My notes from the LIVE SENT/reSYMBOL Workshop

I had a great day at the LIVE SENT/reSYMBOL Workshop with Jason C Dukes and Doug Dees! I really enjoyed hearing them share from not only their books, but from their hearts. I also made some great "Kingdom Connections"! Here are some of my notes from the day:

Live Sent - Jason Dukes (you can order a copy of his book here)

"Live Sent" is a metaphor for making disciples.

Jesus said "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)



"Church leaders, it's not what you teach, it's what you emphasize."

We need to do more than just say the church is not just a building. We need to emphasize that and live as though the church is PEOPLE and that Jesus intended the church to LIVE SENT.

Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

Questions to determine if you are a self-church or a sent-church

• Do people ask, should I quit my job to surrender to ministry?
• When people in your church family think of "church" what three words come to mind?
• Are people in your church family generally retreating from or engaging with the culture around them?
• When you talk about missions do people think about a distant city, everyday life or both?
• When discipling is said, do people think of a classroom or daily life?
• How many people in your church family have friends who are lost, whom they introduce as friends.

Maybe we should invite people to "be the church" instead of inviting them to "come to church".

"Sometimes we are too busy trying to make the bride attractive when we are supposed to be bringing people to the groom, not the bride."

Jesus said we are known by our love through our togetherness, but our togetherness can't be the purpose of the church.

Ekklesia - people who unite around a common purpose.

We should come together around the purpose of "sentness" not the purpose of "togetherness"

What is "make disciples"?

• lecturing vs. life coaching
• linear program vs. ongoing process
• get you ready vs. listen as you go
• preachers vs. conversationalist

We are reaping what we have sown. So what we are sowing must change.

• Don't say "church" in connection to certain prepositions like to, in and and from.
• Don't say "We won't have church tonight because of ___________."
• Don't spend the largest percentage of your week focused on Sunday morning prep, or 1/168th of your week.
• Don't create more "church" stuff to take up everyone's time trying to "do church" keeping them from being able to "be the church".
• Don't emphasize becoming a pastor or missionary as the highest calling.
• Don't believe that local and global missions will happen if and only if the pastoral team creates and manages it.
• Don't ever say "They are doing well now that they are back in church."
• Don't get upset when someone in your church family doesn't show up to your "Sunday morning" gathering because they are out in the community "living sent".

Four Ways to Help "Live Sent"

1. Pray for wisdom on how to love those I live by and work with.
2. Connect with them over real life
3. Serve together locally and globally
4. Learn and live the ways of Jesus together.

We should be cultivating loving community on our street.

Our Sunday gatherings should be to celebrate the body "living sent" during the previous week and preparing to "live sent" in the upcoming week.



reSymbol - Doug Dees (you can order a copy of his book here)

Note: this session was very interactive so I didn't take as many notes.

Our churches are full of good people doing what they have been taught for many years.

Quit Comparing His Church Parts
Quit Frankensteining His People
Quit Squeezing His Bride

Discipleship: A disciple needs to be increasing in seeking the face of God, exhibiting the characteristics of Christ and following the lead of the Holy Spirit.