Tallinn Communities - Estonia
Tallinn Communities
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Contact: Daniel Viinalass - [email protected]
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Website: INSTAGRAM
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At A Glance:
We are 8 year old church with around 50-60 active members and a larger community of around 100 people. Our vision is to be Jesus centred communities living life together on mission. Our core values are simplicity, making our structure easily replicable and having great impact. |
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OUR MISSIONAL STORY:
1. What’s the story of how your church was planted, replanted, or revitalized? |
3 families all felt the initial calling to plant a church in Tallinn, Estonia. We were part of a church together already before but had never talked to each other about planting. God put it into our hearts within the same week. We joined a church planting launch platform called M4 and grew our core group of planters. We had 6 families who were a part of our core by the time we moved to Tallinn (approx 1 year after we felt the initial calling). We started gathering together at parks and homes as 1 MC and multiplied shortly after that.
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2. Where did your vision and conviction to be a Missional Church come from? |
Growing up in a church that was mostly focused on attendance and behavior left me with a longing for experiencing the real potential of Christs body. A large influence came from my pastor as a kid, Peep Saar who recognized the importance of being missional-minded. A lot of his convictions came from meeting and discussing the matters with people from likeminded churchplanters already a few steps ahead.
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3. What is it about your church that you believe makes it a Missional Church? |
A church that is about continuing Christs mission.
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4. How are you structured/organized to accomplish your Missional vision? |
We have elder families (husband and wife are together in this position). The elders are the servants for the church body. The church body has the power to appoint the elders. Each elder family has a specific role (admin, long-term vision, teaching/materials)
We have autonomous missional communities that largely function on their own but once or twice a month all come together for a larger gathering. About 90% of our church is part of smaller DNA groups. |
5. How are you training and coaching your people to live with Missional intentionality? |
We have monthly dinner nights with open discussions about our church but also specific topics related to what we feel like needs extra attention. Showing by example. Each elder family does at least a couple nights a month something where we include people the Spirit puts on our hearts. Monthly bible lessons with practical learnings |
6. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned as a Missional Church? |
- Proximity makes living life together easier
- Prayerful planning - church can easily become a christian club if we aren't changed by the gospel regularly - church structure changes as more MCs multiply - we tend to look for “perfect” disciples who fit some role description and don't notice the people Jesus puts in our lives - think about discipling children before your church is overrun with children |
Missional Progress
Coming Soon...
ORIGINAL TEMPLATE:
Gathered.church - Adelaide, South Australia
Gathered Church
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Contact: Seth - [email protected]
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Website: Gathered.Church
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At A Glance: We are a church in Adelaide, made up of a network of Micro Churches, with no church building or employed staff.
Each Micro Church is led by a core team (shared leadership) with the mission of blessing and serving both the post-christian friends and the ever growing number of people walking away from "traditional" church. As Ambassadors we create spaces and opportunities for people to experience Jesus and his Kingdom. |
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OUR MISSIONAL STORY:
1. What’s the story of how your church was planted, replanted, or revitalized? |
In 2018 a handful of us, within an existing Missional Community, saw a large need to reach and care for the 72% of Aussies who grew up in the church that we now disconnected and drifting (these were pre Covid stats). We found that many we actively avoiding religious buildings, so we set out to create spaces where we could be the church without buildings or staff.
This led us to forming a small network of Micro Churches, seeking to create spaces and opportunities for everyday people to experience Jesus. We now see the need to reach 3 very different groups within Adelaide. with 3 different strategies. First, equipping and supporting the existing church; Second, caring and loving the disconnected; Third, thinking cross culturally to reach our post-Christian friends and neighbours. |
2. Where did your vision and conviction to be a Missional Church come from? |
Jesus. He lived and breathed a life engaged in the world, eating, celebrating, morning and doing life with those who were far from God. And He didn't do it alone, not only did he have a small group of disciples with him, but he lived with a complete dependence on the Spirit. It only makes sense for those who call themselves followers of Jesus, that we would follow in his footsteps. Life others, intentionally engaging with the world and totally dependent on the Spirit.
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3. What is it about your church that you believe makes it a Missional Church? |
Each Micro Church has an intentionality about it, to connect regularly (2-3 times a week) with each other, and to create spaces where we can listen and encourage those who don't know Jesus. Every member is aware of our call as ambassadors to reflect the Gospel in everyday life, but we don't just talk it, we make it a priority. Regularly we meet and connect with each others friends (who don't know Jesus) and we see the fruit of listening, praying, partnering and drawing others to the Good News of the Kingdom.
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4. How are you structured/organized to accomplish your Missional vision? |
We have Kingdom Families (a core group of 3-6 people) committed to doing family life together. They have a location that is their main missional focus, usually consisting of natural connection and friendships in a specific area. Each Kingdom Family will have 5-10 others floating around them (christians and those leaning in) this forms a Micro Church. Micro churches will meet weekly and ideally with 1-2 other MicroChurchs on a regular basis. At these Gatherings we equip and train one another as Kingdom Apprentices to continue being Salt and Light as everyday Ambassadors of Jesus. All the Micro Churches form one larger church with Elders, a strategic team and a soul care team... each with the purpose of helping the body BE the church - God's People, empowered by God's Spirit for God's Purposes.
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5. How are you training and coaching your people to live with Missional intentionality? |
Weekly training the Body to listen and Obey the Spirit (during our Gatherings and DNAs) and every term we have a half day training time equipping the body in different areas. We also have an intro course called Body.Living which helps normal people understand the Gospel, our Identity and practical ways to be missional.
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6. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned as a Missional Church? |
We have learnt that Mission is not the main point. If we put that first we see People turn into projects. Mission and worship are an overflow of us knowing who God is, what he has done and who we are in light of that. The Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom must be remembered daily/ We simply get to enjoy the Father and intentionally point others to Jesus. If your people don't know that, then at best, "Mission" will become an awkwards script people feel guilted into, leading to more damage than help. And at worse it will become the means of pride, judgement, competition (stats) and spiritual abuse.
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Missional Progress
Coming Soon...
