Missional Initiative

A missional initiative (often called simply an "initiative") is a charism of ministry started or sponsored by one or more members and/or jurisdictions. A missional initiative is different from a jurisdiction, the latter being founded when the appropriate Presbyter Council charters or officially founds it. Some, but not all, missional initiatives may eventually develop into jurisdictions, while others, because of their nature, will not. A school started by members of a Basileia jurisdiction is an example of a missional initiative. People may speak of such a school as a “ministry” or as an ongoing educational “activity.” It may develop a highly complex organizational framework, own properties and have staff, some who may not even be believers. Likewise, a onetime weekend retreat is also a kind of missional initiative, being a one-time “activity” or an “event” that makes its appearance briefly and then is past. Furthermore, a study group is another kind of missional initiative that may meet in a home or in a coffee shop week after week. In time such a study group could naturally and organically become a Fellowship. To the casual observer where the study group ends and a new Fellowship begins may not be obvious. Nevertheless, the official transition from being a study group to the founding of a new Fellowship happens only when the respective Community Presbyter Council charters (i.e., officially founds) the Fellowship. In an official sense the act of chartering is the exact point where, in this example, what started as a missional initiative (a study group) is founded as a new jurisdiction (a Fellowship).

Also see Jurisdiction, Missional, and Missional Council.