Memo of Understanding

Our Mission

We exist to mobilize local churches and followers of Jesus to engage strategically in disciple-making efforts among people groups who have limited or no access to the Gospel.

Our Goals

Increase Personal Involvement

Greater awareness, engagement (praying, welcoming, supporting, going), and urgency within believers and local churches regarding reaching the unreached.

Increase Missionary Sending

Mobilize more mid-term or long-term missionaries from Atlanta area churches into cross-cultural ministry.

Our Strategy

We encourage and support the Church through:

• Praying
• Gathering
• Resourcing
• Collaborating

Our Beliefs

The Atlanta Missions Collective is a multi-church, inter-organizational, cross-denominational, collaborative effort to mobilize more missions work among the unreached. We strive to focus on the essentials and minimize differences in non-primary doctrinal issues. We take this stance as we believe the most strategic way forward in missionary sending is working together as the unified body of Christ.

The Nicene Creed is the doctrinal position we hold as we collaborate with organizations and churches of various theological leanings:

We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Our Guiding Values

Prayer

Our lives should be marked by a sense of utter dependence on God for the work He has called us to do. Prayer is our greatest expression of that dependence.

Local Church

From Acts 13, we learn that it is the local church that sends cross-cultural workers! We are here to serve the church in that endeavor.

Relationships

Our task is urgent, but we engage with joy! We believe the whole Church is called to the urgency of seeing the Gospel advance to the ends of the earth. We play our role as a community of friends; fun and humor are a valued feature, and all are invited to join us!

Strategy

Our mission emphasizes reaching unreached people groups. The goal assumes an exit plan through the development of indigenous leadership & sustainable movements in the culture.

Mobilization

Jesus made it clear the harvest was plentiful but the laborers were few. His response was that we would pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers. We pray and we act toward that goal.

Our Collective Leadership

Leadership Team Responsibilities

• The Leadership Team is responsible for calendaring of events, logistics for meetings, maintaining the mailing list, member role, social media, and website.
• Regular (Monthly or Bi-Monthly) Leadership Team meetings for planning, strategy, and prayer.

Leadership Team Selection

• The Leadership Team selects new members from among the Collective.
• The Leadership Team should be between 3-5 people, with representation of at least one local church and one missions organization.
• A minimum of 3 different entities (churches/missions organizations) should be represented on the Leadership Team.

Leadership Team Commitment

• An initial two-year commitment with optional annual commitment renewal in subsequent years.

Leadership Team Qualifications

• Give testimony to their personal faith in Christ.
• Demonstrate a passion for cross-cultural ministry via current involvement or past experience.
• Have completed the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course or similar (Mission of God, Momentum Yes!, The Missions Course, Kairos…), and evidence alignment with the core principles of the course.
• Be in a current church or organizational leadership role or be affirmed by the leadership of their local church to serve.
• Affirm the MOU of Missions Collective.
• Attend the majority of group meetings (75%).
• Have actively participated in multiple Missions Collective events and activities for at least 3 months.
• Display willingness to take leadership of Missions Collective events as appropriate.

Our Decision-Making Process

The Collective Leadership Team seeks to guide our actions as a group by discussion and mutual engagement in decision-making. The Leadership Team seeks to make decisions by discerning the consensus among all Collective members.

The Collective Leadership Team serves the entire Collective in final decision-making. The Leadership Team is empowered to act on behalf of the overall group by consulting with members of the Collective and will report any decisions to the group as soon as possible.

Our Membership Commitment

Atlanta Missions Collective Members are comprised of all individuals, churches, and organizations that have signed the MOU agreeing to the mission statement, cultural values, and expectations of the Missions Collective.

All members commit to:

• Pray regularly for a missions mobilization movement in metro Atlanta.
• Participate in at least 4 in-person or virtual gatherings per year.
• Provide practical resources for the Collective (i.e. financial support, meeting space, meals for gatherings, tangible resources, and active marketing/promoting efforts for the Collective).

All member churches or organizations who agree to the above items and sign the MOU will be listed on the website. Participation in events and gatherings do not require membership in the Collective.

There are two ways for a church or organization to be removed from the Collective:

Voluntary Opt Out

Communicate to the Leadership Team that you no longer wish to be a part of the Collective.

Not fulfilling commitment

If the Leadership Team believes that you are no longer fulfilling your commitment, they will contact you to determine the continuation of your membership in the Collective.