THURSDAY 8 JUNE 2023

2:00 – 4:30pm – Overview of the Week/What is the Gospel?

This session is the foundation for the rest of the week, looking at the gospel through both the thematic and story-formed lenses, explaining why both are necessary, and seeing/practicing gospel application to real situations in everyday life.

4:30 – 6:00pm – Dinner (provided), participant intros, Soma’s story/host church(es) stories

6:30 – 8:30pm – Story of God, Part 1

Walk through 2 stories from The Story of God to show its method and benefit, then the 6 ‘acts’ of Saturate’s resource, The True Story; discuss how THE story is seen in biblical stories/introduce other story-formed resources.

FRIDAY 9 JUNE 2023

8:30 – 9:00am – Devotional/prayer

9:00 – 10:00am – Processing and reflection – gospel and story

10:00am – 11:30am – Story of God, Part 2

In smaller groups, have multiple participants lead from The Story of God to show its method and benefit, and get some practice leading the story/responding to others.

11:30am – 1:00pm – Lunch

1:15 – 4:30pm – Identity and Rhythms

Understand family/missionary/servant/learner identities as concurrent realities of our identity in Christ. Discussing different marks, difficulties, blessings, and need for God in each, how the gospel and those identities shape our personal and communal life rhythms.

4:45 – 5:30pm – Processing and reflection – identity and rhythms

6:00pm – Time with hosts or MC life

SATURDAY 10 JUNE 2023

8:30 – 9:00am – Devotional/prayer

9:00 – 11:30am – Life on Life Discipleship and 4G’s

Overview of the 4G’s. Explanation and practical examples of how sin/folly stems from disbelief that God is great, good, glorious, and gracious. How to lead towards a heart-level embracing of these truths, for ourselves and others.

11:30am – 1:00pm – Lunch

1:15 – 2:00pm – Processing and reflection – discipleship and 4G’s

2:00 – 5:00pm – Starting and Leading Missional Communities

After 3 days of building a foundation of gospel, gospel fluency, identity, and everyday rhythms, we turn to the outflow of these biblical concepts: Missional Communities (MC’s). This session walks through at least the first 6 of ‘10 Marks’ of MC life, discussing each.

6:00pm – Hang with host family                        

SUNDAY 11 JUNE 2023

9.30am – Soma Blue Mountains Gathering                      

12:00pm – Lunch, rest, reflection, and Missional Community Meetings/Time

MONDAY 12 JUNE 2023

8:30 – 9:00am – Devotional/prayer

9:00 – 10:00am – Processing and reflection – Sunday gathering and MC life

10:00 – 11:30am – Missional Community Church Realities and Leadership

Consider the hows/whys of biblical leadership and leading your church both from and towards the gospel and gospel identities, and of raising up/coaching MC leaders, deacons, and elders to health. Also we’ll look at leadership within an MC – including leaders’ personal bents, the need for team leadership and the often-felt tension of shepherding vs. mission.

11:30am – 1:00pm – Lunch

1.00 – 3:00pm – Processing and reflection – MC realities, Q&A, closing session

3:00pm – Commissioning and dismissal (for those leaving)

OPTIONAL CHURCH LEADER EXTENSION: MONDAY EVENING

3:45 – 5:15pm – How Do We Create a Movement of Gospel-Centred, Missional Discipleship Cultures – in Our Churches and Across Our Country?

This session considers the organisation we build, and how our decisions support/detract from MC-centrality. We debrief Sunday’s gathering, leadership development, equipping, events, and other elements of the church organisation. And we talk about how churches ‘join’ Soma.

5:30pm – 7:00pm – Dinner (provided), open processing and reflection, Q&A, closing and dismissal

7:00pm – Commissioning and dismissal (for those staying)