Earlier in this series, I talked about developing missional patterns for the purpose of living incarnationally and intentionally in the city.  Today I want to simply follow up on that with the encouragement to employ means of gathering and organizing information regarding your labors in the mission. Let me begin by offering my own attempt at doing this.

Moleskine is a company that (in my humble opinion) makes the best journals in the world, and they have a set of journals called “cahier moleskines” which are perfect to take with you for recording events and information pertaining to the details of the mission.  You can buy a 3-pack of these journals for only $7.00 and will serve you greatly in recording information you will want to use in praying, sharing, and using in the future.

In my “missional moleskine,” I record any and all information available after the encounter.  Some of the information include:

* Name (first and last name if possible)
* Where I met this person
* When I met this person (including exact time)
* What the person was doing (at work, in line at store, sitting at park, etc.)
* Particular info that would help me remember them in the future
* Particular info from the conversation about their life, worldview, past history, etc.
* Particular info for prospective next encounter (work days/hours, schedule, routine, etc.)

Once I have gathered this information, I leave room in my journal for future encounters.  For example, if I cultivate a relationship with a server at a restaurant, I will schedule my eating around their work schedule and attempt to connect with them on a regular basis, building on the previous encounters and conversations.  Each successive encounter would be dated and filled out, creating a chain of commentary hopefully leading to progress in loving them and leading them to Jesus.  The end result is to chronicle the movement around the mission as we cultivate relationships with unbelievers and seek to sow the good seed of the gospel in their lives as a faithful witness and relentless commitment to advancing the cause of Christ.  Other benefits include specifics for ongoing prayer and intercession and research/reflection for cultural exegesis, planning, and corporate strategies.

If you developed a missional journal and would like to share your ideas, please do so in the comments.