New Course offered: "The Family Blessing"

Registration is now open for a new session of our Foundations One Course.  For information about this Course and how to register, see the right column.

In addition, we are excited to offer, for the first time, a new Course called "The Family Blessing"which will be led by one of our LK10 Coaches, Tim Pynes. The mission of LK10 is to see "a vibrant family of Jesus within easy reach of every region and people group".  This Course is an important resource towards that objective.  ("The Family Blessing" applies LK10 practices specifically in a family context whereas "Foundations One" has a broader focus.)

For information about the course and how to register, see below...


The Family Blessing - Part 1

I (Tim Pynes) was in Israel over the summer and one night, in Tel Aviv, I witnessed an amazing scene in the restaurant at the hotel where we were staying. It was Friday evening and the hotel restaurant was packed with hundreds of people of all kinds. After going through the buffet line and sitting down at a table to eat, I noticed a family of Orthodox Jews stand up at their table near me and begin to pray. As I watched them, the mother of the family pulled a shawl over her head and lit a candle. In that moment, it occurred to me that the sun had just set and the sabbath had begun. I turned in my chair and saw that there were Jewish families interspersed throughout the hotel restaurant who were standing at their tables and also beginning the shabbat meal ritual. These Jewish families seemed unaware and unconcerned with the mealtime chatter happening at tables all around them as Muslim and non-Jewish families carried on eating and celebrating dinner together.

I focused my attention on one young boy at a table near mine (he was a red-haired, Orthodox Jewish child with the long curled locks hanging down on either side of his face who appeared to be around 9 or ten years old) and watched him as he stood at attention with his family, focusing his gaze first on his mother as she spoke, and then on his father. As I watched this young boy and his family continue the shabbat meal ritual, I was reminded of this scene from the movie, Fiddler on the Roof.




The powerful and moving scene I witnessed that night in Tel Aviv and this scene from Fiddler on the Roof cause me to consider and ponder such thoughts as:

• Imagine growing up in a home where at least once a week your parents took turns to look you squarely in the eyes and speak words of love and blessing over you.
• Imagine growing up in a home where at least once a week you got to observe your parents speaking words of love and blessing to one another.
• Imagine growing up in a home where at least once a week, you connected on a heart level with your parents and your siblings.
• Imagine growing up in a home where the stories of God’s goodness - stories that naturally overflowed from having a vibrant, personal & intimate relationship with God - were shared at the dinner table on a regular basis.

I want to explore these thoughts - and many others like them - and I want to reclaim the home as the center for spiritual growth and development. I long to see vibrant families of Jesus scattered throughout the world; families who are connected with the heart of God and who are being the Church wherever they go, wherever they are. Because of this, I have created a 6-week course titled, "The Family Blessing: Reclaiming the Home as the Center for Spiritual Training". The focus of this course will be on helping you to reclaim your home as a center for spiritual training. By instituting a weekly family blessing time, you will help to cultivate one anothers spiritual life and develop a more intimate relationship with God. You will learn to create a weekly space in the natural rhythm of your family’s life where you connect with one another and with God at a heart level and learn to see one anothers design and glory and call it forth.

Here are the details for the class:

• The class is 6-weeks long and begins on January 23rd and ends on March 2nd.
• The class is limited to 15 people. The first 15 people to register get in. Once 15 people have registered, we will close registration and create a waiting list.
• The cost of the course is $100 per person or $150 for couples.
• Every week on Monday, you will be emailed a workbook with your assignment for that week.
• Also, there will be three 1-hour conference calls provided for you over the length of the course where you can connect with your classmates, ask questions, discuss what you are learning, etc.
• In addition, you will be provided two 45-minute coaching sessions during the length of the course.

Registration opens today, January 9th and ends at 5 p.m. MT on Friday, January 20th or once the class has 15 participants, whichever comes first.

You can register for this course at http://familyblessing.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me: timpynes@gmail.com

"My 6 yr old is learning how to hear the Holy Spirit."

Apprenticeship Rhythms One and Two: Weekly Learning Assignments and CO2 (or CO3)

Here's another wonderful report of a household (with young children) functioning as a church.

John

"(The assignments in) Week 7 was awesome! We use sashet here at home with our 6 year old boy and 2 year old girl. Helps them identify emotions and helps them feel like we hear them and their heart. My 6 yr old is learning how to hear the Holy Spirit. Looking forward to this week's assignments and learnings."

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

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

SASHET at breakfast

This is from my friend, Ken, in California...

Hey John,

I just wanted to tell you that my five year old reminds us to do SASHET around the breakfast table every morning. It has been good for us as a family.

Clearly, SASHET is not just for adults. In fact, children seem instinctively to want to talk about what is going on in their heart. And, they want to know what is going on in our heart.

Tell us what you are learning in your family about this kind of communication.

(Remember - the marriage, and then the family, is the first and most foundational expression of church.)

John