Pray for Noah and Kate in New Zealand

Noah and Kate Cremisino were house church leaders in Denver and members of the Luke Ten Community. Last year, they were sent to Christchurch, New Zealand by the Denver Network of house churches. (See the video below which was shot in Jan 2010).

In addition to being a church planter, Noah is the graphic artist who has been doing the amazing design work on the LK10 Apprenticeship eWorkbook.

The picture to the right is what many traditional churches look like in Christchurch after the earthquake. Here's Noah's request: "Please pray that God will birth hundreds of simple communities from this situation... especially considering that SO many institutional churches will be unusable for quite awhile." The info below is to help us pray for Noah and Kate. For more, go to Noah's Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/noah.cremisino

John

Email from Noah to the Apprenticeship...

Thank you all for keeping us in prayer!

We're doing okay. Personally we've sustained a fair bit of damage around our house (mostly external, but also decor and dishes) but it seems relatively sound structurally speaking. No power, no water, no sewer - they say it could be months for sewer/water as the infrastructure has been severely damaged. We're currently staying with some friends outside of the city and seeking God about how we can best help the devastated folks within Christchurch.

Funny how all theory goes out the window when stuff gets this real. It's time for real answers and a living, breathing experience with God. Please, please keep the people of Christchurch in your prayers - a disaster of this size hasn't happened in New Zealand for over 130 years and the people will be taking it very hard. We very much want to bring the peace of God to these people and connect them with meaningful, Jesus-centered community. Please pray that God will birth hundreds of simple communities from this situation... especially considering that SO many institutional churches will be unusable for quite awhile.

Blessings and keep up the good work!!

Noah (& Kate) -- Christchurch, New Zealand

From Denver to New Zealand

What if there were small groups of Jesus followers meeting weekly to connect with one another and to listen to God for their city or region. And, what if these groups were so simple that they could multiply rapidly?

That's what an MRT is. The initials stand for Missional Resource Team. MRTs form around two practices or rhythms that allow for structure without hierarchy. In addition to six groups in Denver, the concept has spread organically to many other locations.

In the video below, a Denver MRT shares what they are learning and sends greetings to a group in New Zealand.

John

12 Days of Christmas

I know Christmas is over but this is a story you need to hear.

Coach Bill received direction from the Lord about caring for a family in need over Christmas. Specifically, he was to use a "program" called "The 12 days of Christmas". He shared this with his sister, Kay, and then they shared with the whole house church.

The result? One family with three small children received a huge dose of God's love in a time of need.

The point? It's not that we should all plan on doing "The 12 days of Christmas" for someone next year. Rather, it is that "mission flows from listening". Imagine hundreds of house churches across your city allowing God to direct them to minister in unique and creative ways to people in need.

Watch this video to see the story unfold. (Make sure you turn up the sound.)

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.

Unity also flows from listening

The last few days I've been talking about this principle: mission flows from listening.

My new friend here in Denver, Phil Koneman, sent me the following email that articulates a related principle: unity also flows from listening to God's voice. And, this unity, according to Jesus, is key to reaching the lost. It's in our CO2s that we first get to practice this principle.

Phil wrote...

"(Here's) a quote that applies to CO2 and seeking a corporate unity in hearing God’s voice so that we may reach the nations:

“The loss of intimacy with God invariably leads to the loss of unity among believers. Unity rests on the foundation of hearing God’s voice and following His present priorities for our lives. Jesus prayed for the unity of believers so that the world would know that the Father sent Jesus and loves the church (John 17:23). Without unity the church will never have credibility in the world or have power to fulfill its ministry.” Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit, p. 152.

What strikes me about this quote is the necessity of hearing God’s voice and following His leading to the unity of the church – CO2 is the most fundamental expression of unity!"

Thanks, Phil!

John

The Barth Hotel (2)

Mission flows from listening (not strategic planning). See Jn. 5:19.

Hugh and Shawn checked with the manager of the Barth Hotel (see picture) and got a list of the needs of the residents. Then, they sent an email to the Denver Network letting them know what the Lord had directed them to do. They invited the people in the Network to ask the Lord if they were to join in. Here are some of the responses they received...

Hello Hugh: We will join you (me and my wife, Tanya) in blessing the residents at the Barth Hotel on Tuesday, December 29. We can bring socks, hot cocoa, hot cider, juice, or cookies. As we get closer to the event and you hear from others, let us know what to bring. In the meantime I’ll be on the lookout for tube socks – and I’ll begin baking cookies as well. -Phil

I am going to be out of town but I will pray for you all, and those you meet...Hugh, your obedience shows your love for the Lord..."I am proud of my son"~God -Brittani

Cool, it looks like a lot of things are getting taken already. We will bake 6 - 8 dozen cookies for the evening. Count my 78 year old mom in. Also we have one Domino game, Jan, Tina and Kalia

My church purchased 60 pairs of tube socks yesterday. If others have already purchased socks, then we can return some of them and get other items that are needed. Kara and I can also supply a CD player with a large mix of Christmas songs. I have approximately 90 Christmas songs that I can burn to a CD to make it easier than needing to switch CDs frequently. May we be humble vessels for the Lord, Nick

Natural, organic, spontaneous, unexhorted.

The new paradigm.


John

The Barth Hotel (1)

Mission flows from listening (not strategic planning). See Jn. 5:19.

Watch this progression...

1. Hugh Brandt heard the Lord direct him to do something to express love to the residents of the Barth Hotel in downtown Denver over the Christmas season. (This is an assisted living facility for senior citizens.)

2. Hugh shared this with one of his CO2 partners, Shawn Taylor. As they listened together, Shawn agreed that this was from the Lord. The manager of the Hotel was thrilled about their desire and suggested they could bring as many as 15 people and that December 29th would be a good day.

3. Hugh sent this email to the Denver Network: House Church Friends, After taking time to listen to the Lord, Shawn Taylor and I have organized an outreach event on Tuesday December 29th at 6pm for approximately 2 hours for about 15 of us. We have the opportunity to love and serve the residents of the Barth Hotel located in Lower Downtown. The Barth Hotel is an assisted living residence for approximately 20 women and 40 men all of whom are poor.

I'll share with you tomorrow some of the responses Hugh received.

The vision? We picture the day when there will be hundreds (thousands?) of "churches of two" listening to the Lord and moving out in mission as He directs.

Sometimes with two people.

Sometimes with fifteen.

Sometimes with thousands.

This is the new (old) paradigm of mission.

John

CO2s and City Transformation

The house church leaders in Denver meet together each month. We have two goals when we gather - connecting with each other on a heart level and hearing what God wants to say to us.

At our last meeting on 11/13/09, after dinner our group of 25 broke up into smaller groups and did SASHET. Then, we spend time alone listening (ie, VIRKLER) to God about this questions: "What do you want to say to us about Denver?" After about twenty minutes, we shared what we had heard in our smaller groups and then with the whole group. Out of this corporate listening time emerged a very encouraging prophetic message which you can read here: http://www.coloradohousechurch.com/blog/2009/main/report-from-the-denver-network-all-city-meeting/#more-377

The point? The two basic disciplines of SASHET and VIRKLER are effective tools with two people (CO2), with a small group (house church) and with a city-wide group.

John

CO2: Ten Pairs

Noah Cremisino leads a house church of mostly young adults in Denver, CO. Here's how he introduced CO2s to his church. Notice how they used listening to find out who to pair with.

"This week, as a house church, I challenged everyone to "CO2" with someone for 2 weeks. We spent time in silence praying and asking God who we should pair with and each person got someone (not a single overlap either - amazing!!) that they are going to pray and share with daily. So far it looks like we have around 10 pairs.

After the two weeks we're going to talk about how it went and hopefully make it part of our daily experience in life.Pray for us as we go - that we'd really find deep fusion in the small clusters - that they would be transformational on the deepest level.

Also - as I was explaining it, we got into a discussion about the principle of pairs. Almost everything in the universe is built on pairs from sub-atomic structure to galactic bodies... if you dig into it you'll always find that a pair of something is essential for it's stability. You disassemble the pairs (split an atom for example) and often the entire unit destructs. Chromosomes - the body deconstructs. Protons/Neutrons - the atom becomes unstable. Male/Female - no procreation / families deconstruct. Etc. etc. -- Just some thoughts...

Anyway - I'll let you know how it all goes."

Thanks, Noah! Looking forward to hearing about the "experiment".

John