AN ANCIENT PROCESS FOR A CONTEMPORARY CHURCH

New Cohorts Starting in February 2024!

Introduction

People come to church for all different reasons and from all different backgrounds. Some of us show up with no knowledge or background of church at all…we’re just hungry for something spiritual and we think Jesus might be a good place to start. Others of us come from other denominations. Some of us have been burned or abused, others of us are just longing for something deeper, a space that’s Christ-centered but where its also safe to wrestle with doubt and ask questions. We don’t take for granted that everyone who comes to the Mission Cincinnati looking to grow in relationship with God and others is starting at the same place in their spiritual journey. But how do you build a church family that’s unified in vision, mission and beliefs if all of us are so different from each other? Thankfully, the first Christians gave us a blueprint to follow!

The Ancient Catechumenate

Cata-WHAT? This word may be new to many of you. No worries! Here’s what it means: If you wanted to join a church in the first few centuries after the time of Christ, you couldn’t just hop on the internet and Google “best local churches with coffee & skinny jeans.” You couldn’t even just SHOW UP at a church at all. Instead you had to find and befriend a Christian, who once they trusted you, would sponsor you in a 3-year journey of discipleship in which you would learn what it meant to believe in and follow Jesus. This 3-year journey of discipleship was called the catechumanate. It was only after you completed this journey that you could be baptized, join the church, and attend a worship service for the first time. While the catechumenate may sound crazy to our modern ears today, anyone who studies history would be unable to deny its powerful impact. The early church that welcomed newcomers through this patient and relational process grew from thousands to tens of millions in just a few centuries. It didn’t produce simple church attenders…it formed people who’s lives were changed. People whose lives then became devoted to loving Jesus and serving their neighbors. The life the catechumenate produced in believers and their communities was deep, dynamic, and irresistably attractive to the watching world.

The Vision for Mission Pathways

We created Mission Pathways to be a modern-day version of the ancient church’s catechumenate. Mission Pathways resembles the ancient catechumenate in which

  1. People are welcomed into a PROCESS

  2. that involves LEARNING what it means to know and follow Jesus

  3. and takes place within RELATIONAL COMMUNITY with others in the church

Thus, through Pathways, newcomers to The Mission Cincinnati journey through a yearlong process in which they will gain a clear understanding of our church’s vision, mission, values, and membership commitments, learn about the distinctives of our church’s Anglican heritage, receive an overview of the BIG STORY of the whole Bible, and dive deep into group discussion of the core beliefs of historic Christianity. The entire Pathways journey is done in community with a small group cohort led by our pastors and other teachers in the church. Those who complete Pathways will emerge not just with a robust understanding of what it means to love and follow Jesus in the context of our church community, you’ll also make a meet friends. When it comes time to decide whether you want to join the church as a member, you will have effectively lived as a member of the church alongside others you have come to love for almost a year.

3 Stages of Pathways

The journey of Mission Pathways is divided into 3 Stages: Heartbeat, Anglican 101, and Storied. All three stages involve a mixture of “content” or teaching from a pastor or leader as well as large amounts of time for group interaction and discussion.

  1. HEARTBEAT is a 4-week class in which newcomers learn about our church’s vision & mission, discover our values, and explore the 4 core commitments members make to BELONG, GROW, SERVE, and GO as a part of a local church. Heartbeat is the basecamp for getting involved at The Mission. Every session ends with an info sheet that allows our pastors to connect newcomers to church-wide communications, small groups, discipleship opportunities, spiritual gifts assessments, serving & ministry teams, and local mission opportunities.

  2. ANGLICAN 101 is a 5-week class in which newcomers learn about the distinctives of our church’s Anglican Heritage, specifically exploring how the Anglican Church is ROOTED, LITURGICAL, SACRAMENTAL, BIBLICAL, & MISSIONAL. Much space is given for participants to ask questions and pastors provide intentional opportunities to follow up at greater depth.

  3. STORIED is a 12-week small group experience in which newcomers explore the Big Story of the whole Bible and dive deeply into discussion of the core beliefs of historic Christianity using the Anglican Catechism. Each week STORIED cohorts meet in homes across the city, share a meal, and engage in group discussion based on the ~30 minutes of prep reading for each session.

HOW TO JOIN A PATHWAYS COHORT?

The whole Mission Pathways Journey takes a year to complete. You can start Pathways in the Fall (September) or Spring (February). Those who begin Pathways in September will go through Heartbeat and Anglican 101 in the fall, then Storied the following spring. Those who begin in February will go through Heartbeat and Anglican 101 in the spring, then Storied the following Fall.

Heartbeat/Anglican 101:  9 weeks, Sundays 3/3-5/5 (Sunday 3/31 will be skipped on account of Easter), Sensory Room from 11:45 AM-1:15 PM.

Storied:  12 weeks, Week of 2/11- Week of 5/5 Location and Time will be determined soon by by group members.

Have questions or want more info about Pathways in the meantime? Check out the FAQ section below. Still have questions? Please feel free to email Fr. William at william@missioncincinnati.org.

FAQ?

DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH MISSION PATHWAYS?

If you wish to join the church as a member, you must complete Mission Pathways. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to complete Mission Pathways right now, you can always wait to complete it later. You are also welcome to be a part of our community, attending services, and being a part of our classes and Regional Small Groups without completing Mission Pathways, you will just not be able to join the church or maintain membership unless you complete Pathways.

Do i have to attend every session in order to complete pathways?

No. We are realists and we understand that people have conflicts, travel plans and things that come up that make 100% attendance difficult. We ask that participants attend at least 75% of the sessions in each stage of Pathways in order to complete that stage. Digital recordings are available so participants can make up material they missed if unable to attend a session. We do ask that you please let a pastor know in advance if you are unable to make a session so we can arrange make up materials for you.

Is there any prep work required for Pathways?

The Heartbeat & Anglican 101 classes do not involve any prep work. Simply show up for the sessions and be ready to engage! Since Storied Cohorts are purely discussion based, each session involves approximately ~30 minutes of prep. You can prep content by reading OR by watching Bible Project videos. Either is totally fine!

I’ve never seen a church ask this much out of people who want to join? What gives?

Life is process. And over and over, life experience shows that people rise to the bar that is set for them. We believe participation in a local church is really important and that learning to be a disciple takes time. It also takes time and proximity to build friendships with other people. To that end, we have seen that people who prioritize Pathways—who show up to at least 75% of sessions and engage with a joyful spirit and open heart ABSOLUTELY FLOURISH within the life of our church: they get connected quickly, they build great friendships, and they grow much more excited about their faith. It makes sense because they are making a commitment to prioritize their local church, their relationship with Jesus, and friendship with others. We promise you that if you commit to Pathways and show up consistently, it will be the best small group experience you have ever had. We also promise that it will make your connection to our church incredibly meaningful and your connection to others in our church incredibly close. Don’t believe us? Try it!