Hello sisters,

Welcome! I am so excited about what God is doing, and your interest in starting an Agape Moms, or entering a season of servant leadership training within an existing Agape Moms.

God has incredible plans for our lives and Ephesians 2:10 states that he made us uniquely so that we can accomplish good works that he prepared in advance for us to do. God made you and gifted you on purpose, for very specific reasons. How neat is it that God uniquely invites us into his work alongside him? But sometimes we complicate it, or miss God's invitation entirely. Rather than searching for a purpose for our lives outside of God's hardwired mission for us, or feeling like living for Jesus must mean doing something radical, like missions in Africa, or getting a fancy seminary degree, instead all we need to do is simply love God and love others, inviting those who don't yet know Jesus into genuine relationship with us.

This is where Agape Moms comes in, it intersects our personal mission of following God's plan for our lives in making disciples, and it gives us a place to welcome others who are far off into our family of God. It's in our "bring your mess" environment of Agape Moms where moms can hear and see the gospel playing out as they experience the family of God caring for one another, and as they begin growing in relationship with Jesus. God designed us to belong in the family of God, where we can activate our God given gifts to build up the Body of Christ, and then move together on mission for Jesus. 

Missional community lifestyle is born out of the gospel-explosion in our hearts, a reorientation of our lives and a shifting in our thinking about missionaries only being people who go far, to being what we’re called to do everyday as a follower of Jesus. This is a huge lifestyle change, and during this training journey you’re going to become more equipped to make some exciting shifts, as we dive into scripture, pray and take leaps of faith, for God's glory, and not our own!

Take the next step of watching this short video, introducing the idea of missional community as you continue to prayerfully explore the exciting opportunity to join God's work both in and through you through by partnering with the Agape Moms Family Network. This video in and of itself, helped give me the courage to take the leap of faith and start the first Agape Moms. It put to words and gave real life images to the very things the Holy Spirt had been speaking to my heart through God's word, and in my times of worship, for many months. I hope it stirs your heart as well!

Discussion questions: 

1.) According to this video, how does missional community look different from small groups or the ways you’ve experienced church gatherings?

2.) What encouraged you most? What challenged you most?

3.) What one or two things do you want to start applying to your life today to begin to live on mission for Jesus in your everyday mom life? (This is how we will pray for each other.)

God created us for community, and so working through this shifting in our thinking and living together is so important! If you aren’t already part of a servant leadership team who is unpacking this together, please reach out so you can officially start training. I can’t wait to help walk you through the training, pray with you, and personally commit to seeing your new Agape Moms successfully launch! I’m so glad you're here! I know it’s not by accident. Agape Moms is so excited to partner with you for the sake of more women hearing and growing in the gospel!

Because of Jesus,

Laura DiLeonardi

Next Session: Training SpringBoard