Chris Wienand

February Update

2012-01-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

M and I will be involved in the following situations this month:

In Sacramento CA with Rick and Cath as they set out on their multi-site journey;

Exploration - 'Pastoring Pastors and Wives' is our current conversation - we are chatting around "Marriage and Ministry", here in Orange County CA;

In Rock Harbor, working with Todd Proctor on many fronts, but the exiting pilot happening, is "The Timothy Project" - an intro to leadership we are holding monthly for the next few months to see the emergence of the next wave of RH leaders;

In Dubai UAE, M and I are honored to be with Mike and Charmaine and the whole Well of Life crew, both in the local community as well as speaking at their church planting conference;

On the way back from the Middle East, we will spend a few days with Sean and Nola and their community in Reading UK, as they explore the 'missional community' route, as well as the pastors that they are journeying with.

Added to this, I am trying to finish my book on 'Replanting', as I write "The Timothy Project" curriculum... oh for more time to write.

Just how biblical... ?

2012-01-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

"How biblical do you want to be?" - is a strange question to ask pastors and leaders but never the less one of the most important ones we need to enter any conversation. I hope I am not a pedantic legalist, nor a culturally insensitive bigot, however I simply cannot escape the sheer wonder and mystery of seeking to find God's architectural design for our evolving conversations.

Having been through 3 'revivals' and having savored the richness of 2 church planting stories, I am amazed at what we defined as 'biblical' and therefore essential. Without the slightest ounce of judgement on those days, we were all learning as we leant into the God story as we understood it at the time.

What is imperative is that we use this matrix in our conversations:

What is biblically / theologically imperative,
What is prophetically strategic,
What is culturally essential,

This gives us much space to explore the direction of the Spirit within the integrity of the text. Whatever is not clearly biblical we now examine as:

Is this 'biblical'?
Is this 'unbiblical'?
Is this abiblical [meaning is the bible fairly silent on the matter, so we use other realted pieces to evaluate its legitimacy]?

The use of scaffolding then comes into play. Where there is an 'abiblical' quotient to the conversation, we realize this now enters the scaffolding component. This is not a heaven or hell piece. This is not a 'hill to die on' piece. This is not a 'Paul and Barnabas parted' piece. All that we are talking about here is a seasonal element that we help to put up the building, but that must come down when the structure is up.

Of course there are several things that do get in the way of us fully pursuing a fully biblical form:

Personal preference,
Tradition or a reaction to it,
Culture or subculture,
History,
Fear,
Habit,
Absence of debriefing / critique,
Pride,
Defense of the previous generation / leaders,
Peer pressure...

I know this is quite elementary, but as we enter the beginning of the year, it is good to honestly matrix ourselves again through the lenses of scripture to ensure we keep shaping our journey through the essence of the biblical text. All else are helpful but seasonal, if it is not unbiblical.

For example:

Service length and scripting is diverse and creative in the text - one liturgy cannot be seen as 'the' biblical way or being more biblical than any other,
There is no word to describe the title of the guy who leads the elders. Now we now that there is no leadership egalitarianism either in God or in the text, but there is no defined role for such a person on the E team, so we have to be comfortable with scaffolding of 'senior pastor' [not one I like], 'visionary pastor' [not one I am comfortable with as it implies that all vision comes from them and that is simply not true], 'lead pastor' [one I do like as it speaks of the Rom 12:8 gift that this person seems to have to catalyze the team], 'lead elder' [is good but in some countries this implies a bivocational person who is part of the church's management team rather than the biblical picture of pastoring as well]...

I hope this helps... keep the conversations going - for through them we will find the mind of the Lord 'It seems good to us and the Holy Spirit".

5 Lessons my mother taught me

2012-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to the new year. It certainly stirs the juices as we engage in a new calender chapter of our lives. The new year often, and rightly I think, gives me permission to revisit my life - what am I doing well, what am I letting slip, what and where should I focus and then of course the most beautiful of all questions: What does the Lord require of me?

My mother is a remarkable woman. She was not born into wealth, nobility or education. However, one would find it difficult to find a more regal, dignified honorable woman. The nature of this honest blog, is not to divulge the private stories of my family. Those we live with. Rather, this about about this amazing woman who refused to lower her head, nor surrender her dignity even in the deepest of life's challenges that were thrown at her. Her story would require another blog to fully account for her journey of faith.

However, her lessons to us were impacting and powerful:

"Laugh first" - I am sure why she acquired this gift, but she gave it to us. I am not even sure that she connected it to the text which reads: 'The joy of the Lord is my strength', but her commitment to show us how to laugh as a first response to all situations, was a remarkable act of kindness. When the scripture says that: 'In His presence there is fullness of joy', we realize that laughter overwhelms the gloom of defeat. I have invested that into my children. Now we attach that to Jesus and his victory. There is little else that can so readily defeat the devil than the laughter that comes because of an 'empty tomb' - a true Jesus victory.
"Honor your father" - As your read in my last blog, you will know that I have a deep love and admiration about my pops. However there were periods of his life, and therefore ours as a family, that were extremely hard. The weight of life's challenges resulted in stuff that went down that was very difficult. However, no matter what was done or said, my mother simply would not let us speak of nor act in a way that was dishonoring of my father. Here she did quote the scripture - "honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you." You don't have to agree with your parent; they do not even have to be good parents, but we were to honor them in simple bible obedience.
"Face your failings" - I must have been about 8 years old, when I left my cardigan at the bank where my mum had gone to attend to business. We got home when I realized the error and promptly told 'Oums'. She got me back in the car and off to the bank we went. Upon arrival, she told me to get out and go in an ask for it. I was distraught. No amount of tears or 'I can't' would convince her to feel sorry for me. I had erred and I had to face up to my mistake. Oh am I grateful for this lesson. Not blame others. Simply acknowledge the mistake, take it on the chin, and fix it.
"Get on the stage and sing" - Music was very important to my mother. She used to sing over us babies. She used to sing with us at home and in the car. Later worship filled our world because music was such a natural traveling companion. I loved that. The love for music was a very generous gift. However the related gift that my mum gave me, was that I was not to pander to my moods, emotions, or doing only what I felt like. From an early age she got us onto the stage... whether it was singing in a choir, then singing in solo competitions, she simply would not let us surrender to fragile feelings. We were taught to be confident to get on the stage, to sing because had given us the gift and find the courage to take on challenges even if we were tempted to back away. " No" was simply not an option.
"Forgiveness" - There were several key moments in 'Oumie's' life that were painful and damaging. To a lesser woman, these moments, seasons and encounters would have been very destructive. But 'Oumie' forgave. Somehow she found the grace to forgive. I am sure in her humanity, it was not always easy, but most times she valued freedom more important than vengeance, contempt or anger. During some of my ministry years, I have found deep grace and encouragement by her story. How could I who have experienced such little pain, carry unforgiveness, when she who carried much had found her true gospel component?

These are key cornerstone of my life - and for that I am very grateful.

5 Lessons my father taught me

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

As 2011 draws to a close, one of the best things we can do is reflect, simply ponder another year that has raced by.

In fact, as I sit and write this in the crisp early morning of a wintery LA, I begin to think about my pops. Although I am a father of 3 wonderful children, and three amazing grandchildren, I do know that I owe so much of my life's journey to the foundational impact that my dad had on my life.

Pat Wienand's life was not easy. When, as a 12 year old, his father died in his arms, it was a prophetic announcement that this was not going to be an easy journey. One of 8 kids, he was sent from Johannesburg to the coast where his mid teens were spent working as a postman by day and going to night school to finish his education. I guess 'Oups' never had his teenage years. They were taken from him as he was taught to survive.

Through the tough years of apprenticeship to the harsh lessons of starting several construction companies, he was schooled out there on his own, where a friend sometimes turned foe and where trust was sometimes ill-founded.

This rough, tough construction pioneer, taught me some of life's most invaluable lessons. Of course he was a strong uncompromising dad, but set a standard that he lived by that he imprinted in our lives. Here are some of these lessons:

1. "Never give up" - "Oups' was not a man of many words. When they came they were weighty and to be headed. When I was benched from the starter role in the High School Rugby team [unfairly I thought, especially as the captain in the first game], I was devastated. In the emotional anger of a 17 year old, I was ready to be done with this mismanagement. Not with Oups. He gave me the 'never give up' speech. You get back on the bicycle and ride again. No matter what life throws at you, you simply do not give up. You fight your way back, no matter the pain or trauma. It came back to stand me in good stead all those years later...

2. "The world does not owe you a living. You have to get out there and take it" - 'Oups' really wrestled with God about the death of his dad. So there was never any sense of 'entitlement'. The world owed you nothing! There was no sense of being owed anything. It was all by the sweat of your brow that you took on the challenge of life. You have one life, make it work. What you get is what you labor for. Work hard, work long and work sacrificially.

3. "Your sisters are going to get married and have kids but you need to get yourself ready to provide for a family." - To many today that does not sound very PC. Our parents were from a different era. They emerged out of the post-war tough times. This comment was not intended to demean women but to empower men. I remember these talks well. I was an educational minimalist. I was comfortable with the grades that kept my parents happy. Every now and again, the grades fell and I got the 'you must take responsibility for your family' speech. Today I am the one who gives it. In an age of egalitarianism, many men have stepped away from responsibility and let the women carry them, as they bask in their selfish ways. I never was allowed to consider that. For that I am truly grateful.

4. "Live by your convictions, no matter what the cost" - 'Oups' was and is, a man of convictions. He was not swayed by the opinions of the crowd but held firmly to his convictions even if they were not popular. That was drilled into me. I am so grateful that popularity was never the highest value to which we aspired. Truth was [well at least our perception of truth]. For some 27 years I have led 2 churches. I cannot tell you how often I had to strengthen myself with these words. Popular opinion falters at the altar of the moment. Convictions are a life time traveling companions. Find them, hold them, lead with them.

5. "Live generously, especially be aware of the plight of the poor" - maybe its because he came from such poverty, but 'Oups' was always very sensitive of the plight of the poor. Sometimes mercy overwhelmed wisdom, but he always cared for those who had less. When I was young, we were very middle class, yet there was a spirit of giving that filled the family. There was not much money to give, but there was always a meal to offer, a ride to give, a bed to sleep on, an act of kindness to offer. I hope I am a generous man. To give is better than to receive. The bible teaches me that - and 'Oups' showed me how it works.

There are many more that these 5 things that come to mind immediately. I salute a gift from God - my dad whose foundation has fashioned me, formed me and forged my life ahead of me.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is a most remarkable time of the year. As the winter chill begins to knock on our door, and the sounds of Christmas are matched with the smells of Thanksgiving, I am so glad to be living in America.

Thanks giving is my favorite American Holiday. M and I love being around a table, well presented, with oodles of food - each masterly 'chef-ed' to family perfection. Of course, the music has to be elegantly celebratory. The lights need to soften the corners of the room with regal ambiance. The cutlery and crockery has to presented with motherly affection and the wines chosen with fatherly revelation [OK that was a little dramatic!]

Tomorrow my family will sit around the table and we will thank the Lord - what a story! What a privilege! What a life! We will savor the moment. The palates will be satisfied. The eyes a little tender with gratitude but the hands will be steady as we toast...

An amazing God whose kindness has enveloped us;

A wondrous gospel that never ceases to surprise us;

Family who have journeyed on several continents together;

Friends who have stood with us in some of the darkest moments of our lives;

Strangers who have stepped into a space of our lives thru divine generosity;

Community that remains God's loudest redemption trumpet call;

A limping world that still breaks our heart, but we will continue to give ourselves away to love you.

Have a reflective thanksgiving, never losing its sheer beauty.

Muchos gracias

November Update

2011-11-18T04:58:00.000-08:00

What a wild couple of weeks.

I loved the time in the UK. Traveling with Brian Barr and Phil Woods was sheer, raw fun. From the endless banter, tireless sense of adventure, and hilarious and passionate theological debate was deeply refreshing.

Having a closer peep into the Soul Survivor story with Mike Pilavachi was a great honor as they have been a rare nursery that has discipled so many remarkable worship leaders. This friendship has been brewing for a while.

Our invasion of the Dooley home in Reading UK, was due to Sean and Nola's kindness. The three "Mouseketeers" hopefully brought love, energy, and humor into their lives - nothing like traveling across London for several hours, late on a Sunday night, to go and connect with Mark and Lizzie who are planting "Reality London". Fell in love with them. The plant is struggling to gain traction as they seek to cross the great hurdles of US to UK culture / from LA to London context. Our dinner in the pub after the evening gathering, is one of those Holy Spirit moments that will remain in my mind for a long time.

The couple of days that we went away with a collage of pastors was a rare treat. With my desire being to bring some of the young UK pastors into the room with some of the young USA pastors, I had prayerfully hoped that their would be journey's shared, lessons learnt exchanged, and friendships established. I think this happened. Of course being away with a group of young guns, there will invariably be combat and competition — a created game being the center piece of international rivalry. Who would have thought that Readers Digest can provide such an international incident! Thanks to the Virgo boys and their mates... you guys are remarkable.

The last weekend was with our dear friends at Kingsgate Church in Kingston. M and I feel so privileged to have been in this story from before the beginning — as the seed of the plant was sown, to 2 handovers, through to their name change and new city. They are doing so well and I am so proud of them. A visit there is always a huge treat for us.

Yesterday I spent time with an event called "Exponential LA". The idea was to take the annual large church planting event and earth it in smaller gatherings around the USA. I felt very honored to walk these delightful planters through Heb 12:1 - 2 [although we rarely exegeted the text — we got into many and diverse convos... which I hope was helpful]

Getting ready for the last trip of the year. M and I are off to New York. The leadership transition from Deryck and Cath to John and Jenna Starke is going to be a very weighty and grace-filled moment. I have watched a group of Jesus following, gospel loving, church engaging folks take on the great NYC challenge. Their journey is to be mightily applauded. Sunday will be very special for all of us involved.

Next week I will start blogging again as the year draws to a close. Thank you.

Update

2011-11-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

Off to London in an hour. [Friday 4 Nov]

Will not be blogging much while I am on the road... will keep you posted via twitter

Back Monday 14th November.

Big conversations with the London Reality guys, Mike Pilavachi [Soul Survivor], Steve Timmis, Keath and the crew at Kingsgate as well as a few days bringing together young US pastors and young British pastors...

Keep you posted

Attractional not enough

2011-11-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am so interested in what the church looks like in a "Post Modern, Post-Christian" culture.

Have we been sluggish in our impact in Europe because we are still trying to do church in an attractional way [designed by "moderns, boomers"]?

But those days are long gone on Europe and many parts of the USA. The assumption that people will come to our cool hip shows, has proven to be without result. Hillsong has got it right because they plant in expat communities with massive brand recognition.

For the many plants wrestling with the raw challenge of the gospel in Europe and the city shadowlands of the USA, the way they have been taught is simply not contextually clear nor culturally sensitive.

I suspect the answer lies with "Missional Communities"... not just missional. Nor just communities. But both together and that is very different form the way we have done it before.

Not one model

2011-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

I had a very invigorating weekend off.

A dear friend turned 50 and we celebrated for the whole weekend. Reaping the fruit of some 35 years of friendship was lavish. Isn't that a great word? 'Lavish'. It should be a God-word! Of course the sacred text reads: "How great the love the Father has lavished on us..." 1 John 3:1.

Sitting with so many extraordinary folks from so many life's stories was inspiring, intriguing, empowering. However, I was aware that the picture of the church, in many of their minds, has once again been our greatest foe. Leaving to come home last night, I was very engaged by the challenge of showing a God-story that is true perfume to a world where beauty and fragrance is desired but rarely received.

The gospel redemption story is worthy. Dressing it with the church has not always been appealing.

Can one model of the ecclesia fulfill this glorious mandate? The answer is obviously 'No"! History tends to tell us that every move has their 'revelation', which then becomes the one true and 'biblically accurate' way of doing church. This gets taught with much passionate and prophetic fervor. However before long, the slow stench of yesterday's manna begins to creep into the community. Those who smell it are viewed as disloyal and traitors. Well the rest is history simply repeating itself.

Can we pause with personal reflection? Can we engage in this convo with healed hearts, passionate Jesus-love burning in our hearts and a passionate love affair with the church evidenced in our souls? With that settled, then through the church and sacrificial love for the nations that this cross-driven Christ has shown us, can we enter this realm of thoughts ready for a new perspective and a new adventure?. This is a holy moment - to reflect on church-future is very holy indeed. It cannot be touched or tainted by dirty hands of selfish lusts or breathed over by the foul breath of criticism and destruction.

Can we then explore the wonder and width of architecting churches that can enter these very different and colorfully exquisite cultural worlds?

1. Pagan, premodern world;

2. Modern, boomer world;

3. Post modern, exchristian world;

4. Post modern, post Christian world...

The ecclesia that reflects reaching the 'lostness' of these communities should be remarkably different in form but not in DNA. We will look at this next time, but I would love you to join us in this conversation....

Friends

2011-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

These have been a remarkable few days.

It was March 1977 that began it all. I had recently began my own faith journey. The December before, I had asked a simple question - "Jesus, if you are real, come into my life". I knew if there was no Jesus, it would simply be a question resolved in its naked silence. If he was real, my long haired life would soon change. How, I was not sure but my selfish, self-preoccupied story would end.

So within 4 months, I was asked to speak at this church camp in South Africa. The first night, I told them my story. That was all I had. I had no theology, exegesis, wise or persuasive words. I simply had a story, and I told it.

Many teenagers stepped forward as an old fashioned 'altar call' drew them to an introduction of their own Jesus story. In the little crowd were 2 girls whose eyes glistened with the tenderness of a perfect love encounter. Jesus found them and they found each other. An almost 35 year friendship began.

That is what this weekend was all about. Remarkably our friendship with Bruce and Helena has now spanned all these years. I did their wedding in a very intimate setting some 28 years ago. Both couples ended up in Southern California. And our friendship simply kept ticking on.

This weekend was as much about celebrating a birthday as it has been about applauding friendships. From establishing a new friendship when M and I had lunch with Britt on Friday, through the Friday night fun of margaritas and tacos, and a most outstanding sit down dinner last night with many honoring stories, as even Lorna skyped in from Australia. A truly remarkable testimony of a woman who gets friendship.

See Jesus connects us with friends that we are to do life with. There are times we 'live in each other's pockets' and there are times when we are separated by time, space and journeys. But these are gifts that we are to treasure and continue to invest in. To end our days, naked and relationally empty-handed is to dishonor the great friendship maker. Over dinner I sat with a journalist from a large newspaper and the director of a film school. Amazing how one friendship would now connect us with two more and then more and then more. They won't all be as close nor carry such history, but they will all be valuable.

As I blog, I enjoy my coffee, my scriptures and my reflections. In a while we will join the crew for taco breakfast before heading home to LA. This time the worship on my lips, has a lighter note. "He is good and his love endures"... the hymn writer wrote. Because Jesus met me that day in 1996, he not only put me on a redemption journey, but gave me friends and for that I am eternally grateful.

C2C

2011-10-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

C2C was amazing. I loved every part of the few days we had together.

Intentionally designed in such a way that the planter could connect to the modus operandi, the format seemed to work. Rather than go big, we went small, personal and interactory. Instead of the large band approach that the planter simply cannot have, we had amazing worship from 4 churches, where a voice and 1 instrument was more than we could have imagined as God met with us.

I so enjoyed the diversity of the catalytic teaching - Terry Virgo - apostle, father, Brit and been church planting for over 30 years. Jeff Vanderstelt - emerging apostle, inspiring missional community model, seeking to engage the post-modern, post-christian America. Alan Hirsch - seer, prophetic mobilizer of the church to a new story... I loved it all.

We coffee'd together, ate together, dialogued together. Listening, learning and leading all at the same time. Rock Harbor hosted wonderfully.

The big question now is - 'Where to from here?'

Do we host another one next year? Or

Do we maintain the integrity of intimacy by having one in Canada, one on the East Coast and the West Coast one?

Or was only a one off gathering and it has done its job?

Lets see what the Spirit says to the church....

Fathers and the Gospel

2011-10-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Just reflecting...

We have just had a most wonderful week. Having old and new friends around our dining room table was simply extraordinary. The laughter, the listening, the newness and the familiar, shaded our home with a deep sense of gratitude.

Terry and Wendy Virgo were simply amazing. Brushing the 70's, Terry continues to pioneer and demonstrate, in all humility, the entrepreneurial apostle that he is. His ministry was so expansive and enlarging. Always drawing us into the big picture, this apostle father so honored us as he took us to the texts and left us very tender, so desiring for us to live in the big spaces that the Father has created for us.

New Frontiers, Terry and Wendy's life investment is entering a new chapter. Rather than charge down the age old trap of handing over to one man [reproducing apostolic succession], Terry has identified around 20 apostles who will spearhead their own apostolic spheres continuing to celebrate their past, holding on to a common DNA, and anticipating their shared future, while each sphere surges in their gospel pioneering opportunities.

I am envious. That is the way we should have gone. Rather than fragment, we should have celebrated a theology of multiplication. Authentic bible fathers understand that the gospel grows. Wherever Jesus is declared, Gen 1:28 is activated: "Increase, multiply, fill the earth...". This Gospel will be preached to all nations then the end will come. We should have changed history not succumb to it. Fathers are there to empower their sons to "Leave and cleave." For the sake of the gospel, fathers are to raise up their sons and daughters, empowered with the beauty of Jesus, the punch of the width of his gospel story, to embark on a journey that will fill the earth.

Sitting with a Prof from one of the local universities recently, he, a student of movements asked me if I thought that movements are able to prevent implosion or institutionalization. His perspective was that movements are one generational. They will die or slowly fade into history.

I was less pessimistic. My reply to him was that I believe we can change the course of history but it will cost much. We have to return to keeping the great Jesus story as the full and center piece of the brotherhood. Our intent simply cannot be to brand, imperialize or seek to defend our history. They are transitional killers. We have to keep the gospel as the big story, with none other even closely second.

Secondly, as fathers have to continuously remind ourselves, that we are supposed to raise up spiritual sons and daughters to 'leave and cleave' and celebrate that! Apostolic christianity was never designed to ever grow into one papal uber -structure. Rather, fathers are always raising up their sons to leave home, get mature, start having families of their own and multiply gospel communities and movements continually.

Thirdly, as the sons spread their wings and learn to fly, the biblical picture is not to be dismissive, nor alienate the fathers. Looking exclusively for a peer group is as dangerous as is the notion of fathers trying to keep the sons under one roof. One is not better than the other.

We know there is no "the model". But there is one Gospel. The greatest gift we can give our children is not one pattern but one message. Then let them fly and watch Jesus and the Holy Spirit get to work. Match this with the E4 partnerships [not over us], and this glorious last days church can still be quite remarkable. I am hopeful that we will get fathers who see this gospel, this Jesus, as the greatest gift we can hand on.

As always... just thinking

Reaching the 60%

2011-10-19T05:33:00.001-07:00

I loved C2C opening with Alan Hirsch. Not only is he a dear friend, but a master at probing the thinking man's mind with key kingdom components.

Yesterday he stretched our western validation of our ministry model with some pretty pertinent questions. Taking us through the Ralph Winter missiological process of M0 to M4 [steps that missionaries have to process to minister into new missionary platforms - where M0 is where we are on the same cultural page as the community we are trying to reach and M1, M2, M3, M4 are further and further from our cultural world], Alan engaged us in how our missional mindset has to change.

Our western worldview and cultural reality is no longer strongly overshadowed by the city center cathedral, so we are ministering more and more into very Christianity-unfriendly environments in which the practices and programs that got us this far are probably not going to get the job done. These great old 'wineskins' that were so genius in the 90's are now leaking at an alarming rate and we will run out of gas within the next 10 years.

The most challenging of questions was raised with this notion; based on research over many years, it may be generally true to say that we are working on a 60 / 40 window in the USA [as a general rule]. This research showed that only around 40% in the average American City connects with the attractional model [culture, style and message]that the boomers so popularized in the 80's and 90's. However, even in these best practices, this model [of most mega-churches] can at best reach 40% of the population. Then the question arises, how and who will reach the 60% [a number that by all research is growing every year]?

This is not a conversation about being cool, hipster, gimmicky. This is a highly gospel-centered investment. How are we going to become "missionaries" in our own cities and reach this unreached people group who eat at our restaurants, work in our buildings, live in our 'hoods but do not know Jesus? These are major questions that need to fashion our ecclesiology into the next generation. Jesus has brought all nations to our doorstep, so that the gospel that needs to go "to all nations then the end will come," can now be done by us in our every day.

It is time to reach the 60% in our world. What will that look like?

Reality is Beautiful

2011-10-18T05:27:00.001-07:00

It is 5:27 am and winter is definitely creeping into the bones. Of course that is as a Southern Californian speaking. Yesterday it was 64 degrees down at the beach where I took 2 young Brits for a Wahoos meal before a walk down the Huntington Beach pier.

The older one gets, the less one should caught up in the applause of men [Van Morrison sings that that is 'the sound of one hand clapping'] and more preoccupied by a call to divine obedience. We are so vulnerable to, so easily impressed by the big, the many, the large.

Jesus seemed to go there reluctantly, the crowds that is. He was filled with compassion when he saw them. He healed them, fed them, taught them, loved them, but then invested in the 12 intentionally and consistently. He simply would not deviate from that path. In good old fashioned English he 'put all his eggs in one basket'. His success, legacy and the future of Christianity, lay in the evidence of his investment in but 12 men.

Everywhere I go, I am surrounded by the voices of impersonal imperialism. So few leaders are obsessed with the "Story of 12". In spite of the clear Jesus model, this evidence in Paul's life, of Billy Graham saying, if he had his life again he would have taken 12 men... It is the shotgun approach to life, to scatter ourselves over many horizons in many contexts, growing to be a voice in many stories, growing our churches, multi-sites, churches that relate, organizations that grow, movements that spread...

And, to be honest, I guess I have heard enough planters / pastors who have bought into a dream, say that they're tired of the unreality so easily found in the quest for many. Fathers are replaced by co-ordinators, apostles are replaced by generic teams, prophets are replaced by PC's, pioneers are replaced by loyal subjects - and it happens very quickly.

As 'for me and my house', we are embarking this new year - 2012 [ironically] with a simple vision of 12... 12... 12. We want to do this new chapter with focussed apostolic reality. Investing our lives intentionally into:

*'12' base churches that are catalysts for becoming movements through planting, replanting, multi-siting and drawing in orphan churches - empowering them on their journey...

*'12' plants / replants helping lay foundations, establishing them in their story...

*'12' key leaders whether their call is to E4 gifts, marketplace leadership or planters...

for a 2 year cycle of priority and partnership. Then reconsider if the job is done and start working with the next crew. I don't profess to have all the admin and logistics sorted out but I can't escape the call.

I will write about this some more later. I guess my passionate apo heart wants a whole lot more of Jesus in my story - even if it means that "reality is beautiful".

Ministry Schedule for November 2011

2011-10-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

M and I are very excited about this coming month. However, next week we are stoked to have Terry and Wendy Virgo, as well as Jeff Vanderstelt stay with us for C2C - our church planting conversation, hosted by Rock Harbor.

Our ministry for November in headlines looks like this:

Wednesday 2nd - Exploration - our LA monthly conversation for planters and pastors.

Sunday 6th - I am ministering at Soul Survivor with Mike Pilavachi in Watford UK,

Monday 7th - Wednesday - Pastors from the USA, and UK are going away for 3 days to enjoy each other, hear each others stories, learn from each other, - Wed, Steve Timmis will join us,

Sunday 13th - I am delighted to be at Kingsgate Church, in Kingston UK with Keath and the crew,

Thursday 17th - M and I will be ministering at Exponential LA - their regional one day gathering,

Sunday 20th - M and I will be in New York to be with the Barson Band!

So amazed that the Father is so kind to place us in such a large story.

Titus - Church Replanting

2011-10-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

This is a piece from my study of Titus as a truly great church replanting book...

"That is why I left you in Crete, so that you might set in order that which is lacking..." Titus 1:5.

Paul sends his young lieutenant in on one challenging assignment. This community has been planted in Crete, to be " together, in community, on mission around the gospel". This new Christ community is soon reflecting the culture of the day more than the beauty of His glory. With robust apostolic affection, Paul sends Titus in with clear instructions — set them in order!

But what is that thing that is "lacking"? What does Paul clearly indicate are essentials for a healthy strong, community on mission? And then by implication, what are the things that he intriguingly leaves out?

Set in order / set in place / make sure that none of these areas are weak or absent:

Gospel Centeredness - strongly stated in all three chapters, Paul paints Jesus and his work simply but profoundly - love the amount of truth he teaches in such few lines.
Apostolic Partnership - I love the affection with which this father writes to his son, from why apostles exist, through to Paul inviting Titus to join him in Nicopolis for the winter [come and hang with me for some rest...], this is not an impersonal journey in a system but a real partnership between an apostle, his son in the Lord and a community.
Leadership Appointment - This is not a generic checklist but a description of the leadership essentials that Titus must look for in Crete, train them, then appoint them. In fact I think is more about the kind of believer that Paul wants to see raised up than a random list of leadership must do's.
Cultural Clash - If this cultural piece is not identified and dealt with, any plant will ultimately fail and collapse. The replant must identify cultural mindsets and ways, defeating them through the gospel preaching and direct challenge if necessary.
Contextual Conflict - Paul identifies 4 groups that are dividing and destroying the community. He has no patience with them but requires Titus to deal with them, putting them out of the church if needed. No PC apostle here.
Multi-generationalism - A healthy church is a 4 generational one. There is no applause for a one generational, cool, hipster community. The expectation where the church is strong, is where the older look after the younger.
Intentional Discipleship - As Paul does with Titus, so he calls those who have walked with Jesus longer to do with those who are newer. Discipleship is definitely not a program but a taking of responsibility. Without this component, the church is not healthy.
Community Connectedness - We all know that gathering a crowd is not a church yet we are still way too mesmerized by the numbers on a Sunday rather than the health of the relationships. Without community, the church will probably be a one generational wonder driven by one personality — and Paul never allowed that to happen in the churches he worked with,
Sound Doctrine - That should not surprise us . It is the cornerstone of this replant. As Alan Hirsch has written: Christology leads to Missiology, which defines Ecclesiology. Jesus comes before mission or brotherhood. If the sound doctrine piece is missing something else will replace it, and that is very scary.
Grace and Works - Grace is mentioned 4 times in this book — twice in the greetings. Works are mentioned 3 times. Paul tells Titus to "avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions and quarrels about the law for they are unprofitable and worthless " 3:9 There is Spirit led genius required to teach the twin truths of grace and works well and in freedom.
Discipline Courage - A replant is invariably a community with very bad and destructive habits that have removed God's blessing — these have to be set in order, recognized, taught through, rebuked or silenced if needed. If this fails these folks have to be put out of the church. This takes heaps of courage, with theological certainty and legal counsel.
His Return - The days were urgent. The apostle led from a position of Jesus is coming back or we are going to be martyred. This is no long term strategy — either way, get these churches running on their own without long term dependence. They have to grow up quickly and stand on their feet. There were other churches that needed apo help.

It is interesting what subjects Paul does not highlight to Titus as important to replanting. Sometimes the drums that get beaten are not major or essential leadership pieces. What he does highlight he is strong and robust about. In the simplicity of these three little chapters, Paul states what "a replant" needs to endure to become truly healthy, reflecting the glory of this Jesus in a very dark world.

Measuring Sundays

2011-10-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Sunday reflection is the pastor's shadow. Our performance culture driven by stats, moments and feelings, can be one of the greatest enemies of our self-critique. It can drive us to excessive self-jubilation or sober, somber self-assessment neither of which is truly kingdom and certainly not helpful. If these overcome us, is it that strange that our spouses and kids eventually find no more joy in our Sunday's labor of love?

After some 30 years of being involved in church leadership, here are yardsticks that have no biblical substance and are of little help in our Sunday audit:

Numbers - counting our attendance can keep us honest, but its dark side is that we place way too much weight of Sunday's number and not enough focus on the multi-generational nature of our call - the sin of David counting his warriors can be our demise too.
Miracles - a deep hunger for a naturally supernatural church is most wonderfully commendable. However, even the life of Jesus reflected how "all, many, some, one" were healed with him [from the gospel of Mark]. Church history equally reflects times of many miracles then times of quiet. This is a mystery that is not simple to explain. If we do not get this, we will end up driving ourselves and our people for more results - the quest for more faith actually ends up with more performance and less faith,
Vibe - our post-modern influence is more marked than we know. A sense of vibe / feeling good can be such a fickle mistress. Not only is the feel good factor such a fragile measure, it has no biblical substance. The hard yards are also necessary, but don't always feel good, yet every football knows the 65 yard touch down is as valid and necessary as is the 2 yard run - but one has a particularly huge feel good factor,
Dollars - my how the offering messes with our brain! Even if the numbers are down, if the dollars are up, boy does Monday feel good - but should it? This fragile yardstick helps the business minded, but is not necessarily a true God reflection of any given Sunday,
Media - microphone feedback, power-point fails to work, the songs show up late with spelling mistakes with the wrong verse, throw in some poorly made announcements and we care not happy campers,
Visitors - new faces especially cool, rich, famous new faces can make our Sunday afternoon nap feel very good but should it? Does it really show anything that is necessarily good or bad about the day?

By what should our Sundays be measured?

Worship - was the trinitarian God richly and clearly praised? Our Father who is hallowed, the Son who is celebrated and the Spirit who is honored... is our worship trinitarian?
Gospel - whatever the subject, was the beauty, perfume, majesty, freedom of this glorious gospel clearly proclaimed in one or more of Jesus' works - life, death and resurrection - if not, then we must make a needed adjustment,
Times - have we discerned the times of our church well? Which chapter of the big story are we in? What is the truth that God is revealing about himself to us? What is our call to response? Do we know it? Are we doing it? Sometimes a strong word is what is required but the preacher may go home wasted - just like a good parent needing to discipline their child yet is so tender afterwards!
Seasons - as in the natural, so the supernatural. Is it a time of pruning, multiplication, or simply sowing? The true measure of growth is not how quickly one grows now or not, but how one copes with the pruning of God when it comes - oh it will come for sure!
Priests - the God life flowing through the Jesus lovers is a far greater yardstick than the numbers in the crowd. No-one attracted a crowd like Jesus, yet he was more focussed on the obedience of the disciples than he was on the many looking for a miracle,
Community - far deeper than a cool vibe, are the lonely going home lonely again or are they loved through their darkness? Are their broken hearts being bound up by the communion of Christ's community or is this a cool church for the hipster, the rich, the fancy, the appealing?
Him - what did he say afterwards? That is still the loudest voice post meeting for me. When I get into the car after the gatherings, I need to know what my Father thinks. The voices of "men" are too fickle - the supporter will seek to applaud even when the Father isn't. We love having them around but they are not helpful. If we are always doing well by their comments, their voice cannot be trusted. The critic is not always a foe - to silence them is foolish, but to rely on them is ignorance. The only true voice is His!
Multiplication - more people, more sites, more chairs are fun. But do they reflect the Father's favor? I am not sure they do. Obedience by faith , through grace, is what truly matters. Presenting "Jesus Lite" may attract a crowd but may not bring a divine smile that matches human accolades. Growth must be a byproduct, not a primary goal-its what God does. When we do it as our duty we are messing with God's order of things.

Guys, please watch the Monday reflections. They must empower us through great kingdom conversations - none more important than the one I have with Him.

Spiritual Warfare: Civilian Casualties

2011-10-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

"I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid." Gen 3:10

The nature of this combat is that no-one is exempt. The action of Adam entered all mankind into the conflict zone. We are a people at war, believer or not, Jew or Gentile, male or female, adult or child. There is no "Geneva Convention" standard of war. The enemy comes to rob, kill and destroy. He has no other intention, no matter how appealing his means may seem.

The calamity of the garden, is the first indicator of what happens to mankind when he / she has been overshadowed by darkness. This is our first drama preview of what lay in store for the world and especially for the church. From now onwards there is a predictable spiral of decay and decline. Have a look:

The woman said to the snake - demonic dialogue is not a role play to be encouraged,
the woman saw the fruit - the tactics to soften us unto sin are those things which appeal to the senses. The enemy does not create new things - he is not a creator. He is a destroyer but he will use all his wiles to seduce us through the senses. The wonder and glory of the senses has now been replaced by them becoming a death trap of bondage and captivity. A nasty transition to the other side.
they were naked - the garment of righteousness that covers us with such light and life is replaced over us by the sense of being naked and transparent, unprotected and vulnerable,
they hid from the Lord - the estrangement from our Father, creator and God, is not a sweet place but one of much loneliness and estrangement, anger and rage,
they were afraid - the casual ease of faith has been replaced by the horror of distance from God and closeness of a new dominator - one who is out to kill you...
they hid - mankind started running. Not just running away but also running from someone who was now wrongly depicted as the new enemy, one to be disengagement from at all costs,
the woman you put here with me - perfect beauty and harmony has now been substituted with animosity and blame. Unity has been exploded. Harmony has been imploded. Divorce was set in motion as the new war norm. The gender war began as a poisoned side plot. Cultures would clash, genders would conflict, generations would collide, nations would destroy.

A few moments of authority surrender catalyzed the end of a world of beauty, perfection, harmony and unity. Death, destruction and decay had come to squat on another man's land. A deliverer, rescuer or redeemer was needed to fight this battle for the garden. Man was at war.

Apostolic Movements - not the same please...

2011-10-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

This is one of those "just thinking" moments of mine.

We live in the messy space where the past and the future collide, history and prophecy overlap. There is an area of collision that the church seems incapable of avoiding. It is the zone of movements becoming monuments.

Even the lightest knowledge of church history tells us that:

Every movement starts with a move of God - sovereign and supreme,
The Father seems to find a man / woman, who is intense, focussed and fearless,
He then expresses himself through a group of men and women, in the upper room of prayer,
They give themselves away in a radical, Jesus loving abandonment,
They are creative, passionate, Spirit led,
They challenge the status quo consciously and subconsciously,
They are mobile, travel, apostolic hearted with a sacrificial tone to their lives,
They celebrate the many obvious and measurable miracles that accompany their story,
They often live as if they are the first of a kind to encounter God in this way, humility giving way to pride,
The revelation of truth that they have received from the Father becomes the "true truth" and others who do not prioritize these truths are viewed with suspicion and criticism,
The spontaneous and Spirit orchestrated start of this movement soon gives way to structure and form that ultimately will end in a denomination [or implosion as is so often the case]
The language is the clearest indicator of that stage of the story: "they are a .... church" [Vineyard, Methodist, Assemblies...]

If one's desire is to start and build a denomination, then these steps are to be celebrated. Some have simply reached the conclusion that there is no other way for this steps to be avoided, so they honesty are loving their journey down the branding road of denominationalism. A few years ago, that would have offended me. No longer. I can honestly celebrate every man's faith journey unless it clearly breaches the scriptures.

But is there another way? What about this - if the family is God's great nuclear example of life, is there a picture for apo christianity that we can learn from? If the objective of the family is not to see how many children we have nor how many children we keep neatly wrapped in our home, but to raise them up to leave home, celebrating their "leaving, cleaving", what does that say to us? I do not want to repeat the past. We do not know our own hearts. I already see some of the new movements applauding their imperialistic steps. The number of churches "relating / connecting / partnering" with them is already a goal and a yardstick of success. Should that be?

I would like to be in an apo story where the intention from the beginning is to "have kids, to raise them up, to let them leave home and live their own story". When I study Paul, one is never awed by his list of churches in his network, movement or sphere. One is awed by his impassioned commitment to see churches stand on their own feet without his role and investment. He knew that time was of the essence. Persecution and pending death always knocked on their doors, so there was no long term goals of organizational development, nor saving the franchise. "As long as I am around," Paul seemed to think, "my desire is to get you to grow and stand on your own two feet. I will do all that I can, to ensure this happens."

I want to be part of a brotherhood of apo peers who are friends, who do not compete for church's loyalty / allegiance. Rather, the passion to plant new ones, whilst the older churches become bases in their own rights, is the prevailing value. Please can we never sit in conversations competing with numbers. It used to be, 'how big is your church?'. It is now 'how many churches look to you?' - oh the fragility of the human ego - a matter that does not bring a smile to heaven.

I love journeying with churches over decades. That is not to create ongoing dependence but the sheer joy of loving and appreciating each other. Can we have some honest, real and personal apo involvement in churches but done so as to set them free on their faith journey, not keeping them closeted in the shadow of our system? Just thinking...

Spiritual Warfare: Combat Deception

2011-10-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

'Did God actually say...?' Gen 3:1

He never came the way they would have anticipated. The enemy arrived in the garden not looking like a fearsome, clearly evil, horror movie moment. Rather he came pictured as the very thing that man was to lead, over whom man had full authority, with whom man was spending his every day. His deception had to be subtle, sensual and sly.

Most theologians would agree that our foe was a high end angel whose pride led to his downfall. In Isaiah 14, we get a glimpse of his shift from primary worship catalyzer to setting his own stage of adoring worship. I am not sure that his origin should be our over preoccupation. Living comfortably with the notion of "presuppositional apologetics," namely that we have to live comfortably with what the bible chooses to say little of, we simply see the great deceiver slide into the story with nudgings of doubt and uncertainty. Faith had left the garden.

If an intelligence officer were to study the first three chapters of Genesis, he would have a very clear picture of how his enemy acted. He could then easily project future behavior with some accuracy. He may draw these conclusions about his enemy:

His objective was to gain authority over project planet earth by getting man and woman to give it to him — that simple. Authority would bring about worship and he wanted that at all costs.
His disguise was subtle, he came in the form of a creature that man and woman dealt with daily. He did not come in his true colors, nor did he come in a form that they were not used to.
He engaged Eve in conversation. Now that is a very interesting piece. When Peter said that the woman is the "weaker vessel," what was he saying? I know many remarkable women who are amazingly strong, competent, able, tenacious, achieving women. Therefore to simply take a blanket statement that all women are weak is foolishness. Roger Foster suggests that women are 'weaker' when they gestate, lactate, and menstruate. For me the moment reflects an issue of authority. I am persuaded that God gave man the responsibility to carry primary and final authority, but not exclusive authority, in the home. The true tragedy here is not Eve's conversation but Adam's passive, disengaged, bystander presence.
He created doubt. Wherever God dwells, faith reigns supreme. But Satan is a faith killer. That which brings God much joy, Satan is committed to killing at all costs — faith. He did this to engage in combat but not through a full frontal faith assault. He simply probed the cerebral process with a sleight of hand. That dear friends is why we must ensure our congregations have a substantial theological foundation to stand on. God encounters are not enough. Adam and Eve met the Father daily, and they still faltered.
He shrunk the expanse. God made creation about 'increase, multiply, fill the earth, rule over...' Gen 1:28. Satan made it about a tree and piece of fruit. Satan's focus is always to shrink us through sin. We miss the mark by getting preoccupied with the little and the pedantic. God work of grace is to empower us to the big and the eternal.

We will pick up dissecting the enemy's deception in our next blog convo....

Spiritual Warfare: A father comments

2011-10-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast..." Gen 3:1

These are tumultuous times to be a christian. They are uncertain in the evolving landscape, be it politics, economics, spirituality, relationships - I mean the NBA may not even happen this season. [OK well that is not that big of a deal!]

From a father's vista, I am loving the fresh and sustained emphasis on theology. To see the emerging voices in the body of Christ, being so intentional and focused in their quest for such intimate knowledge, is delightful. Added to this, is the pursuance to walk in a "Word / Spirit" journey, that just grows in healthy balance and Spirit led lives. I am loving this. To have a low-grade word ingredient but a high value encounter quotient is dangerous indeed. These new 'Word / Spirit' chasers are humble, honest and real - quite beautiful actually.

However, a number of us have voiced interest in the fact that 'spiritual warfare' theology and practice has taken a back seat in recent times. A subject that had such a high profile in previous decades, has surprisingly been pushed to the side as pulpits have moved more and more from exclusively topical subject matter to expository preaching. Whilst I love this, this great and noble package of truth has been neglected.

May I suggest we revisit this conversation with a clear canvas?

For those who experienced an excess, may we be bold enough to get before the Father and allow him to remove these excesses from our hearts, so we can once again enter the conversation with a clean slate.
To those who view this subject with a certain fear, may we in turn be such students of the word, that we find the full God freedom that comes from engaging in the truth.
To those who simply want to stick our heads in the ground and pretend it does not exist, the enemy does not call a truce. He is committed to his quest for our destruction and our white flags do not produce a cease fire. He will come at an 'opportune time'.
To those who want the truth of our conversation without the religious subculture that it has dragged behind, I can only agree whole-heartedly. Unfortunately, the greatest 'protectors of this flame' have brought with them the passion for combat [that is good] but carried it with highly religious 'christian-speak' that is unhelpful and very distracting from the true truth [that is very bad]. Can we find the truth in her beauty without the foibles of a religious sub-culture?

These days , especially in the arena of Christian leadership as well as practicing the priesthood, we dearly need to add to our theological toolboxes [ that already carry the glue of a gospel-centered, Jesus honoring task], the hammers, pliers and other tools of -

the reality of spiritual combat,
the discerning of spirits,
the authority of the believer,
deliverance from demons,
setting at liberty those who are captive,
dealing with curses,
the power of the name of Jesus,
personal and corporate prayer,
the impact of fasting,
the punch of praise.
the role of prophecy,
the word... and so on.

As always, I would love your thoughts as we explore this story. Thanks for letting me serve you in this way.

Ministry Schedule for October 2011

2011-10-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

September was a pretty riotous month. Coming in off a full traveling summer [in Oz, UK, South Africa], it was wonderful to get home, and re-engage in the LA story. The low point of the month, was the surprise of my dear friend falling morally. The disbelief of is all still shadows me. The highpoint of the month has been being in great conversations with Alan, Todd, JB and others about all that God is doing here in Orange County, CA.

Since last October, when M and I handed over the captaincy of the Southlands Community to Alan and Rynelle, I knew it would take a full year for us to get clarity of the divine clarion call, the focussed thrust that we would give ourselves to - not simply be busy - but to be strategically edged in what we do. That is getting clearer all the time

For the month of October, we are particularly jazzed about the things that we will be involved in, actually the people we will be partnering with. Here are the big pieces:

Sat 1, Sun 2 - Ministering on "Together, in Community on Mission" at Rock Harbor, with our amazing friends Todd and Lisa Proctor, in their vision month,
Sundays 9, 16, 23, - we will be at Mercy Town in Pasadena led by our dear friends Terry and Linda Fouche. We planted with them as our first plant in the early 90's in South Africa. They are now in their second plant and I am loving what they are currently doing. We will go through the book of Titus - a "Church Replanted"
C2C - this is an experimental format. Rather than another large conference that we sit and listen we are approaching it slightly differently. Focused on those who are church planting as well as church replanting, we intentionally wanted a smaller group that lends itself to interaction. We will eat together. The sessions will be designed to catalyze then 20 minutes for Q and A or prayer and ministry. We will have "Coffee Conversations" both afternoons - on the wednesday, we will sit with church planters and let them tell their stories. On the thursday afternoon, we will sit with Ephesians 4 giftings so that there can be a clearer understanding of how E4 gifts can partner with church plants. M and Wendy Virgo will have a corner on "How to wife a pastor"... Our primary catalysts will be Alan Hirsch [wrote the book "The Forgotten Ways] will spend Tuesday afternoon with us talking about developing a missional mindset. Then Terry Virgo [wonderful British apostle and church planter] as well as Jeff Vanderstelt [leader of Soma Communites and VP of Acts 29].

Thanks for the love...

Multi-siting: Philosophy

2011-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42 - 47.

The word 'Philosophy' is used intentionally here. Websters says that 'philosophy' means 'a critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for them; ... the sum of the ideas and convictions of an individual or group.' [Websters Dictionary].

This conversation about multi-siting or [satellites, congregations...] has to be kept in the right place in our thinking. If the architecture is made the main thing I suspect we could lose the true and big picture. On these matters, I am pretty sure that the Father is more concerned by other priorities then he is about the detailed shape of our story. The infant church of Acts 2, gives us the most glorious picture of what heart drove this early church. What can we draw from them? Jesus so captivated them that:

They were driven by devotion to... The notion of a passive, mediocre disengaged church, filled with fragmented individuals, was foreign to this radical community,
They were devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread [keeping their relationship with Christ and others current] and prayer. Devotion isn't simply a good heart. It had focussed priorities. A church can have all the right multi-site ingredients, but if it does not have this heart of devotion, it lacks true biblical authenticity,
Awe, signs, wonders and miracles flooded their mission. We are not looking for good architecture and form, matched with seeker-friendly well scripted gatherings. That is simply not why Jesus died. Of course we want to celebrate the genius of the gift of administration — it is in the list of Holy Spirit empowered gifts, but it is never at the expense of Holy Spirit power. We simply cannot do it without his presence — not power for its own sake but to advance the gospel and to proclaim his name boldly,
Being together and having all things in common — the soul of this church that grew by 3000 overnight, was being on mission, but with togetherness. There is a subtle whisper that you can only do this in small churches not in big, then if this is true then big churches are not 'good'. Yet big churches are 'good' because God has this habit of growing them. Therefore by big becoming many small to get even bigger, can really be 'good',
They met in homes and the temple courts - I love how simple and clear the scripture spells it out for us. There is so much room for dining room table christianity — being personal, honest and transparent. There is room for family groups to meet and share life together. There is room for medium sized groups to gather to release the priests to express their spiritual gifts as they have done in sharing their lives. Then there is the great celebration moments where God is wondrously praised, where the empowering apostolic word is preached and where we all know we are part of a bigger story. Wow - simple but beautiful,
And the Lord added to their number daily... those who were being saved. It is all about Jesus and the gospel. It is not about anything else. If it is that or becomes that, then we need to go back to the drawing board, repent of our distraction and reset our course.

Christianity is basic. Therefore we must do the basics well and audit the true health of our community against that yardstick. If we use any other, we will create Leaning Towers of Pisa. It may last for a year or two but then it will all fall down.

Multi-siting: History

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Moses listened to his father — in — law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." Ex 18:24

M and I went to our son's Parent / Teacher evening at school last night. It was outstanding. Not only was the warmth and excellence of presentation inspiring, but there was no weak teacher. But, lest I rant and rave too much, let me cut to the chase, the history teacher [Mrs TL] was inspiring. Her quest to marry the Roman world and parallel it with modern USA was captivating. I wanted to take the class. Add in her deep love for Jesus and boy coming home and talking about the torture methods of the Romans, then I knew we were onto something good here. I love history. Well taught, it reflects the immanence of God in the great redemptive narrative of humanity.

Steve Turner, the English poet wrote: "History repeats itself, has to, no-one listens". The Ecclesiastes author wrote that: "There is nothing new under the sun." History must always be the pastor's friend. To think we are facing things for the first time is misguided ignorance. To think that we will automatically not make the mistakes of the past, is willful pride. To be an honest student of history, is to prayerfully reflect humility and teachability, so essential for these days of rapid change.

What has history taught us of "Multi-siting" so far?

In the 70's, Paul Yongi Cho brought the notion of "Cell, Congregation, Celebration" to the church world. His church was growing so rapidly that he needed an evolving structure that would cope with this remarkable growth, through salvations, that came from their deep and profound passion for prayer. May I suggest that multi-siting happens because we are experiencing growth, not to grow? I have seen a number of churches do it to grow and end up with exhausted folks who are simply spent by being called to duty twice per weekend.
We tried that in the 70's. It did not work nor did it last. Here are some reasons: firstly we took a model that worked in Asia and tried to simply apply it in Africa. We did not do our cultural / contextual homework to find a form that truly was ours by revelation and conviction. Secondly, the leadership set in place was not well chosen nor well trained before or ongoingly. We floundered. Thirdly, the areas chosen to "congregate" were not given enough forethought, with no pre-launch services. Fourthly, these gatherings were not perceived by the people as weighty priority times. The Sunday night service was the big gun because the loaded gun preachers ministered there. The 'congregations' were the experimental form for emerging worship leaders and teachers. That was a recipe for failure. It was not long before we brought everyone back to the central base with another good God idea left in the trash heap of poor management. Looking back, it certainly could have worked and prevented the future calamity of the celebrity resigning, but we simply handled it so badly without substantial theological homework and thorough sociological study.
Jethro counseled Moses to divide the Israeli community into smaller to larger manageable units. There are a number of wise pieces in his counsel: firstly, there are different sizes of leadership giftings — captains of tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands. This form of local church architecture empowers these leaders of different capacities. Choosing the right leaders for the right grouping size is essential. Secondly, these leaders must be men who are comfortable to be captains and followers at the same time. If not, this tug — a — war will exhaust and deplete the lead guy as the wrestle for final captaincy will gut all involved. Thirdly there is room for individuality without losing the central DNA of the brotherhood. Conformity is not the goal of multi-siting. Gospel expansion is, therefore multi-sites will take on the flavor of the context more than branding of home base.
Collaborative leadership matched with very sharp discernment is imperative to doing this well. There is a renewed model of divinely inspired leadership on project planet earth. The old style one man, top down, impositional style is yesterday's story and as always, is a one generational gig. Multi-siting is impossible without a truly inclusive leadership heart. There needs to be such honesty at the eldership level that they can find the heart of God together. I cannot state that strong enough. Coming to faith in 1976 and being part of church planting movements, every time there is one strong leader who dominates the landscape, the movement has a one generational dimension. It will be captivating for a decade or so, then it will wain as his influence diminishes. True trinitarian team work will not only work better but will go beyond the one generational wonder.
Project intentionality is absolutely essential. Multi-siting costs. Allow me to be blunt. This is not simply a "lets try it and see if it works" type gig. It has to be driven by theological conviction, prophetic affirmation, effective leadership training and ongoing development. It has to be treated as one does a church plant with the same level of excellence in advance. It needs to push for maturity to stand on its own feet soonest but benefits from the depth of ministry investment that the central base offers.

These are some passing reflections. I hope they help. Thank you for your kind tweets, facebook comments and emails. We are loving serving you in this way.

Multi-siting:Prophecy

2011-09-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

"They spoke in tongues and prophesied... God did extra-ordinary miracles... the name of the Lord was held in high honor... the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power... the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord" Acts 19

Don't you love the expansive world of the Holy Spirit? When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he asked the new, fresh believers if they had been baptized. Their reply was that they had received John's baptism. I can only imagine the joy with which he told them that there was another baptism - the baptism of the Holy Spirit! After praying for and over them, they started speaking in tongues and prophesying. And then - well, and then the city went viral... extraordinary miracles were done, radical conversions created rage in the city as it actually effected the economy as businesses were impacted, and the whole of Asia Minor heard the gospel within two years. That is an incredible story.

We live in a limited world if we think that government and structure alone will transform our cities. It is not the wineskin we are looking for to stop our cities in their tracks. Rather we do want the wondrous wine of the Holy Spirit to do the true and actual transformation. We can have enormous fun experimenting with wineskin, structure and form. However no matter what our form is, the greater questions are : "Is the Lord in the house?"; "Are the people prophesying?"; "Is the supernatural so true and impacting, that the city is actually shuddering under this reality?"

There are two prophetic pieces we need to consider. The first is: "Has the Father spoken to us about going mutli-site?". Friends I am a little nervous that leaders are engaging in this conversation because it is the flavor of the month. It is absolutely necessary to know that this approach is necessary, we can do no other, because God has spoken. One cannot engage is this colossal move in a flirtatious way. This is a high cost engagement.

I am working very closely with my dear friends at Rock Harbor Church here in Costa Mesa, California. They are a mega-church who have stepped into this journey after much deliberation, prayer and reflection. They are launching their fourth site next month. All their sites are doing fremarkably well - but it has been massively costly in time, effort, team work, finances, labor, and clear leadership. They are doing it because God has spoken and for that reason alone.

The second prophetic piece is: "What is the end picture?". The sheer excitement, growth and mobilizing of the people is not enough. These are all wonderful pieces but what is the prophetic outcome going to be? What is the end game? As multi-site is not in the bible per se, it is scaffolding towards another building. What does that building look like?

With the privilege of being part of a church planting movement in the 70's that imploded, then part of one from the 80's till mid-2000's that fragmented, I think these are some of the pending conversations and consequences:

Glorious Multiplication - as with a family, muli-siting incubates these sites that will "grow up and leave home". They will get strong, get their own identity and get established as their own autonomous, independent churches, with fatherly blessing and endorsement,
One Generational - if it is built around one key personality, it will have a one generational life. When that person dies, he must either set in a clear exit strategy ahead of time of all communities becoming local churches or there could well be sibling rivalry that will implode the movement,
Branding Unity - please be student of history. Every movement / denomination starts with an organic bunch of radical Jesus lovers who set out to change their world with hard core conviction. Soon the real need for shape and form begins to enter their world. By the second /third generation, the system is perceived to be defended at all cost and branding has become the glue that holds all together and not the radical gospel that so changed all their lives. This is a 'must do' conversation ahead of time,
Rebellious Visionaries - Is there room for the maverick, city shaking visionary, who may start out as a loyal, multi-site pioneer. However, soon enough, the juices of leadership begin to grab at his gift of leadership. The prophetic whispers of calling and shepherding begin to shout louder than loyalty to the status quo. What happens then? Is he seen as a rebel that must be removed from office or celebrated and released with his community, as son who has become a father?
New Denominations - Simply put many of the current multi-sites are tomorrows denominations. For some that is viewed with delight and a sense of celebration [I am currently reading a book on the founding of the Assemblies of God - that is how denoms evolve]. If that is your passion, then celebrate you must. If that is not, then faith must keep driving your soul but this time with the theology of biblical multiplication in mind. One form getting bigger is therefore never the goal. Rather, there is a celebration of setting the many on their journey rather than trying to keep everyone in your own cul-de-sac.
Gospel Expansion - the goal of multi-siting must surely be the gospel. If any other motivation really drives us [like fame, popularity, self promotion, community franchising] it will have a very short life and will devastate many. This must be a gospel vehicle more that an ecclesiological experiment. If the gospel keeps compelling us, there will be wineskin flexibility, changing as the gospel requires it. If not, the wineskin will become the goal and changing it will be heretical. Jesus is the big story. Actually, Jesus is the only story.

Let the prophets speak. We do need their voice at this time. Not prophesying what we want to hear, but what will the consequences of this action be...

Multi-siting:Theology

2011-09-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

"God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Increase, multiply and fill the earth.'" Gen 1:28

Whenever I engage in any new study, I go back to the garden. The first three chapters of Genesis are a wondrous wonderland of truth that reveals the original divine intention. It gives us these great kodak moments that show us what God desired before the fall. The great "before the beginning" trinitarian dance of full unity yet celebrating diversity, opens our eyes to many deep conversations, especially when the topic of conversation is ecclesiological entrepreneurialship.

The revelation of this text is the heart of God in a perfect world is fully apostolic. The garden was never a destination but a point of departure. That was where 'increase' would start, but from which the "earth was to be filled".

"Increase" happens when we get married and have kids. "Multiplication" happens when our kids leave home, get married and have kids. "Fill the earth" is when we deposit into our kids a massive apostolic story, whereby they believe they can play a role in changing the world, giving themselves to a journey that traverses the nations.

"Increase" happens when we grow our churches, one person at a time. "Multiplication" happens when we church plant or multi-site. "Fill the earth" occurs when we embrace the apostolic heart of God and present to the church a large apostolic story that they feel they can impact the world by being part of a larger story than simply their community.

When one traces the redemption story through the scriptures, there is a quiet traveling companion that reflects these three ingredients. The progression of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob then the boys, reveal a similar story. Looking at Jesus and the eleven, again these three ingredients are passionately revealed after three years - Jesus "increases" his ministry to the eleven [not to one], they in turn "multiply" their ministry and through this call, they "fill the earth" - not through one movement or organization, but through many.

What heart of man, brings God's heart much joy in this multi-siting conversation? May I be as bold as to suggest:

Creative Entrepreneur - God is introduced as a creator. I suspect he loves entrepreneurs who explore and expand the boundaries of kingdom activities. It requires risk and risk requires faith. This delights him,
Apostolic Leader - the garden always reminds us that God's intention was to "fill the earth". A leader who engages in this big picture brings a smile to heaven,
Gospel Exploration - when the gospel truly captures our heart, we simply cannot keep it to ourselves. There is something inside of us that demands retelling, to ever new contexts and spaces,
Leadership Gifting - ministry has a very real possibility to take the person with a leadership gift and make a manager out of them, sucking life out of them. We cannot "hide our light under a bushel,"losing that Spirit empowered grace manifestation with the deathly repetition of daily ritual. The gift of leadership is a grace from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, and we must find ways to express it,
City Transformation - in our journey, we became so comfortable with the 'disciple the nations' priority that we forgot our Jerusalem. Multi-siting has been an act of divine mercy to remind us that the city we minister in is still uppermost in his mind. Not that we are to go it alone, but we are to give it much greater attention,
Cultural Reality - in Acts 2, we are told that: "we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God" vs 11. Whist this does talk of tongues, it also tells us that everyone has the right to hear the gospel in their own tongue. This architecture now empowers us toward that goal,
Ecclesiological Flexibility - the notion that there is one model or pattern may be ecclesiological arrogance or ignorance. The village in Africa will never have the same shape and form that the kingdom community has in Manhattan. That is also true in our cities when we wrestle with demography, economics, travel distances and other cultural / contextual realities. We simply cannot do everything at one place, at one time, in one language...
Empowered Priesthood - a healthy church will grow. The larger the church, often the more unhealthy she becomes. By percentage, fewer people are active in ministry relying more and more on the few stud celebrities. Multi-siting mobilizes the priesthood without losing the momentum of growth that a healthy church produces.

I believe in multi-siting. It may just require some weighty and deep conversations before the journey is embarked upon. We will go back to the future tomorrow.

Multi-siting: Menace or Mission.

2011-09-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

All around the world there is a rumble as the large "caterpillars of the kingdom" [massive earthmoving equipment of the eternal] are engaged in new apostolic architecture. The soil of old ways are giving way to the excitement of fresh design, inspired leadership, activated believers and catalytic conversations of city transformation. But how do we know if this is the Father inspired? How do we know if this is not just the inspiration of a few good men and not the sketches of the original creator?

Whenever, we are facing a new situation, how do we respond? Obviously we cannot simply say: "we have never done it this way before". That little line has left many great God ideas on the trash heap of territorial defenses.

What is our yardstick of rightness? Here are 4 yardsticks that have helped us over years:

Scripture - what does God have to say about it in the text?
Prophecy - what have the prophets been talking about?
History - we have to let church history be an ally. Unfortunately we are not students enough of history, so we tend to repeat it,
Philosophy - what are the DNA distinctives that define our story, God given values? Does multi — siting deepen these essentials or water them down?

At the outset, I am often asked what I think of this new phenomenon. I am absolutely persuaded that the Father is revealing something of his own heart to us architecturally. This is not the first time this kind of form has found its way into the church, even in modern times. However I do, briefly, want to express my concern as to the motivation that some are engaging this new story with:

Celebrity-ism - that once again the need to have a king is raging in the paddock, the danger of building around one personality raises many legitimate concerns,
Imperialism - it is hard to resist the temptation to increase our sphere of influence more, to stake our claim in new suburbs, cities and boroughs,
Terrorism - the terror of being left behind, that others will grow quicker than us, get into our space,
Territorialism - in our quest to protect our perceived boundaries, we do this multi-site thing as a form of 'border patrol', [we just won't say it that way],
Jones-ism - "keeping up with the Jones", well everyone else is doing it so we had better do it to,
Evolutionism - where there is no real concern about the smaller churches, even if we empty them of their people, let the 'fittest' survive,
Isolationism - whereby we are the best show in town, offer the best product & program therefore we do not need others, we are our own entity.

These are a few motivations that require honest, humble reflection and repentance. I am a believer in multi-siting. I love its entrepreneurial opportunities but we will all face the fire test where God puts our labor to the flame. If our motives are really self - idolatrous, then it will not stand the divine fire test. It may take a few years but it will all come tumbling down. It becomes idolatrous when we speak of the new communities / sites more than Jesus, the new doors more than the gospel and the numbers more than the trinity. Then I suspect it is time for some raw honesty.

Genesis Collective - Defined

2011-09-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

Genesis Collective: draws its name from two primary texts. From Gen 1:28 we draw on the divine original intent that God created man to “increase, multiply, fill the earth…”- the heart of apostolic Christianity. Secondly, Eph 4 shows a collective of E4 leaders receiving the ascension gifts of Christ to walk alongside churches empowering them on their story.

Genesis Collective is:

An E4 collaboration of friends who seek to -

Forge apostolic architecture in transforming large churches into missional movements around the gospel,
Catalyze emerging leaders and communities into gospel centered church planting / replanting,
Intentional fashioning of Jesus followers into missional, gospel-inspired leaders.

A Prophet's Call - Tough

2011-09-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

" I have put my words in your mouth. See I have set you this day over nations & over kingdoms, to pluck up & to break down, to destroy & to over throw, to build & to plant." Jer 1:10

These few verses reflect some of the greatest pain for the prophets. Even the youngest and most immature prophet has the eyes of insight without always having the words of instruction to communicate this clearly.

Most prophets 'see'. "What do you see Jeremiah?" Jer 1:11. Whether it is by dreams, visions, words of knowledge, insight, gift of the discerning of spirits, prophets see. What do they see? From what my friends tell me, like a movie unfolding before them, they can see both the faults and flaws of the individual or the context and often see the Father's required response.

Can you imagine how difficult that must be? Obviously they are never given the whole picture,[ that is why we operate with other gifts as well], but what they see is so clear, so obvious, so simple that they are astounded that others don't see it as clearly as they see it. Prophets are rarely politically correct, and never for long, they are destined for collision with the status quo. Of course one may periodically have a wounded prophet is so fashioned by their pain that they cause conflict without empathy. But they never start out that way.

It is so important for us to spend some time considering why God has prophets in his arsenal. By listening to prophets and their very challenging gifts we can begin to offer them grace and in turn get a very powerful ally in the movements and God moments that every body of believers need. Let them speak. Let them explain what they see and we will be far healthier because of it.

Many churches and apo movements are now some 30 years down the road. The more institutional and systematized we become, the less we want the prophets. Their ingrained fear of the constrictions that "the model" produces, the less we want to hear their voice for we know that they will be voices of radical change. But they are our key to redemption. They are the ones we need to listen too. They see the end from the beginning. They understand where this will all end up.

That is why they will do so much "pulling down" before they get to the "building and planting". The old scaffolding that we used in the previous chapter, they will help us tear it down. The old mindsets that have replaced the spacious, spontaneous Spirit led life of a young movement, have to be torn down. The "theology" that so wondrously fashioned the last days will be confronted as the Father has us on a fast track of "the full counsel of the word of God", so the past emphasis will be adjusted. This is rarely met by applause by the status quo leaders. The leadership style that was so effective in phase one of the movement, now has to change to adjust to the new day...

I hope I have been helpful in these few blogs. My desire has been to honor this most poetic of gifts. They are so needed in these days of massive transition. As I am not a prophet, I cannot presume to be reading them correctly, so my desire is to bring their story to the spotlight of collaborative conversations. Be that as the gift of prophecy operates at the local level or as the office of the prophet at all its levels. Lets engage together. We certainly need this most weighty of gifts.

When Jesus is not at the center -

2011-09-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

From my friend Nick Davis ; a summary of thoughts by Os Guinness -

Os Guinness poses that where Christ is not the central gaze, church leaders and ministers become one of the following:

Pundit – the one for whom everything can be known; everything can be pronounced on, centred professionally on the importance of information. Knowledge is more powerful than Christ’s Humility.
Engineer – the one for whom everything can be designed, everything can be produced, centred professionally on production. Production and administration are more important than Christ’s Love.
Marketer – the one for whom everything can be positioned, everything can be sold, centred professionally on consumer satisfaction. Impact is more important than Christ’s Truth.
Consultant – everything can be better organized, everything can be better delivered, centred professionally on management. Efficiency and workflow are more important than Christ’s Life.
Therapist – everything can be gotten in touch with, everything can be adjusted or healed, centred professionally on healing. Human need is more important than Christ’s Mission.
Impresario – everything can be conveyed to advantage through the presentation of images regardless of any reality, centred professionally on public relations. Sensation and Corporate Experience are more important than Imitating Christ.

Guinness states that these pathologies arise as a result of “church growth’s uncritical engagement with modernity”. In other words, the focus is on audience and church growth, no matter how rousing and noble the public ministry appears. “Sovereign Audience” has eclipsed “Sovereign Word” (“Dining with the Devil”, pp 69-70).

A Prince has fallen

2011-09-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

I received the second most dreaded call on Sunday. The first is someone close has died. The second is someone close has fallen. The absolute shock and disbelief flooded my mind as a distraught wife accounted the story that had just unfolded.

This is a most traumatic of stories. A son, a Jesus lover, a prince in our world had stumbled. Why? Noone can know for sure. Even speculating cannot be helpful as we simply do not know. We know the enemy is on the prowl - if he can't get us in our weakness, he will go after our strengths.

We know that ministry carries massive emotional expenditure, so we need to have dear friends around us who will speak honestly to us when they see the signs of wear and tear beginning to show - and we need to be humble enough to listen to them.

But this blog is not about possible causes and consequences. It is about respect, honor and love. Our dear friends need our highest value response. They need us to say little and pray much. They need our highest hopes, greatest faith, largest forgiveness, whilst we honor their privacy and space to take the needed steps forward.

We must say little. Knowing some of the details, I have been deeply disappointed by the misinformation that is swirling around. Please dear reader, say little. A prince has fallen, his wife is finding Jesus in the most traumatic of times, his kids are confused and hurting deeply. Now is the time to show true brotherhood, sisterhood, communitas. This needs to be Christian Community at her best. Our speech needs to be laden with hope and comments limited to what builds faith. Details are not important now. Please do not be inquisitive to create an information feeding frenzy - much of which is incorrect anyway. Rather let it be a time of "information humility" - I choose to hold my info and thoughts. God will bring all things to the light in His time.

A Prince has fallen. A wife is finding Jesus. Kids are hurting - please let this be our finest hour as we uphold them in our arms of prayer.

A Prophet's Call - Excuses

2011-09-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

"I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth" Jer 1:6

I am not sure there is a deeper spiritual wrestle than a prophet with their gift.

Rarely is there an experienced prophet who has journeyed over many years, who responds like Isaiah did - when the Lord said 'whom shall I send... here am I send me."

Jeremiah seeks to distance himself from the stirrings of the prophets mantle that the Father is putting on him. His excuse was : Cant speak... too young. Moses tried the they won't listen, cant speak, have no eloquence, no miracles...

A true prophet of weighty gifting is a very reluctant prophesier. Unlike the word brought by a teacher, who does their study, their prep and then can deliver it with some passion, the prophet carries it differently. They get the seed of a word. The true prophet rarely simply gives it. This seed then incubates inside of them, Not dissimilar to pregnancy. They mull, meditate and muscle with it, often for months before they deliver it. When they feel like the word has come full term and the time is 'now', the waters break. As with giving birth, it is rarely quiet and sweet.

We non-prophets expect the delivery to be pleasant and acceptable - but it is like saying to a mother - 'please deliver your baby quietly, without screaming, sweating and passion. We do not want to embarrass the visitor...' The mother will probably look at you, cuss you out or slap your raw foolishness. No husband will ever say that to his wife in the delivery room... his life will be in danger.

I am obviously not condoning prophetic silliness nor excess. What I am trying to do is bring greater clarity between leaders and prophets. It may well be that there are more 'prophets and teachers moments'; 'apostles and prophets convos'; 'prophets with prophets gatherings' I am not sure but I am absolutely persuaded that the church dearly needs prophets.

We need their eyes and ears [1 Cor 12]. We need them to reveal the heart of the Father to us as we tend to drift toward mediocrity and compromise way too quickly. We need them to blow the wells of God life that get blocked up by sin, distraction, confusion, legalism all too quickly. We need them to point us to places beyond the horizon, beyond the rainbows of empty promises but into the spaces of divine inheritance. We need them to keep our hearts ever tender, soft and worship laden.

Their excuses are often to protect them from us - the very people who dearly need them.

A Prophet's Call - Set Apart

2011-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

"Before you were born I consecrated you, I appointed you a prophet to the nations..." Jer 1:5b.

These are massive words. The prophet knows! I am yet to meet a true prophet who does not know that they are one. The prophet awareness often does not start somewhere in year 10 of their spiritual journey. Many would say that, looking back, there were some of these stirrings in place even before they officially came to faith. They may have struggled to make sense of them, but this is a gifting that was seeded in them even before they were born.

The prophet knows! They may not want their gift, like their gift or even operate in their gift, but they know that they have this gift.

The prophet knows! We are not talking about being prophetic, the spirit of prophecy or the grace manifestation of prophecy of 1 Cor 12 that many may step into from time to time. I am taking about the full "doma" of prophecy - the Jesus ascension gift [its all about him isn't it?]

The challenge that begins to emerge, is that these prophets find it very difficult to work with or supposedly be accountable to some who are uncertain about their gifting, unclear about their calling and mediocre in their journey. They are often told to be accountable to their elders [of the local church] but they find this extremely difficult. As believers , ordinary men and women, these prophets have a very good God gift in local community and its leadership, where they are accountable for who they are as people, to leaders who see them on a daily basis.

However, as far as the gift goes, I am not sure that the local elders / pastors are the correct biblically empowered leaders who can or should provide prophet partnerships. In older models, elders tend to be business types who are concerned with the business affairs of the church or pastors who are more concerned with the peace of the sheep than with the "now word" from heaven. True pastors will recognize the weight of this gift, will provide a safe shepherding enviroment for their wrestles, will love them deeply, and pray with and for them often, caring, trusting, encouraging them consistently.

Scripture seems to offer this matrix for prophetic co-journeys:

Prophets and apostles journey together, each needing the other - Eph 2:20, Acts 11:27 - 30,
Prophets and Teachers - Acts 13:1 - 3,
Prophets with prophets - 1 Cor 14.

I hope this helps and does not confuse. We are wanting to learn from our mistakes so that the next generation of prophets, elders, pastors and apostles do not have to painfully learn the lessons that we can pass onto them easily.

A Prophet's Call - DNA

2011-09-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" Jer 1:5a

One of the most amazing things about prophets is that it is in every pore of their being. It is something that those around them don't always understand, and they themselves want to switch off.

Jeremiah is told that God knew him before his was formed in the womb. That little window is very powerful to get a glimpse into a number of prophet realities:

The prophet is formed in intimacy and thrives there,
The prophet begins to dry up when the community times are great in friendship, word and even good hymn singing but lack divine intimacy,
They simply cannot live without eternal intimacy,
Their whole DNA is wired to this end - the way they eat, sleep, think, see and feel even the way they relate to people, generally they are not able to cope with compromise or mediocrity - anything that reflects God poorly,
Their gift does not switch off as it is the central essence of their existence - they can do no other,
This level of intimacy knows the heart of the Father in a very deep and honest way - that is why they get into trouble sometimes because they speak the Father's heart [it may be in a very clumsy awkward even accusatory way] and it is rarely well received,
They grieve consistently because they can feel the Father's heart for the well being of the church...

I hope this conversation helps...

A Prophet's Call - the Word

2011-09-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

"Now the word of the Lord came to me..." Jer 1:4

Recently I had meals with two prophets in about a twelve hour window of each other.

Well, I did not know that God had so much to say. Hardly anything that happened did not

have a "And the Lord spoke to me about..." in there. Sheesh, I felt quite awed by the number

of "God spoke" moments in our conversations.

I love prophets. They are so black and white, so persuaded that God speaks and they hear

him consistently, continuously and correctly. That is both inspiring as well as dangerous. We

know that none of us hear God perfectly all the time and even if we did, we only ever prophecy

in part, we hear in part and we understand in part.

Joseph believed he got the right interpretation of his dreams that he shared with such

pride, joy and naked ambition. May I suggest he missed the whole point? At the end of his life

if one was to ask him what the big 'google' picture was of his life, [did he still interpret the

dreams in the same way?]I think he would not have said that it was that his brothers bowed

down to him. Rather I suspect he would have said that the big picture / whole story of

his life was that he would always serve another man's story... first his dad, then Potiphar, then

the jailer, then the cupbearer, and then Pharoah. Joseph took a small part of the puzzle of his

life and made it the whole story with tragic consequences. Prophets are passionate to hear God

speak, but they must be reminded he never gives one person the whole story.

A Prophet's friend's longing...

2011-09-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am not a prophet. So why write a blog series about prophets? There is something very beautiful about those who reside in the Father's presence. The radiance that emanated from Moses' face when he had been with the Father, was striking. Of all the gifts that Moses may have commented on it was only of this one that he said: "I would that all God's people would prophecy".

The prophets transcend both Old and New Covenants, with various roles and contributions throughout the scriptures. I guess that means it is a gift that the church simply cannot live without.

Yet prophets limp so often as they feel their gift is not celebrated, honored and validated. While pastors and other leaders have had such bad experiences with real or pseudo prophets that the only true victor in this story is the enemy who loves to silence the prophet — at all costs!

I think there is a way forward. Through the width of the prophetic journey, we can with humility and honor find a God solution... here is my longing:

To see prophets spoken of with love, honor and gratitude,
To rediscover the collaborative partnership between apostles and prophets — they really do need each other,
To see the office of the prophet given fresh conversation as to their New Testament "job description" and the role they play translocally into communities,
To find creative ways that can father / disciple / train up the emerging prophets, that they don't have to stumble and stutter their way forward as their forebears had to — what is the modern 'school of the prophets'?
To discover the right ways that they can be used as "impact players" to break open new contexts or to go in and blow open the wells of churches that have faltered and fallen in the heat of the battle,
To find ways forward to empower prophets to be released to be given to His presence and the courage to salary them to do just that,
To explore the way forward for prophets to be truly accountable with the words they bring — to make sure they are well weighed, they are revisited to see if they did happen, forums for correction where error occurs [but in a context of honor and celebration],
To be courageous enough to discipline a prophet if and when needed, so the sheep can truly feel secure with this great gift, knowing it can be trusted, for when it errs there are consequences,
To create forums where prophets and pastors can iron out their differences and see in each the value that they themselves do not carry - can we get rid of the suspicion that sometimes enters these relationships?

These are some of my reasons to reenter the conversation... maybe I am an incurable romantic but I naively believe this can happen.

What I love about prophets...

2011-09-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

I am not a prophet. By being surrounded by prophets — family and friends, for so many years, I have seen the inner room of divine incubation as they have wrestled with their God, their gift, their mandate, their personality. When we pull the trigger of criticism too quickly, we are forgetting some pretty key wars that surround these precious people. It is true to say, most prophets, I mean true, real salt of the earth prophets, would be ready to give up their gift for it is a very heavy burden to bear. It is not a mantle they carry lightly. It certainly does not give them much rest.

As I am writing this in the early LA morning, my heart does smile as so many of my prophet friends come to mind. This is what I love about them:

They absolutely love God - the glorious three person God whose mysterious first dance, before the beginning, has captured their heart,
They desperately love His bride — if they guard their heart against hurt and pain, the love that I have found in the soul of the prophet is profound. Their love is passionate and all consuming [Zeal for your house consumes me], kinda like table turning love,
They love their nation — most prophets hear the Father's groans about a nation slipping from her divine tracks and inheritance. Their love is often less sentimental and patriotic and more divine and eternal,
They love the word — it may not be all of the word in that they tend to lean towards the texts that bring clarity to their journey, but the good ones are big word lovers for sure,
They speak to see change — there is an inability in them to simply placate the pleasant. They can see the change needed, so it is not conceptual or philosophic — they can see it [what do you see Jeremiah?] and therefore declare it,
They are soul stirred to open up the blocked wells — where the life of God has been stifled. The sheer joy on their faces when they see folks flowing in true, pure and fresh God life is a delight to behold,
They love working in team - OK all you grumpies who have had some bad experiences with prophets, listen for a moment... when Paul and Barnabas got going in Antioch the prophets came down from Jerusalem - they want to gig with apostles, I think it is in their pre-pain DNA. Together apostles and prophets lay foundations [Eph 2:20] and prophets and teachers are found collaborating in Acts 13 - they do want to team together,
They are the best hope the church has from getting stuck in the mud of systems, principles and bureaucratic "the law" thinking — they need to be celebrated...

Making too little of Prophets?

2011-09-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am a bible guy. Both in theological content [I am on a quest to know him and be known by him], as well in the architectural artistry of the divine designer, the scripture is beautiful in its creative revelation. There is a tendency by the church community to either live comfortably with modern expressions of form and shape more than with the textual design. Then of course there are those who carry the design like a badge of honor as self proclaimed, self promoted deliverers who view their gift as a divine right. and to be obeyed at all costs.

Can we enter a conversation on one of the most gracious gifts from the Father, when he gave us "prophets"? I am not adding the great disclaimer "-ic" as we do not want to simply speak of being 'prophetic' although that is certainly a most worthy conversational piece.

The subject of "prophets" is charged with dynamite. The vociferous protagonists who share their view that the prophet's voice ended at the end of the so-called "Apostolic Era," I am not sure we can truly engage meaningfully after we both communicate our differences, I guess we can have coffee together and talk about football.

The other extreme is equally challenging. Many prophets have such bruised souls, that they have retreated into their own reality — a world where God speaks to them endlessly and their hearing is the only one that can be trusted. This is a very dangerous world.

However, when John Wimber spoke of the "Quest for the Radical Middle," there was no element of compromise or reductionism. I suspect he simply wanted to re-empower the world with the wondrous reality of a super — natural collaboration that is not weird, damaged or excessive. I would love to see us celebrate the return of the office of the prophet — taking their rightful place in the plethora of other gifts and offices. To see the celebration of these offices, each honoring and appreciating the value of the other, is a dream that resides in my heart.

With no axe to grind, nor agenda to promote, I believe that the Father gave the church [his bride] all these gifts [not most or some of them] to ready her for this journey of faith. It requires true humility to say: "I have need of you". And then of course the scripture records the Father's heart by saying: "For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret [ plan-NIV] to his servants the prophets" Amos 3:7 ESV. If that is true, then maybe it is time to listen a little.

I would love to hear your story...

New Chapters

2011-09-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Father is writing a glorious redemptive story. One chapter at a time. One

evolving moment at a time. As with the big meta-narrative, so with our lives. The Father

has been fastidious with the story of our lives. We are not the Darwinian products of random

chance plus miracle, in disconnected fragmented moments. Rather, we are the

wondrous players in a divine adventure, one chapter at a time.

Holding that each chapter has the full four seasons experienced, it is so sweet to see

the ﬂow of the God life, as He sets out fulﬁlling his story in us - seeking to complete our

mandate as well as bring us to maturity.

So each chapter seems to have these ingredients:

1. New theology - God will reveal more of himself in each new chapter. It is so good to

ﬁnd out what that is early in the chapter, not forgetting what he revealed to us before,

2. New faith - God is always loving to see our faith both current and fresh, ever growing -

that brings him so much joy - we can trust him,

3. New roles - that is so difﬁcult. We do tend to attach so much punch to the identity /

roles we carried in the last chapter - especially if it was a very good strong, robust

time. Every new chapter does tend to change our roles. That tends to be very

vulnerable and uncertain, but it is the way of the Lord,

4. New ﬁnancial trust - every chapter will have a new ﬁnancial faith quotient. We often

desire that part to be of our story is now over - namely, we have learnt the lesson,

now we live in ﬁnancial security, without challenge. This is simply not so.

5. New relationships - we certainly carry many of our relationships over from

yesterday's moments. However it seems like the scripture tends to indicate the

delight of new relationships in every new day.

6. New partnerships - there certainly is more to this Christian journey than only

engagement around the last chapter's collaborations. That is how denominations are

formed. The kingdom advances with new partnerships with each chapter... Here

loyalty and sentiment are volatile foes of the kingdom

Hope this helps... we have been there a few times. They are exciting but vulnerable times.

C2C in Oct

2011-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all

It is so good to be home. A very fruitful trip but looking forward to this next spiritual semester. Being away has delayed some q's about C2C. Here is one of the questions:

Someone asked me who would benefit from the C2C convo we are having in Oct at Rock Harbor here in Orange County...

Given the interactory nature of the time together, I suspect it will be very helpful for:

1. The lead pastor - the ministry will be very empowering for captaincy and collaboration,

2. The elders - who, in team, will be wrestling with the primary matters that do lie before us,

3. Those planters - who are either new to the journey or who are wanting this journey, getting them there will be very helpful [including their wives],

4. The worship catalysts - we will have a number of worshippers lead, which will provide some width in the area where the ancient and the prophetic meet,

5. The kingdom entrepreneur - who blurs the lines between church and the marketplace seeking to empower both.

Hope this helps...

Don't forget to get your team registered

Muchos gracias

Making too much of Elders?

2011-09-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

It is wonderful to be back home here in LA. I was saying to the Father this morning that I was so thankful to spend the last 3 months seeing what he was doing around the world... I return to LA with such encouragement but wanting to see so much more happen here in our "Jerusalem". Here, we are still way too impressed with book sellers, conference speakers and leaders of large churches. It is so difficult to break from the celebrity minded church world to truly celebrate the stories of the great warriors of the kingdom, who will never get those accolades down here but will have great rewards in heaven.

A thought. The evangelicals has fought so long and hard to establish the true and wondrous biblical integrity of elder led churches. I will always be so grateful for those who labor with little reward, to return the church to her textual integrity. Being a bible lover, both in theological content as well as in ecclesiological shape, I do tend to get a little tender when we dismiss clear biblical shape for modern architecture - it will not last, at best being a one generational story of effect.

A thought developed. Have we now stopped our humble conversation around this matter and forgotten to keep learning? In many elder led churches around the world, I see them getting exhausted which is matched by the congregation getting frustrated for all that can happen has to be through the elders exclusively - very difficult if the E team have become the narrow part of the hour glass...

A thought expanded. Going back to the early church as seen in the book of Acts, what do we do with some of these case studies -

Acts 6 - the matter of the Hellenist and Hebrew widow conflict was resolved by the new layer of leaders we believe to have been 'deacons' - this valid role was not one the elders were to give themselves to - the result - the word of God continued to increase...
Acts 13 - the role of prophets and teachers was weighty and specific. There was no evidence that they were elders, yet they were task specific, empowered to fulfill this mandate as they worshipped, fasted and prayed, they sent Paul and Barnabas on assignment - no elders were seemingly involved...
Acts 15 - is the great theological debate. The apostles bring the key voices to the Jerusalem base for resolution. Those involved were "the apostles and the elders and the whole church" [vs 22]. The picture presented here is a most inspiring one of collaboration of apostles [the E4 gifts], the elders [the E team] and the whole church [the priesthood], not just the elders behind closed doors...
Acts 18 - keeps ever before us the role of marketplace voices, in this case folks who never seemingly hold a specific position of leadership in the church but are pivotal in the entrepreneurial conversation - here helping start the Corinthian church. Their eyes, ears and voices are so key to keeping the church sharp and moving forward...

Busy pastors simply become professional managers - managing moments, money, manpower and methods. This rends to deplete them and slowly grind the church to a desperate stumble. Can it be that we have to rethink this role and rethink who we bring into which conversations in our evolving church growth. Where and how in our churches, are our prophets celebrated? Where are those with the gifts of leadership and administration empowered? Where are those with marketplace lenses heard and legitimized? We simply must get the right people in the room for the right conversations or the elders will be over valued and over extended.

Just thinking...

Your church a case study...

2011-08-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

Can you help?

I am writing a book about Replanting /Rebranding a church. It would be wonderful if I could your church as a case study on how you did it. What are the lessons you learnt en route? Mistakes made and moments of genius...

Send it to me at chris@southlands.net

Prophetic Word - 4 Years later

2011-08-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

Prophetic words are not just to be processed / weighed at the time. I review of the word and its accuracy needs be made a few years later to test its veracity. Here is a word given in London in 2007. It was given to a group of leaders about the next few years. I am astounded by its accuracy and how it has happened....

"God is linking hearts and hands across various streams all over the world. The way in which we operate as a team, of necessity, needs to adjust. It is a very exciting and strategic time for us as a team yet a critical time. We need to be so focused on God and His plans that we are like Amos 3:7 says “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing this plan to His servants the prophets.”

I felt that we need to open our hearts and see what is really inside them because as God brings strategic people across our paths for cross-pollination, there must not be any pride or arrogance. God wants to pour His Love into our hearts so that we can truly embrace those of other flows.

I believe that the way in which we have been functioning has been shown to us by God but He is saying that season has now come to an end. He has entrusted us with bringing into being the Biblical model and He is now calling us to move into a way in which we have never been before. I sense that the team within teams and the various teams are going to change in nature, as 5-fold people go out together and compliment each others’ giftings and bring a wider and deeper equipping into the Body of Christ.

I also feel that some lead elders are going to be ‘freed up’ to pursue the translocal in a new way. Some may hand over and yet others may be able to pursue this in a way that has not as yet been done.

I also saw this time as the birthing of a second baby - That we are through the 3^rd trimester and into the birth canal. Labour brings pain and there will be, and have been those pangs which have been sharp and sore. However, the waters have broken and I believe that as this “second wave” of God’s plans for NCMI is birthed there is a greater outpouring of His precious Holy Spirit on us. In a natural family when a second child is born, you don’t discard the first or ignore the first-born, but together, as a family you rejoice in the new life that God has given you. In NCMI I feel that we are so very blessed and grateful for what God has birthed through and in the “first-born” but the season of new life is taking place. We have felt the movement as God has fashioned and is fashioning, as He has formed and is forming the next part of this plan for us. There is the excitement of the unknown and yet the sense of “how will this take place?” I feel God is saying it is still a “little by little” but each “little” is going to be a massive step. Adjustments will need to take place in a family to cater for the second baby and in our team, lead elders, elders, deacons and saints hearts need to be wide open to the new thing that God is doing.

As a team, once again and yet again, we need to model this with humility, wisdom and love."

A portion of my Replanting book - a case study from Titus

2011-08-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

I. Leadership:

No change is possible without strong, focused, intentioned, humble, Jesus loving leadership. A precise of this call to lead, reveals Paul’s clear insight as to what is needed to Replant this community. It is not for the faint hearted. It will certainly not be achieved by being politically correct, not by trying to be the ‘nice guy’. It requires a loving, tender but robust form of leadership, whose focus is on the applause of heaven in laboring with an eternal mandate and not a temporal popularity contest that may offer a short term success but offer no long term, multi-generational transition.

Firstly Paul calls Titus to appoint elders. This is the highest level of biblical authority in a local church. There are no other levels or layers of authority over them – not denominational, organizational nor dictatorial by one person. In the plurality, they are men who are to lead the church clearly in government and direction, finding the heart of God together.

Secondly, Paul clearly lays out who qualifies for such a task. When one compares this list with that in 1 Timothy 3, they are remarkably similar. However, could it be that this is not some random checklist Titus is to use to matrix the next leadership team? May I suggest another reason? In Genesis 1, there is a clear divine intention that God sculpted in his created order. The text repeatedly says: “ Each will produce after their own kind” [vs 12, 21, 24, 25,]. I do wonder if this is less about a checklist for qualification and more about the kind of believer that this Replant will produce, so it does require this kind of leader to be in place. These ‘qualifications’ so called, are surely a bottom line reality for all believers. This will be achieved if the leaders exhude these qualities and disciple others into this lifestyle.

Thirdly, Paul empowers Titus to act boldly. With Holy Spirit wisdom, Titus is called to be courageous to turn a tough ship around. Using the Old Testament matrix of “Prophet, Priest and King”, the Replanter must surely have a high ‘king’ quotient [meaning government and leadership] in his make up. These are some of the commissioning verbs that Paul uses: “they must be silenced…show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works…in your teaching show integrity, dignity and sound speech…declare these things…rebuke with all authority…I want you to insist on these things…avoid foolish controversies…warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him…

Elders.

2011-08-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

My silence has been journeying through South Africa and nor having wifi readily available.

I would like to reconsider the eldership conversation in the light of all that the Father is doing around the world. Would anyone like to feed through your thoughts?

Glenridge... my notes from Sunday

2011-08-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Glenridge Transition.

Feel extremely honored to be part of the Glenridge story.

We did not know that all this would have happened when the 40 of us started out back

in 1983. We simply had a dream in our hearts. I am not even sure that we knew the

width, depth and breadth of this dream.

All these years later, we stand on much a major weighty and pivotal moment in the

Glenridge story. My mandate today is to charge you, the wonderful Glenrdge

community. You have made this more than we ever dreamed. You believed in us when

we were young, wild and foolish. You saw something impossible being birthed beyond

our youthful excesses and leadership impediments. You bought into a God authored

dream that took us on a redemption journey that has covered the globe with Gods

grace, and engaged friends on a sacriﬁcial journey together. You are the true heroes of

the story. We were in the ops rooms planning, startegizing, praying and believing but

you all have hit the beaches with the conviction that we have a job to complete... We will

change the world.

Genesis introduces us to 3 essential pieces of this shaping:

1. Time

2. Seasons

3. Redemption

Time.... Introduces us to the notion of life is a story made up of daily unfoldings like

pages turning as well as chapters, chunky God times in our lives...

Seasons... Whereby God gives us a new truth, a big idea and stakes it into out hearts

through all the tests that the 4 seasons bring

Redemption... Which was announced to Satan when the Father said: "he will bruise

your head and you will bruise his heel"... I suspect all the angelic hosts leaned forward

to see what would happen now... Something powerful was just announced but they did

not know what that was... The great pro to-evangelicum.

To this great community, I call you to the author of this great redemption story...

When Joshua was set up for the new chapter in the Israel story of redemption, we tend

to take Joshua chapter 1 and focus in on Joshua or the people, yet the true emphasis of

the chapter is God. These precious people were about to encounter the Father in ways

they never had. This is a chapter of discovering the Theology in Transition:

- the Lord said... He is the intimate, affectionate, immanent God who does not watch

from a distance... He speaks and needs to be listened to out of his love for us,

- the land I am giving you ... He is generous, exceedingly abundantly more that we can

ask or imagine,

- as I promised to Moses- he is a God on continuity, a Multi-generational God, who does

not lie, there is no shadow of turning in him!

- as I was with Moses - the promise of an ongoing adventure... This is not over yet, the

gospel still has to be preached, there will still be times of uncertainty, doubt,

vulnerability, questioning these leaders and wondering, but as I was with Chris and

Rory...

- the land I swore to their fathers - he is a God of blessing and inheritance, there'd are

many lands to confuse shores to reach, businesses to establish, schools to facilitate

churches to plant, homeless to house, great gospel stories to discover...

- have I not commanded you - we serve of God of the word! We drink the word, study

the word, chew / mediate on the word, obey the word and never get stuck on a one

season revelation of the word, but continuously humble ourselves to new

understandings and new calls to obedience,

- the Lord your God is with you - the great paracletos, the wondrous adventure of faith,

the sense of awe that God believes is us, has called us to live a life that is humanly

impossible, but with God all things are possible, this is an adventure of faith, and

onlyGod can make this happen if we obey... there's are new battles to ﬁght and new

enemies to conquer

- the Lord your God is providing you a place - every person is essential, valuable,

strategic, a place where you can offer your divinely appointed contribution to let this

kingdom advance, his will be done, like heaven like earth

- the Lord gives you rest... Find his favor, grace and satisfying presence, ﬁnd the

sabbatical God... This is not a time tone driven, productivity minded. Find rest in this

chapter, living in the sabbatical nature of our God.

1. Embrace this new chapter... Meryl, the great Glenridge team of the ﬁrst 14 years

laid the foundation... A radical community of friends who be so inspired by the

wondrous gospel story that we would lay down our lives for that and do it with

friends.Lose that and we lose the essence that is Glenridge. We were born on the

streets of Durban preaching this glorious gospel.

2. Rory, Mel and the team in the next 14 years took that foundation and enlarged her,

adding to the stones that we put in place greater understanding and revelation, and

then put Glenridge in her rightful place as a church that was tender and sensitive,

strong and tenacious, intimate yet large, personal yet impacting

3. Now in this new chapter, whilst upholding the fundamental DNA, Ryan, Melissa and

this team will take you on an entrepreneurial adventure. It will be strong and bold. It

will be characterized by courage and zeal. There will be a strong Holy Spirit leading

matched with clear gifts of leadership and administration needed to catalyze this

growth. Once again you will hear the battle cry "we have never been this way

before." buy into this journey with graven humility , a sense of historical continuity yet

- new horizons, unchartered waters and a strong gospel centered energy that will

drive you, motivate you and captivate you.

Glenridge Part 3

2011-07-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Just landed in Durban South Africa. This is a big weekend. On Sunday I am so honored to preside [with others] over the handover from Rory Dyer to Ryan Matthews.

We started as a group of friends in Sept 1983. The heady days of the charismatic renewal were behind us. We knew that we wanted a community that was burning in our heart. I think every believer should be part of setting a flame burning that is a new church plant. The wonder, the beauty, the uncertainty, the challenge... should fit into every believers story.

For 14 years Meryl and I led this community. She is a beautiful bride - not yet without spot wrinkle or blemish. Yet she has shown herself to be gutsy, pioneering, creative, tenacious and loaded with love. We loved leading her.

Rory and Mel have done a most outstanding job of leading this lady. They loved her, expanded her. They stretched her and cared for her. They fed her and challenged her.

But it is time for new captaincy - a new chapter with new players and thrust, a new season with new truths and emphasis, a new era with new architecture and catalytic forward movement - but one message - the redemption story with a risen Jesus.

I feel so honored to ongoing be part of an incredible journey.

Thank you

Gathering for the 80%

2011-07-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Alan Hirsch has been very helpful on many placing future lenses on me. As a seer, thinker, describer of future affairs, he keeps probing with strategic questions on how we view, respond, prioritize the not-yet-Jesus lover. I guess coming from a secular Jewish background, he cannot help himself.

Although it varies from city to city, country to country, culture to culture, the ratio of churched, exchurched and unchurched, does influence how we do our gatherings. I know, we do not want to be overly attractional in our mindset, however we would all agree that the weekend gatherings are still a pivotal part of our window to the world.

If the ratio in our city is something like 10% churched, 10% exchurched and 80% unchurched, where is our focus? Most churches focus passionately seeking to recruit the churched, as well as the exchurched. The gathering anchor points, seek to answer the questions that these folks may ask: Are we 'reformed' or are we 'charismatic'? Are we 'traditional' or are we 'hipster'? Are we 'missional' or 'attractional'? All these little categories tend to influence us hugely.

But what if we focus on the 80%, how would we do our gatherings differently? Let me propose this line of thinking passionately. [My cadre in the kingdom - Todd Proctor has been very helpful in this regard]:

The Welcoming Team [from parking lot to the door, from ushers to coffee servers] are to be stirred to see their role in bringing people to faith in Jesus - they are the gate keepers of the kingdom, the line of first contact - with authenticity and true affection, they are to love guests to the gathering,
The Worship needs to be far more unchurched sensitive. The believer worships every day. They are found in His presence whether in the car or in the bedroom. To now be sensitive to others are acts of missionary sensitivity not compromise. The unchurched do not worship. To be sensitive to them is to honor them and acknowledge their presence informally. An hour of endless 'worship', one song after the other, may bless the believer but lose the unchurched even before the word is preached.
The Songs selection is always of important consideration. There are those that are current and prophetic to the communities journey. There are those that are strong in theology and substance. All of this is good. But by considering the unchurched may I propose that we front load the gathering with a short set, especially of hymns, ancient and modern. The postmodern mind delights in feeling connected to the ancient. The unchurched understand there will be hymns - even if they have only seen it in Mr Bean or Will and Kate's wedding. The rear book end of the gathering, can be far more spacious and exploratory. It is a response to the word preached. It can have elements of reflection and mediation - with breaking of bread being very empowering. This way we can get in both the ancient and the Spirit led spontaneous without losing the guest. Dear elder, stand at the back of you gatherings and I suspect you will be surprised at how different it is back there.
The Announcements are community times - each person who speaks, let them introduce themselves, so the unchurched may know who they are and why they are doing what they are doing. Let the announcers be good at their task both in cultural sensitivity as well as effective communication. A moment to celebrate the ordinary believer is a moment well spent.

There is obviously much more in this conversation. These are intro thoughts to help transform the lenses with which we as leaders go into our gatherings.

Satan sifting Simon

2011-07-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

As I was journaling this morning, I could not help but think of the many of you for whom the last years have been unbearably painful. You have sought to be strong, courageous, tenacious, even tried to be patient.

We have wrestled through the stories of Joseph to find strength and a model to imitate. As a father, I would love to have found a way to get you out of your terror, but that is not to be.

As I was reading through Luke this morning, I read: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31 - 32.

In the many solutions on offer out here in the cyber world, so little is offering the muscle of warfare. The Reformed camp speak very little of spiritual war fare. There is more of this conversation in the "Kingdom now" camp.

What if you are center stage in the sifting conflict right now? What if Jesus is crying out right now for you at the right hand of the Father? What if Satan has designated you for sifting separation? You are in his radar and have to fight your way out!

For me sifting speaks of separation, the large from the small, the good from the bad, the strong from the weak, the true from the false. It is throwing to the wind all that is in the basket to see what comes down as true and valuable. Satan knows the hour in vulnerable. He knows that the sanity and safety of Jesus' presence in actuality is about to change. He is about to leave and the disciples are all going to need to grow up - become apostles in their own right. In this vulnerability is their change of role, increase of responsibility and profile, Satan is keen to see what is fully and truly there. He already had Judas in his pocket - now he goes for the big gun. If he could get these two - two of twelve, he has pretty much erased Jesus' life's work. Isn't that what you feel - lifetime work is being challenged?

Jesus does not stop Satan. That is amazing. It is like Jesus trusts the investment in Peter's life. Jesus is comfortable with the wobble, the denial, the walking away for awhile. The journey to process from defeat to strength, is part of the Jesus story in our lives. Jesus simply prays. It is time for Peter to step up. I do not believe in apostolic succession, so I am not sure why Peter is specifically targeted. But, I am not sure it matters. You have been targeted and that is what matters.

Be encouraged. Here is Jesus' simple pronouncement:

I have prayed for you - Jesus could have intervened, but for a greater cause, and a higher moment, Peter has to go through this moment,
Your faith may not fail you - the gift the word of faith movement gave to the church was the resurgence of faith... we simply cannot 'hide' behind his sovereignty by not activating our faith - this one we have to win... in the power of the Spirit, by faith, through grace,
When you have turned again - I am so amazed at grace... Jesus knows of Peter's stumbles... even though he had walked with Jesus for 3 years. Had seen many miracles and personal moments, even as a leader / apostle, he will stumble, and grace will be there to pick him up. Jesus can cope with our foibles... but can we?
Strengthen your brothers - that is what this is all about! Defeating the enemy to regain a growing faith that we can lead others. There is little like a the pain of failure to soften the heart of a legalist to love and strengthen the weak on their Jesus journey.

I am so sorry that you are hurting... even if it is because of your own foolishness. But, come back and strengthen the weak. They need you now.

Why have people left my church?

2011-07-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying the sounds of my family waking up around me. The chatter of the grandkids is always music to the ear. With our departure date from Perth coming ever closer, each little moment is savored.

With the privilege of ministering in churches around the world, these last few years have been amazing. Watching, listening, trying the grasp the prophetic moments in God's unfolding narrative, has been captivating. Besides the brand new church plants, there has been a remarkable number of churches who have experienced large numbers of folks leave them. The pain and heart ache has been overwhelming for these Jesus-people lovers. Some of my dear church planting friends have been somewhat stunned by this pain. Many of them gave up lucrative careers in commerce and industry, to love Jesus' bride, but it has cost them so much. Why? Why has there been such a leaving of churches around the world?

As always, there is not one simple reason. Here are a few matters that I have observed / experienced:

As the God story in a new church unfolds, the next chapter reveals new roles, responsibilities, with new players being added, and not everyone can cope with the changes;
There is a new season that God is putting the churches through - truth that he has given to the churches is now being put to the test - will we truly believe it, will we truly live it personally as well as communally;
God is not sentimental - but we are. In our quest to build relational churches, we have placed a higher value on these relational matters - for example loyalty is a higher value than obedience, so when folks leave our churches we are devastated, but Jesus and Paul had folks leave them;
God has applied the fire test, with mercy - looking to see if what we built would stand - as painful as what that is, rather now than later;
Rebellion has surfaced in the hearts of some - simply raw naked 'I want to do things my way, at my time, with my captaincy';
Leadership errors are also there. I do not know a leader in our world whose motive is anything other than loving Jesus and serving the bride - but mistakes have crept in - how these are handled have been a source of trauma;
Some of those who helped to plant were only ever scaffolding - sent for a season to help, that is their genius, then they are to move on to help others;
Distorted 'grace' application, surprisingly found people leave churches in a most ungracious way, often now going nowhere, connecting with no community, revealing their hearts;
Building family rather than church-although family is one metaphor for church, there are many others - this small intimate mindset is now doing more harm than good in some contexts;
Mission has lost its edge - pleasantville Christianity has found its way into heart - the passion to abandon ones-self for Jesus has died in the hearts of some.
And lest we forget, we have an enemy who is committed to our demise...

As painful as these times have been, they are unfortunately necessary for this new future - lets not stop doing the future together. In spite of the pain dear friends, let us find a sweet place with Jesus and a safe place with our partners in the gospel.

Rebrand-from Richard Branson

2011-07-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Recently I have so enjoyed reading 2 of the most intriguing entrepreneurs who have been involved in Rebranding - recalibrating their business - Richard Branson of Virgin and Howard Schultz of Starbucks.

In ministry, we tend to be a little nervous of learning from the marketplace - the very place the Father used to educate and empower Paul who wrote so much of the New Testament. I have been so amazed that God never fully funded Paul from churches or even rich believers. Why? Could it be that he needed to be in the very energy and vitality of the marketplace to learn from it, gaining even some of his vocabulary from it to communicate to so many cities, cultures and contexts.

I think it would be wonderfully humble of us to listen, observe and learn from those pioneering the marketplace - and if we are truly honest, are changing the world more than we are.

In this book Business Stripped Bare - Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur, Branson has a chapter on Brand. Using different words, we are doing the same when we plant or replant our churches. We are defining our DNA, mission and community - our distinctives / lampstand, believing that is why we exist, what we are to do, how we are to do it. Here are some quotes from him:

We offer our customers a Virgin experience, and we make sure this Virgin experience is a substantial one and consistent one, across all sectors of our business. pg 43
You should focus on what you know. You should also focus on what gets you up in the morning. And for most people, that means you focus on one core business. pg 44
You see, what gets me up in the morning is the customer, and the idea of giving the customer a good time. No other brand has become 'a way-of-life' brand the way Virgin has. And we achieved this, not by clinically deciding one day to become a 'way-of-life' brand but simply by following our appetites and the things we are curious about. pg 46
Good brands reflect the histories of the time and the group of people that made them. They cannot be easily copied. pg 49
A brand should reflect what you can do... Get the brand right from the start, by being honest with yourself about what you are offering. A brand will eventually date you, so I think you're better off intelligently evolving it as we have always done than tritely updating it. pg 49
Remember a brand always means something and ultimately you can control the meaning of your brand only through what you deliver to the customer. pg 50
A brand [should not appeal to] any particular demographic but to an attitude of mind. pg 63
The bonding power of the Virgin brand has permitted us to take the bold decision to give everyone the opportunity to be entrepreneurs in their own right. pg 86

Boomer and Millenial

2011-07-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

I had a very empowering conversation with a young replanter recently. Corridor moments are so key in our journeys. They are not planned or scheduled. They happen within the realities of life, so often becoming such key moments.

Over a coffee, in his lounge, we found ourselves drifting towards the difference between our two generations. Obviously, we have to make sweeping statements when speaking about generations. I cannot say that I am able to understand fully what he meant nor can I assume that I can completely capture the heart of his reflections.

The most impacting comment started it for me, when he said that: " your generation wanted to die for something while my generation want to live for something." Wow, this was a very weighty moment as I knew we were onto something here.

It is true of my generation - certainly in RSA. We did want to find our hill to die on. Having grown up at a time when the military was compulsory, we did go to the army, some into combat. Secondly, we had to lead our churches through the trauma of a socio-political entity coming to an end as the nation was teetering on civil war - riots did pound our streets. Our economy was fragile and we had to lead our churches through those days. When Dudley came along and gave us a hill to die on, we put up our hands - we wanted to die in a fight worth fighting, and he gave us the privilege of giving up our privileges and securities. Most of my generation left for the nations, often times living in cities we did not love at first, serving in other cultures in which we were not comfortable... and we took our families with us.

This generation coming through now, certainly in the anglo-west, are not interested on where they die, but where they can live. Whilst they honor us hearing our stories, they are not ones they want nor ones that they desire to emulate. They want to live. They want the freedom to fly. They want their own faith stories built around life. They want to belong, but to a conference of peers. They do not want to be led, being told what to do, how to do it, when to do it. They do not want E4 gifts coming into the church and engaging them on weaknesses and failings [unless they really are life threatening]. They will not ask questions like: "Where are we erring? What should we do better? What are our weaknesses?"

Where we wanted to belong to a brotherhood that we would die for, they have no such compunction. They want to belong to a brotherhood, but one that celebrates victories. I fly to Brisbane in a few hours. Our dear friends Leon and Sonja planted a church there a few years ago. This year has not been an easy one for them. But we said that we would do life together and if things get tough, we would be there for each other.

The Millenials are not driven by the same priorities. Life is to be shared, but more around the things that we can celebrate - "I will come to see when I hear of the new folk God is adding, new salvations, baptisms and the like. I am so sorry to hear if my mate is having a hard time, but I am not necessarily going to try to get to you." - this is what I am hearing being said.

For the Millenials, it seems that where I belong, get connected with, is determined more by how I will benefit that by what it will cost me. I want space, freedom of choice, selecting my involvement, what I believe, what I do.

This little blog cannot fully cover all the ingredients in this big conversation. Although I am obviously on a massive learning curve with the Millenials and see much of what drives them as quite selfish, I am grateful for the journey that they are on. I am not sure that my generation was supposed to lay our lives down in the way that we did, all of the time, in the way that we did. We did sometimes surrender our need to know what we believe, what we should do, where we should go, to the very thing that had given us so much life.

I am not sure if our story is a reflection even of a generation or if it was simply the telling of our journey. Anyway, these are helpful moments as we do want to partner together into the future, benefiting from their life's lenses and they from ours.

Replanting - miracle and mistakes

2011-07-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

Wrestling through the chapter on Culture /postmodernity and the Replanter... would love you to help me a little here... it is not one we have done that well over the years. Having helped churches in over 60 countries of the world, I think we have been particularly poor at this. Yet Paul was a genius at it - getting the marketplace conversations, engaging the language of nations, understanding the economy of words, the drama of the courtroom and the poetry of the thinkers of various cities and states.

We must enlarge our culture conversations or we will remain leaders of the 90's. There are many folks who are still there so we can do OK, but lose the long term war.

The Earth as 100

2011-07-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this...

"If we could shrink the earth's population down to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
6 people would possess 59 % of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the USA
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death
1 would be near birth
1 would have a college education
1 would own a computer"

OK, so lets start this Christian thing again. If this was our matrix, what would our Christianity look like?

Pastoring our city - 10 questions

2011-07-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am loving the worldwide call to take ownership of our "Jerusalem". For our journey, it has been very easy to respond to the call to the nations. That is the dream that grabbed our soul from the 80's. We moved nations and continents. We raked up frequent flyer miles as we had a dream to die for, a hill to die on.

But God, rich in mercy, would simply not let us mature with lopsided development - one muscle group over all the others, has called us to attention. The Acts 1 and Matt 28 mandate remains: "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost..."

Defining our city in the modern world is a fun theological and sociological exercise. It does depend on many factors both factual as well as perceived, mindsets as well as boundary lines. So in the spirit of Luke 15 here are some questions:

How do we define our city limits?
What is the demographic of this city?
What are the things that define the city sociologically?
What are the questions the city is wrestling with?
Who in the city has a similar heart that we can / need to be partnering with?
What are the key action points-the limp of the city?
How can I preach into the soul of the city?
What is my prayer passion for my city?
Where can my church lay down our life for the city?
Who are the key voices in the city that we need to connect with?

I would love to hear from you...

Relocation mindset changes

2011-07-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since I last blogged... what a month. In that time left LA for Perth. Had the joy of seeing my third grand baby born. Then flew to London to preside over the handover of the Kingsgate Church in Kingston as well as spent the chunk of the Tuesday meeting with some pastors. Loved the conversations.

After returning to Perth Oz, I preached here in the Lifeworx community which I loved. I postponed a trip to Brisbane to be with our dear friends Leon and Sonja Bowles to later in the month, so that I can spend 2 weeks putting in the fundamental shape to my book: "Replanting: The mistakes I made".

On Sunday afternoon I had the joy of ministering with M and Tom and Una, being asked by Mark T to empower them as leaders as they prepare to move the church from the suburbs to the center of Perth. It was a very special time. With the chats came great prophetic Holy SPirit moments. Fabulous.

Here are the 10 mindset changes I suggested that need to make in order to make the move truly kingdom impacting. Here is the summary:

From a 1 dream / 1 DNA story to a collage of dreams as they all add their dreams to a bigger dream but still with 1 DNA,
From 1 family essence to many family points around the city,
From 1 locality / facility to several catalytic points around the city,
From 1 suburb to 1 city with many suburbs,
From largely 1 ethnicity to a multi-cultural community,
From 1 preacher to many missionaries to the city,
From 1 worship team and style to many worship teams with many styles and emphases,
From ministering to a few to ministering to the multitude / pastoring the city,
From 1 gathering point of growth to many growth points and centers,
From 'everyone does everything' to 'everyone does one thing'.

Each a larger story with a great convo required...

Apostlic and my Church Plant -Sean Dooley

2011-06-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

From my friend Sean Dooley who leads a church plant in the UK....

LOOKING FOR THE APOSTOLIC FOR MY CHURCH.

I think I have come to the place where I am able to define what I am looking for in the relationship between a local church and an apostle. Excuse the vowel-ish alliteration but I am looking for an apostolic ministry that is:

Apostolic - where the man that I am looking to has a clearly apostolic anointing upon him. Not that he has a big church or has people flocking to his ministry. Sometimes we mistakenly equate church success with apostolicity.
Equipping - they and the ministries that revolve around their apostolic ministry are indeed equipping the saints in my church.
International - they connect us with other churches, church plants and kingdom initiatives in our nation and the nations.
Open - they are totally unthreatened by us inviting in other Eph 4:11 ministries that we feel are what we need at the time. That they themselves are also open to work with other Eph 4:11 flows. Their highest agenda must be the health of the local churches, not the size or shape of their "apostolic team" (if there even is such a clearly defined thing in the NT). They must also be willing to joyfully release any emerging apostles to their own spheres without holding them into their sphere.
Unbounded - this apostle and the other Eph 4:11 ministries that revolve around him should not create a clearly bounded "team", but work with an organically fluid group of Eph 4:11 ministries as is appropriate for different nations, different situations and different local churches . Each local church will know very clearly which apostle and which other Eph 4:11 ministries they are looking to. The apostle and the other Eph 4:11 ministries however, will NOT know exactly how many churches are looking to them at any one time. Some churches may call on them once, or twice and then never again. Some may call on them for many years.

The local church has got to remain centre stage. Not the "apostolic teams" as loosely defined as these may be. They are there to help the local church be all she has been called to be by our Lord Jesus Christ.

From Architect to Church Replanter...

2011-06-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Phil Jensen is an architect who has shifted to becoming a "church replanter"! I know. That is pretty wild. He has been here in LA for a while now, learning and being enlarged and is going back to the UK to take on the reins of a church in Cornwall. In our replanting conversations he made the parallel to his architectural days and here is his summary:

"One of the first jobs that I had when I left university was to survey farm buildings that were going to be converted into homes. It was dirty, smelly, glorious work. I might have been standing ankle deep in manure, but each day I got to dream of possibilities. To mentally expose the gems that time and decay had hidden, and then to visualize a future where they would form the bedrock of the new.

In a recent conversation about church replanting I was struck by how much of what we were talking about related to that old job. So here are a few thoughts on renovating buildings that speak into the process of replanting.

1. Clearly see what is– The first step is to discern and call out what is strong, beautiful, full of latent life; and also what is weak, ugly and decaying. And don’t rush! A hasty survey almost always leads to unpleasant surprises down the line.

2. Clearly envision what can be - The job of the architect is to prophetically envision what can be. In doing so they create a compelling vision of the future that sees the old as an asset to be leveraged rather than a liability to be discarded.

3. Honor the old while bringing in the new – The very best conversions celebrate and honor what is good in the old by the introduction of the new. Honoring sometimes will mean complementing the old, but sometimes it will mean contrasting with it. Both are equally valid options, the question is what will best serve the purpose it will fulfill.

4. Recognize that bringing life means bringing death – renovation and replanting involve creative destruction. Part of the path to bringing new life is bringing about the death of aspects of the old that are no longer needed. That process is inherently messy.

5. Plan carefully how to introduce change - Possibly the worst day I had at the office was when our builders undermined the foundations of the existing building they worked on. It went from being a beautiful 18^th century shop to a pile of rubble in 20 minutes. Renovating brings risk and how and when to bring in change needs careful thought. Sometimes time has to be invested in stabilizing and strengthening what is there before what is new is brought in.

6. Be patient – Related to planning is patience. Some things simply cannot be rushed as frustrating as that might be.

7. Understand that it is costlier, messier and takes longer – The cost of converting an existing building is on average 25-75% greater in terms of money, effort and time than building new. Neither replanting nor building conversion is an easy option.

So if it is that demanding, why bother?

When a building is converted well it is greater than either the old or the new. There is something compelling about the dance between the two: the settled richness of history and the restless vibrancy of the new combining to create something greater than their component parts. Synergy is an overused (and often misused) word at the moment. But synergy is what makes renovating exciting and worthwhile. I would argue it is also what makes replanting worthwhile."

What a great visual!

Genesis Collective - Lead

2011-06-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Every believer a leader!

My friends muse and are amused by my continuous referral to the garden. I simply love going back to Genesis 1 - 3. Hidden in the celebration and calamity if these three chapters, lies the notion of divine original intent. What did God have in mind when he created mankind? Well, in the light of our convo today, God invested in us humans the mantle to lead. From the eternal echo that "each will produce after their own kind... to... Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea."

These words are all leadership words. When John Maxwell states that leadership at its most intro level is to "influence",we are reminded all believers are called to be leaders. Why do I say that?

Leader of one - of their own life - that is where the gospel first expresses itself in us, where we move from slaves of sin, to sons / daughters of the most high,
Leader in their homes - where the gospel gains traction in collaborative unity with diversity, like the Trinity,
Leader in their world - not just be missional to take the gospel to the marketplace, but also to lead in that world of ideas and practices,
Leader in the Christ community - continually engage in the power of the redeemed togetherness so that the world can see the God story unfold,
Leader with an eye on the future - as worshippers of the creator, we periodically have a glimpse into the future, by both gifts as well as worship, we get a peek into the heavenlies, not simply living in the limitations of the now and the tangible.

Therefore, a healthy church is one for whom the Leadership cornerstone has high value in the communities journey - otherwise it will be a one generational story. That is a price tag that is too costly - all the effort and labor only to peter out after round one. Hiring and firing is not Plan A. Fathers having sons who are empowered to become fathers in their own right is the true bible way:"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother..." Being celebrated to "start your own family" is the goal of all child rearing, so too for those who have church planting in their bones and again for those who are emerging apostolic pioneers.

Paul and his story with Timothy is still one of our greatest examples. Poorly called "The Pastoral Epistles", they are 2 glorious books in which Paul writes to Timothy as -

A father writes to a son,
A church planter writes to his successor,
An apostle writes to an emerging Ephesians 4 [E4] gift.

Following these three forms of relationships brings depth of meaning to the text. It also empowers us to use the 6 chapters of 1 Timothy as a guideline to leadership development - whether that is for a novice as in Leadership 101, through the church planter / replanter, through the weight and essential nature of the E4 gifting given to the church to partner with her and her story.

With the summer on us, here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a good time to recalibrate with the new year in mind. May I strongly suggest, the Leadership cornerstone gains its true and legitimate role again. Not just doing leadership, but also leadership development in all its forms. Here in the LA / OC area in the fall, The Genesis Collective Initiative will include a "Travelling through Timothy" Intensive. We will not get through all of Timothy this time but will at least explore these essentials to empower the new and the novice, as well as the weary old warhorse:

Friday night: Discovering my Calling,
Saturday I - Developing my Devotions,
Saturday II - Expanding my Character,
Saturday III - Explaining my Doctrine.

To be cont...

Genesis Collective - Hubs

2011-06-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hub: “The central part of a wheel, rotating on or with an axle, & from which spokes radiate” Oxford dictionary

“The central part of a circular object; a center of activity esp an airport or city with heavy air traffic” Webster’s dictionary. Such language of mobility, intensity and intentionality! I love the sense of movement in those definitions.

Whenever the Father is on about something, we try to shape it through theology and the language that that gives us. Then periodically we are faced with architectural pieces for which our vocabulary is just not enough. Then we need scaffolding - temporary words to help us understand what the Father is shaping. The thing we must always remember about scaffolding, is that it is there to build something else. The moment that becomes the building, the thing we defend the most, we have lost our way. Scaffolding is there to help us then, at the appropriate time, however we are to tear it down.

When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, he said: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…” 1 Thess 1:6 – 8 That is what we are talking about – the E4 gifts are to be imitated, but it is the “Hub” church that is to be an example… the word has sounded forth from you… your faith has gone forth everywhere”

The future of the church is around strong, solid, sacrificial, mobile “hubs” who live for the benefit of others. The E4 gifts are there to empower them on their journey, not to be the center of the wheel themselves. I do think we are far too vulnerable to a celebrity culture - where once again we want one man to be king. I am just not seeing that in the New Testament. I am seeing honor, love and gift recognition. But any effort to make one man "the stud", Paul fights will all passion. We cannot make E4 the new nobility. We only have one king and his name is Jesus. For the rest, we are simply citizens together, with love, respect, humility and honor where each person and gifting is celebrated as unique and vital.

Here are some ingredients for a healthy hub, that may be helpful as they accpet their role as an example:

· They plant churches as a conviction that that is the basis to transform cities and disciple nations,

· These church plants can be autonomous / independent or autonomous / interdependent,

· They must be prepared to love and lead ‘orphan’ churches who have been left without partnership in their journey,

· They are to accept that they also fulfill a ‘lighthouse role’ where there are churches that simply want to come under the safety of their light but not necessarily become close cadres, but remain models of faith, conduct, architecture and exploration,

· They desire to empower those who plant from them to become hubs in their own rights. The object of this labor of love in not imperialism but multiplication,

· They are hubs of training, friendship, resourceing, collaboration, faith, prayer, catalytic conversations and sometimes simple sanity.

· They are centers of receiving the raw material of new converts or beaten up old campaigners, recognizing the God gift, investing, training, equipping, creating opportunities, then releasing them to a higher call and a great kingdom story. The hub church knows they are not the biggest story – Jesus, the gospel and the nations are.

· These communities will be riddled with E4 gifts – one need only look at Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus to see the weight and bias of a church loaded with collaborative E4 gifts operating together,

· These E4 gifts go out to empower these plants, replants, orphans but return to the freedom of the Hub as Paul did in the Antioch story.

Well, there is so much more to this conversation. I simply want to get us to detox from models that overly elevate the E4 as king. There is a new way to do this gig. We cannot simply repeat the past. It has not always been a good friend or tutor...

Genesis Collective - E4 and Hubs

2011-06-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Two ingredients. Two major pieces of the evolving church story. Whichever you emphasize will produce remarkably different results.

E4 are the fivefold grace gifts that the ascended Jesus gave to his church - essential, vital and foundational. Hubs are base churches that offer collaborative partnerships within the orb of their love and labor. They offer a picture of a working but not perfect church that others can glean from. Their example will embolden the new, struggling or stagnant churches to reach for new heights in their God story.

Church history is a remarkable tutor, yet so few drink intentionally at her fountain. Whilst every move of God has clear leadership, I do wonder if the emphasis should be on the E4 gifts or on the Hub churches. Which muscle will we exercise more? My thesis is that the New Testament keeps pointing us toward the churches and away from the E4 gifts. Here are some examples:

Paul says of these gifts: "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God... God has exhibited us as apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world... we are fools for Christ... we have become and are still, like the scum of the earth, the refuse of all things." 1 Cor 4: 1 + 9 - 13. This is certainly not the picture of anyone as the center of the kingdom but Jesus.

When Paul wanted his theology to be confirmed or corrected he went to the Hub in Jerusalem. [ Gal 1 + 2] He did not go to the big names, but to those "who seemed to be the leaders". They did not offer anything to improve his message but he looked to the Hub for his clarity.

The intriguing Acts 15, sees a great theological crisis in Antioch. Again note the response, Paul and Barnabas take the controversy back to the Hub in Jerusalem, where they met with "apostles, elders and all the people". Now that is a 'wow' passage. They looked to the Hub with all of its people.

The Book of Revelation was written to Hub churches and not to the E4 leaders.

Friends I am so persuaded about the role that the E4 gifts have to play in the local churches. However, they are there to empower the churches on their journey, not conform them to an external model, pattern or preferred architecture! The E4 are not there for conformity. That is what shapes denominations. There is not much architecturally that the scripture requires. The E4 are there to aid, partner, help apply great theology to the matrix of every church's unique story. The scripture points to churches as the apple of his eye not anything else.

Hub churches are the key. This is the muscle we must develop. Their clear mission, matched with their unique DNA, expressed within their remarkable, compelling community, is what must gain our focussed attention. That is where Genesis Collective wants the attention to be - less of us and so much more of Him. As E4 gifts, we can help set up key Hubs who, are seen to be extraordinary communities, together on mission with the gospel, to transform cities and countries.

True Hubs will plant other Hubs, release new Hubs, support struggling Hubs. They will seek to multiply themselves in planting churches, replant dying churches, giving themselves away for the kingdom to advance, never seeking to dominate the city landscape with self proclaimed accolades. Rather, they will see their true value in their service of others to empower churches, transform cities and disciple nations. Nothing less is worth dying for.

Genesis Collective - The Anchor Spaces

2011-06-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

"In his book, Dan H Pink, tells the story about Clare Booth Luce, the accomplished playwright, journalist and Republican member of Congress. In 1962, Luce had a meeting with President Kennedy, who was at that time, pursuing an ambitious agenda domestically and overseas. She worried about his diffuse priorities. ' A great man,' she advised him, 'is one sentence'. President Lincoln's sentence was obvious: 'He preserved the union and freed the slaves.' So was FDR's 'He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us to win a world war.' What Luce challenged the president, was to be his sentence?" [Radical Practically: William C. Taylor pgs 115 / 6]

Wow. I have had to let that simmer a little. Most of us start this ministry journey needing to become 'specialist generalists'. We are called to spin many plates. As we learn the ropes of loving the King and loving his bride, we collide with our propensity toward self sins - self protection, self gratification, self promotion, self ambition... Slowly the eternal hands of mercy coaches, coaxes and catalyzes us towards self death and the unspeakable joy of dying to ourselves daily. This is a victory we never achieve but by dying to all these self values. Only then do we fully understand.

I started preaching on the streets of Durban some 34 years ago. That is where the journey began. On the beachfront, before tourists and friends alike - but Jesus was worth the embarrassment wasn't he? All these years later, by 'Journeying with friends' I am so stirred to live that one sentence. When we look over our shoulders, M and I have not done much well. I guess our sentence will read something like: "Establishing key hub churches and empowering very believer to be a leader". What is yours?

Genesis Collective is not about Chris and Meryl. It is about a collective of Ephesians 4 gifted friends, who, through organic partnership want to empower churches and all expressions of leadership on their journey. For the next 12 months or so, we will anchor some of the Genesis role around these spaces:

Walking alongside leaders on face to face time around dining room tables - desiring sons to become fathers / daughters becoming mothers,
Strategic partnerships with churches and plants, that we are seeking to empower on their journey,
Visit these churches around the world, to expand their God story, keep the gospel the center piece and ever shape the architecture, as they evolve on their journey,
Exploration - our monthly convo here in OC / LA for pastors and planters on matters on common interest,
Plant OC / LA - a monthly meal with planters, simply to hear their stories and breathe wind into their sails,
Marketplace Leadership - in collaboration with Rock Harbor and Southlands Church, a conversation to equip marketplace believers to be leaders in their world,
Traveling through Timothy - taking novice and new believers as well as some weary old warhorses through the text to ready them for the next chapter of their leadership story,
C2C - this conversation is for those who are or planning to be church planting or replanting, by letting current planters tell their story - also the major catalysts will be Jeff Vanderstelt and Terry Virgo,
Urban Renewal - which Alan Frow and the Southlands crew lead but we back fully - a Word and Spirit on Mission gathering that annually explores the genius of this journey. I do so enjoy it,
Church Planting training assessments and training will be ongoing,
Leading Large Churches is a conversation we are planning for April 2012 for some from around the world, who are in that space and feel like they need some voices to retrain them for this new task,
"Dubai Dialogue" has been our forum of friendship, collaboration, partnership with friends who are leading their own apostolic movements, to dialogue, learn from, enjoy...

What do you think? As always, there is more, but that reflects the Genesis heart. This is pretty exciting you would agree. I am so loving my friendships with new and old friends, from here in LA to some who are fighting the good fight around the world. When I met Dudley in 1983, I believed that I would journey for life with friends. I never wanted to spend my life building an organization and then expend enormous effort trying to uphold it. It is about doing life with friends... that is what Jesus did. That is what the great apostle of love - John taught us. I want to be part of that story - and all for the sake of the Gospel!

CHurch Planting Conversation - C2C

2011-06-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

I am not a big conference guy. The highly impersonal nature about these events always feels so strange to me. The very nature of my faith is its high relational quotient. From the intimacy of the garden, when the Father walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, through Jesus doing life with his disciples, relational partnerships leaks through every page of the scriptures.

Therefore when we began to explore the notion of a church planting gig, we knew that it had to have a strong relational piece in the design. It also had to be interactive, conversations more than endless monologues. And then, thirdly, we wanted to hear from church planters and church replanters themselves, not just someone who did it years ago, or who wrote a book about it...

C2C seeks to fulfill those passions. Named as such after the big idea of "church planter to church planter" it is designed for those with a strong gospel passion:

who are church planters,
who are on a church planting team,
who desire to raise up and release church planters as hub churches,
who lead multi-sites / campuses,
who are seeking to establish these missional communities,
who are taking a church that has become stagnant, sluggish and is in decline and replanting her,
who wish to get refreshed, strengthened and freshly empowered after a time "in the field".

Catalyzed by Genesis Collective, hosted by Rock Harbor church in Costa Mesa California, C2C will run 18 - 21 October 2011. In the next blog I will give more detail of the shape of these few days together.

Genesis Collective - The Anchor Pieces

2011-06-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks for letting me dream with you. The challenge of any new chapter in our lives, is knowing which parts of our past we carry over into the future. Secondly, which parts were great but remain in the last chapter of the great God story and thirdly, which parts were poor, maybe destructive, and unhelpful - definitely needing to remain as lessons learnt, wounds we carry or simply mistakes we made. There is always the possibility of an immature knee-jerk reaction whereby we want to dismiss all the past as painful and miss the Joseph lesson of seeing the Father's hand in it all - thus "throwing out the baby with the bath water".

The Genesis Collective is our third chapter in a church planting, leadership development story. The 70's into the early 80's saw us part of a "Jesus People" styled church planting journey that imploded. Then we spent 25 years or so, in a remarkable brotherhood committed to planting churches in the nations of the world. I loved those years and continue to love these men and their families. Sparked by the theology of multiplication, I knew that "sons had become fathers" and had to be celebrated and empowered to leave home and start their own journeys. That brought me to this evolving revelation.

The Genesis Collective is an Ephesians 4 collective of friends, who, inspired by the Genesis account of creativity, increase, multiplication and all nations, seek to empower leaders to transform their communities, cities and countries.

The Anchor Pieces are really continuing what we have been doing for the last 30 years or so. However, we do have a new understanding that we are trying to reach and minister into a totally different world today, therefore needing to apply the sacred texts to a new culture / context conversation. The forms of this collaboration include:

Resources - using our website, making available writings, blogs, books, training manuals and various forms of instructions, podcasts of relevant teachings that reflect our DNA, for all forms of leadership;
Leadership Development - in all its forms, from leadership of self, to the home, the church and becoming leaders in the marketplace are all on our radar;
Planting - through personal investment and Bible conversations, we desire to aid churches to recognize, raise up and release these church planters to plant gospel centered communities around the world;
Replanting - so much of the pioneering nature of the great commission will include "replanting the ruined... and desolate places" [Ez 36:36] by journeying with churches that have become stagnant and decaying, to partner with them to reinvent and re-calibrate themselves once again to become key, strategic and vibrant for the gospel;
Mega-churches - to transition these churches from the mono-vision of simple increase to the theology of multiplication by becoming apostolic movements in their own rights.

Each of these anchor pieces are pivotal and weighty. They can only be achieved around the world by this collaboration of friends. It it not to set up new networks, denominations or organizations. We believe the E4 grace is to walk alongside in gospel partnership with these churches, leaders and marketplace missionaries... but more of that in the next blog.

Genesis Collective - The Theology 2

2011-06-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

I love more than one - don't you? I mean a little alone time is fun but then a need for a hug from my beautiful wife, friend, lover, - laughter with my wonderfully wackey songwriting Jesus loving daughter, - coffee with a daughter who is blossoming into a mother of many in the Jesus story or the raw, robust "abuse" that only a father and son who love each other, fully understand.

I love more than one - don't you? They put that in us - you know, the three who danced together before the beginning and will do it after the end. The sheer beauty of unadulterated love, that is who they are. The indescribable oneness without imposing on their perfect diversity simply adds to this mystery even more.

I love more than one - don't you?

Genesis Collective is not about Chris and Meryl like this is our roadshow. "Collective" has been intentionally chosen to reflect a journey of friends. When we read the sacred text, we are delighted and astounded, that it reflects the color of friends doing life together. From the garden when Adam and Eve walked intimately with their Father, through the great friendship stories of Moses and Joshua, David and Jonothan, Ruth and Naomi, Jesus and the boys, Paul and Timothy and the list goes on. It is right there on the sweet scripture pages... "I used to call you servants, I now call you friends" Jesus

"Collective" is even more intentional. Jesus took 12 men and journeyed together. In a blend of discipleship, apostolic impartation and legacy leaving investment, he set them up to be world shapers. That is pretty wild, to believe that a few friends could change the world. Yet when I met Dudley Daniel, my 'father' as a spiritual leader, he got us to believe that we could change the world by discipling the nations through church planting. What a dream to believe in, a hill to die on!

Ephesians 4 frames this theological piece. The Trinity is steeped in the first 6 verses. Its all about "unity in diversity" as a picture of a new leadership story that is highly collaborative yet celebrating distinctives. Paul then takes us in the theology of the "ascension grace gifts". Jesus did not hand his gig over to one man. The anticipation was palatable as he was waited to hang with his Father again. However there was time for one more thing. He handed over apo authority to 11 men on whose shoulders the redemption of the world rested. What a moment. What a weight. What a God plan for no man would have dreamt it up.

Jesus, messiah, healer, rabbi, leader, redeemer, friend handed his full gifting onto men and women who would continue both his ministry and his government on Project Planet Earth. These apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are to carry this collective responsibility to:

to prepare God's people for works of service,
so that the body of Chris may be built up,
UNTIL we reach the unity of the faith,
the knowledge of the Son of God,
become mature,
attaining the full measure of the fullness of Christ,
no longer infants tossed back and forth by the waves,
blown here and there by every wind of teaching,
by the cunning and craftiness of men and their deceitful scheming,
speaking the truth in love,
we will in all things grow up into HIM,
whole body joined together by every supporting ligament
each part does its work...

"Collective" desires to reflect the ongoing story of the Acts account, ordinary men and women who together, shook and changed their world. Even more specifically, we are a specific group of Ephesians 4 grace gifts, who, through collaboration, seek to empower pastors, churches and marketplace leaders in their story, on their journey. It is not a network or organization. It is not a denomination nor a franchise. We are E4 gifts who partner together to "get the job done down the stretch" [ OK forgive the basketball quote].

These gifts are clearly identifiable by their passion, fruit, emphasis, and impact. No church only needs one or two of these gifts. No amount of coaches, mentors and other man made surrogates can replace the beauty of these Jesus gifts - he gave them and we need them all. Genesis Collective is not about one couple, nor about one story. It is about collaborative friendships, E4 giftings who travel alongside churches to empower them in their story. These beautiful churches are the apple of his eye and we are simply the eunuchs serving this intoxicating bride.

Genesis Collective - The Theology 1

2011-05-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

Artists taught me. My Christian experience drew me out of the comfort and relative safety of suburbia into the deep realty of the inner city. God in his kindness, never let me choose the ease of the outer city. Rather, my early Christian experience was living communally and ministering on the streets of Durban, South Africa. When M and I planted Glenridge back in the 80's, the church was young [M was 21 and at university. I was 24] For reasons of divine genius, we somehow attracted many students and artists and they changed my life.

They opened my eyes to the divine introduction of Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created..." Of everything that God could have said of himself, he chooses to introduce himself not as the All-mighty, nor as the Sovereign One but as the Artist - the ever creating one. Starting our spiritual story here will make all the difference. As Francis Schaeffer [philosopher and theologian] said: "We are living in the 8th day of creation" meaning God is still creating today. This revelation keeps our spiritual journey full of color, creativity, spontaneity and uniqueness, anticipating the new morning, new dawning, new creation as a common part of our lives.

The theology behind the " Genesis Collective" is rather simple:

"Genesis" is chosen because it speaks of:

* new birth, new beginnings, new life,

* it defines God original intent,

* it introduces the wondrous mystery of the "three in one" God we serve,

* it clarifies the nature of God, man, Satan and the fall,

* it introduces us to the great redemptive narrative.

Added to these wonderful components, Genesis frames the way we are to do life, ministry and shape an apostolic future:

* God blessed them - the wonder of grace and favor, empowers us to live lives of impact and sacrifice, by faith with the Holy Spirit's power,

* Increase - as with a family, the natural outworking of marriage is the expectation that God will add growth, have children. Furthermore, it gives us a peep into the reality that where there is true God life, there is growth, because He adds it,

* Multiply - this theology of multiplication holds the key for movements not to stagnate or simply seek to grow one essence larger. Rather, as families move from increase [having children] to children leaving home, getting married and starting new families, so health in churches is to plant others, whilst health in movements is not to get one fat large one, rather start and empower emerging apostles to fire up their own movements and not forever be "sons in the house",

* Fill the earth - the garden was never the destination. It was the point of departure. Walking with God, conversing around Project Planet Earth was the foundation which the fall interrupted. This seeded the apostolic thirst that resides in us from the moment we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. We somehow know there is a bigger story out there for us to give our lives to. Simply being put in a repetitive holding pattern of being pleasant christians fulfilling suburban requirements is not going to satisfy this thirst for a supernatural life of risk and adventure.

* According to their own kind - this DNA inheritance is catalytic for the way a church or a movement will evolve. As the adage goes "so the leader, so the people". Leadership development is therefore essential for long term life. Resisting the temptation to embark on a "hire / fire corporate approach" this form of Christianity is known by the way "fathers invest into sons to make them fathers who have sons..." This marvelous God fashioned way of doing life and church will never be replaced by any modern ideas or fandangled notions. Parents have children in whom they invest, to empower them to get out into the world to live their story as kingdom advancing, gospel centered leaders. That seems to be the bible way, God's original intention.

These key ideas have helped to anchor the way we do life and church. Next blog will explain the "Collective" piece of the puzzle.

Genesis Collective - the Dream

2011-05-31T06:16:00.001-07:00

Religion or Discipleship

2011-05-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Nick Davis sent me this text. It is used with his permission:

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:16–18)

To paraphrase D Bosch, the disciples of Jesus - called as firstfruits to us all - stand in stark difference to the disciples of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law

THE CHOICE.............The religious student chose his own teacher; but Jesus chose his disciples. We have not enrolled, but been enrolled. This is not a career move but the Call of God.
THE FOCUS...............The religious student enrolled to study the Torah – the law of God; Christ’s disciples are enrolled to study Him. He is the Word of God, the radiance of the Father.
THE RELATIONSHIP....The religious student was only a student; Christ’s disciples are his servants too. They serve with Christ, even as He serves the Father’s will. Students become lecturers, servants become friends.
THE MOTIVE..............The religious student enrolled to be trained, so he could get a chief seat; Christ’s disciples always remain his students, and being discipled by God is their destiny. Only Christ enjoys elevation.
THE HALLMARK.........The religious student can boast in his teacher; Christ’s disciples boast in the Lord. We also learn from Christ through community; we are not “of Paul, Cephas, Apollos”. No man hallmarks us.
THE PURPOSE............The religious student learns the Law to be able to teach others and preserve Judaism and her ethos; Christ disciples learn from Him to enjoy God and proclaim his kingdom to the world.
THE TIME FRAME.......The religious student learns from the past and preserves this knowledge in the present; Christ’s disciples learn from Him and lean into the future. The knowledge of God will keep increasing until His appearing.

So, religion today would include:

being in charge more than responding to God (control).
being a student of the Bible more than one who studies God (knowledge)
being a learner but not a servant (obedience)
being a means to an end, not making Christ the Worthy End (worship)
being known as disciples of a system or teacher, more than disciples of Christ (sonship)
preserving Christianity more than propagating it. (purpose)
being a conservative in the present day rather than a progressive for the future kingdom (relevance)

Genesis Collective - the Dream

2011-05-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have loved my life. There is such a sense of deep rooted gratitude for the Father giving me a life beyond my dreams. When I think back now over the past dreams, they are embarrassing. They were both too small as well as ideas of grandeur. Honestly, I am so relieved that the Father did not let me live out my dreams. His are so much more empowering, lasting and satisfying.

Since coming to faith at the end of the Jesus People Movement, I was part of a church planting movement that seeded this great and noble dream in my heart but also showed me the consequences of poor, non-bible planting. At best it will last a decade.

From 1983, I spent the next 25 years, again planting churches with friends. I am so grateful to God for putting a spiritual father in my life, who not only fashioned me but gave me a hill to die on - the raw gutsy naive notion that we could change the world through church planting in all nations. I believed him then. I believe him now.

But the Father turned the page, a third chapter of church planting was starting to happen for M and me. Stepping out of the known into the unknown was once again Abrahamic in heart and Pauline in passion. Getting out of the boat is never easy. Moving from the known, formed, shaped and predictable into the unformed and uncertain is loaded with both faith and vulnerability. I knew there would be a period of detoxing needed. Not because the last chapter was bad. I loved those 25 years - warts and all. It is just that everything had to come under the anvil of divine scrutiny. All that was not biblical or of only one season's value had to be removed. That is never easy.

However the dream lives on in me. I live to disciple the nations. I live to train up leaders to impact these nations both in the marketplace with missional mindedness as well as through church planting. But I want to discover the new story, the new adventure of what that looks like in the 21st century. That is the birth point of the Genesis Collective.

Blog Difficulties

2011-05-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey all

Sorry about the recent lack of convos... I have had some difficulties with this program but I am up and running again. Lots to chat about and update you on.

The Gifts of the Spirit

2011-05-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

Today the "Urban Renewal" conversation starts here in OC. This "Word / Spirit conversation around mission", is going to be a fun time with some dear friends from both LA and the nations gathering together around this most weighty matter.

Alan Frow asked me to speak on "the Gifts of the Spirit". The temptation is to simply take what I already know, salt it with some gospel, spice it with a few stories, and then repeat the old tune. The problem is however, I may have read it and taught it poorly or insufficiently from days gone by. Projecting the past into the future is one of the most regular errors made in leadership, when we do not audit our journey with honesty, biblical censure, and regularity. Sometimes the busyness of leadership, subtly distracts us from the vital necessity of review and revisit in order to remain fresh, true and current in our theological thought and practice.

So I sat at my desk and began to study the subject as if, for the very first time.

What soon became clear, was how my past experiences had fashioned my thinking and not all of them were biblically accurate nor gospel empowering. Furthermore, anyone who has been a Christ follower for any period of time, will already be the victim of cultural / contextual conclusions but not necessarily have gotten there by their own investigation. This may be:

1. Cessationism - the gifts stopped flowing at the end of the apostolic era, when the church got the scriptures, God stopped speaking...

2. Pentecostalism - born out of a great divine visitation, but many of them got stuck in the culture it produced, as well as making tongues the center stage conversation piece,

3. Charismatics - again forged by a most remarkable God visit, this time not producing denominations as much as taking the living Holy Spirit presence into churches of all shapes and forms. Many wondrous stories can be told of these times but also, much excess and weirdness discredited a most intriguing moment of church history,

4. Kingdom now - is sneaking into the radar again, whereby poor theology is directing many down the path that sets believers up for pain and disappointment. These hungry seekers are once again living in the misunderstanding that somehow, somewhere, believers can usher in a world where all can be healed every time, now...

5. Ignorance - some just don't know, living daily without the "awesomeness" of the Holy Spirit's presence, person, power and partnership that is so captivating and real.

6. Or... is there another way?

I had such a helpful convo with my friend Rick Martinez yesterday. He worked with John Wimber for many years and saw God do some pretty amazing things. Yet Rick was deeply dissatisfied, so he too set out on a journey to revisit the great and wonderful texts to see what the Holy Spirit would reveal. His perspectives were most helpful...

Wigglesworth prophecy...

2011-05-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get hold of this prophecy for awhile. It is one the intriguing British plumber gave just before he died in the middle of the last century. Thanks to Alan Frow, here is the "word":

Smith Wigglesworth, the simple Welsh plumber known as 'the apostle of faith,' prophesied the following before he died in 1947.
"During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterized by a restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches.
In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, 'This is a great revival.' But the Lord says, 'No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.'
When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth."

Letting God finish my fathering...

2011-05-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

The news came through on my iPhone yesterday as I was driving on the LA freeways - the song the my daughter Daena Jay sang for ABC TV [ "Home Again"] has been nominated for an EMMY award. M and I got so chocked up as we sought to let her know. God is so kind.

Why is this so amazing? When we moved to the States, it was such a surprise for us. We had wanted to move to the East to take the Gospel to the billions of people who do not know the name of Jesus there. Yet God spoke so clearly to us that the USA was our next gospel destination. Arriving in LA to replant that community was very tough. Not the people but the challenge of the mandate, the history of the community and the enemy's efforts to spoil our labor. In the heat of the replant we had to make many calls that required sacrifice for and from our children. Added to this wildly busy time, was that, on occasion, they had been approached by agencies - for Nas to model and Daena to go to TV. We resisted these temptations. Too busy and too many pitfalls.

As a dad, I often asked God not to let my bad decisions prove to be a hinderance for my children. Every public "no" to an opportunity, did leave me privately wondering if I was somehow messing with my children's future. I simply had to trust this wonderful God that he would complete the work in their lives. So I have seen God at work. He has finished my fathering where I have been limited and short sighted. He has perfected their story where I have erred. He has opened doors when I was not able to see them. God is so good. His immanence is overwhelming.

Whether the song wins or not is not my place of worship today. As I write this blog, I am so awed by His goodness. For those, who like us, have sacrificed for the sake of the gospel, my story tells you, watch God finish the journey for your children. Your acts of generosity have not gone unnoticed in the wonder of eternity. Our good God is busy with your story too. He has seen the games your children did NOT play. He has noted the toys that you could not afford and the opportunities you did not let your kids take up. My Father has seen and will finish the story. He loves our children more than we do. He is committed to them walking out every act of kindness he has scheduled for them. He is their Father and for that I am most grateful.

Thank you...

The last two weeks.

2011-05-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a 10 day roadie. Loved the time in Raleigh NC. Freeway Church, under the captaincy of Frikkie and Liesel is doing so well. To have 6 days with them, scrumming down on the big leadership conversations for their future, was an honor. For this new church plant, to emerge with 2 or three new elders as well as a flurry of deacons, was delightful to see.

For so many years we tried to conform all churches to "the model / the pattern"... believing by default that "one size fits all". That was a dreadful error. I am so sorry. There was a subtle insinuation that God was then obligated to fill the gatherings with people - after all, we had 'the model'.

The last four or five years has seen the humility return [we cannot say we have "the model" - that is sheer arrogance]. God has been so kind to take us back to the central story - we are called to plant the gospel, then shape the community around that story in such a way that is culturally aware, contextually accurate and biblically true. The churches that have been born under these new skies are doing so well!

The gospel has brought revitalization to the older believers ["I feel like I have been born again again"] and drawn "not yet Jesus lovers" to see what this gospel journey is about. The difference between these types of plants is night and day. I am so proud of these planters.

In Toronto, I was asked to be part of the transition of the captaincy of the community [can you believe, also called Freeway Church] from Loys and Sharon to Jaco and Catherine. This is a community very dear to our hearts. We have watched her 12 year journey. As with all churches, she has had some remarkable highs and some devastating lows. Some of this has been caused by man's weakness and some of it by the enemy's endeavors. I am so delighted that there is new leadership legs for this new chapter. This is a very good community that is entering into the signs of spring.

Then yesterday I spent much of the day with the Rock Harbor staff. This incredible mega-church is shrouded with humility - I think the Lord loves this about them. M and I have planted a church, we have replanted a church and, in God's kindness, we have been asked to empower this mega-church to become a movement. Let it be sufficient to say at this time, most medium sized churches remain there, not because of calling or mandate but by style and approach. The corner store cannot become a major retailer if she continues to operate with small store systems. But we can talk about that later...

In Toronto with Freeway Church handover-having difficulty blogging

2011-05-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

On the road in Raleigh

2011-05-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Titus' Gospel Frame 1

2011-04-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

Don't you love being in the space where the eternal and the temporal collide? That big wave surfer gets pulled into that mega-wave to ride that ultimate face of pure, raw power. The storm chaser, who designs a vehicle that can face the awesome confrontation with that tornado as it sweeps all vestiges of life in its wake, knows that sense of reverent fear.

We live in that space. We are not psychologists who only deal with the soul. We are not just philosophers who only deal with the mind. We are not just healers who only deal with the body or sociologists who only deal with the world of relationships. We are all of these. But we are also storm chasers. We live in that space where the weight of the eternal omnipotent God breaks into the affairs of temporal fragile man. Paul says it this way to the Colossians: "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" Col 1:29.

Paul inspires Titus in handling the Cretan challenge towards the gospel. We have no solution if we do not start with God [Gen 1] go through the creation and fall of man [Gen 3] then engage in the proto-evangelium - the beginning of the redemption narrative.

There are two major gospel pointers in Titus. The first appears in vs 2:11 - 14, the second is in 3:4 - 8. These are the dual natures of the gospel which transforms believers and communities. The redemption story is so glorious, with so many words, pictures and metaphors, that I am always intrigued by which ones are emphasized in any given context.

With the Cretans being called "liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons... detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work..." Paul shapes the gospel to be presented to both the Cretan Jesus lover as well as raw rebel with : 3:4 - 8.

When the goodness and kindness of God - isn't it amazing that Paul does not suggest a good ole fire 'n brimstone approach? Rather he wants these desperate folks to discover true theology - the wonder of a kind and good Father, even though he could come in swinging with the wrath of God,

Our saviour appeared - There are never too many moments to reflect on Christ's incarnation. This hypostatic union of fully God and fully man is such a pivotal piece of our scriptural, historical and apostolic reality,

He saved us - Notice the short sweet language - it is already done, it is fully achieved, it has an out of and in to edge, it is finished,

Not because of works done by us in righteousness - there simply is no pretense that we can add to our salvation story. It is all about Him who died and rose again for us. Believers must simply be delivered from any notion that we are players in our salvation encounter. It does not matter how 'good' or how 'bad' we have been, our own righteousness is as filthy rags,

According to his mercy - this is part of the great redemption mystery... God only saves because of his mercy - none of us have earned salvation nor deserve salvation. It is simply because God is merciful. We have nothing to boast about, nor any deeds to be proud in, it is simply because he offers mercy,

By the washing of regeneration - Moving from the work of the Father [kindness, goodness, mercy] and the Son [appeared, saved] Paul now brings in the third person of the Trinity as salvation is a trinitarian partnership. Regeneration [rebirth] is a work of the Spirit - sins are washed away - both in actuality as well as in the symbolism of baptism,

And renewal of the Holy Spirit - indicates that God isn't doing a patch job on us - a little improvements here and there. Rather he is making all things new. He takes up residency in our hearts and through rebirth, renews all parts of our lives - a truly glorious journey has begun,

Whom he poured out richly through Jesus Christ our saviour - there simply is no other saviour, no other redemption, no other way to the Father, no other way to find meaning, reality, truth or purpose,

So that being justified by his grace - to ensure that the whole event is not purely seen as an emotional temporary encounter he introduces forensic language. By the eternal court of law as a proclamation of a legal decree of grace - salvation is ours!

We might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life - and finally Paul, with apostolic genius, traps the conversation in the biggest picture of all - eternity. I can hear him say to Titus: "Remind them often of eternity... so much of life has a temporal 'now' factor... however we who have been captivated by a perfect lover, live lives that eagerly anticipate his return, and that makes all the difference".

Titus' Contextual Challenges

2011-04-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Take Google Earth. Zeroing in from space right onto your house, is a little like the transition from culture to context. Culture is the big brush strokes. It provides the big picture pieces that fashions the nation as a whole. Context "google earths" you to the local realities of leading that church, with that history, in that city, with those people, on that campus, with those stories, and those dreams - one might say it is the macro / micro convos. It requires a very skilled craftsman to face the challenges of that unique community.

In fact, the difference between planting and replanting is like having your own children vs adopting or fostering a child with a history - generally it is going to be a very challenging journey. Titus is sent to an existing church. He is not going to plant one. This community has not been well planted, so Paul sends Titus in to replant her. But it is not going to be an easy task.

I do suspect that much of our work here in the USA will be about replanting. The stats indicate that around 3500 churches are closing their doors each year. Behind each closure is a story of pain, tragedy, trauma and unmet expectations. These churches must have been launched out in a clear conviction of divine intent, but many things could have led to their ultimate end. Paul equips Titus to face this, the most difficult of all situations, with full throttle.

Paul's frames the challenge that Titus will face in Titus 1:10 - 16. Here is my breakdown of the essentials that Titus must identify, then deal with. Establishing the right questions is always one of the most important matters when facing a God mandate. I think it is one of the silent catalytic characteristics of a true apostle - helping leaders identify the right questions. If they are not asked, will the correct answers be reached? As the Father asked Jeremiah: "What do you see Jeremiah?", so we need to empower 'replanters' with the right questions:

1. Is the church fragmented into "camps"? What are they? What is the hill they are dying on?

2. What is their theological framework - if any? What is the energy that drives them?

3. What is their attitude toward leadership - especially when leadership crosses them, takes them where they do not want to go, what is the heart that gets revealed?

4. How is sin identified and dealt with both individually and corporately?

5. What is the current DNA that defines them?

6. What is the outward evidence of their 'faith'?

7. What are the major battles that require priority attention? Not all the "surgery" can be done at once. You must choose your battles wisely, in order of true kingdom value, not simply based on personal preference or prejudice.

This text describes these ingredients as follows:

1. "Especially the circumcision party..." we now know that there were camps and one of the strongest was the legalists, who are still driving after some semblance of the law being upheld,

2. "Devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth..." Titus must ensure that he is a student - especially if he wishes to deal with those who seek to blur the lines of grace with law, who still want to drag new Christ followers into the arena of legalistic bondage, some form of law based conformity driven by sets of rules and laws that determine spirituality,

3. "For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers..." Paul readies Titus that he is going into a community that does not respect leadership or authority. Titus cannot go into the church, expecting to be automatically honored simply because Paul sent him. He is going to have to earn trust and respect and that will influence the pace of change that he will bring,

4. " But both their minds and consciences are defiled..." These are weighty statements! Paul is instructing Titus that even their sense of morality is fragile. Quite amazing - don't even start preaching appealing to a preset godly conscience. That is simply not there. They are not going to respond to you from a biblical position.

5. "They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for any good work..." Paul is certainly not soft soaping anything. Their DNA is simply deplorable. Yet he has not given up on them. They can be redeemed. They can be restored. That is why he is sending Titus in - but he is going to have to start at the very beginning and relay the foundations just as a tough contractor would need to do,

6. "They profess to know God but they deny him by their works..." Their testimony in the marketplace is not good. They are not even known by good works. They probably do not tithe, do not have a great heart of expansive generosity. It is like Paul is saying to Titus: "Let us get this straight, assume nothing, everything needs to be revisited and requires change."

7. "But as for you teach what accords with sound doctrine..." Paul gives Titus his first strategic step - you have to fight the theological battle first. The new chapter in this church's story has to be framed around the sacred text and the theology and doctrine it produces. This is not the time for pleasant little topical talks or motivational moments ["You can be the best you, you can be"]. This is the assault on a tough community through the simple power of the Word preached.

Any volunteers?

Titus' Cultural Convo

2011-04-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

When M and I arrived in LA in 1996, we were simply not ready for what faced us. A minor reality in our defense was that we had been preparing ourselves to plant a church in Newport Beach when the call came, belatedly, for us to take over the captaincy from Jesse Mason in the Christian Chapel story. We had already handed over the reins of Glenridge but it was only 3 weeks before we flew out to our new faith chapter, that the goal posts changed.

However, we were not ready. We had an over realized passion for church structure and shape [ecclesiology], an under developed sense of the gospel [Christology] and were certainly not ready for the cultural and contextual realities that faced us. We had not done our homework. We were simply not sufficiently versed in the matters that were to face us. Therefore we simply took a working African tactic that we embarrassingly assumed would work again. I made so many mistakes in this conversation that drives me to equip others so that they do not do the same.

Paul equips Titus. In the apo father's preparation of his young leader, he must have briefed him more thoroughly. Here he revisits his counsel: Titus 1:10 - 16

1. Culture: by this I refer to the prevailing worldview that has shaped the community as a whole. Here we can read these ingredients by looking at language, family, arts, business, education, sports, politics — what is valued, honored, defended, celebrated, accepted in society — what is worshipped, who are the idols, what are the greatest priorities. So Paul gets Titus to see what he is facing culturally - as seen by the Cretans themselves:

i. Cretans are always liars, [describes their ethics]

ii. Evil beasts, [defines their morality]

iii. Lazy gluttons. [defends their industry]

[Any volunteers for this assignment?]

Whether we are going to "plant a church" [by establishing a gospel community] or "replant a church" [by taking a community that has a history into a new future] we need to take a chunky time to visit the cultural piece, engaging "their prophets" to hear what they are saying about themselves — both inside of the church as well as in the marketplace.

Some good cultural Q's to ask with your team:

1. When folks talk about your nation what are the generalities that they use? ... they are arrogant, or deceptive or racist...

2. What do folks say about your city? ... oh you live in LALA land...

3. What drives your city? Is it family, money, power, pretense, right schools...?

4. What does the city prioritize? The principalities and powers that sit behind the throne, will be evidenced in the decisions people make,

5. What songs, plays, poetry and movies does your city host, make?

6. What are the educational institutions known for? What is their message?

7. Where do folks have their third place-where they congregate and do life together? Talk around the ethnic / multicultural nature of the city... who can you reach as a church?

8. How do they view spiritual things?

9. What do they do with the poor?

10. Where and how do they spend their money?

Hope this is helpful... keep the cultural convo going. It does shape how we present the glorious gospel.

Titus Team Selection

2011-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

No doubt, leadership selection is one of the most defining ingredients in a community's journey. In the USA church world, the ease of hiring rather than leadership development, has not created the correct framework for effective, passionate, raw, real leadership.

Paul empowers Titus with this most significant mandate - "as I directed you". We would all love to have been in that briefing when Paul instructed Titus on the task at hand "set in order that which is lacking and appoint elders". Here we have a summary, a precise of what was given before. Now before we can look at who needs to be selected, we are given a window into the world of the apostle's ministry:

1. Ever available to be the "sent one". Paul has this man whom he trains up, as the work is getting more than he can cope with. He multiplies himself in Titus, so he has to prepare him before he left. Paul had to remind Titus once he got there, as he probably got overwhelmed at the task at hand.

2. Titus had to "set in order that which was lacking". We will look at that in detail later. Let it be sufficient to say, Paul was not looking to conform all churches to "one model or pattern". Rather, he was wanting every church to be surrendered to "one head" who is Christ, the head of the church. Whilst there are some basics all churches are to give themselves to, they will look and feel differently as the personality of the leaders, the mandate on each church and the context in which they minister, gets reflected.

3. The task required of Titus was to "appoint elders". Wow, two words weighted with such substance -

i. Apostles were very involved in leadership selection in the early church;

ii. They had to educate, endorse, empower and appoint these men in a public laying on of hands;

iii. "Elders" is seen in the plural. Apostolic leadership is noted by its collaborative style. This is reflected at an eldership level where senior local church leadership is more about "us" than it is about "me". The notion of a one man leadership model in the early church, simply did not exist. They were men together, on mission, around the gospel, to transform their world!

The criteria for this team selection must never be seen as a single exhaustive checklist. That would be nothing more than bland legalism. Remember, Paul is revisiting a more substantial convo he had had with Titus before he left for "Project Crete". I want to suggest, Paul is highlighting the major areas that must be matrixed around this team selection. Lets look at it a little closer:

1. Calling: There is no grace to walk in this role if God has not appointed them,

2. Character: The story of the man must first be measured by a life that reflects Jesus in the substance of personhood, especially being strong in the areas that the community is weak-that "contextual character strength" is totally essential,

3. Home: Marriage and family must reflect the beauty of a gospel transforming story. One never looks for perfection. One only looks for the sense of wonder, a faith evidence that Jesus is being seen in the way we love our wives and engage our kids in a bigger God empowering story,

4. Doctrine: These elders were bible guys. Sound in doctrine, substantial in the sacred text, they could equip these saints to live these godly lives, standing strong even when truth is not popular,

5. Culture: They were men who understood the culture they were ministering in. They were not disconnected from their culture nor their context. As overseers, they got the big picture. Being neither small minded nor disengaged from the world, they could lead a community who activates their believers as missionaries into a very difficult world [as we are about to see].

6. Guts: These elders had to be gutsy men. They could not be reluctant to act confidently and boldly either in giving instruction nor in rebuking the wayward. True eldership is not simply placating the sheep, who may bleat in naked rebellion. True eldership / overseers / shepherds, see what is best for the sheep and will lead them there, even if they are not popular for a while.

The first leaders we appoint in a church plant is a very weighty matter. They reflect the prototype we are modeling. Their faith, commitment, passion, diligence, study, love and Bible priority will be the shape of the things to come. We are the shape of things to come - just you wait and see. We will produce after our own kind - and that started in the garden.

Paul and Titus-a shared apo journey

2011-04-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

There seems to be little doubt among most theologians that Paul was the author and that Titus was one of his proteges. Paul was one remarkable man. He was passionate and rugged, tough and tender, intentional and Spirit-led. He was so focussed "This one thing" yet would not let his call be a one generational legacy "And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also". He multiplied himself in these young studs. These statements [like 1 Cor 4:15 - 17, ] are either boldly humble or significantly arrogant. He invested himself in these "sons" to ensure he would not simply be a one generational wonder.

This is a leadership legacy book. It is a book of trust. I can read between the lines as Paul energizes this young "son" of his by saying ": 'This is your first assignment — go do it. I believe in you. I see the hand of the Father is on you. The call to 'apostle' is on you. I am here if you need me, but it is your time. It is your turn to pick up the apo baton. Now go and get the job done!" I am sure that Titus must have felt somewhat inept. Representing Jesus was massive. Being trusted by Paul as his ambassador was weighty. To be given such a mandate was simply outrageous. The moments of self doubt must have pervaded his mind. The voice of the great liar, discourager and deceiver must have worked his own uncertainty. But he had a task to fulfill and he had just received his marching orders.

I love Paul's introduction. Titus knew him. Yet he is still quite intentional about defining his voice in this epistle. It could have been that his introduction was culturally necessary. That may be true. It may be that was Paul's style that he repeated often or it may be that he was expecting the letter to be read to the whole community, so he endorsed and validated Titus before the church, as he reminded all of his apo role in both Titus' life as well as in Crete.

" Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ..." May I suggest that he collides these two images of his call to ensure that no-one tries to make him 'king' for there is only one king and that his name is Jesus. Oh that the next generation is captivated to be true passionate yet free servants of God! These next leaders are not to be driven by wild ambition of self promotion, nor see themselves in the glitz and glamour world of name recognition. Surely, I hear Paul say: "is there a higher call than to be a servant of the lover of our soul, the one with whom we will share eternity?" Both are positions of humble obedience and not titles of superiority. As servant, we are reminded that he is "bought, owned and directed by God" [John Stott]. Paul frames his task with the gospel. He is reminding the reader that the only role he has, is because " you are not your own for you were bought with a price." 1 Cor 6:19 - 20. Unless a leader grasps that, he will never stand in the full wonder of grace nor be amazed at the kindness of God's election, calling us to a journey - " For we are God workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" Eph 2:10.

"...An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ" This ascension grace gift cannot be earned, trained to become one or inherited. As Michael Eaton says: "Apostles fall from the sky" meaning one can only be an apostle when Christ appoints, anoints and authorizes a person to that end. Paul has no greater credential than what Christ gives him. But then he speedily adds to what end: "for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness..." . So he is an apostle for the church and for the sake of truth. Can you hear him say between the lines: "Have you got that Titus? It is for the sake of Jesus' girl that we are apostles. It is not for ourselves, for title or position. It is so that she can flourish and gain strength from the truth to walk in the full beauty of holy godliness. That is why we are apostles - so be courageous my son for the task that lies ahead. It will not always be popular nor will you get man's approval. But it is for the church. That reward is enough!"

Tampering with Titus

2011-04-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Prof J.R. Clinton from Fuller Seminary writes, in his commentary on Titus that his writings provide: "this is a leadership commentary, not an exegetical commentary". I do like the freedom of that approach as long we do not use the text to be a matrix for our opinions. The text must always first be allowed to reflect God's original intention using all the good, sound, true exegetical guidelines. Once this is established, we can review the sacred text to see what it prophetically calls to our attention.

I read an article by a BBC journalist who was proposing that it would be good for the right if Donald Trump ran for the presidency here in the USA. I did wonder how much of his article was tongue in cheek. However, where he was accurate, was his concern that there was a deficiency of true competent leaders in the USA today - most clearly seen by those seeking to stand against Obama in the 2012 elections. The church cannot ignore this obvious weakness that is raging in this nation. If it true when we say: "like the church, so the nation", then it is deeply concerning that we are not catalyzing nearly enough prophetically accurate and apostolically intentional leaders from the loins of our communities. Too much of the church is too cautious, conservative and preoccupied with endless lists of qualifications that provide horizons of hurdles for passionate young stallions.

Paul was different. While Peter tended to travel with established apostles, Paul seems to be focussed on both the "old guys" as well as the next generation of mavericks who always hold the future of the church in their hands. This quote is worthy some conversation:

“Experimental groups seeking to engage the Christian faith in a postmodern context will often lack the resources, profile or success record of the Boomer congregations. By definition, they are new, untried, relatively disorganized and fearful of self-promotion. They reject the corporate model of their Boomer forebears and thus do not appear, according to existing paradigms, to be significant. But don’t be fooled. Somewhere in the genesis and genius of these groups, is hidden the future of Western Christianity. To dismiss them is to throw away the seeds of our survival.” Gerald Kelly[1]

I would like for us to wrap our hearts and arms around this TITUS text to see how we can best give ourselves to the leadership conversation.

[1] Frost and Hirsch; The Shaping of things to come; pg x,

Further Reflections

2011-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Being home is wondrous. M and T welcomed me home with such authentic excitement yesterday. The long 3 part flight from Cape town was mammoth. Between the many movies and TV shows that distracted my mind, I did have some time to revisit the trip - place by place, meeting by meeting, church by church, convo by convo. Here are some further thoughts:

1. The fragmentation of the previous chapter has had a number of very profound and positive impacts [and many tragic and sad ones too] - including the re-empowerment of elders. I met with eldership teams in Durban, East London and Cape town and was delighted by-en-large. There is a new robustness about the teams [with some exceptions]. Their ownership of the well being of the church is tangible. There is no reliance on another corporate anointing. They are defining their theologies. They are far more collaborative in leadership style. The process of eldership decisions seems to be more in a "togetherness" than ever before. It is producing stronger, healthier and maturing teams, yet several of the teams are still very young. Very inspiring.

2. I loved the passion I saw with the priority for "City impact" - especially from my friends Rigby Wallace and Nick Hardy. With a call to being a "community together, on mission, around the gospel to transform our cities", I loved the heart, focus, intentionality and desire to partner with others in the city. Fresh collaborations, including with brothers from other denominations and movements was refreshing and inspiring. Even how we see and use our buildings seems to have been affected by this new vista.

3. Honestly, the generic notion of "the team" rather than the full wonder of 'apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers' has lost the full edge of what each gift brings to the table. Of course, we must not overvalue any one of these gifts over the other - but then neither must we undervalue them either. The apo-gift has a strong 'sent one' factor. Besides whatever else they bring to the table, they certainly do stir Jesus lovers to the horizons beyond. They cannot help themselves. It exists in their gift DNA - they offer a bigger dream, a larger adventure and a lost horizon. The movement then becomes cautious, loses is apo viscosity and quietens down to the palatable, measurable and manageable. This, I am sad to say, was very evident in most of my RSA experience. If the apo and prophet voices are not empowered to operate, the once virile and wild train ride will grind to a slow, boring, repetitive mail train and the Father will need to raise up others to fulfill this necessary role.

Thanks for your comments. Delighted to be back in the USA convo again.

Reflections from South Africa

2011-04-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy trip here in South Africa. I have barely had a spare moment but have loved every moment.

It is Saturday afternoon. This morning was spent with 40+ Josh Gen elders and wives. They lead a church of 10 campuses here in Capetown. Their passion for Jesus is contagious. Their love for the bride is infectious. Their heart for the lost is tangible. I am so looking forward to ministering at 2 of their campuses tomorrow.

Having been in 3 cities here in RSA on this trip, I have found myself reflecting on a number of issues:

1. The dispersal of an apostolic household that could have multiplied and celebrated and not fragmented, has left a residue of pastors and churches who are somewhat disorientated and vulnerable. Of course it need not have happened that way. However there is a way forward to recover some of the lost ground.

2. Losing the big picture has led to most churches focusing in on their own health and growth as well as seeking to transform their city for and with the gospel. This has been one of God's great acts of mercy. Whilst the call to the nations has sadly diminished, the attention to the city conversation has been very empowering and essential.

3. The apo fathers in the nation are too quiet. Being nervous to be seen to be drawing pastors to themselves, they have stepped too far back in an effort to appear to honor. The victims of their reluctance have been the pastors themselves. I have appealed to several of them to accept and take ownership of their clear emerging apostolic role and lead. The pastors and churches are looking for a clear voice and clarion call.

4. The conversations have often drifted towards what third generation apostolic movements looks like. Whilst I will blog my thoughts on this later, RSA does need these men to disengage from the stranglehold of the past - good and bad bits. This is a chapter turning moment. A new day. A day of God's clear promotion and leadership repositioning. It is the ongoing beginning, of the emergence of today's apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These men and women will have new job descriptions, new role and responsibilities. There will be some new collaborations, alliances, partnerships as well as the wondrous long standing relationships of our past.

5. These emerging apos must fire up their steam engines. Churches, pastors, believers are looking to hitch their wagons onto a train that is fired up with destiny, a big story and a hill worth dying on. Each apo man will journey uniquely as differently as Paul was to Peter, as Peter was to John, as John was to James, as James was to Timothy. There simply is not a one size fits all.

6. Once again, the intriguing seed from the South African soil will be felt around the world. The splashes from these waters will burst their banks and wet the wastelands of the foreign shores. I am delighted.

The Kind of Believer we want to produce IV.

2011-04-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Alan asked me to continue the "Love Re-imagined" study through the book of 1 Corinthians. With specific emphasis on 1 Corinthians 12, I chose the title of "The Anatomy of Love" as the text is all about the 'body'. However I wanted to come in from a fresh angle. This chapter has 31 verses of which only 5 deal with the gifts. The other 26 deal with the more than the 'charismata'.

Here is a portion of my notes from Sunday. It fits into the "Kind of believer..." series as every Jesus follower does need to be part of a 'local body',

Where they are part of this 'local church' unit,
Where they belong,
Where they are needed,
Where the weak are vital,
The least honorable are pivotal,
The most unpresentable are essential,
Where division is prevented with all passion.

Also, Paul is so intentional in his use of metaphors, as he wants the Corinthian church to rediscover Christ's origin design of "true Church" and not grow comfortable with anything less than this picture.... here are my notes:

Neil Cole: “church 3.0” writes: Chapter 1 – ‘what about the world we live in – from the village church to a global village’[1]

“My mentor Thom Wolf often points that the 21^st Century is quickly becoming the sister century to the first century:

A single and dominant superpower,
A single, global trade language,
Technological advances create a global community,
Relativistic philosophy,
Pagan and occult activity,
Sexual promiscuity, perversion and chemical addictions,

But was not the church born for such a time as this? Aslan is on the move!

There are many key texts that shape this moment in church history… but I want to take us to 2:

“ I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” Matt 16:18.

I - Jesus is the centerpiece of this whole conversation. From the fall and the garden, the whole earth has been groaning in anticipation of his redemptive arrival
Will build – he is the architect and builder of this building – like the flood – to face the force of the tsunami when the wells from beneath and the heavens from above collide… the new ark,
My – He is both savior and Lord, redeemer and king, apostle and prophet.
Church – It is imperative that we know what he had in mind! There has been so much confusion as to who, what and why the church exists:

The Websters Dictionary reflects the modern mind when it translates the word ‘church’: 1: a building; esp for Christian public worship; 2. The whole body of Christians; 3. DENOMINATION; 4. CONGREGATION; 5: public divine worship.
Megachurch- ‘Large gathering of folks’ - church is seen as the largeness of gatherings, the number of programs;
Emergent church – ‘Loose gathering of folks’ – any and every gathering of 2 or more believers is a church but is it biblically?
Traditional church – ‘Long established gathering of folks’
NT – Greek – ekklesia – ‘calling out; assembly or gathering’;
English word church comes from the Gk word kyriakon – ‘the Lord’s’.

The second text that plays a pivotal role to our conversation is:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father… I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth… the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name” John 14:9 – 27.

How did Jesus do these ‘things’? From Luke’s gospel:

· The Holy Spirit descended on him, 3:22

· Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, 4:1

· Led by the Holy Spirit into the desert… where he was tempted, 4:1

· Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, 4:14

But what did he do? He began his work of redemption…

Teaching,
Preaching,
Healing, [that is why these three are under such attack!]
Delivering the oppressed,
Liberating the women,
Discipling the followers,
Loving, Caring, Feeding, Correcting,
Empowering through a big redemptive story,
Resisting religion… until they killed him for it – penal substitutionary atonement!

Incarnational – living Christianity at “street light level” [S. Timmis]
Missional – Missionaries on mission,
Atonement – Redemption agents,
Community – Never alone, always together,
Resurrection – Spirit empowered lives

So, what did his early church look like?

A Jesus centered, gospel preaching gathering,
A regenerated community with deep affection for God, each other and a dying world,
They gathered together around mission [Jerusalem to the uttermost],
Led by biblically qualified leaders,
Sat together consistently around the teaching of the scriptures / sacred texts,
Participated in the spiritual disciplines [prayer, worship, fasting, meditation.]
Engaged in the sacraments [ baptism, communion]
Reflected Holiness [personal and togetherness / set apart, distinct and God like purity]
Dwell in a culture of Generosity [toward themselves as well as the outside world]
An activated priesthood [not a class of believer but where everyone is vital, essential and active]
A supernatural collaboration with the Holy Spirit- where God encounters are the norm.

Every Jesus follower should have the opportunity to be involved in a community like this.

[1] Neil Cole; church 3.0; pg 16 – 22.