Mobilizing Teams for Missional Impact

This dissertation project reflects literature and lectures challenging the church to adapt to God's missional call in the twenty-first century and proposes utilizing missional lay-led teams. The definition of missions for local congregations in North America still tends to fall in a modern era expression of sending financial support to missionaries and providing some short-term exposure trips for their people. Or perhaps there is greater involvement that is directed by a mission organizations U.S. office that focuses on mobilization.

Yet, in this rapidly changing, globally connected world, new stories are emerging. These stories reflect the shift of Christianity to the global south and east. The stories speak to mass movements of communities being impacted by the message and mercy of Christ. These stories also reflect the involvement of people of influence and affluence who are making an impact out of the social entrepreneurial platforms of their own making.

Since God's call to the Great Commission is persistently on the hearts of all believers, the promise of God's name being glorified from the uttermost to the 'guttermost' is still being fulfilled. However, according to this author, it still seems the North American church is missing the opportunity to leverage its best people for kingdom purposes. Creating and developing transformational strategies that empower lay
leadership will have missional impact in the global city and will help shift the momentum to reflect our global context.

The project includes a training-and-coaching process, accompanied by a written manual. Together, they help empower entrepreneurial lay leadership participation in cross-cultural missional teams that can impact the global city.