WHO WE ARE
The Go Network is a decentralized, voluntary network of congregations, ministries, schools, and leaders (both lay and professional church workers) united by a shared commitment to the following:
- A return to relationships that are trusting, supportive, and mutually accountable
- Championing mission-focused discipleship within our Lutheran confessional framework
- Embracing encouragement and mentorship rather than control and fear
- Rigorously holding together confession and mission, faithfulness and innovation
- Connecting leaders and ministries who need particular resources, training, or mentoring with fellow practitioners and organizations who can provide them
WHAT WE DO
Mission-minded, confessional Lutherans have a passion for reaching lost people with the Good News of Jesus. However, too often we are operating alone and do not know how to take our next faithful step. We could use some help. Likewise, there are many experienced practitioners and networks in our theological ecosystem who could offer such help.
The problem is that those who need help and those who could offer help often don't know each other.
The Go Network helps mission-minded Lutheran practitioners find each other, build trusting relationships, encourage each other with the Gospel, and collaborate as we take our next faithful steps in mission, discipleship, and multiplication.
Connect: We help mission-minded Lutherans find each other. Those who need help can find help.
Build Trust: We facilitate the building of trusting relationships among practitioners in local, regional, or affinity-based networks so they can encourage and spur one another on.
Collaborate: We advocate collaboration among practitioners so progress is made towards five mission targets: Mission Clarity & Alignment, Living on Mission, Making Disciples, Developing Leaders, and Planting New.
Curate: We curate an online network of networks that lists proven mentor-practitioners, certified coaches, process providers, and other resources available in our wider theological ecosystem.
WHAT WE MEASURE
Five Mission Targets have been identified to help practitioners assess their ministry’s progress and identify the kind of resources they may need to take their next faithful steps:
- Mission Clarity & Alignment: Through God’s Word, we clearly understand God's mission, how to disciple people to participate in His mission daily, and how to align the ministry culture to consistently fuel that lifestyle.
- Every Believer Living on Mission: We have a ministry culture where every believer is being discipled to participate in God’s mission by loving their neighbors, discerning the work God is already doing in their neighbors’ lives, and sharing the Good News of Jesus with them.
- Every Disciple Making New Disciples: We have implemented Jesus’ disciple-making process so that every disciple is intentionally making more disciples who influence their communities with the Good News of Jesus.
- Every Leader Developing New Leaders: We have a leadership development system that trains leaders to multiply themselves and expand the reach of the Good News of Jesus.
- Every Ministry Planting New Ministries: We have a ministry culture in which it is the norm to plant new ministries to reach new people with the Good News of Jesus.
The 5 Mission Targets are intended to be incremental, contextual, and to be engaged with at your own pace.
Practitioners and ministries help each other self-assess where they are on the mission target progression and self-select how they will make progress towards their next target.
The Go Network also curates an online network of networks, which lists proven mentors, certified coaches, process providers, and other resources available in our wider theological ecosystem. If you need help making progress with one of the 5 Mission Targets, you can find help on the platform.
WHAT WE VALUE
- The Teachings & Mission of Jesus
We value the teachings of Jesus and eagerly answer His invitation to join Him on His mission. “Come, follow Me.” The teachings of Jesus reveal what His mission is and how He accomplishes it for us and through us.
- Being Spirit-led
We value being Spirit-led in all circumstances, praying continuously, seeking what He is already doing, and responding with the gifts He gives.
- Unifying Trust
We value building unifying trust as a foundation for being humble, honest, generous, accountable, quick to listen, and slow to speak - especially when there is disagreement - and being committed to forgiving and reconciling with each other in the name of Jesus.
- Innovation
We value innovation inspired by creativity, curiosity, entrepreneurial thinking, courage, and risk-taking that allows us to fail forward and learn. Throughout the Bible, we see God leading His people to be innovative to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus.
- Generous Collaboration
We value generous collaboration among us. God generously gives gifts to all of us, but different gifts to each of us. He has given each of us valuable knowledge, skills, perspectives, and resources, so more is achieved together than anyone could achieve alone.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We accept without reservation:
- The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice;
- All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit: the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther, the Small Catechism of Luther, and the Formula of Concord.
We believe that Christ has called all believers to be His ambassadors to the world, and that the local congregation is the highest authority on ministry and mission within its community.