The Journey Map

The Journey Map is an allegorical framework for Discipleship-Through-Mission that helps groups and individuals:

  • position themselves on their spiritual journey
  • discern what actions are critical
  • learn and practice essential skills
  • manage change towards greater incarnation of Jesus and manifestation of his Kingdom both inwardly into our souls and outwardly into the world.
The Journey Map 1

The Three Lands

The Journey Map 2
the land of

Belonging

Do I feel I have a place with Jesus and his people and do they belong in my story?

Can we be a part of this change, and can this change be a part of our life?

The Journey Map 3
the land of

Becoming

How do I become the person who I want to be in Christ and what is he causing my situation to become?

How can we grow into the kind of people who can bring this change through our unique calling?

The Journey Map 4
the land of

Believing

Where is Jesus leading me to manifest his Kingdom, exercising and demonstrating increasing faith?

Where will we manifest this change for others to experience and to what extent will they take it with them?

Seven Positions

The Map includes seven positions and two transition zones.

The Land of Belonging

The Journey Map 5

(1. Mercy)

Mercy Space: opening space for
spiritual journey

The Journey Map 6

2. Story

The Story Zone: holding the tension between
aspiration and situation

The Journey Map 7

3. Revelation

Revelation Rhythm: excavating truth; God
changing the scope
and showing the path


The Land of Becoming

The Journey Map 8

Commitment

Commitment: irreversibly incarnating a
change in identity

The Journey Map 9

4. Growing

In/Out Growth: patterns that build
relationship and
capacity

The Journey Map 10

5. Flow

Flow Space: practices that hone style, gifting, and calling


The Land of Believing

The Journey Map 11

The Crux

The Crux: irreversible rebirth
into a new reality

The Journey Map 12

6. Mission

Manifest Mission: manifesting the new reality of sentness in inhabitable ways

The Journey Map 13

7. Message

Exponential Message: broadcasting
seed-shaped experiences
the make space for
new people and places
to enter the story


Applications

Summer Camp: we’re using the first two zones/lands on The Journey Map as a ministry framework for Staff-Counselor Discipleship and Teen Discipleship and Staff Development Discipleship.

Versions

The Minecraft Version: This version was created as a collaborative project by children and teens in the Minecraft adventure video game to illustrate an allegorical understanding to the spiritual journey.

The CDP Journey Map: This 11″x17″ version applies the journey map allegorically to the grounds of Camp Deerpark and the ministry activities and environments they symbolize.

The CDP Journey Map: This 8.5″x14″ version applies the journey map allegorically to the grounds of Camp Deerpark and the ministry activities and environments they symbolize.

Meta

The Journey Map was developed as a tool for discipleship and missional community by the UnusualKingdom community of practice. It was built from the foundation of The Way of Jesus framework for the life and ministry of Jesus, which allegorically identifies key movements for communities and individuals on a spiritual journey. Skills and activities were then developed to contextualize the allegory to missional-discipleship, especially in post-church and post-modern contexts.

The Journey Map is being used as part of Camp Deerpark’s Discipleship & Leadership Development Initiative: life-on-life practice to grow believers to be like Jesus and live advancing the Kingdom by their gifts, so young and old alike are fully empowered to serve Christ at Camp, in the city, and beyond. We use this framework for children’s ministry, staff ministry training, and leadership development.

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