The fifth episode of the miniseries, Habits of HOPE, explores how we can bring HOPE to life in our local congregation and community looking at strengths, life experiences, and personal preferences. Together the Habits of HOPE guide people to become more like Jesus.
Christian Discipleship
Explore the concept of “Habits of Hope” and how it can be applied within our faith communities for disciple-making. You’ll hear the importance of understanding and embodying the four aspects of hope: hospitality, offering Christ, practicing the faith, and engaging in acts of service and justice.
Where to Start with HOPE?
First, recognize that while everyone can participate in the Habits of HOPE, the way in which they do so may vary based on individual strengths and approaches.
See below a couple of examples for moving away from a “one size fits all” mentality and instead embracing the unique ways in which each person can contribute to the transformation of the world. Recognize and utilize your individual strengths in the pursuit of offering HOPE to others.
Spiritual Disciplines & Faith Practices
Then our conversation turns to the role of intentional practices within faith communities. Tim urges leaders to assess whether the practices they engage in align with the mission of offering hope and fostering transformation.
Challenge the Internal Focus
He challenges the notion of church events and activities solely catering to the existing members, emphasizing the need to invite and include outsiders in every aspect of community life. Tim suggests that even traditional practices like Sunday school classes and church dinners can become opportunities for engagement and hospitality if approached with a mindset of inviting and including others.
Start with Service
Sara shares examples of how service can be a starting point for inviting others into the faith community. She suggests reimagining Sunday school classes as opportunities for serving alongside others and extending invitations to new participants. Both Tim and Sara emphasize the importance of intentionality in all aspects of community life and express the desire to see churches actively reaching out, embracing others, and offering the love of God.
Habits of HOPE
Throughout the conversation, the concept of “Habits of Hope” emerges as a guiding principle. Tim and Sara highlight the need to cultivate intentional habits that align with the mission of offering hope, both within faith communities and in the broader community. They underscore the transformative power of responding to needs, partnering with others, and building meaningful relationships. The conversation serves as a reminder that leadership in the church requires constant intentionality and a commitment to offering hope to others.
In conclusion, Tim and Sara summarize their discussion on “Habits of Hope” and express their hope that the conversation has provided insights and inspiration for listeners seeking to engage their faith communities and make a positive impact in the world.
May you embody hope in your leadership roles.
Other Episodes in this Series
Episode 275: Habits of HOPE – Hospitality
Episode 276: Habits of HOPE – Offering Christ
Episode 277: Habits of HOPE – Practices
Episode 278: Habits of HOPE – Engagement
Examples of CliftonStrengths applied to the Habits of HOPE
Below are two examples of two different CliftonStrengths. Read the first section of Hospitality for Empathy, then do the same for Strategic. You will notice there are different actions and approaches listed. CliftonStrengths helps people understand HOW they naturally go about doing things. In these examples, you can see that HOW someone may embody hospitality can differ. But, both of these strengths can embody HOPE to the world. You can too.
To learn more about how your CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder 2.0) can help you or your team live into making disciples, please reach out at connect@transformingmission.org
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