Revolutionary Networks

In this blog, which we call "Stories from the Revolution", we try and capture some of the best stories about the amazing spiritual revolution that is going on in the US and around the world.  In this revolution, where the church is returning to the home, we are seeing many house churches connecting in relational networks.  The LK10 Community is an example of a larger network.  A great example of a local network is one lead by Jim and Cathy Mellon in Central Texas.  Here's their remarkable story as told by Felicity Dale.  (Reposted with Felicity's permission.)

Make sure you watch the video interview that I did with Jim and Cathy the article.  In it, they share one of the keys to seeing house churches multiply.

John

Back in the early 90's, Jim Mellon was on the eldership team of a megachurch with a $1 million a year budget. One Christmas, their church didn't have the funds to help a member's family where both husband and wife had lost their jobs.  As he and his wife, Cathy, discussed it, they realized that church shouldn't be this way, that there should be resources available to help any members of the body in need (Acts 2:45, Acts 4:34-35).

As they searched the Scriptures, looking to see what the Bible had to say about church and finance, they came across the concept of church meeting in homes, and because of the financial implications, began a network of house churches.

From the start, finances played a big part in what they did. They now give to needs in their city, such as the local soup kitchen as well as to Christian ministries, and benevolence to people within the body has been a foundational principle too. They are known by their mayor and city council because of their faithfulness in giving. Their people not only give financially, they also involve on the ground in the places they help. They support church planting in India and Haiti and send mission teams out to these places.

After a while, they found that they were sometimes in the position of the megachurch–that in any given month they might run out of money before their financial obligations had been fulfilled, so they changed their pattern of giving. Instead of giving a set amount to a ministry, say $200, they now give a percentage, so they never run out of funds and there is always money available for benevolence.

They decided from the start that any leadership should be bi-vocational and to this day, only have very part time paid administrative help. 

This network of simple/organic churches is profoundly effective with their finances.

Since their inception, they have given more than $1.5 million away to missions and benevolence.

In the video below, Jim and Cathy share about the importance of the 10:2b Prayer for their network.  For more on the 10:2b Prayer, go here  http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/10%3A2b%20Prayer

Using CO2s to Plant House Churches

About a year ago, Sean Hyatt (Aurora, CO) felt the Lord directing him to begin doing a CO2 (church of two) with his family. (Since this included his wife and three children, it really was a CO5!) Sean has been faithful in this for almost a year now. See my four part interview with him here: http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2010/07/co2-hyatt-family-1.html

Scripture says that, if we are faithful in small things, God will give us greater opportunities (Lk. 19:17). That's exactly what has happened with Sean. The Lord has now brought people to Sean from three different cities in Colorado who want to learn how to start house churches (ie, 10:2b answers!). In each case, Sean is using a CO2 with these men to train them how to start churches in their homes. See the video below for the full story.

My sense is that the Lord is raising up a growing number of "Seans" to be church planters. The "virus" is spreading!

John

CO2 in Australia (3)

Today is the last segment of my interview with Maree Watson from Australia. Here are some things that strike me in this video (see below)...

*Mission flows spontaneously from listening. No one told Maree that she "should" reach out to her friends. She very naturally saw that her shop (she's a hairdresser) is her place of ministry. And, she understands that most of her clients would never set foot in a church building but they enjoy coming into her shop.

*Maree has a sense from the Lord that it's time to begin to focus outward and she has been praying for a "person of peace" (The 10:2b Prayer). (Note: When you pray this prayer daily, it changes your "vision". You begin to watch expectantly for God's answers.) In the video, Maree tells about a "divine encounter" with a woman who may be an answer.

*Maree's story also illustrates the idea that a "person of peace" has already been prepared by God to hear the message even though they might not yet be a follower of Jesus. Reaching out to unbelievers in this way is not about mastering the subject of apologetics. Instead, it's about being alert to those in whom God has been working preveniently.

Lord of the Harvest, we join with Maree today in beseeching you to thrust out many people of peace and many church planters in Australia and connect them with Maree. We pray that her life and her shop will be full of your presence to such a degree that people will come from miles around to get some of what she's got. May many become passionate followers of You and listeners to You as a result of her teaching. May many vibrant families of Jesus be birthed from her ministry.

John

CO2 in Australia (2)

In part two of my interview with Maree, she describes her experience with "two way" journaling. Her journal has become her "treasured possession" because it's her way of remembering all that the Lord has been teaching her. She observes that the "guilt thing" ("I haven't read my Bible in four days!") is completely gone because she so enjoys her conversations with the Lord now.

Her conclusion? "CO2 has brought me from being a servant of the Lord to being His friend."

Listen to Maree in her own words in the video below.

John

CO2 in Australia (1)

Every CO2 story is unique and carries with it important lessons that we all can learn from. In the first part of my interview below with Maree Watson from Australia, I was impressed with several things.

First, we can see that the simple CO2 "virus" is easy to catch. Maree didn't even catch it from another person but from our website. She read the instructions and began doing it on her own. (See the CO2 resources in the right column of this blog. There is a video, an eBook and a brochure explaining how a "church of two" works.)

The second thing I see is that the Lord had prepared her by creating a spiritual hunger. She was "earnestly wanting to hear God's voice". Then, the Lord prepared a partner for her who responded eagerly when she heard about the CO2 concept. This reminds us that our job is not to try to talk anyone into a CO2 but to look for those whom the Lord has prepared.

John