Unit 1: Core Content
Unit 1 of the Mission Catalyst program establishes the foundation knowledge which is helpful in preparation for Unit 2 in which you will begin to develop the skills of an everyday missionary. The unit begins with an evangelism self-assessment. The assessment is not a pass or fail test, it is diagnostic tool that the participant will use to identify strengths and areas that need additional attention to be effective as everyday missionaries. The unit will explore the Biblical roots of God’s call for us to be active in His mission. The lack of a clear understanding of the Gospel may be a contributing factor in our hesitancy to witness. Most of what we see or hear of witnessing looks like a salesman trying to close a sale. This false image adds pressure by convincing many that they are responsible for a person’s salvation. Being a witness is not like selling cars, the power of persuasion or conversion is in the Word. The unit ends with a new take on an old concept, the personal testimony. Most often our witness to the Gospel begins with our witness of God’s presence in our lives. Most Lutherans do not have a dramatic, before and after, faith conversion testimony. We were brought into God’s presence through baptism. God is a consistent presence in our lives. Yet that consistent presence also contains a powerful testimony. Unit one is the core unit, the foundation. However, as with any building, the power of the complete structure is defined by the weakest point in the foundation.
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Welcome to the course -
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Evangelism Assessment
Complete the Evangelism Assessment, which can be found here: https://msm.michigandistrict.org/evangelism-assessment/.
You can save the confirmation window displaying when you've completed the assessment and upload the file using the upload feature below.
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Evangelism Assessment Upload -
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Connect Us with Your Mentor
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What is the mission catalyst?This video forms the foundation and parameters for the Mission Catalyst program. It explains the nature of God's mission and the function of a mission Catalyst.
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Worksheet 1: What is a Mission Catalyst Upload Your Answers
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Your Mission Begins Here
Your mission begins here, with a simple piece of paper or a note you create on your phone's note app. Whether it is a piece of paper or an entry in your note app, record the names of five people with whom you want to have a faith conversation. Maybe the list has someone that you know is not a believer. Perhaps it is someone whose faith in Jesus is unknown to you. The list should contain the names of people that you encounter regularly in your day-to-day living. They should not be people that live far away from you. This list will serve as a focal point for faith-sharing in this course. Please pray daily for the names on your list. I encourage you to pray for the following:
- That you would have an opportunity to have a faith conversation.
- That the individual would be receptive to the gospel.
- That the Holy Spirit would bless the conversation and work faith and salvation in the hearts of those who do not yet believe.
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Submit your Mission List
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Hesitancy to Mission
In this video Dr. Jones addresses issues that can diminish our zeal for outreach.
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Upload notes from the Video Lesson
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Luther on the Witness and the Priesthood of All Believers
Read the attached article from Martin Luther's work on The Freedom of a Christian, 1520
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Upload your reaction to Luther's article
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The Literal Gospel
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The Whole Gospel
Go to: https://www.lhm.org/learn/ and create a free account, if you don't already have an account. Locate the course "The Whole Gospel." The course uses video and interactive learning experiences to engage the participant in discovering the whole Gospel. The course contains three sessions. Each session takes about 15 minutes to complete. You should be able to find the course using this link: https://lhm.reach360.com/learn/course/b5324d57-0483-4053-941f-3bd1d6cbe94e
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Upload the LHM Course Certificate
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Reflect and Review: Sharing your Faith
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Introduction to Your Story
A personal testimony, one in which one shares one's personal experiences with Jesus Christ, can be very powerful in the witnessing process. However, personal testimonies tend to point the spotlight on ourselves or at least lessen the light we shine on Jesus. Rather than creating a biographic narrative around your conversion experience, in this lesson, you will learn to tell Jesus' story from within your experiences and context.
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Read the selected materials to guide you through the process of writing your story.
Read the selected materials to guide you through the process of writing your story.
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Write your story
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Faith Sharing Demonstration
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Meet with your mentor to discuss the Faith Sharing assignment
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Concluding Unit 1
Unit One conclusion
Unit One: Mission Catalyst
Topics:
- An Evangelism Assessment
- An Introduction to Mission Catalyst
- Everyone A Witness
- The Gospel Message
- Your Story
