The Lone Ranger and Tonto considering a CO2

Last weekend, Desi Starr and I were in New Castle, Colorado leading a Regional LK10 Conference.  On Sunday morning, Desi and I had breakfast with Lee Price (who leads the RiverChurches Network on the Western Slope of Colorado) at the New Castle Diner.  Throughout the Diner there were life-sized cutout figures of well known TV and movie personalities.  John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, etc.

Right behind our booth stood The Lone Ranger and Tonto.  Hey, I'm so old that I grew up watching these guys on TV every week.  I couldn't resist interviewing them.  (You can see Desi and Lee in the background.)


CO2?  This is a "church of two".  This is a simple but profound concept that was central to the ministry of Jesus but which has been largely overlooked by today's traditional church.  This tongue-in-cheek interview actually demonstrates how simple church planting becomes when you understand the CO2 concept.  For more on CO2, see the right column of this blog.

Hi Yo Silver!

(If you have no idea who the Lone Ranger is, check out the second video below.)

The Foundations Course.  Want to learn more about CO2?  This fall, LK10 will be offering The Foundations Course, a six week experience designed to teach the spiritual values and practices that make up a "church of two".  The Course involves weekly learning assignments, group conversations with your cohort and individual coaching.  More information on this in the next few weeks.  Stay tuned!

14 year old prefers house church

Apprenticeship rhythm Number Two: CO2 (Church of Two)

The rhythms of a CO2 (checking in with each other and listening to God together) overflow very naturally into family life and into house churches. Below are two examples of this.

The first is a member of the Apprenticeship posting on his cohort's forum. Notice how delighted this father's heart is to see his 12 and 14 year old engaging with these rhythms. And, note how naturally mission flows from their listening together.

Below that is a video interview with another 14 year old, Nathan Duncan, here in Denver. Compare what you hear from Nathan with the typical approach to youth ministry which is a desperate attempt to entertain kids so that you can slip in a little spirituality. Feel the difference?

John

"Checking in as settled today, just feeling tender and loving towards my peeps & my honey & happy to have the Coach with us in our family check in this morning. Many fears and hopes were laid out & i feel that my 12 year old & 14 yr old are really engaging in the CO2 process. We had the joy of blessing some homeless folks today & it's becoming a matter of course for the children to see the poor & needy among us & they are beginning to have an expectation of opportunity in that area, which is cool. we're all listening for the Spirit today with regards to our future & I have this picture of us all standing at the throne, waiting expectantly :) "

"The power of two"

I want to continue to give you snapshots of the Apprenticeship. (Perhaps God will want you to be a part when we begin new cohorts in January.)

The following is a post (shared with permission) from Sharon Hutchinson in Queensland, Australia. Let me point out a few aspects of the Apprenticeship that are illustrated in what Sharon writes...

• Each cohort has 10-12 members who connect with each other in multiple ways. One way is a private online discussion group. What you will read below is Sharon's post to that group last week.
• Each week there are Learning Assignments for the cohort. Sharon is sharing with the group her reflections (which are excellent!) on last weeks assignments.
• Every cohort member is in a "church of two" (CO2). Sharon's partner is Maree Watson who lives in a whole different part of Australia. (What this illustrates is that distance in no deterrent to effective CO2s!)
• Every cohort connects via period conference calls. From Sharon's response you can see that relationships are already forming.
• This cohort is already becoming a community after 3-4 weeks even though it's members are around the world (Australia, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, the US)

So, take a moment to enjoy Sharon's post below.

John

Hey everyone, I'm Sharon checking in for the first time. Please forgive me as I was away on a camping trip in the rain with my dog in the red mud!!! Taking me a while to recuperate!!

Have a day off today and have been catching up on all 3 assignments - Maree and I have been CO2ing and listening most days and I have listened to the phone call you had yesterday. Wow, I feel like I know you all already!

God has been revealing so much to me over the past 4 weeks about 'the power of 2"! Maree and I had 2 days together recently (we live 1000kms apart) - I notice that our listening time is much more powerful when we are physically together. He started then speaking about this 2 concept and creating culture.

This is an excerpt from my journal from then, "Unity - not loneliness or aloneness. Isolation is a tool of the devil in mind, body and spirit. We were designed to live, love and work together. There is power in 2, not 1. Laughter comes where there is 2, joy and passion also. I created 2 to stand alongside each other, to be helpers, to bear each others burdens. This is My heart, to bring people back into unity, groups of 2 - to break the cycle of depression and addiction"

After reading through assignment 3 I feel that God is reinforcing this "Power of 2", there is a huge spiritual key here. I absolutely loved what Eugene Peterson had to say about the Song of Songs - " ... the lonely isolation of the solitary person must be invaded. Life to be meaningful must be joined; intimacy is a requirement of wholeness"

I look back into my own life and realise how alone I have been, how there has been a misconception of mistique and strength over the "lone ranger" type ... women especially made to feel isolated in their jobs or through suburban neurosis. I have been asked to pray for quite a few people this week with depression or some sort of addiction or neurosis and I just feel that the Lord is saying "this is the answer" .... I am flat out excited that God is revealing a key to fighting off all these things that have been plaguing His people all these years, and whats more - offering a real solution to those who are yet to become part of His body!

Sharon

"House church as we have known it is preventing house church as God wants it."

Today I want to direct you to someone else's blog.

Specifically, to a blog post by Maurice Smith who is in Spokane, WA. This post is important because it addresses the issue of the "infrastructure" of the house church movement. For some time now, many of us have been hearing something like this from the Lord: "A great harvest is coming. Now is the time to "lay pipe". That is, to develop the "infrastructure" that will allow for a huge number of new believers to be well cared for and discipled. This infrastructure is mainly about leadership. A multitude of healthy spiritual moms and dads who can create healthy spiritual families (ie, churches)."

To do this, requires challenging some of the early values (Maurice calls them "maxims") of the house church movement. Here are some examples: no organization, no leaders, no paid leaders, etc. Why must these things be challenged? Because "house church as we (or, at least some) have known it is preventing house church as God wants it".

Developing this infrastructure is what The Luke Ten Community is all about. Our mission is to "Connect and equip house church leaders and house church planters around the world". We do this through this blog, through our website, through CO2s (churches of two), through MRTs (regional apostolic teams and networks) and through the Apprenticeship process.

So, read Maurice's blog here: http://parousianetworkcybercafe.blogspot.com/2010/10/ten-years-of-house-church.html

Love to hear your comments!

John

Apprenticeship Week One

I'll be reporting from time to time on how the Apprenticeship is going. In the video below, Tim Pynes tell about the first week with his cohort.

Each week there are learning assignments. The first week's assignments focused on learning about and then implementing the "church of two" (CO2). Each individual reports in their Discussion Forum what they are learning/experiencing. See below for a quote from one of the guys in Tim's cohort.

P.S. The Ning site that Tim mentions in the video is simplechurch.com not simplechurch.org

John

My wife and I have been doing C02 together over the past week. It has been awesome to have a daily check-in where we focus on our relationship with the Lord together. It's so easy to get busy around the house, cleaning up after the kids, and collapsing on the bed in exhaustion without making a focused effort to encounter Father together. It's been great. I'm thankful for the dynamic of doing C02 with my spouse.

The most surprising thing I encountered by using the SASHET method was an awareness of the state of my heart. I am a very driven, task-oriented person. It's easy for me to ignore the posture of my heart.

By using SASHET, it forced me to slow down and recognize how I am feeling. I like how John says that intimacy is the result of mutual self-disclosure. (JW: Actually, this is Kent Smith's quote!) As I recognize my intimate heart-posture and share that with my wife and with Father, I feel a deeper level of intimacy developing.

Smith Cohort (1)

Part of what I’ll be doing in this blog over the Fall is reporting on the LK10 Apprenticeship. During the Fall, three cohorts of around 10 people each will function as small "communities of practice". One cohort, led by Kent Smith, will be face to face. The other two, led by Tim Pynes and myself will be virtual. Our learning will focus on the first three of the seven LK10 Practices. (see below for more on this)

My sense is that the Apprenticeship will become another powerful tool (like the 10:2b Prayer and CO2s) towards the end of seeing "a vibrant family of Jesus within easy access of every region and cultural group". Our hope is to be able to offer many more cohorts in 2011.

Today, I want to introduce you to the cohort that Kent Smith (and Chadd Schroeder) will be leading. This cohort is part of the Master’s Degree program at the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University. This group was introduced to the basic rhythms of the Apprenticeship by Kent, Chadd and myself at a retreat last weekend outside of Abilene. I was very impressed by both the hearts and minds of this group of young adults. They are passionate for Jesus and hungry to learn. (And, these guys can really sing!)

The video below will give you a bit of a feel for what this cohort looks like. (I want to encourage the members of this cohort to be "story collectors". Listen to the Lord and see when there is a story in your cohort that the rest of us on the blog need to hear about. Do a short video interview and send it to me.)

John

For more on the Seven Practices of LK10, see http://lk10.com/media/lk10_visionpaper_2_0.pdf

House2House Conference

At this moment I'm in Dallas for the House2House National Conference. I had the privilege of facilitating the main session yesterday (Saturday) morning. Our goal was to illustrate what leadership looks like when we really take seriously the idea that Jesus is the leader. I shared with the conference this thought provoking quote from Kent Smith. "What does it mean to be a leader in a kingdom when you are not the king?" Then, we brought the whole Board of H2H Ministries up front as a panel to talk about how this worked out at our Board retreat back in March. I think it was a great picture of what this new leadership paradigm looks like.

I've also been interviewing people who are living out our LK10 Practices. Jim and Cathy Mellon (Killeen, TX) have some amazing 10:2b stories. Marie in Australia shared how CO2 has transformed her relationship with the Lord. Richard and Peg (soon to be) Hijar (Albuquerque, NM) talk about why they have joined the Apprenticeship. (And, Peg did a great job of leading two breakout sessions on women in leadership.) I'll get some more video this morning. I'll be sharing those video interviews with you in the weeks to come on this blog.

This afternoon I drive with Kent and Karen Smith to Abilene for a retreat with Kent's graduate students. These folks will form one of the three cohorts in the Apprenticeship this fall so I'm really looking forward to our next day together!

John

Apprenticeships (2)

Many of you who read this blog are familiar with CO2s. The CO2 ("church of two") concept has now become a primary spiritual discipline for hundreds of people. It's origins were from a time just over a year ago when the Lord brought together a number of elements (SASHET, Virkler, pairs, etc.) in to a new "container".

Our sense is that He is doing a similar thing with the Apprenticeship this fall. Many of the elements and concepts are familiar but they are coming together in a new "container". We think this 12 week experience will be a context that God will use to train many people in Kingdom rhythms in the years to come. Those of you who make the commitment this fall will have the opportunity to help shape the process. Two cohorts (10 people each) are already "in". We have room for 10 more.

So, ask the Lord if He want you to join us. If you are interested, shoot me an email and say "send me info on the Apprenticeship". DenverWH@aol.com

John

A 10:2b Story (Part One)

The DNA of our Luke Ten Community focuses on seven key practices. (To see all seven, go here: http://lk10.com/media/lk10_visionpaper_2_0.pdf )

The fourth practice is in obedience to Jesus' command in Luke 10, verse 2, part b. We sometimes call this the "10:2b Prayer". This was Jesus' solution to a specific problem. Namely, "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few". To Jesus the answer was obvious - ask the Harvest Master for more laborers.

So, what does a "10:2b answer" look like? In this three part series, you will see three examples of harvest laborers sent out by the Harvest Master.

First, in the video below (the first of three parts), you will see Hobby Chapin who was a "10:2b answer" here in Denver over a year ago. Hobby has become a good friend and a very effective church planter in Brighton (north of Denver). Tomorrow, you will see what happened as Hobby prayed the 10:2b Prayer.

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (4)

In response to the story about the Hyatt family doing CO2, Jared Looney, a church planter in NYC, posted this comment yesterday...

We recently did S.A.S.H.E.T. as a family. That is, my wife, my five year old daughter, and me. My wife and I had practiced this tool in various settings before, but doing it as a family with our 5 year old was pretty awesome.

Isn't that encouraging! Nothing excites me more than stories of children, even young children, responding to these simple ways of doing/being church.

Today, in the fourth and last part of this interview, Sean tells how his family has shared CO2 with other families and individuals. Notice again how natural and almost effortless this is. It creates a whole new picture for the term "church planting".

Also makes me think of the title of Roland Allen's famous book: The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church.

Your thoughts?

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (2)

In today's short video below (3 minutes), Sean explains two things that might seem impossible to those of us who have spent our entire lives in traditional church.

First, he explains how he has trained his two boys (aged 7 and 10) to facilitate the family's daily CO2 (CO5!) time.

(Observation: children and teens often "get" CO2 more easily and more quickly than adults who have been in the current religious "system" for years.)

Second, he tells a story that illustrates that worship flows spontaneously out of listening.

(Observation: Simple church (CO2) is built on the belief that Jesus is really present when we meet in His name and that He is a great "worship leader". Worship is no longer something that we have to "make happen". It emerges naturally out of listening to Jesus.)

Love to hear your comments about the video below.

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (1)

A CO2 (church of two) is simple. Two people committed to two practices as close to daily as possible.

But, the CO2 concept is also highly adaptable. Sean Hyatt has applied it to his family. (Since he has a wife and three young children, it's now a CO5!) The result is a simple way that families can function as churches (think "church = vibrant family of Jesus".

Over the next four days, I'll be sharing an interview with Sean where he tells how this has worked out in his family. Today, Sean explains that this is a model that has been sustainable over time and that he loves what it has produced in his family.

Two things for you to think about. First, what would happen to the church in America (or wherever you live) if this practice became normative for every family? Second, is there anyone you need to pass this on to?

John

Please share your comments below.

The C02 Virus Spreads to Australia

I (Tim) recently received a very encouraging email from a woman in Australia named Maree. In the email, she she shared some of her own journey with practicing C02 and how impactful this experience has been for her and her new friend, Sharon. I asked Maree if I could share her email with all of you and she gave me permission.

Hi Tim,
I'm responding to your blog post from April 5th about telling stories.
I've been watching the emergence of C02 with interest, reading the blogs and checking out the LK10, House2House and simple church websites since about July of last year when I decided (and was led) to leave my traditional Sunday Church.

Since then I've had a pretty incredible awakening and many, many stories to tell of God's great love and kindness to me during this "detox "phase.

I kept praying "What should I be doing??? Should I start something???

To which the reply came "I am building my church."
OK Lord, but I must have to do something????
"I am building my church."

So I relaxed and started C02 by myself, I'm pretty good at having conversations with myself !

I earnestly wanted to hear Gods voice. One day after a rave from me about wanting to hear his voice, "How can I be sure?" "How will I know it's you, etc. etc.,I heard very clearly, "YOU HEAR WELL ....JUST BELIEVE."

Well how AMAZING is that! It completely shifted my mindset and belief. Heaps of stuff has happened and I feel so empowered, motivated, humble and privileged to be on this new trajectory and journey with my Lord.

Interestingly, every time I've gone onto the LK10 site a little voice has told me "You're not a church planter, what are you doing signing up here, this is not for people like you, what do you know about church planting."
Recently I heard another voice tell me, "You Daughter will be a church planter, 2 by 2."

Any way it's several months down the track, I recently met Sharon, we were camped next to each other at a Easter Music Festival. I was telling her and her husband Jim about C02 and before I could finish she jumped out of her camp chair grabbed my hand, shook it, and said "I'll do it with you!"

So for the past 3 weeks we have been C02'ing even though we are about 1,000 km's apart. We have both been incredibly blessed and excited about what God is doing. Sharon and Jim have had a church at home for a couple of years.

We want to start a blog and we would like permission to use the C02 videos, etc. We would like to put it in an Aussie context and generate some "local" interest. I have yet to sign up for LK10, I will do it soon but in the meantime I thought I would share a bit of my story. Sharon has some great stories too, and together we are very thankful to you guys and our Lord for this amazing, simple idea that is so fresh and uplifting .

We look forward to the days ahead, hearing God's voice and seeing his Kingdom Come!

Cheers,
Maree
P.S I am going to attend the annual conference in Dallas, a side trip for me from a holiday with my 3 sisters. I'm very excited.

What a great story, thanks for sharing it Maree. How about you? Know of a story that "must be told?"

If so, drop me an email at Lk10andc02@gmail.com

C02: Transformational or Hokey?

In this Part 2 of a conversation with Tim Morris, we continue our conversation about the impact that practicing C02 has had in his life.

We discuss the simple nature of the two practices and consider whether C02 is really transformational or if it is "hokey."

What are your thoughts about C02? How has practicing these two simple practices impacted you?

Share your experience and your thoughts in the comments below.

The Transformational Power of Stories

By now (assuming you have been following this blog for awhile), you know how powerful it is to hear the stories of others who are on a similar journey to you. Be it a video, or an audio recording, or good ol' fashioned text, few things have the transformational power of a story that connect with your heart and/or awakens you to new possibilities.

As Ivan Illich once said, the way you begin to change a culture is to "tell an alternative story."

That is what this blog is all about. Telling the "stories that must be told." And, we have devoted a quite a few of the 75 posts - to date - to tell you the stories of others who are experiencing and witnessing God in their midst.

Now it is your turn.

What story or stories have you been witness to that must be told?

Where have you seen God at work in your house church or in the process of practicing the two disciplines that make up "C02?" What has been the fruit that God has brought forth as you have begun to connect more intentionally with your own heart, the hearts of others, and with God?

Send us your story that must be told. Make a video of the story, or let us call you to record it over the phone, or simply write the story up. Let us know that you have a story that must be told and we'll help you get it on to this blog.

Drop me (Tim) an email at Lk10andC02@gmail.com and I'll be in touch with you to help you tell the story of what God is doing in your midst.

And the journey continues...

C02 spreads to England (3)

Chris Jefferies attended the House2House Conference in Dallas last September. At the conference, Chris became "infected" with the CO2 (church of two) virus. When Chris returned home to Cambridgeshire, England he began to share C02 with others. As a result, other people in his part of England are starting to get "infected" with the same virus. Observation: The CO2 virus seems to be "sneezeable."

Here's an excerpt from his post:

As far as I'm aware nobody was doing CO2 in the UK until I brought it here from Dallas in September 2009. I'd like to outline the history of it since then.

Infections follow a pattern that is true for viruses, bacteria, trees, rabbits, and even us humans. The stages of this pattern are...

Infection > Latency > Spread > Symptoms > Impact > Dieback

Lets look at these one by one.

Infection - In this stage an active form spreads to a new home. With a cold virus, you might breathe in virus laden particles after someone with a cold sneezed. Or you might touch a contaminated object and then transfer the virus to your mouth or eyes.

The active form of CO2 is the knowledge of what it is, how to do it, and the value it brings. By the time I returned from Dallas I was already infected.

Latency - This is the time during which nothing much seems to happen. The cold virus has to enter a living cell, a seed takes time to absorb water and germinate. During the latent period something essential has to happen but there is no sign of it yet.

In the case of CO2 I needed to find someone who wanted to hear about it and do it with me. Until I found that person, the CO2 virus was present in the UK - but latent.

Continue reading Chris' post on the early stages of the spread of C02 in his part of England from his blog.

Every home a church

The motto of the Chinese housechurch movement is:

*Every home a church
*Every believer a church planter
*Every church building a training center

Sean and Jessica Hyatt, in Aurora, CO used the CO2 concept to live this out in their home. Here's Sean's description...

My wife and I participated in the October experiment by CO2’ing together that month. It was a wonderful experience. Since then I have also enjoyed practicing the CO2 concept with a couple close brothers in my church family, and with other brothers in various ways.

Well, last week I believe the Lord put on my heart the idea and burden to CO2 as a household, daily, with my wife and children. So, we have been practicing this together for almost a week now. Easier said than done – but it has also been incredibly rewarding and transformational for our family already!

What I felt on my heart was a concept about following Christ together, daily, with one’s entire household - those with whom we share a roof over our heads, food, finances, and everyday life. Already my wife and I (along with our 10 and 7 yr old boys, 1 yr old daughter, and little dog) have enjoyed some wonderful times of worship and devotion together since the new year began. All checking in together, then spending some time praying and listening, then sharing what we hear the Lord saying to us together, and trying to obey it, together. Following Him daily – together.

I would be happy to write again as we get further into the month with some highlights on what we’ve been hearing from the Lord, how it’s been going, and further thoughts on this concept of “CO2’ing” with one’s household.

Thanks, Sean! We'll look forward to hearing more from you on this. And, we would love to hear stories of others who are doing something similar. Imagine if this became the norm for American Christians! Click on "Comments" and tell us your story.

John

Rose Starr - Part 2: Doing C02 in the Context of Community

Doing SASHET = Listening to one another at a heart level
Doing "Virkler" = Listening to the God who speaks
Two disciplines simple enough for anyone to learn and teach to others.

In this second part of a conversation with Rose Starr of Denver, she shares how practicing C02 as a community has impacted the house church she and her family attend.

Rose Starr - The Transformational Power of C02's - Part 1

Rose Starr and her husband, Desi, are church planters in an area near downtown Denver called "Five Points." In this first part of a recent conversation I (Tim) had with Rose, she shares how practicing Virkler (connecting with God) has transformed her relationship with God and how practicing SASHET (connecting with others at a heart level) with her husband has helped them to connect in a more intimate way.

Do you have a story of how practicing C02 has been transformational in your life? Share it in the comments below or contact us so we can record it for others to hear.