GIVING DAY: OCTOBER 20, 2022
please join us for communitas giving day!
One day per year, our mission comes together for an all-out effort to help fund our mission around the world. Please join us!
Starting and Shaping Churches
for our Modern World
Transformed Lives
Transformed Neighborhoods
Transformed World
Do you dream of starting a community of faith that loves like Jesus?
There is a place for you here, and help to realize the calling in your life. You may be called to your current neighborhood, or a continent away. With Communitas you are among friends. All around the world we are starting and shaping faith communities doing just that.
We invite you to learn more about our incarnational approach.
Stories from the Field
Incarnational
A Fresh Aroma of Christ
“We have worked in Holland for decades. We have worked in Latin America for over a decade. But we’ve never planted churches in the Caribbean. Is God inviting us into a new place? It’s full of the same post-Christendom we see across Europe and the Americas.”
Last year, Eric Curtiss, COO of Communitas International, asked the question above. He joined a group of Communitas workers in the Dutch Antilles islands of Aruba and Curacao for six days to pray, hear from God, and meet with the locals to sense what God might be doing. The scouting group, led by our Chief Field Officer, Kevin Johnson, deeply enjoyed getting to know the people and culture. They also assessed the spiritual tone of the land. They returned convinced there was an enormous need for grace-based, Jesus-centered churches that would reach out as Christ’s hands and feet to the lost and lonely.
Yes, it may seem like paradise, but imagine a majority people who are devoid of God in everyday life yet desperate for authentic and life-transforming community in a post-Christian culture. Local Christians expressed a need to BE the Body of Christ in a fresh way on their islands.
Creative
An Introduction to TCKs
Communitas International starts and shapes communities of faith that love like Jesus in their neighborhoods. As we send people to the field, we are intentional about making sure they are equipped with as many resources as they need. We want each missionary family to make the transition and the journey as smoothly as possible-- especially for Third Culture Kids (TCKs).
Recently, we talked to our dedicated TCK Caregiver, Christine Van Tiem, about the need to support staff with children, and about the unique needs of TCKs. Christine is a member of our Staff Care team.
Can you briefly describe what Third Culture Kids are and what is important for parents (and teens) on the field (and off the field) to understand?
A Third Culture Kid, or TCK, is someone who has spent a significant amount of time in their developmental years living outside of one (or both) of their parents’ passport countries, usually for the purpose of their parents' work or education. In Communitas, we have just over 100 children (ages 0-23) from approximately 50 families, and they represent 14 different countries. Most of these kids are TCKs (and the rest will likely be PKs - Pastor's Kids - a topic for another time!).
Contextual
Five Steps to Engage with Your Community
Living a missionary life is not just for missionaries overseas. It is for all of us who follow Jesus!
Our lives should always be on mission—on mission for the Lord as His ambassadors and representatives in this world. But how do we do that practically? What does it look like to begin wondering about how we are to engage with our community in a relevant and grace-filled way? Brad Smith, one of our missionaries, describes the steps he used when he relocated from Europe to Richmond, VA to continue living on mission…
Step 1: Embed. What are you curious about?
Embed just means to get acquainted with your neighborhood, your city, your environment, new or old. Start by finding out information about the people and the culture (or subculture, or sub-subculture) of the area. Curiosity is at the core of mission and sometimes you have to make your own opportunities to live intentionally ready for any spiritual conversation and discipleship opportunity that comes your way.
Find Your Place
Children’s Ministry Worker – Proyecto MálagaSports Team Member – Proyecto MálagaDirector of Pre-Deployment MinistriesTeam Member – SicilyChildren’s Worker
Director of Mobilization
The Director of Mobilization is primarily tasked with creating and stewarding the process and means to direct people into serving within our global mission. Working in close conjunction with the field ministry team and executive leadership, including the president, you will build a team that will “shepherd God’s people toward their calling” and will coach potential new missional staff considering Communitas. You will create numerous opportunities for engagement with Communitas and our mission, including speaking and other engagement events, short term experiences and internships, and more.
For full details, please download the Job Description on this page, and feel free to reach out to us with any questions at all at HR@gocommunitas.org.
Church Planter
Communitas International seeks a Planting Pastor to start and sustain a missionally-focused community of faith. Communitas has been planting churches worldwide for almost 50 years. The Planting Pastor will follow the proven methodology employed by the Communitas network of churches of embedding, initiating, practicing, maturing, hubbing, and extending to pattern the church and its community life, while also enjoying great flexibility to adapt to the specific cultural contexts of the area. The preferred candidate will have prior church-planting experience or extensive education in the areas of missional theology and practice. The efforts of the Planting Pastor will result in a thriving, self-sustaining, authentic, discipleship-oriented, outward-facing and reproducing community of faith in 3 to 5 years.
Project Leader
As Lead Pastor, you give oversight to the staff and missionary team. The Lead Pastor takes the initiating role in providing pastoral oversight and leadership to the health of the community. With the aid of the elder board and missionary team, focus should be shared among the areas of mission/evangelism, discipleship, leadership development and establishing and sustaining essential functions of a growing and maturing church in the areas of worship, community groups, children, operations, and other essential functions. As a natural process of living internationally, embedding in the culture and learning the language well should be an ongoing work in progress.
Intern
Communitas International seeks Interns who will assist Planting Pastors and Team Leaders to start and sustain a missionally – focused community of faith. Communitas has been planting churches worldwide for almost 50 years. The Intern will assist the Planting Pastor in the proven methodology employed by the Communitas network of churches of embedding, initiating, practicing, maturing, hubbing, and extending to pattern the church and its community life, while also enjoying great flexibility to adapt to the specific cultural contexts of the area. The preferred candidate will be at least a college Junior or volunteer adult who has a great interest in church-planting as well as missional theology and practice. The efforts of the Intern will result in greater personal and mission effectiveness which will in turn leave the host project more healthy and thriving due to the efforts of the Intern.
What Intern Can Expect from local Communitas Team:
The Intern can expect the following from the leader and local team:
- You will be welcomed into the place of ministry and given opportunities to embed in the culture.
- You will meet with your team leader at least weekly to discuss your progress and the ministry/personal work that needs to be done.
- You will be supported in the transition to the new culture – however, you will also be given the freedom to explore on your own. As an intern, you should expect that the local team will give guidance, but not seek to micromanage your stay there.
- Times of prayer and support as you meet the challenges of living in a new culture.
We sincerely hope that your internship will lead you to a greater understanding of God’s plan and purpose for your life.
Children’s Ministry Worker – Proyecto Málaga
¿Amas a niños, Españoles y Jesús? ¡Pues mira esta oportunidad!
Do you love children, Spaniards, and Jesus? Then check out this opportunity!
The Role
We are looking for people who are mature in their faith and commitment to Jesus and identify with the mission and values of Communitas. This person would have a pastoral and teacher gifting, love kids (age 4-12), and like to use sports if possible. We are looking for someone with semi-fluent Spanish, who could do this program in Spanish or English, and be willing to start this from scratch.
About Proyecto Málaga (Missional Iniciative Málaga)
Málaga is a city where sport is flourishing. We believe that God wants to use sports to reach people who don’t know Him and wouldn’t get to know Him in a traditional church context. There is a lot of religiosity which opens doors to talk about spirituality. The good news is that the people live with spiritual hunger and thirst. We need to create bridges that will bring people to the feet of Jesus so they can be fully restored.
Sports Team Member – Proyecto Málaga
¿Amas a deportistas, Españoles y Jesús? ¡Pues mira esta oportunidad!
Do you love sports people, Spaniards, and Jesus? Then check out this opportunity!
The Role
We are looking for people who are mature in their faith and commitment to Jesus and identify with the mission and values of Communitas and are available for a minimum of 4 years. This would be a person who loves sport and has experience serving the sports community (coach, trainer, bio mechanic, player, etc.) This person must have a high level of fluency in Spanish, being either Spanish or having adapted to the Spanish culture. Also, it is essential that this person has a passion for the need for new expressions of the church.
About Proyecto Málaga (Missional Iniciative Málaga)
Málaga is a city where sport is flourishing. We believe that God wants to use sports to reach people who don’t know Him and wouldn’t get to know Him in a traditional church context. There is a lot of religiosity which opens doors to talk about spirituality. The good news is that the people live with spiritual hunger and thirst. We need to create bridges that will bring people to the feet of Jesus so they can be fully restored.
Director of Pre-Deployment Ministries
The Director of Pre-Deployment Ministries is primarily responsible for creating and stewarding the process and guiding and inspiring new cross-cultural staff toward full funding and training. Ultimately, these new staff members will then deploy to their place of service and begin “starting and shaping communities of faith that love like Jesus in their neighborhoods.”
Working in close conjunction with the operations team and field leadership, the Director will “shepherd God’s people toward their calling” by inspiring and coaching our new cross-cultural missional staff through required training. You will supervise them as they engage with external training in fundraising and develop their full funding and prayer network of partners. You will regularly communicate with new staff members, including in-person visits when possible, encouraging and inspiring them to do the hard work of fundraising and preparation for the field. You will thrive in a context in which you are their champion and love to help people excel… even when they think they are stuck!
Team Member – Sicily
We are looking for missionally-minded teammates who will join us in serving in Sicily, Italy. We desire to build authentic relationships and learn from and with one another as we welcome each other into our homes and lives and invite others to join us as we follow Jesus. If you feel God is leading you to build His kingdom in Italy, this may be for you!
This position can be as a full or part-time team member, or a short or long-term intern.
Children’s Worker
This role would involve overseeing the weekly staffing, oversight, and running of children’s ministry at Upper Room. Including nursery/creche and children’s classes. A longer-term hope would be that this person would be able to start a Vacation Bible Study program (VBS).
Some of our Churches & Projects
Communitas News
9 Church Planting Organizations Changing the World
7 Missionary Sending Organizations Changing the World
Bible Verses for Missions
Podcast featuring our recent conference
Why We Don’t Use the Word “Missionary”
Geoff Rinehart on the Right Side Up Leadership Podcast
9 Church Planting Organizations Changing the World
Are you interested in planting a church but don’t know where to start? These church planting organizations are doing the good work of planting new churches all around the world!
Communitas International is an international church planting organization that focuses on building communities of faith that transform their neighborhoods through loving like Jesus. For 50 years, Communitas has sent people who value and respect local cultures and expressions of faith, embed themselves in communities, and love in ways that transform the people around them. Communitas has nearly 150 church planting projects at various stages in 40 cities in Europe and 20 cities in the Americas.
Their church planting model is based on principles of incarnational presence: being the hands and feet of Jesus in intimate neighborhoods and communities. Communitas says that intentional listening and looking for what God is already doing is critical to starting, growing, and sustaining incarnational faith communities. And as an egalitarian organization, there are roles for men and women in church planting. You can read more about their church planting model here.
Acts29 is a church planting organization that plants churches across the United States and in several other countries across the world. This organization has a high value of planting healthy, multiplying churches that can multiply to spread the gospel and create disciples of Jesus around the world. They also have a high value of evangelism and want to see conversions to Christ through prayer and evangelism relationships.
Acts29 has a library of resources for church planters and congregants. These resources include articles, podcasts, books, conferences, videos, and training opportunities. You can access these church planting resources on their website.
Forge International is an organization that trains people as church planters wherever they currently live. Their mission is to see the Gospel spread through relationships, with church communities emerging as a byproduct. They intentionally build partnerships with local churches, seminaries, nonprofit organizations, and parachurch ministries.
Forge uses a “hub” based model, with different hubs in cities and countries around the world. You can find opportunities to be engaged in a hub close to where you live. If there isn’t a Forge hub in your neighborhood or city, you can start a hub in your location to see people in your community equipped to be everyday missionaries. You can read more about their hubs here.
For Forge, being a church planter doesn’t mean you have to move to another country... they want you to live missionally right where you are. There are people in your own city who need to hear about Jesus. Forge is equipping people to spread the Gospel in the world immediately around them.
V3 is a grassroots church planting movement that wants to see a wave of new and rooted churches emerge in the 21st century. The V3 movement began out of a partnership of religious leaders and pastors who wanted to launch a fresh, “ecumenical” kingdom movement. The V3 movement has over 200 church planters and is training new planters in America and around the world.
V3’s namesake comes from their three key priorities: vision, voice, and viral. V3 says these represent “discovering a hopeful vision for the in-breaking Kingdom of God in our local places, learning our unique voice within the 5-Fold ministry of Jesus, and developing practices for being a viral movemental church.”
Stadia is a church planting organization that wants to equip believers with the skills and calling to start and lead churches. They have a large church planting mission as well as a Discovery Center with events to help potential church planters discern their calling and learn how to use their gifts to plant new churches. They have planted over 1,300 churches since 2003 and equipped thousands of leaders.
Stadia also has specific tools and resources for women in church planting. Whether you are a woman pastoring a church, planting a church with your husband, or a woman supporting a church plant in any way, Stadia Bloom wants to support the unique opportunities and challenges of women in church planting.
The Underground Network (Tampa and Kansas City) is developing microchurches and communities around the world. As with all of the Underground Network’s churches, there are specific churches and networks that serve a variety of places and needs in each city that Underground Network has a presence.
The Underground Network has microchurches in multiple neighborhoods around different city, but they also have networks for correctional facilities, people involved in public radio, and the LGBTQ community. If you can think of a subculture that needs Jesus, The Underground Network probably has a network for it. These networks aim to build relationships founded on Jesus all over the city.
The Underground Network is constantly equipping people with the resources, support, and tools to start their own microchurches in new ways. You can read more here if you’re looking to serve in microhub communities.
Strategic Launch Alliance is a church planting organization that is equipping people to start churches and spread the Gospel in hard to reach places across the United States. They are looking for planters who are humble, strategic thinkers, and reliant upon God. They affirm that church planting is the most effective evangelism tactic and believe that church plants who focus on evangelism and disciple making have a high return on real life change because they target new generations.
SLN has opportunities for church planters, and other passionate people who want to support and be partnered with church plants. Their strategies for church planting help them change lives across the US.
3D Movements is a church planting organization that is made up of men and women around the world who are following Jesus together, multiplying disciples who make disciples, and empowering spiritual families to live on mission for the sake of the lost. They invest in leaders of established churches, church plants, megachurches, house churches, parachurch organizations, denominations, businesses, and families to build a discipling culture that produces a missional movement with the power to change the world.
They offer workshops, learning communities, coaching huddles, and speaking events to empower churches and ministry leaders to share the Gospel. They believe in creating discipleship movements in and out of the established church.
NAMB (or the North American Mission Board) is a church planting organization that has a church planting mission across all of North America. Their goal of making disciples in every North American city has launched over 4,400 new churches in the USA and Canada. They believe that church planting is at the core of what missionaries do as they proclaim the gospel.
For NAMB, they desire to see healthy and growing church plants emerge from their networks across the US and Canada. They have a church planter pathway that includes discernment, coaching, and care for all of their church planters.
7 Missionary Sending Organizations Changing the World
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
When we think about the Great Commission and Jesus’ final command and encouragement to His disciples, we think about spreading the Gospel to all the ends of the earth. There are many missionaries and mission organizations who are doing the important work of spreading the good news of Jesus in every part of the world, and you can be a part of that work, whether you are a missionary, someone looking to give money and time, or a prayer partner!
The following mission organizations are some of the best in the world, who support their missionaries physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually in their commission to share the gospel.
Communitas International
Communitas International is a missionary sending organization that focuses on starting and shaping communities of faith that transform their neighborhoods by loving like Jesus. For 50 years, Communitas has sent people who value and respect local cultures and expressions of faith, embed themselves in communities, and love in ways that transform the people around them. Communitas has churches and church planting projects at various stages across Europe and the Americas.
Communitas church planting is based on principles of incarnational presence: being the hands and feet of Jesus in intimate neighborhoods and communities by serving real needs, such as the homeless and abused in their cities, developing deep community, and by demonstrating the Kingdom life for people who do not yet know Jesus. Communitas says that intentional listening and looking for what God is already doing is critical to starting, growing, and sustaining incarnational faith communities. You can read more about how they start new churches here.
Local communities of faith require many gifts. Communitas offers opportunities for prospective church planters and pastors, but also has roles in accounting, communications, childcare, teaching, and more. If you are looking for a missional way to share the Gospel in Europe, South and Central America, and even in North America, Communitas is equipping people for the great work of starting new churches, and they have opportunities all over the world for long term missionaries and short term missionaries!
Frontiers
Frontiers missionary organization is working to “inspire transformational movements to Christ within the least-reached Muslim people”. Their mission is to recruit, train, and send missionaires to build incarnational relationships with and serve the Muslim people throughout Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Frontiers offers a wide variety of opportunities for individuals, families, and large groups. They have both short-term and long-term missionary options. They also have service opportunities and partnerships that are specifically designed for churches.They put a lot of work into caring for their missionaries, and even have programs for third culture and missionary kids.
Prayer is also a pivotal part of Frontiers’ mission, and they provide prayer guides, devotionals, and Bible reading plans to help you pray intentionally for Muslim peoples. These guides can be used as a missionary on the field or if you are an individual or church who wants to pray for Muslim people. You can read more about their prayer guides and reading plans here.
Forge
Forge International is an organization that trains people as missionaries wherever they currently live. Their mission is to see the Gospel spread through relationships, with church communities emerging as a byproduct. They intentionally build partnerships with local churches, seminaries, nonprofit organizations, and parachurch ministries.
Forge uses a “hub” based model, with different hubs in cities and countries around the world. You can find opportunities to be engaged in a hub close to where you live. If there isn’t a Forge hub in your neighborhood or city, you can start a hub in your location to see people in your community equipped to be everyday missionaries. You can read more about their hubs here.
For Forge, being a missionary doesn’t necessarily mean you have to move to another country. There are people in your own city who need to hear about Jesus. Forge is equipping people to spread the Gospel in the world immediately around them.
Greater Europe Mission
Greater Europe Mission (or GEM) is a missionary organization that is targeting the continent of Europe as a strategic and critical place to spread the Gospel. GEM sees Europe as a largely unreached continent, with less than 2% of people there living as committed followers of Jesus. And because Europe has historically been a cultural crossroads between the cultural east and west, it represents a place where the Gospel can grow exponentially.
Greater Europe Mission has a variety of branches and they have opportunities in church planting, discipleship, Biblical education, refugee ministries, justice ministries, and professional services. You can read more about the different branches of GEM here.
GEM has been ministering in Europe for over 75 years, and supports short-term missions, internships, and medium to long-term missions all over the continent. Because they are focused on serving one particular continent, there are a wide variety of different ministries that you can engage in!
Pioneers
Pioneers is sending missionaries all over the world with the goal of making disciples from people of all tribes and tongues.Their hope is to reach the unreached with the Bible and share the gospel in culturally understandable ways.
Their model of partnership includes pairing their missionaries with local churches. Each missionary is commissioned by a sending church and partners with a local church where they are sent. Pioneers provides service opportunities to missionaries and church congregations who are passionate about sending.
Pioneers wants to champion and support the giftings, passions, and personalities of their missionaries. From healthcare to business to education, their missionaries are spreading the Gospel and serving God’s kingdom in many ways.
Tampa Underground Networks
The Underground Networks in Tampa, Florida is developing microchurches and communities in this city (but also around the world). There are currently over 100 microchurches in the Tampa Bay area, with more being launched all the time.
These microchurches are designed to build community and Gospel relationships in all different kinds of settings. In Tampa there are microchurches that are specific to those living in apartment complexes, people in the performing arts, for those who are foster families, and many others. You can see more about the different microchurches in Tampa Bay here.
If you are looking to be equipped to serve in a specific context where you live, The Underground Network’s microchurches are a great way to live missionally right where you are.
KC Underground Networks
The Underground Networks in Kansas City, Missouri is also developing microchurches and communities. As with all of the Underground Network’s churches, there are specific churches and networks that serve a variety of places and needs.
The Kansas City Underground Network has microchurches in multiple neighborhoods around the city, but they also have networks for correctional facilities, people involved in public radio, and the LGBTQ community. These networks aim to build relationships founded on Jesus all over the city.
The Underground Network is constantly equipping people with the resources, support, and tools to start their own microchurches in new ways. You can read more here about how to get connected in KC, or here if you’re looking to serve in other communities.
Send
Send is a missionary sending organization that partners missionaries with local churches and supports missionaries all over the world. Send has a high value of caring for their partners no matter where they are. They also are passionate about inspiring others to join in the mission of sharing the gospel.
Send International has mission opportunities for interns, full time missionaries, and church groups. They also are sending missionaries in a wide range of vocations, including education, pastoral care, and business support. They also have a wealth of benefits for their missionaries, including support raising assistance, insurance, and in-depth training.
Send also has opportunities to support the spread of the Gospel by donating, praying, and volunteering. Even if you aren’t an international missionary, Send has an opportunity for everyone to get involved!
Bible Verses for Missions
As Christians, we are called to actively be the light of God in the world, whether it be our family members, roommates or even neighbors or strangers from another country. If you're looking for inspirational Bible verses about service and missions, check out this collection of verses for missionaries, mission trips, and any other mission God is calling you to be part of.
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Acts 13:47
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
Romans 10:13-14
For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
1 Chronicles 16:23-24
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Romans 10:13-15
“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
John 20:21
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.
Podcast featuring our recent conference
Recently, Alan Briggs of StayForth Designs and Right-Side Up Leadership Podcast visited the Communitas EuroCast conference in Croatia. We were glad to have Alan (and his daughter Betti!) with us, and on this podcast you will hear Alan's thoughts on our tribe: 4 reasons why community matters--and why we ALL need to be in community.
Communitas: Starting and Shaping COMMUNITIES of Faith that love like Jesus in their neighborhoods
Why We Don’t Use the Word “Missionary”
The History of Missionaries
Great missionaries like Hudson Taylor and Amy Carmichael have left a legacy that has impacted countless lives in such positive ways. While being a missionary has brought the gospel into many unreached communities, today it also carries harmful associations with Western colonization and white saviorism that has accompanied sharing the gospel in times past… and in some places, until today.
We’ve lost what a missionary actually is.
We think of a job description carried by a few as they travel to an exotic location and preach in a church they planted. But the great commission, the command to “go into all the world and make disciples” is for all followers of Jesus, in all jobs, to bring peace into their communities.
Christian Missionaries Today
In the past, missionaries were able to get a religious visa in order to live and work in almost any country. Today nearly 40% of the countries in the world reject missionaries and no longer grant religious visas. In many of the least-reached areas of the world, being called a missionary will create sharp barriers to effectively sharing the gospel in a community.
Geoff Rinehart on the Right Side Up Leadership Podcast
Listen in to our president, Geoff Rinehart, as he joins the host of Right Side Up Leadership Podcast, Alan Briggs, along with Rowland Smith, our friend and director of Forge America. They discuss the future of church and ecclesiology, exciting examples of what church can be, as well as our long-time connection as organizations. Founders of Forge, Alan Hirsch and Debra Hirsch, also served on the board of advisors for Communitas as we moved toward a missional model of church planting some years ago and are dear friends of Communitas.
Click HERE to listen! The Interview begins at the 14:35 mark.
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Churches
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Church Plants
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Team Members
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Countries