Living the Gospel of the Kingdom in Unity with Christ’s Followers
What is the importance of Jesus’ prayer for the unity of all his followers (John 17:20–23)? How does this prayer actually bear upon your life day-in and day-out? One simple fact is clear ― most Christians have never even asked this question. If Christ has one church and one mission (Ephesians 4:1-6) how do we pursue this reality?
A new nine-month missional cohort seminar for 15-25 active learners will begin on October 4 in Wheaton (IL) to directly answer this life-changing question. This dynamic group will be led by author and teacher, Dr. John H. Armstrong, the president of ACT 3, a mission for “equipping leaders for unity in Christ’s mission.” Each learner in this unique cohort group will enter into a mentoring relationship and seek to incarnate the gospel through relational unity.
This is a basic course that has no academic prerequisites except an intense desire to learn and grow in mission and unity.
Missional Cohort Objectives:
To develop a rich understanding of missional theology that considers the origins and development of this school of thought and its subsequent practice.
To deeply understand John 17 and how the prayer of Jesus for Christian unity specifically impacts the health of the church and its relationship to the kingdom of God.
To consider the history of the ecumenical movement in the 20th century by asking, “What did it get right and where did it go wrong?”
To survey new model ecumenism by asking where such models can contribute to a more effective missional strategy.
To learn how ancient/future paradigms of worship and spiritual formation transform leaders and mission thus advancing the kingdom of God into all cultures.
To deal with various models of gospel understanding that strongly focus the learner’s heart and life on the love of God and his unconditional grace of forgiveness.
To develop a working model of personal spiritual growth that is linked directly to the gospel of the kingdom and mission. This model will be intentionally developed so the learner can pursue missional-ecumenism as a lifestyle. The specific context in which the student serves Christ’s kingdom will become the laboratory for praxis.
