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Family On Mission
When God wanted to act on his promise to save the world, he started with a family and gave them a mission. He spoke to Abram and his household and they became a family on mission.
We see Jesus operating in the same way, gathering an extended-family-like group of disciples around himself before embarking on his mission. Jesus needed a family on mission.
Within the Trinity, the unity of God is expressed in a diversity of persons, which means that at the very heart of God’s nature is family on mission. And thus God’s preferred mode of operation has always been family on mission. In fact, discipleship doesn’t really work apart from the context of a family on mission. Without that texture, discipleship becomes programmatic and mechanical, not really producing people with the character and competency of Jesus.
The good news is that today, Jesus our Brother and King is wanting to empower us to live as covenant families caught up in kingdom mission.
It seems that the Holy Spirit is moving us away from the destructive dichotomy of Family OR Mission, where we can only do one or the other, away from the band-aid fix of Family AND Mission, where we keep them separate and manage boundaries and margins, toward the integrated life of Family ON Mission, where we wholeheartedly embrace being part of a covenant community AND with those people play our part in God’s kingdom mission.
This book is about our journey in leading a family on mission, as well as looking deeply at how Jesus built his family on mission in the Gospels, as well as practical strategies for growing as a family on mission, imitating Jesus as his disciples.
We see Jesus operating in the same way, gathering an extended-family-like group of disciples around himself before embarking on his mission. Jesus needed a family on mission.
Within the Trinity, the unity of God is expressed in a diversity of persons, which means that at the very heart of God’s nature is family on mission. And thus God’s preferred mode of operation has always been family on mission. In fact, discipleship doesn’t really work apart from the context of a family on mission. Without that texture, discipleship becomes programmatic and mechanical, not really producing people with the character and competency of Jesus.
The good news is that today, Jesus our Brother and King is wanting to empower us to live as covenant families caught up in kingdom mission.
It seems that the Holy Spirit is moving us away from the destructive dichotomy of Family OR Mission, where we can only do one or the other, away from the band-aid fix of Family AND Mission, where we keep them separate and manage boundaries and margins, toward the integrated life of Family ON Mission, where we wholeheartedly embrace being part of a covenant community AND with those people play our part in God’s kingdom mission.
This book is about our journey in leading a family on mission, as well as looking deeply at how Jesus built his family on mission in the Gospels, as well as practical strategies for growing as a family on mission, imitating Jesus as his disciples.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
45 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 28, 2020
Easy inspiring read. One of the most life giving and hopeful books about ministry. This is the only way I want to operate. Not dividing family and mission into two separate compartments but rather being a family on mission and inviting people into your life as a way of spiritual parenting.
October 7, 2020
I look at this book as a kind of manual. It gives you the vision of where you are going and steps to get there, but unless you actually do it, nothing changes.
While I think we are growing in what it means to invite people into our everyday lives, my challenge from this book was about how to take it a step further. It isn't just doing life together.. it is about being missional together. What does that look like for my family? my community? Where do we need to grow in our intentionality?
While I think we are growing in what it means to invite people into our everyday lives, my challenge from this book was about how to take it a step further. It isn't just doing life together.. it is about being missional together. What does that look like for my family? my community? Where do we need to grow in our intentionality?
June 2, 2014
Out of all the 3DM books this one was very helpful to my thinking as a husband, father, and disciple of Christ. I highly recommend Mike Breen's books but more specifically this one if you are desiring to respond to the call of Christ on being on mission with your family. This isn't just for married couples with kids, but for all to understand the true call of what the family is through the lens of Christ. This is a book for church leaders to process together mostly because I think the one glaring miss in the book is how the already organized church body works with families on mission. How do they coexist? What needs to happen in structure and development? These are questions that could use some discussion from Breen and 3DM. Other than that I loved this read.
December 30, 2020
It's an excellent resource for a topic that is not being spoken about in the American church: Discipleship within the family which leads to missional living. From what I can tell, there are few materials which focus on this topic specifically which makes this book unique. This book is highly practical You can clearly tell Mike and his wife have a passion for discipleship.
There were some formatting issues in my copy (which wasn't the Kindle version), although they didn't detract from the reading experience. My biggest complaint about this work is the brevity of it. I think much could have been added to the three sections of living as a family on mission. There are other works which describe each of the three categories (spiritual parents, predictable patterns, and missional purpose) better than this book does without using the same terminology, but few if any marry the concepts in one work.
Overall, its an excellent introductory work in bringing together these three concepts under the banner of one larger concept of missional family discipleship but further reading will need to be done to work out the theological implications and life application in a family's life.
There were some formatting issues in my copy (which wasn't the Kindle version), although they didn't detract from the reading experience. My biggest complaint about this work is the brevity of it. I think much could have been added to the three sections of living as a family on mission. There are other works which describe each of the three categories (spiritual parents, predictable patterns, and missional purpose) better than this book does without using the same terminology, but few if any marry the concepts in one work.
Overall, its an excellent introductory work in bringing together these three concepts under the banner of one larger concept of missional family discipleship but further reading will need to be done to work out the theological implications and life application in a family's life.
August 16, 2022
This is a wonderful book, but it leaves a few things to be desired. That said, I've given it to several friends. I'm hoping that we can use it to spark conversations about how to have a more missional friend group that is welcoming, hospitable, and focused on helping others rather than just supporting each other.
The writers are passionate and obviously have much to teach, but they seem to contradict themselves when it comes to boundaries. I firmly believe that boundaries are necessary for every family and every friend group, no matter whether or not they are officially "in missions." I think the authors would actually agree, but they confuse the wording and at first seem to indicate that a "missional home" should be a chaotic free-for-all. Taken as a whole, though, the book does give concrete advice on how to turn your family (or faith family) into a missional community that seeks to love and show hospitality like Jesus. This book is a must-read for families on the mission field, pastors, Christian friend groups and housemates, and everyone in between.
The writers are passionate and obviously have much to teach, but they seem to contradict themselves when it comes to boundaries. I firmly believe that boundaries are necessary for every family and every friend group, no matter whether or not they are officially "in missions." I think the authors would actually agree, but they confuse the wording and at first seem to indicate that a "missional home" should be a chaotic free-for-all. Taken as a whole, though, the book does give concrete advice on how to turn your family (or faith family) into a missional community that seeks to love and show hospitality like Jesus. This book is a must-read for families on the mission field, pastors, Christian friend groups and housemates, and everyone in between.
December 31, 2019
This book completely changed my view on life in ministry. The models here bring refreshment, encouragement, vulnerability, community, family, fellowship, accountability...the chance to really engage your faith while involving your entire family in a way that does not foster bitterness. The tools that are provided within 3DM's ministry are excellent. I would encourage anyone who feels like they want to go for this model to look for a huddle that they can join, whether via Skype or in person. The continued support and reinforcement provided by your mentor is invaluable. My husband and I continue to come back to this book in our ministry, and we have benefitted greatly from being part of a Skype huddle.
February 8, 2025
This didn't do a whole lot for me. Maybe that's better though than another book that's super motivating and leads to zero change.
I think part of it has to do with the fact that a lot of the ideas I had already heard from Ian (who gave me this book) so it wasn't really new. Also I would have like more practical but small examples. All the examples either seemed extreme for starting out, or the used a biological family as an example which is great and all but if your emphasizing that this is for everyone, well, example about your children don't really resonate with me.
I think part of it has to do with the fact that a lot of the ideas I had already heard from Ian (who gave me this book) so it wasn't really new. Also I would have like more practical but small examples. All the examples either seemed extreme for starting out, or the used a biological family as an example which is great and all but if your emphasizing that this is for everyone, well, example about your children don't really resonate with me.
January 2, 2022
I was truly inspired when I read this book. So much so, that I set out to visit a few missional church plants that Mike Breen consulted with in the Greenville area. The pastors were very nice and were open about being discipled by Breen. But they were not on board with missional family. In reality, it seems there was no practical way to walk out missional family as described in this book.
So essentially this is a very nice manifesto, but impractical to encorporate or teach.
So essentially this is a very nice manifesto, but impractical to encorporate or teach.
January 16, 2018
I enjoyed this book so much because it takes a look at Christian faith being lived out on mission within the context of family so brilliantly.
It’s so easy to understand but I have yet to fully implement. I am grateful for these Christian leaders.
It’s so easy to understand but I have yet to fully implement. I am grateful for these Christian leaders.
March 19, 2018
Good read
This book will give you a foundation on how to live missional as Family. I loved the chapters on "Predictable Patterns" And "The works of Jesus"
This book will give you a foundation on how to live missional as Family. I loved the chapters on "Predictable Patterns" And "The works of Jesus"
September 2, 2020
Would have liked more examples of what predictable patterns and missional purpose look like in different contexts.
November 8, 2020
This was a great book to remind us about what it means to be the church.
August 5, 2021
I waited far too long to read this book. I’m inspired and encouraged to build a family on mission. It’s a simple, yet difficult, incredible task!
April 8, 2020
A simple read where a husband and wife share about their journey of nurturing the faith of their own family and friends around them. The concept is to be a family who lives in mission together.
Two concepts struck me.
1. The need for "spiritual parents." That is, someone like the old monastic Abba or Amma -- a person who lives a spiritually deep life and whose presence, language, and patterns of living effect your own, intentionally and unintentionally.
Who is (are) my spiritual parent(s)? Who can be a companion, someone who is more than an advice giving mentor or information center, but sometime whose life you resonate with and want to imitate.
2. The need for predictable patterns, or really, a disciplined way of life. Again, the ancients called this a "regula" or rule of life. Something that defined "normal," (like a ruler defines normal measurement).
What I see in the Breens' book is that nothing new comes under the sun. They're describing an old monastic way of life and applying that to family life. This has been done for centuries now, and I appreciate their take on it. The ancient Catholics seem again to have a few things figured out, if the rest of us would just appreciate what's been done before...
Two concepts struck me.
1. The need for "spiritual parents." That is, someone like the old monastic Abba or Amma -- a person who lives a spiritually deep life and whose presence, language, and patterns of living effect your own, intentionally and unintentionally.
Who is (are) my spiritual parent(s)? Who can be a companion, someone who is more than an advice giving mentor or information center, but sometime whose life you resonate with and want to imitate.
2. The need for predictable patterns, or really, a disciplined way of life. Again, the ancients called this a "regula" or rule of life. Something that defined "normal," (like a ruler defines normal measurement).
What I see in the Breens' book is that nothing new comes under the sun. They're describing an old monastic way of life and applying that to family life. This has been done for centuries now, and I appreciate their take on it. The ancient Catholics seem again to have a few things figured out, if the rest of us would just appreciate what's been done before...
March 17, 2016
Great book. Gets you excited to get off your butt and do something to build the kingdom of God. It's a shame it's so darn hard though. It's about finding the right relationships and having a level of
Commitment you can actually deliver. I'm still looking for those people and trying to determine if the people I'm currently connected with are willing, able, interested in waking with me. 3DM makes it look so easy but the reality in this culture where so few people even know their neighbors anymore, is that it's very very difficult.
Commitment you can actually deliver. I'm still looking for those people and trying to determine if the people I'm currently connected with are willing, able, interested in waking with me. 3DM makes it look so easy but the reality in this culture where so few people even know their neighbors anymore, is that it's very very difficult.
May 25, 2014
So, so good. I mean, so good. This book focuses on what it means to live life as a family (both biological relatives and acquired relatives) with a purpose and mission. It provides an easy-for-normal-people theological explanation and dives deep into the words, works, and ways of Jesus. Then they pair that with some helpful, practical examples. I would highly recommend this for anyone who has a family - parents, kids, siblings, neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
June 13, 2015
The Breens have, I think, bared their souls in their books. The rationale for oikos vice the modern nuclear family comes through. This could serve as a starting text for developing family. I was a bit put off by a line on page 96, where a paragraph opens with, "We held on, and on to each other, when, five years into the journey we were dealt a bitter blow,..." with no clear explanation of what that blow might have been.
October 16, 2015
Good book, but kindle edition is bad.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I plan on using some of these ideas within my own family. My only complaint is that the kindle edition had several mistakes. Half a sentence would be missing, only to appear further down the page. But beyond that, I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I plan on using some of these ideas within my own family. My only complaint is that the kindle edition had several mistakes. Half a sentence would be missing, only to appear further down the page. But beyond that, I highly recommend it.
November 12, 2014
Really enjoying the concepts presented here. Terrific vision for what following God could look like as a family. Our family is starting to incorporate this philosophy into our rhythms. We'll see what happens!
August 7, 2016
A decent read, with some solid idea about what a healthy church community looks like. I'm convinced that this is a healthy way for new churches to start, but didn't really ind in here many resources for established churches. Great thoughts, though.
September 4, 2015
Practical Discipleship
This has plenty of practical advice for Christians to discover how to effectively not only disciple their own families but also to become spiritual parents for those around them.
This has plenty of practical advice for Christians to discover how to effectively not only disciple their own families but also to become spiritual parents for those around them.
May 20, 2014
yet another practical book on discipleship from the people at 3DM. this one focuses on family (both biological and spiritual) and how to better develop oikos (greek for family) in your group.
July 23, 2014
Loved this little gem from Mike and Sally Breen. There is a lot of application here for both one's church and one's family.
August 15, 2014
I appreciated Chapter 7 "Leading as Spiritual Parents" = brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews