Basic training in organic church life

Registration is open for two LK10 Courses.

Foundations One:  This is a six week virtual learning community covering the basic values and practices of organic church life.  In the video below, Sean Hyatt, who will be leading the course, explains what is involved.  This class begins on April 2nd and is limited to the first 15 registrations.  Cost: $100 for individuals.  $150 for couples.  See column to the right for more information and to register.

Foundations Two:  This is also a six week virtual learning community which goes deeper into the basic values and practices of organic church life.  The course will be led by Walt Hastings.  It begins on April 22nd and is limited to the first 15 registrations.  Cost:  $100 for individuals.  $150 for couples.  Prerequisite for Foundations Two is the completion of Foundations One.  See column to the right to register.




Each Foundation Course takes place in the context of a small "learning community" (6 to 15 people) called a cohort.  The Course lasts for six weeks.  Here are the key elements...

1.  Weekly learning assignments.  Articles to read and videos to watch that explain "foundational" practices and the Biblical basis. 
2.  CO2 (Church of Two).  This might be a married couple or two men or two women.  For six weeks, you will practice key rhythms daily with this one other person.  Our conviction is that the CO2 is the basic building block of all larger expressions of church.  We are following Jesus' model of putting people in pairs (Mt. 10) and sending them out together.  For more information on the CO2, see the CO2 video and flyer in the right column of this site.
3.  Online Forum (Facebook Group, etc).  Regular posting to a forum where you discuss insights, comments, experiences, questions with the rest of your cohort.
4.  Individual Coaching Appointments with the leader of your cohort.  At least two one-on-one sessions during the Course.  We want you to experience the value of this kind of coaching.
5.  Conference calls with your cohort.  At least two calls with your cohort during the Course to share comments, experiences and questions with the rest of your cohort.

Church is changing!

A couple of weeks, ago I shared with you these important quotes from a recent article in The Huffington Post (of all places!)…

Something startling is happening in American religion:  We are witnessing the end of church or, at the very least, the end of conventional church.  The United States is fast becoming a society where Christianity is being reorganized after religion.

But there is good news in this article…

But nearly half of Americans appear to hope for a spiritual reformation – even revolution…  there is a grassroots desire for new kinds of faith communities, where institutional structures do not inhibit or impede ones relationship with God or neighbor.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/diana-butler-bass/the-end-of-church_b_1284954.html 

And that’s where LK10 comes in.  Our mission is to train people for these “new kinds of faith communities”.

One of the main ways we do this is through the Foundation Courses.  These Courses teach a new paradigm of church in the context of a vital learning community.

If you haven’t been in one of these Courses yet, you can get a good picture of what it’s like from this interview with Sean Hyatt. 

Tony Dale: LK10 adds the personal touch

House2House Ministries and the LK10 Ministries are two of the organizations serving the growing house church movement.  While I (John White) am the Director of LK10, I also serve on the Board of Directors of House2House.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Austin, TX for a meeting of the Board of House2House at Tony and Felicity Dale's home.  Tony and Felicity are good friends and we've been involved with them in the house church movement for over twelve years.

In this video, I asked Tony to comment on some of the ways that these two ministries compliment each other.  One of his observations was that LK10 adds "the personal touch".  And, that's exactly right.  I wish you could see what is going on in the Foundations One Courses that just started.  These are small virtual groups of 8 to 12 people (we call them cohorts) where people are learning in the context of community.  In addition to the "personal touch" of the cohort community, each person receives one on one coaching every other week.  If this sounds good to you, consider being part of next round of courses.



Update from the LK10 Equipping Center:

*Two Foundation One Courses are just starting up with participants from Colorado, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Minnesota, Florida and Alberta (CAN).  One of the amazing things we've learned from these Courses is how significant community can develop in these virtual learning environments.  We'll let you know when new Courses are starting.

*A Foundations One Course will soon be starting with leaders from several African countries.

*We've had to postpone the beginning of The Family Blessing Course.  We'll let you know the new start date.

What happens in a Foundations Course?

The video above is an interview with Walt Hastings who is one of our LK10 Coaches.  Walt has just finished leading one of the Cohorts in our six week Foundations Course and is describing what happened during the Course.  (See below for comments from members of that Cohort.)

Five new Cohorts are beginning in January.  One in Africa.  Two in Australia.  Two in the US.  To find out more information and to register see the right column.  Further questions?  Send me an email at john.lk10@gmail.com 

John White

Comments from members of Walt's Cohort...

Phyllis:  I had gotten God's messages before, but had never thought of it as hearing His voice. I had never tried a dedicated "listening time" before either. So I guess you'd have to say I am leaps and bounds beyond where I was.  I'd love to live my whole life as a "listening time"...   The class has emphasized for me that "church" is about relationship (to God and to each other) more than it is about worship. Worship flows from the relationship. 

Joseph:  The class has strengthened my marriage. We have checked in with each using "SASHET", which helps us to state where we are much more quickly. Sometimes we can't put emotions into words but this method helps. The class also has helped me to be more in tune to God and to listen to Him.  

Angie:  My highlight was meeting new people.  I also liked the roadmap that LK10 presented.  Doing check-ins using SASHET helped me understand where others are and be more tender toward them. I learned to listen to others, without offering advice. I was able to hear God's Voice every day and journal. I am appreciating that God wants to be with me each day, and that He desires relationship. Observing Walt when coaching allowed me to see a good example of listening well and asking good questions, without telling people what to do.   

Troy:  I liked the course material, especially how the role of the Holy Spirit was presented. It was great having a coach to whom to be accountable. My coach made observations and asked good questions that led to personal growth.  I also like the training options for the future that LK10 is planning.   

Raymond:  For me, the highlight has been the Skype session with the group. The fellowship with the other members in Skype was so welcome and refreshing. One member came through with some useful info on home churches that he sent to me. It has been a great encouragement to me to have fellowship with others of like mind and desires.  

Audrey:  I've learned better skills for listening to God.  Taking out more quiet times to spend with God, has made my relationship with Jesus seem more real to me...  I think that just knowing someone is committed to connecting with me each day (CO2) is pretty great, as well as knowing that I have a non-judgmental ear ready to listen to what's going on with me... When we arrive at our church meeting, I already feel connected to her, not like I'm only seeing her for the first or second time during the week. 

Bob:  I see more clearly the presence of Jesus in people in our cohort. I have new friends via the cohort. I want to hear what God does in their lives in the future, and to find opportunities to encourage them in their journey. 

Shaun King discovers "Jesus Calling"

In my last two posts, I've told the story of Shaun and Rai King leaving the church they started in Atlanta.  This story seems important to me because I believe it is the story of an increasing number of the leaders of traditional churches.  Over and over, we keep hearing leaders say something like, "I still love Jesus but church is killing me.  There has got to be a better way!"

I happen to check out Shaun's most recent blog post (9/17) and was quite surprised and delighted to seethat he was talking about a book he just discovered called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. This is significant because I believe that this book unexpectedly holds the key to the "better way" of doing church that Shaun and Rai and many others are longing for.  http://www.shauninthecity.com/2011/09/not-a-joke-you-need-to-buy-this-at-list-click-on-the-link-4-my-birthday.html

Here's what Shaun wrote about the book...

Last week my wife bought herself a daily devotional entitled, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.  The lady at the bookstore swore by it.  She said it had changed her life and the lives of more customers than any book they sold.  Within two days my wife was completely hooked.  We've been in a real transitional season of our lives and she said it was helping her in amazing ways.


So... I decided to try it myself.  I generally hate daily devotionals.  Not this one.  It's profound.  It cuts right to the chase.  It's written as if it is Jesus speaking to you and it's not the slightest bit cheesy.  Each day has verses and a simple lesson and I'm telling you it changes my day.




The author of Jesus Calling is Sarah Young.  Here's what she writes in the Introduction (xii) about how the book came about...

I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but that was one-way communication:  I did all the talking.  I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more.  Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given day.  I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I believed He was saying.  I felt awkward the first time I tried this, but I received a message.  It was short, biblical, and appropriate.  It addressed topics that were current in my life:  trust, fear, and closeness to God.  I responded by writing in my prayer journal.  My journaling had changed from monologue to dialogue.


...This practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline. 


Stay with me now as I "connect the dots".

• When an individual begins the practice of listen to the Lord, prayer changes from monologue to dialogue and amazing things happen.  As Sarah says, "This has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline.
• When a group (ie, a house church) begins the practice of listening to the Lord, amazing things happen.

Here's the simple but powerful tool that changes everything.  We teach individuals in a house church to take a piece of paper and write this question:  Jesus, what do you want to say to this church today?  Then, we send everyone off for 20-30 minutes to listen to Jesus about that question and write what they hear.  When people come back, they simple share what they have written down.  And, what happens?

• Church flows from listening
• Community flows from listening
• Bible study flows from listening
• Worship flows from listening
• Prayer flows from listening
• Intimacy flows from listening
• Mission flows from listening
• Changed lives flow from listening

We've been doing this for several years and I can tell you that it really works!  Jesus really is the Head of the church and He brings the agenda every week.  And, that changes everything!  I'm convinced that this is the "better way" that Shaun and Rai and so many others are longing for.

Equipping people/churches in this "better way" is the mission of the LK10 Community.  To learn more, go to http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2011/09/foundations-course.html

John

For more on the biblical basis for thinking this way about church and mission, go here...  http://www.youtube.com/user/LK10VIDEOS?feature=mhee#p/u/97/9lh7GysHCJM

and here...   

http://www.youtube.com/user/LK10VIDEOS?feature=mhee#p/u/96/GekEFaTkAHs

The Senior Pastor's wife weighs in

A couple of days ago, I told you the story of Shaun King stepping down on September 1st as the senior leader of Courageous Church in Atlanta.  Shaun resigned not because of a scandal but because he was worn out and disillusioned from trying to transition his church from "the big Sunday morning event" to small missional communities.  Read the whole story here:  http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2011/09/mega-church-pastor-we-are-completely.html



Now, here is Rai King's (Shaun's wife) take on what happened.  All I've done is take sections from her own blog (the link to this is at the bottom).  It's a little longer than most of my posts but what she writes is so gut-level honest that I couldn't cut it back any more.  (I like this lady!  I hope I get to meet her some day)  I think you will find this to be compelling reading.


I wonder how many other pastors' wives might write something similar if they had the freedom to "tell it like it is"?


Here are Rai King's own words...


"I have never loved leading this church.  Ever.  I didn’t want to plant it and have had just a hand full of days since planting it that I felt like it was worth it.  Shaun, however, has loved this church with his whole heart from the moment he conceived it. Before one person set foot in anything called Courageous Church, he dreamed about it, prayed for it, and worked around the clock for months getting it off the ground.  He contacted church planting organizations and sought their financial support. He went through their assessment centers, filled out their paperwork, went to their meetings, emailed their leaders.


...Shaun thought that if people witnessed courageous leadership, and listened to edgy, courageous teaching, they’d be inspired to get out and be the hands and feet of Christ themselves and provide life changing power and solutions to a dying and hurting world….Um, FAIL!  (JW:  You mean great teaching/preaching doesn't result in genuine disciples???)


...So 2 years into it, after 300+ sermons, who knows how many songs, people coming, people going, stressful lead team meetings, raising money from outside sources because the people who attended the church didn’t actually give enough to support the church, Shaun got frustrated, a few leaders got tired and left, and Jinean got sick of being the only “crazy” person in the room and started serving God on her own in Mexico.


...Thus Shaun had a vision for “the shift”…as it has come to be known.  After searching the scriptures and seeing Christ’s ministry for what it really was we decided we no longer wanted to participate in the spectator sport we Christians call CHURCH.  So we said, "let’s stop meeting every Sunday.  Let’s instead, meet in small groups in each other’s homes.  Let’s share a meal and learn how to be true disciples of Christ.  Let’s all serve together.  Let’s have each small group belong to a cause group that addresses a need in our city."  (JW:  Sounds a lot like the house churches of the New Testament!)


We talked about it, met about it, argued about it, preached about it, sang about it, and read books about it for months.  And for the most part, people were buying it.  As a matter of fact, the month before the shift, when Shaun was preaching the "hows" and "whys" of what were about to do was our highest attendance and our highest offering in all of 2011.  We thought that meant people were actually ready to be radical and courageous.  4 months later, it’s clear that what that meant was that people love HEARING about being radical and courageous.


(This is where Shaun explained that when they actually implemented "the shift" all hell broke loose.  Within 3 months, 85% of the church was clamoring to go back to the Sunday "experience".)


...I thought the problem was that we weren’t organized enough.  Maybe people weren’t serving because we’re not organized.  So this summer we went into super churchy, extra responsible, grown-up church mode.  But after months of church meetings, and the ridiculous antics of electing a board, and forming ministry teams, we’re the most organized we’ve ever been, and STILL, no one shows up to "the cause" group meetings and outreach initiatives.

...Am I frustrated?  CLEARLY!  Am I overstating the irrelevance of the Sunday morning song and dance?  Probably.  Did people come to Christ and renew their relationship with God because of what Courageous Church did for so long on Sunday mornings?  Absolutely!  But, then what?  Glad we baptized you, glad we helped you believe in church again and feel all warm and fuzzy about your creator, but I’m sorry we failed to actually make the vast majority of you into disciples.

...We’re leaving because we will not go back to the stress and relative lack of actual disciple making of the every Sunday model.  Sunday morning has its place.  I too missed the gatherings, but I will never again participate in a model that replaces the real work of Christ with the mundanity of 2 songs and a feel good sermon.

...I actually feel I owe Shaun and apology.  For so long I have put all of the church’s problems off on him as a leader.  I complained that he wasn’t organized enough.  So time and time again he devised and implemented strategies to make the church better organized.  Then I complained that he didn’t spend enough time on his sermons.  So he’d hunker down and study more and preach more well thought out sermons.

...The truth of the matter is, Shaun is simply exhausted.  Pastoring people has been 10 times better than my best hopes and 100 times worse than my worst nightmares.  Unless you’ve done it, you will NEVER understand it.  It looks one way from the outside looking in, but trust me, you don’t know the half.  


Pastors are the sickest, loneliest, most depressed people in church.  (JW:  Wow!  Read that last sentence again.  What is it about the way we have done church that produces those results in the lives of many pastors?)  That’s why they have affairs, that’s why they die at the age of 42 from heart attacks and drug over doses.  That’s why every time you turn on the TV there’s a new scandal, and a fresh news story about the latest greatest to fall from grace.  Taking criticism day in and day out from people who swear up and down they know better is exhausting.  Having people leave for stupid, selfish reasons is exhausting.  The divorce rate for pastors is among the highest of any other group in the country.  Shaun and I have decided we’d like that to not be our story. 


...To close, I want to be clear that Shaun and I haven’t given up on “church.”  We’re just finished with church as usual.  There must be churches out there getting it right.  Evidenced not by how big and cool they are, but by the fact that they’re actually making disciples who are recapturing the world for Christ."




My response:  I believe Rai is telling a story that hundreds (maybe thousands) of pastors and their spouses could tell.  I was a pastor in traditional churches for 25 years and its a story I know well.  Having been in the house church world now for many years, we have learned something of what's necessary to grow churches that "actually make disciples" and that don't burn out leaders.  


If you are interested in learning more, check this out:  http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2011/09/foundations-course.html

John White


To read Rai King's entire blog, go here:  http://raiking.com/this-is-probably-a-manifesto-leaving-courageous-church/

The Foundations Course

Over the last 15-20 years, many in the LK10 Community have been on a journey with the Lord to learn how to tap into the New Wine necessary for the New Wineskins (house churches).  In other words, how does a house church actually become a "vibrant family of Jesus"?

In the LK10 Foundations Courses, we make available to you what we have learned from the Lord through years of practice.  This Course is an opportunity for you to learn simple but powerful practical practices and tools for walking with the Spirit as an individual and as a community.  The goal of the Course is not just to learn theory but to become practitioners.


To learn more about the Foundations Course, watch this short video and then read the information at the bottom of the page.



Course Description...


Each Foundation Course takes place in the context of a small "learning community" (6 to 12 people) called a cohort.  The Course lasts for six weeks.  Here are the key elements...

1.  Weekly learning assignments.  Articles to read and videos to watch that explain "foundational" practices and the Biblical basis.
2.  CO2 (Church of Two).  This might be a married couple or two men or two women.  For six weeks, you will practice key rhythms daily with this one other person.  Our conviction is that the CO2 is the basic building block of all larger expressions of church.  We are following Jesus' model of putting people in pairs (Mt. 10) and sending them out together.  For more information on the CO2, see the CO2 video and flyer in the right column of this site.
3.  Online Forum (Facebook Group, etc).  Regular posting to a forum where you discuss insights, comments, experiences, questions with the rest of your cohort.
4.  Individual Coaching Appointments with the leader of your cohort.  At least two one-on-one sessions during the Course.  We want you to experience the value of this kind of coaching.
5.  Conference calls with your cohort.  At least two calls with your cohort during the Course to share comments, experiences and questions with the rest of your cohort.



Want to know more about the values and practices of LK10 Community?  In the right column of this blog, see the many posts under "Topics".  Questions about the Foundations Course?  Contact John White at John.lk10@gmail.com

Why the missional movement will fail (1)

In this post, I want to share with you a bombshell blog post on 9/12/11 by Mike Breen who is one of the leaders of what is called "the missional church movement".

First, let's define the term.  Here's what Alan Hirsh, another leader of the movement, writes...


"Missional church is a community of God’s people that defines itself, and organizes its life around, its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission to the world. In other words, the church’s true and authentic organizing principle is mission. When the church is in mission, it is the true church. The church itself is not only a product of that mission but is obligated and destined to extend it by whatever means possible. The mission of God flows directly through every believer and every community of faith that adheres to Jesus. To obstruct this is to block God’s purposes in and through his people."  The Forgotten Ways, p. 82.


Now, here's part of what Mike Breen writes in his recent blog post about the missional movement...

"It’s time we start being brutally honest about the missional movement that has emerged in the last 10-15 years: Chances are better than not it’s going to fail.

That may seem cynical, but I’m being realistic. There is a reason so many movements in the Western church have failed in the past century: They are a car without an engine. A missional church or a missional community or a missional small group is the new car that everyone is talking about right now, but no matter how beautiful or shiny the vehicle, without an engine, it won’t go anywhere.

...We are a group of people addicted to and obsessed with the work of the Kingdom, with little to no idea how to be with the King.


...Many church leaders unknowingly replace the transcendent vitality of a life with God for the ego satisfaction they derive from a life for God.


This is the crux of it: The reason the missional movement may fail is because most people/communities in the Western church are pretty bad at making disciples. Without a plan for making disciples (and a plan that works), any missional thing you launch will be completely unsustainable."


Exactly!

This is what we here at LK10 have been saying for some time.  The focus on mission is well-intentioned but misguided.  In Scripture, mission is not the focus.  (Think about it.  How many times is the Great Commission repeated in the Epistles?)  The church's "organizing principle" was never meant to be mission.

It's about learning to be with the King!

The church's focus and "organizing principle" is meant to be an intimate, conversational, love relationship with Jesus.  The Biblical metaphor is the Bride (ie, the church) who is passionate about her Bridegroom.  (Eph. 5:22-33)  Mission is the spontaneous by-product of that relationship.  (We have lots of evidence that this is, indeed, the case!)

Here at LK10 we articulate our "plan for making disciples" in nine words.  "Listen, obey and teach others to do the same."

Want to know more about our "plan"?  Stay tuned for information about our Foundations Class coming soon.

To read Mike Breen's entire post go here:

http://mikebreen.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/why-the-missional-movement-will-fail/

A tool for deepening relationships in families and churches

Maree Watson has been leading a LK10 Apprenticeship (called the Foundations Course this fall) in Australia.  In the video below, Maree interviews two members of the Course, Sharon and Annette, about a simple tool (called SASHET) that they have learned.  Around the world, God is using SASHET to deepen relationships in marriages and in house churches.  In the video, you will see the enthusiasm that these ladies have for what God is doing.

Interested in learning some of these practical house church tools?  Registration for the next Foundations Courses will open in the next week.  Stay tuned!