What is Ethos?
Ethos is a two-year journey that is designed to help leaders of churches understand the Why and then the How to help their churches make a paradigm shift from a modern approach to ministry to a more missional/formational approach. This six-module journey, centered around 2-3 day retreats with other leaders in the region, guides leaders into a more missional/formational understanding of who God is and how He invites His people to join Him on mission locally and internationally.
What is each module like?
Module 1 - Missional Leadership
The first module deals with the issue of leadership. It looks at the difference between a corporate model of leadership and a more spiritual/biblical understanding of leadership. We will focus on the need for character and a new set of competencies.
Module 2 - Missional Theology/Ecclesiology
Becoming a missional church starts in one place only: God is a missional God. This module focuses on how we understand God and His mission and how we become missional people. If God is a God of mission, then we must become a missional people. Our identity is in Him, personally and corporately, and we are called to join God at work in the world.
Module 3 - Maintenance to Mission
This module focuses on the change process. We will look at how secular change models have both influenced and shaped how we go about change. From there we will move to a more biblical approach to change. We need to learn to discern the difference between secular and biblical methods and look at why we need to be careful not to just employ secular methods.
Module 4 – Forming and Leading Mission Groups
How God’s people are structured is of utmost importance. Craig Van Gelder says, “The church is. The church does. The church is structured around what the church does.” For a people to become missional, they must be structured in smaller groups that are organized around mission. We are a people sent into the places where we live and work.
Module 5 - Formation: Putting on the Character of Christ
One of the discussions in church circles today surrounds “making disciples” of others. Of course this is not new, and every generation faces the same issue—how do we help the church to be formed in the image of Christ as His followers in the midst of a particular generation? Formation of individuals and of the community is crucial to joining God on mission. The missional church movement depends upon it. This module will look at the transformation process and how we may help our people become like Christ in all things.
Module 6 - Neighbors: Life in the Neighborhood
This module is designed to help a local church to gain “the favor” of the neighborhood and to help each of their people learn what it means to be a good neighbor. We will look at the heart of Jesus towards lost people, the development of a church’s engagement in the neighborhood, the theology of place, and the formation of people into being good neighbors for the sake of the Kingdom.
