Innovative Faith Communities come in different shapes and sizes. Every project Mission Alive has pursued is unique because it focuses on specific needs of a marginalized population within a diverse collection of communities. We recognized that this wide-open description can make planting an Innovative Faith Community appear more daunting than necessary. In fact, we believe that there are some very accessible ways to launch an IFC. Over the last several months we have worked to define six different types of Innovative Faith Communities. Each emphasizes a service priority, but they vary by the amount of time needed, group size, and community vision. Two of our IFC types can be started by individuals or small groups without leaving their current church. Two others have a more traditional structure and two follow a more innovative approach. This week, we roll out our six types of Innovative Faith Communities using a collection of new web pages at www.missionalive.org/innovative-faith-communities . Our six types of Innovative Faith Communities are:
- Individual Missional Initiatives
- Missional Small Group
- Missional House Church
- Missional Church
- Missional Community Network
- Missional Neighborhood Parish
We encourage you to visit our new web pages and explore the different IFC types. We even have a short quiz that will help you discover the IFC type that fits your interests. As God stirs your interest in starting something new, we’d love to talk with you. Use the links on the site to schedule time to talk with Tod Vogt or Steve Shaffer and let’s explore how you can start an IFC.