Blogs and Articles

FSM Peru Team Demolition God By: Caden Nance Peru Trip Round Two! That’s what I called this trip since I had gone last year. Having some experience gave me confidence—I…

On November 7-11, a team of five folks from Fellowship Brentwood and Franklin piled into vans and drove over 12 hours to New Bern, North Carolina to help the community…

My trip to Guatemala with Fellowship Student Ministries was nothing short of everything I needed. The Lord led me on this trip through wanting to serve. I had a time…

The country of Croatia has a special place in my heart. The country is a desert desperate for water—the Living Water. The countryside is beautiful and the people there do…

I get mixed responses when I mention that I oversee “missional living” at Fellowship. They usually fall into three categories. Sometimes I can read the response immediately in someone’s expression of confused curiosity that seems to say “What on earth is missional living?” Understandable since missional has been defined in so many ways. Or a smile that communicates resonance with the idea of living ‘on mission’ – and I’m guessing they might have read some recent blog posts or books or listened to a podcast that’s defined it in a palatable way.

Joining Jesus on His mission doesn’t have to be complicated – it really just means living intentionally, with the heart of a missionary – and with the Gospel at the center of all that we do. A common fear and misconception is that missional means “additional”… Additional activities, appointments, responsibilities, serving opportunities… Filling up the calendar with more stuff. That perspective can easily start to feel like a heavy burden of duty that induces guilt, rather than a Gospel-centered lifestyle that results in purpose and joy.

I’m convinced that disciples are made in the overlap of three essential elements: gospel, relationship and mission. These elements are what I like to call “discipleship DNA.” They are the building blocks of transformational spiritual growth. It’s helpful to picture these three elements (gospel, family and mission) as three legs of a stool. Take out one of these essential elements and any approach to discipleship is likely to be unbalanced.

As a little girl, my wife Heidi always thought that one day she would be a missionary. She had visions of moving overseas, learning a new language – possibly living in the jungles of South America or among the unreached people of East Asia. A REAL missionary!

“Gospel Fluency”: “Our ability to speak and display the gospel in natural and effective ways in any situation in life, leading to transformation and restoration.” Is God stirring something in you that might lead you to become more fluent in the gospel? Consider joining the conversation – the beginning of a journey that will take the rest of your life.

By the end last night, we were all pretty emotionally wiped. But we were also celebrating. God’s grace, His love, His mercy, His pursuit – and the power of the Gospel to transform lives. We had just spent the evening listening to a number of people in our Gospel Primer pilot group share their own personal story in the context of God’s greater story. And to say it was a powerful experience – we’d all agree would be an understatement.