephesians 2.4

A Pray of Confession From Ephesians

Last night we spent some time in Ephesians 1.15-23. It was an incredible night of conviction, encouragement, and curiosity being sparked for what could be! As you continue processing We wanted to give a confession to integrate this teaching into your weekly prayer.

Our hope is that we are encouraged by the words Paul prayed, but also use his prayer as a pattern for praying for one another. Remember that our moments of prayer are not optional or a precursor to a missionary life, they are the oxygen for every disciple of Jesus.

“Father, I confess….
I often live without hope.
I can easily forget I am loved.
I don’t believe you can _____.


Open my heart to see…
The hope in your calling
The wealth of your inheritance
The immeasurable power you’ve given us.

You. We want to know you.”

— Missio Dei Communities

Story of God

“The Story of God may be the best thing we do for discipleship in our church….”

Why do we do the Story of God? Short answer- it's one of the best tools we have for learning who God is and what it looks like to live faithfully in his world.

Longer answer: Alasdair MacIntyre offers a clue for why we do these day long immersions when he says, “I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story do I find myself a part?’” These questions can only be answered from within a story. Thankfully, the Bible offers us just that all-encompassing all-of-life Story. And this is the Story that everyone, both followers of Jesus and those who follow something other than Jesus, need to hear, know, and experience. Again and again.

We’ve seen this environment for telling the True Story helpful in both individuals processing the gospel story and often serves as the building blocks of new communities. Whether you are new to following Jesus, been a disciple for years, or are just starting to ask the first questions of “could this all be real?” This experience is for you!

We’ve watched as the Spirit brings new life to new disciples and those who have followed Jesus for years, but grown cold in their affections. We’ve watched new missional communities form, new businesses launch, and new churches be planted as followers of Jesus begin to ask, “What story am I a part of?” before asking, “What am I to do?” Above all, we’ve been changed as we rehearse and reorient in this Story.

Would you considering investing one day in dialogue that will bear fruit for years in discipleship? Consider yourself invited to the Story of God. Want to learn how to lead this Story in your own context? Come and learn with us and we’ll help equip you to lead your own!

Our next one is September 25th 9am-4pm. RSVP Below!

July Week 5- Imagine what God Could Do.

We are committed to the process of being formed by God, together, for the sake of others. We believe this takes place as we take up our role as active participants in God’s story following Jesus to make disciples.

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We hope this guide helps stir up your affections, your memory and your imagination for what God could do in and through you as part of a Missio Community. This week builds on the previous three reflections you’ve already done. As a refresher:

So far in July we’ve …

• Paid attention to what God is up to in our own hearts and in our community right now.

• Reoriented in our identity as disciples of Jesus

• Continued learning how to hear God’s voice as his beloved children.

• Been in awe once again of the scope and splendor of the Mission of God.

• And now we are looking at how we as disciple makers are taking up our role in God’s story.

Now you are invited to watch this short video and then spend some time exercising your kingdom imagination AND listen to the voice of God for how he may be calling you to start or join up with a Missio Community sent as disciples to make disciples together.

Before you jump to this weeks discussion though… How did you do in following through on what you felt God calling you to last week? Was it a meditation? An act of kindness? A rhythm shift? A sin to put to death? Ok. Let’s jump into this week. It’s a short video, then some dialogue to follow!

Keep Processing:

We only had a 10 minute video this week so we’ve got plenty of time to keep dreaming and processing. Whether you are on your own with a cup of coffee and a journal or in a living room with some friends, don’t rush these questions, but listen to the voice of God for what he may be speaking to you.

• Creativity Practice: Put five minutes on a timer and then come up with as many networks, neighborhoods, or places that you know of in Mesa (or your city) that could use a gospel people purposefully sent to make disciples and bring the good news of the kingdom!

• When you think of shared life and disciple making in a MC… What excites you? What gives you reservation? What is Jesus speaking to you in the midst of those feelings?

• Imagination: If God called you to start a MC (or even join with a new startup MC as a teammate) what would be your biggest barrier to saying “Yes?”

• Listen for God’s Voice: Spirit, breath of the living God, what work are you doing in me right now that you want to also do through me?

• Listen for God’s Voice: Jesus where are you already at work in my network of friends or neighborhood? How do you want me to join with you in that work?

• Listen for God’s Voice: Father, would you remind me that I do not work for you as a hired hand, but am fully loved by you as a child, filled with your Spirit, and will never be left alone- Jesus is still with me.

• What’s next: In light of what you’ve heard from God’s word, God’s spirit, and maybe even God’s community- what is your next step of obedience in following Jesus?

July Week 4- What is the Mission of God?

We are committed to the process of being formed by God, together, for the sake of others. We believe this takes place as we take up our role as active participants in God’s story following Jesus to make disciples.

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This guide is mean to remind our Missio Communities and disciple makers what the Mission of God is and how we can take up our role in it. We invite you to take 45 minutes and listen / watch this teaching by Kevin Platt that was a part of our Majesty. Mystery. Mission. series and then continue reflecting on a few simple questions.

Before you jump to this weeks discussion though… How did you do in following through on what you felt God inviting you into as you prayed last week?

Ok- let’s go!

Reflection Questions:

• What about the God of mission caught your attention after watching this teaching ?

• How did this view of God’s mission excite a kingdom imagination in you?

• What would it look like if your Missio Community or personal disciplemaking was marked by an increased urgency over the next six months? What practices would be continued? Which would be stopped? What could be implemented?

• Have you been working for God or walking with God in the last six month? What do you want the next six months to be marked by? What changes of pace or pattern is God inviting you to make?

• Hearing God’s Voice: What do you think God, your Father, is saying to you right now?

• What’s next: In light of what you’ve heard from God’s word, God’s spirit, and maybe even God’s community- what is your next step of obedience or meditation in following Jesus?

July Week 3- Learning to Pray

We are committed to the process of being formed by God, together, for the sake of others. We believe this takes place as we take up our role as active participants in God’s story following Jesus to make disciples.

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The following guide is meant to help you in your journey of learning to hear God’s voice. We are highlighting a teaching by Koral Lorenson and the hearing God’s Voice in His Word tool from our Practices of the People of God. Watch the video and then spend some time processing the questions we’ve listed below to help you continue to practice hearing God’s voice. It is a wild reality that we get to speak and listen to the Creator God!

Before you jump to this weeks discussion though… How did you do in following through on what you felt God calling you to last week?

Ok. Let’s go…

Questions

• Our Father- What do you think your Father wants to say to you right now? Practice silence and listen for his voice. Write down what you hear him saying to you.

• Your Kingdom Come- Pray asking Jesus for his kingdom to come in your life, home, and neighborhood and God’s will to be done there as in heaven. Pray expectantly and boldly knowing that God invites you into his presence and loves having these conversations with you.

• Give us today our Daily Bread- What needs are you experiencing today that you need God to sustain you in? What are you asking him to provide?

• What’s next: In light of what you’ve heard from God’s word, God’s spirit, and maybe even God’s community- what will prayer look like this week?

July Week 2- We Are Disciples

We are committed to the process of being formed by God, together, for the sake of others. We believe this takes place as we take up our role as active participants in God’s story following Jesus to make disciples.

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Our prayer is that this guide helps us remember our identity as disciples of Jesus and prompts creativity and renewed conviction for following Jesus. I’m struck by the incredible honor and joy it is to to enjoy his presence and participate in his redemptive mission today! Mind blowing that Jesus chose us. And so humbling knowing He is still with us. So… what’s next? Watch this short video and then spend some time processing the questions that follow.

Before you jump to this weeks discussion though…

How did you do in following through on what you felt God calling you to last week?

Questions:

• What have some of your “from now on” moments with Jesus been?

• Have you made committments to Jesus, his church, and his mission? How was the last 6 months of living those out?

• Listen for God’s Voice: Pause and ask Are there any areas of your life (relationships, hobbies, patterns) that dull your affections for Jesus? As we follow Jesus and not our own whims, we need to know what we are turning from in order to turn towards Jesus!

• Every follower of Jesus is both a disciple of Jesus and a disciplemaker with Jesus. So.. Are our lives currently oriented around making disciples of others? Who in your life are you purposefully leading to follow Jesus?

• Are we currently living in accountable relationships with other followers of Jesus? (Accountable, Present, and Prioritizing time with the family of God.) What joys have we found there? What barriers exist? What will we do with that tension?

• Listen for God’s Voice: Spend some time in Spirit dependent prayer. Asking him for wisdom, power, giftings, direction, provision… as it comes to mind. Then listen to him and see how he wants to lead you.

• What’s next: In light of what you’ve heard from God’s word, God’s spirit, and maybe even God’s community- what is your next step of enjoying and obeying Jesus?

July Week 1- What is God up To right now?

We are committed to the process of being formed by God, together, for the sake of others. We believe this takes place as we take up our role as active participants in God’s story following Jesus to make disciples.

The following guide is meant to help you on your journey of hearing God’s voice and following the leading of the Spirit. Before we look ahead though, we want to pause and look around at what God is doing right now.

This week we invite you to plan out 60 minutes for some reflection on what God is up to right now. One author says that for every one thing we see God doing, he is up to 1,000 others in our lives. Watch the video below and then spend some time as an individual, family, or friends processing the reflective questions in this video together. Take some time with this practice and let it breathe.

Let God’s Spirit remind you of his kindness, goodness, and grace in your life over the last season.

Questions

• How is God showing his goodness and beauty to you in this season of life?

• Over the last few months where has God been at work in your life?

  • Where have I seen the work of God in making me new?

  • What has he been surfacing? (Old dreams, giftings, visions, desires…)

  • What insufficiencies, misplaced, hopes, idolatries is he showing me?

  • Where have I seen the fruit of the Spirit coming out?

• What’s next: In light of what you’ve heard from God’s word, God’s spirit, and even God’s community- what is your next step of obedience in following Jesus?

Leading Your Students to Follow Jesus

As we Sabbath for the month of July don’t forget to cultivate rhythms of rest and worship for your students!

It can be easy to assume that our students are picking up what we are intending just by being around. Sometimes that happen. Many times it doesn’t. Here are three tips for discipling your kids over this month. And any month really.

1. Use your words.

How many times have you spoken this to your kids? Now it’s time for you to remember. Connect your actions to your intentions with words! Connect your rest with the gospel truth of Gods call an easy yoke. Connect your play with Gods design for enjoyment. Connect the pool party to God’s design of everyday disciples enjoying one another and his good gifts. Connect your communal serving to the reality of our gospel identities… you get the point.

2. You don’t have to know it all- but you have to open your Bible.

Pick out a few Jesus stories and use our four questions with your students. Don’t forget to listen to God’s voice together as you discern how you will each obey what Jesus has shown you! (Look back over our hearing Gods voice in the Word handout if you need a refresher.)

Here’s a helpful tool for how to structure a time with Jesus together using equal parts settling in, storying, and sending!

3. Use a BLESS grid for your July.

As a family come up with creative and simple ways to live out the BLESS rhythms together over the month.

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Super Simple Assessment Tool

One of our ongoing responsibilities as disciples of Jesus is to follow the Great Commission and make disciples of Jesus. But how’s that experience going?

This tool is a familiar and simple tool to have that conversation as an equipping team, a Missio Community, family, or even on your own. Grab some coffee, carve out a few minutes, and ask yourself…

Where are we flourishing?

What are we battling?

Where are we experiencing frustrations?

What have our failures been?

Get a full copy of this short assessment at the link below AND use it in whatever context best suites you! Don’t forget that even if you fill this assessment out on your own- the conversations it evokes should be had in community!

I’m Praying for you as you are formed by God, together, for the sake of others!

-Kevin

10 Questions to Consider this Week

Last night we got together around tables, shared some incredible meals, and continued an essential conversation for our current cultural moment. We know that as a church we want to be faithful to play our role in Gods story in the places we live, work, and play- but what exactly does that mean?

Our current cultural moment is marked by change, polarization, a global pandemic, racial tension, confusion, and disruption- how do we even make sense of what the Spirit has been up to in us, around us, and through us?

To help us navigate this season David and I curated a short list of reflection questions that would be great to ask around your table, with your roommates, spouse, or even alone with a journal. We will give a chance for some group processing in the near future, but for now let’s start to think about…

1. How has PRAYER been shaped?

2. How has GENEROSITY been shaped?

3. How has your IMAGINATION been shaped?

4. How has your PASSION for sharing the good news with others been shaped?

5. How has your JOY been shaped?

6. How has your understanding of DISCIPLESHIP been shaped?

7. How has your COMMUNITY been shaped?

8. How has your sense of JUSTICE been shaped?

9. What are the TREASURES you’ve discovered during this season? (With God, one another, yourself)

10. What are the TRAPS you’ve uncovered? (Regarding your relationships with God, one another, your personal patterns and rhythms.)

Why do we EAT together?

We gather around the table as God’s family.

As followers of Jesus, we are more than just a Bible study, support group, or social club- We are a Family!

Families share life as they gather around tables and enjoy meals together. That’s why this week your Missional Community will be sharing a meal together. Meals have been essential to God’s people throughout the story. In the Old Testament the way people ate reminded them that they were God’s people. Meals were an essential part of Jesus’ ministry (Matthew. 9:9-17, Luke 10:38-42). The first churches did more than just gather at the Temple for some sermons, they met in homes to eat with one another, encourage one another, and point one another back to Jesus and his kingdom. “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” (Acts 2:46)

WHY ARE MEALS SO IMPORTANT?

Meals remind us that we are needy humans.

You may be strong or weak, young or old, rich or poor, but eating together reminds us that we are all humans who get hungry and need food. We all have limitations and benefit from the gifts of others.

Meals remind us that God provides for our needs.

God is gracious to provide us with food; but, we want to remember that Jesus is God’s ultimate provision. He is the bread of life and welcomes us to his table as sons and daughters. (John 6:35, Luke 13.29-30)

Meals create space for community to grow.

God gathers individuals together, but he always places them in a community. The table is a space to share food, stories, joys, problems, and hopes with others (Romans 12:15).

The Well Story (In their own words)

Missio Dei Mesa is excited to support the work of Brittany and Noel in forming a new healing practice downtown Mesa. As a church we pray for the flourishing of ALL in our city and are giving our lives to see the men, women, and children of Mesa experience healing and Hope.

Here’s one story of how that is taking place. In their own words, here is Brittany and Noel-

We met at Missio Mesa a couple of years ago and were surprised to find out that we were both counselors and art therapists. Our friendship grew quickly and we spent many early mornings over coffee dreaming about more ways to help others in therapy. The vision for The Well was born out of those small but consistent encounters, over a high top table at Lost Dutchman. Incredible how God takes our open hearts and makes something beautiful out of them for the good of His city and His people.  

Often people have 2 options in therapy: community services or higher cost private practice. Therapists find themselves torn between helping those who so desperately need the support and burning out themselves from not having the support to take on those high needs or going into private practice where therapy becomes less accessible but they are compensated more to pay for all the training and schooling it took to get their license in the first place. As counselors and creatives we wanted to think differently about the possibilities for therapy and desired to carve another path out to help people gain more access to treatment in our local context. This is something a lot of counselors and helping professionals desire all across our Valley.

Graciously God gave Brit a vision years ago when she started out as a therapist for a type of “one for one” model that could help cover the cost for anyone who couldn’t afford quality therapy. Brit started to share this vision God planted in her with Noel and just as graciously, God started to (unexpectedly) stir a desire in Noel also. 

We are obnoxiously hopeful that God is generous, loves his creation, and has given us this city to cultivate heaven on earth while we wait in the brokenness and pain we all experience being human. The implication of this truth about who God is and what he does – left us exploring new ways of how that truth could be a reality in our city. 

Dreaming about new possibilities, we found ourselves in a carved path that God was clearly carving – not us. The Well was an image God gave to us that has been such a comfort and reminder that as we all seek healing and restoration - this side of God making all things fully new – we come to the same source for healing just as a community goes to the same well for water. And we are not the ones who heal, but indeed the One who created the heavens and earth IS and is One who offers healing so freely. 

That vision has become a reality already! We didn’t set out to make more money as counselors but instead to be a part of the abundance that we know is there if we work together as a community. A piece of every regular session fee goes towards covering someone else’s session fee who can’t afford the full price right now. It’s been really humbling and honestly incredible to see this play out over the past couple of months – 25% of our clients right now are being loved by others who they don’t even know. And they are all on the same journey of healing, from the same Source. 

Our art studio and group room space both opened this month and we have been overwhelmed by God’s provision as we completed those rooms also. These supportive spaces will witness many stories of pain – met with compassion, creativity, and connection. It might seem weird that God would love a little place like Mesa, but it’s been evident to us that God wants to see his creation flourish and heal – and through His Spirit who is present with us through it all - we get to be participants in that Story. 

-Brittany and Noel 

Scattered Sundays: This is not a how to guide. It's a story...

Scattered Sundays was a new phrase when we first started coming to Missio. Growing up in the church I had never heard of an idea such as encouraging your entire church to find ways to worship other than at the church building. For me, I was taught implicitly that worship was tied to the church gathering. A narrow view of worship I know...so when I first heard Missio talk about Scattered Sundays it was strange to me.

My gut reaction was “That’s nice. Everyone could probably use a week off from church.”

Narrow, I know....The reality is for me God was beginning a work of redeeming what rest is in His eyes through Scattered Sundays. He was beginning to give me a vision of what a holistic view of enjoying him tastes, feels, looks, and sounds like. What follows is by no means a one size fits all. It’s a story about a journey my family and I have taken to understand how to worship and rest well. It’s a story that we are smack dab in the middle of still...so please don’t read this as a how to guide. Read it as a story.

When we first started practicing Scattered Sundays we were part of an MC and we began doing Scattered Sundays with others in our MC.

This was extremely helpful as these families and individuals had been a part of Missio much longer than us and had been practicing Scattered Sundays more than us. So each month, we tagged along. Sometimes we ate meals at their homes, sometimes we hiked, sometimes we made pizza and watched a movie. Having community that invited us along on Scattered Sundays was extremely helpful because it gave us language and tangible experiences for those Sundays we didn’t gather at the building. There’s no handbook of do and don’ts for Scattered Sundays so I know for me, in the beginning of trying to practice, at times it felt like, “ahhh is this okay? Does this count as worship? This feels like cheating.” Having people show us what Scattered Sundays look like for them was beyond helpful.

After practicing it with others for a season, we began to practice on our own as a family.

Initially this was difficult, because as a family of four my wife and I tried to appease everyone in the early stages realizing we all enjoy/find rest in different ways. What rest and enjoying God looks like for me is very different than our 5 year old. So we tried lots of things....we took trips up north to hike in cooler weather, we grabbed doughnuts and went to new parks, we did true story scavenger hunts. We tried something different each week but there was one common thread among them all. We prepared. We would spend Saturday prepping for Scattered Sunday. We would make sure that laundry, dishes, yard work, lunches for Monday were made, everything was done and prepped so that we could lean into what God had for us rather than get distracted and busy. As we prepped on Saturday there began to be an excitement about what Scattered Sundays we’re going to hold for us as a family and as individuals. Like a gift you knew was coming, you just weren’t sure what it would be.

One of the rhythms we did for many Sundays, not just Scattered was that Albany and I would make focaccia. Bread making became an important practice for me during Scattered Sundays. Bread making is naturally a slow process and it forced me to slow down when I typically wanted to go go go on the weekends. Albany and I did this every Sunday for probably 8-10 weeks in a row. A lot of bread I know - but we found others to enjoy it with and to bless neighbors with. 

Looking back at when we first started to practice Scattered Sundays, I didn’t know what would give me rest.

Looking back at when we first started to practice Scattered Sundays, I didn’t know what would give me rest. The real rest - like the rest you feel in our soul because you’ve experienced something so life giving you feel refreshed. What gives my wife’s soul rest is different than what gives my soul rest - but the same Creator God provides that to both of us.

Now when we have a Scattered Sunday there is always one thing we incorporate regardless of what we’re doing - space. We’ve done our best to push aside everything else that there is (chores, phones, etc…) and to allow space to create, read, listen, and reflect. For us, it’s in space that we each have found rest and been able to worship Him.

May you find rest.

Nick Johnson

What can I bring on Sunday?

“What can I bring?”

This is the most popular question asked after inviting someone over to our house dinner. Sometimes it’s muttered with a sense of obligation, sometimes excitedly with curiosity of the menu, and sometimes there’s a genuine desire to bring more than yourself to the table with friends! Many of you have asked that very question after I’ve invited you over to our house. If you have asked us you’ve gotten one of a few answers. Sometimes its:

• Bring yourself

• You can bring _______

• Bring what you want- I’m not sure what we are cooking yet, but I know we want you there!

Good story Kevin. Why you posting it? Here’s why.

As we start our Sunday gatherings back up, you are invited back to the proverbial table of shared worship. Sundays are moments to reorient in God’s story, be reminded of God’s Gospel, and experience the very presence of God himself. If you are asking “what can I bring” or “how can I come with more than myself to receive what others bring” here are a few thoughts.

First off I have to say, you are welcome even if you can’t bring anything more than yourself right now. This is true at my dining room table and its true of our gatherings. Friends who barely make it out the door are still welcome to enjoy a meal and are not second class citizens at my table or the table of God! I’ll say it again for those in the back: If you are struggling and barely making it to the gathering emotionally or physically, this is not a demand to do more to earn your spot.

Bring your tired self to the table, find rest, and then when you are rested jump into the shared work.

However, many of us have something to bring with us- we just didn’t know it was needed.

Over the last year a few people have been doing most the work and it’s been a joy to serve, but I’m thinking we could do better with more of us participating. I’m willing to admit that may be on us. We haven’t really asked many things specifically, but let people come forward as they had the desire.  We didn’t want to burn anyone out. We know that a life following Jesus in a world that denies him can be exhausting enough. But in not asking we not only limited the potential of burn out (which surprisingly we find other ways to do anyway by overworking- without a heavy church calendar) we also unfortunately limited the ways that you contribute the shared worship times on Sundays!

As we look into this summer and beyond, consider this the first of several asks. Take a moment and consider if you have the bandwidth (the time and space to serve) and the skills needed to help Missio continue to flourish. We’d love to work together with you discern how you can help serve Jesus by serving his family on Sundays weekly, monthly or bi-monthly. 

So…what do you want to do? Are there gifts that you have that you can share with us in our gathered worship on Sundays? 

A few ways that you can help if you have the bandwidth and the abilities: Click any of the links below to take the next step in using what God’s given you for the benefit of the whole body! (click any that you feel you can contribute to.)

• Are you an artist that would love to collaborate with prophetic art installations? 

• Would you consider Missio Mesa your church, but don’t give financially? Let’s change that.

• Do you know how to lead worship and want to see if your gift could meet needs we have? We are always looking to diversify voices that help lead us in musical worship. 

• Are you a musician who wants to encourage our family in music and songs as part of the band? 

• Do you love leading kids to experience the love of God and know their place in God’s story? 

• Do your fingers work and you can show up at 3.30 on Sundays once a month? 

• Do you enjoy publicly reading Scripture, prayers, and would like to try leading the liturgy?

• Can you move chairs, set up communion table and cultivate a welcoming environment for fellow disciples to gather and experience the presence of God? 

• Do you feel like God regularly gives you experiences that you’d like to share with the entire family?

• Do you like to create and sustain databases? 

• Would you like to be the point person for scheduling and/or overseeing the physical space on Sundays? 

Have another idea? Let us know! 

Music & Songs From Home

Musical Worship at Home 

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully it helps as you worship our Great God in Music and Song from your home. Or Car. Or Backyard. Or on Sundays together with the rest of the family! Enjoy.

• Listen to and sing along to worship playlists on Spotify

“Missio Mesa: Summer Praises”

• Youtube Worship Music, watch and sing along/aloud 

TRIBL Chanel - Maverick City Music 

• Learn a Hymn as a Family or MC and sing it together in your home/small gatherings, at breakfast, around the couch, on a bike ride, as you pray for a meal.

• Common Hymnal resource (social justice focus primarily) website with all songs available and stories of song-writing to read beforehand and then watch the music video.