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

"I am amazed how we have church on the phone!"

One of the six rhythms of the Apprenticeship is a conference call every two weeks with your cohort. Early on we wondered if a virtual community (phone, online forum, etc) could really become community. What we have discovered is that it really works! As people are faithful to engage all six of the rhythms, genuine community emerges.

Below are some of the forum posts after a conference call last week with the Central Texas Cohort.

(BTW, for you younger folks, that strange looking black thing is what phones used to look like!)

John

"I love you all! I am amazed how we have church on the phone!"

"Checking in as Happy. What wonderful testimonies by Valerie last night on our conference call. Also 11 out of 12 on the call. Faithful people!"

"Ya know, I'm checking in feeling pretty good. It's a beautiful day and Lacy's song last night was really powerful. I know it was only over the phone, but it really ministered to me and man, I feel peace. God is good!"

Apprenticeship: Daily?

I appreciate the way so many of you have responded thoughtfully to my message about recommitting to the daily rhythms of the Apprenticeship.

http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2011/02/message-from-john-to-apprenticeship.html

Here are two of the comments...

"Listened to John's encouragement to be faithful to our committment in the apprenticeship. It really is important to meet daily. We are seeing results from those who are meeting daily on facebook. I also want to encourage everyone to set up your coaching appointments. Cathy had her first one with Wade last night and she was surprised on what came out. She said it was unexpected and powerful."

"I watched the video that John White made about commitment to checking in and such. This apprenticeship has been life changing to me. This is so exciting to me and I enjoy practicing what I learn and hear. I really liked how John mentioned about reaching out to the ones that haven't spoke so much. So I want my friends to know that I really enjoy the input that is given in this group because it helps me learn and grow. Everyone here is so amazingly gifted by God and each of you have touched my life in some way! So thanks a bunches! ♥"

Three leaders talk about SASHET

To be effective, a house church must become a genuine community. Simply meeting together once a week isn't enough. Hearts must be knit together. As John Eldredge says, we must become "intimate allies".

SASHET is a simple but extraordinarily powerful tool toward the goal of genuine community. We teach this to all of our house church leaders and church planters. Recently, I interviewed three leaders about SASHET. I think you will find their comments below to be very helpful.

For more on SASHET, scroll down the right side of this blog to TOPICS. Then, keep going until you find SASHET. 25 postings on this subject so far. (In case you haven't noticed, there is a whole education on topics like listening to God and house church life in the TOPICS section of this blog.)

The LK10 Apprenticeship. (Our leadership training intensive - 12 weeks with groups of 12 people.) We've just finished the Fall session and are making plans for the Spring session which will begin on the last Sunday in January. More information how to sign up for the Spring session soon. Stay tuned to this blog.

John

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

Apprenticeships (1)

A growing number of people have been asking for training in the basic practices of the Luke Ten Community. Our sense is that we are to offer 12 week Apprenticeship training groups this fall. This training is designed to deepen your personal relationship with God. In addition, it will increase your capacity as a spiritual leader.

The training will take place in small virtual communities (called cohorts) of 10 people. Two cohorts have already been filled and we have space for only 10 more people in a third cohort.

I'll be saying more about the Apprenticeships over the next few days but here's an overview of what will be involved ...

1. Weekly learning assignments designed to deepen your understanding of our first three practices. (Listening to God on my own, listening with one other (ie, a CO2) and listening with a spiritual family) These assignments will expose you to the best articles and videos on these foundational spiritual rhythms.

2. Learning in the context of a small virtual cohort (weekly online discussion forum, monthly conference calls). We believe the best learning takes place in community. And, these small communities will give you the opportunity to get to know and learn from 9 other people who are on a similar journey.

3. Two individual phone sessions each month with a trained LK10 coach. This individualized help will assist you in paying attention to the specific things that God is addressing in your life.

Again, we have only 10 more spaces available for the fall session of the Apprenticeship. If you are interested in learning more, email me as soon as possible at DenverWH@aol.com Just say, "Send me info about the Apprenticeship"

John

Sarah Young (3)

Here's an example of the devotional reading from August 3 in Jesus Calling. As you read it, you will see that it's something Sarah felt the Lord spoke personally to her.

This is valuable to those of us who are learning to hear God's voice because it gives us an example. It helps answer the question that I've heard many times, "So, what kind of things does God say to you when you listen to Him?" For those of us who were trained to believe that God only speaks today through Scripture, these examples are quite important.

Seems to me that this same sort of thing can happen in CO2s (churches of two) and in our simple churches. That is, we can help each other by sharing the kinds of things we are hearing from God.

Share with us your impressions about what Sarah wrote below.

John

From Jesus Calling on August 3...

Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damaged others as well as yourself. This ability to verbalized is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.

Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." (James 1:19). Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray - "Help me, Holy Spirit" - before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline. Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence. In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

Sarah Young (2)

Sarah Young continues describing a turning point in her spiritual journey. The year is 1993 and, although she had been a Jesus follower for many years, she now begins listening for God's voice.

My journaling had changed from monologue to dialogue. Soon, messages began to flow more freely, and I bought a special notebook, to record these words. This new way of communicating with God became the high point of my day. I know these writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but they were helping me grow closer to God.

...This practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline, so I want to share some of the messages I have received.

Sarah's daily devotional, "Jesus Calling", is simply 365 short examples of the messages she has received from the Lord. I'll include one of them tomorrow so you can see what it's like.

What I want to emphasize today is that this "practice of listening" is at the heart of our Luke Ten Community. This is a "community of practice" where we are...

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen as individuals

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with one other person (CO2)

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with our spiritual family (simple church)

The whole thing is pretty simple, isn't it.

John

Sarah Young (1)

For the first time in a long time, I've begun reading a daily devotional book. I'll tell you about the author, Sarah Young, and you'll understand why.

Sarah writes that in 1993 her relationship with God changed dramatically...

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.

Many of us in the Luke Ten Community have been on a similar journey. Longing to hear what God might say to us personally on a given day. Feeling awkward when we first begin. But, being aware of "spontaneous thoughts" and writing them down. Finding that they are often both biblical and appropriate.

Take a minute and, in the comments below, share what this journey has been like for you.

More from Sarah tomorrow.

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

CO2 spreads to England

Chris Jefferies lives in St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, UK. Chris learned about the "church of two" concept at the House2House Conference last fall in Dallas, TX. Here's Chris' story. (BTW, file this under "Viral Multiplication".)

In early December I began CO2 with a house church friend, Sean. After the first week we were clear that we very much wanted to continue, and after three weeks we both agree that our relationship with one another and our relationships with the Lord are deepening noticeably.

Our experiences are similar to those reported by others commenting on 'Stories from the Revolution'. I had expected CO2 to be good, but it was trying it out for myself over a period of days that really convinced me. It's sometimes been difficult to keep going on a daily basis, but it is so worth the effort. My advice - don't give up, keep on keeping on and you will benefit.

Even if you don't have a partner for CO2, I would recommend doing the VIRKLER and SASHET exercises on your own each day. You will still see some useful benefit. But working in pairs or small groups will amplify the value greatly.

VIRKLER (particularly the hearing and journaling aspects) has deepened my awareness of the Lord's constant presence in my life.

SASHET has brought us closer to one another in mutual understanding, respect and trust.As we pray with and for one another in the light of hearing the Lord's direction to each of us, I'm fully convinced we'll be led into church life and sharing the gospel in ways we could hardly have imagined at first.

CO2 is not an end in itself. It is, however, a really useful framework for hearing from the Lord and at the same time developing broader and deeper relationships between individuals. In this way it stimulates spiritual growth and can act as both a building block for church and a platform for sharing the gospel. What a versatile tool!

Thanks, Chris!

To read more of Chris' CO2 story, check out his blog at http://blog.scilla.org.uk/2009/12/church-of-two-co2.html

John

Kent Smith (4): Tools

What are some tools that can help people better understand and engage the vibrant community life we have been considering?

Let me suggest three:

· Keep reading—and engaging with—"Stories From the Revolution". With your help we’ll continue to work to make this blog a steady source of practical and encouraging interaction with the growing community of people on this journey. I find it really helpful to have Feedblitz send me every new post. You can do the same by signing up in the right hand column here (on the site).

· Read Centered, the ebook I wrote with some friends as a brief introduction to this vibrant life. You can now get it in either the Kindle or DNL format here: thecenteredlife.net.

· Explore the resources at: LK10Resources.com. We’ll continue to populate this site with great tools to help practitioners.



What if you feel called to join the Peace Bearers (ie, church planters) in bringing the Kingdom news to new pockets of people?

· Join LK10.com A community of practice for church planters. Connect with over 500 people from around the world who are actively exploring life on mission with God. Discover people from your area who are on a similar journey.

· Consider apprenticing with a community-of-faith-in-training. This could be informal with people in your city or region who are already on this journey. For some a great option is to consider formal training, such as the program I direct at Abilene Christian University leading to a master’s degree in missions or ministry.

These are amazing days. What is possible now has never been so before. But as always, in the midst of this, God is at work to form his Bride and to establish his Kingdom among all peoples. And we have been invited to join him—each of us uniquely—in this great mission.

As you think about our mission and what tools are available either through our community or others, what needs to be done better? What else do you think would be helpful?

CO2 Day Twenty Three: Digging Deeper into SASHET (1)

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

How many times have you had that conversation with Christian friends at church or in other settings? We want to go deeper but we're not always sure how to do it. SASHET gives us a simple tool to do just that. To begin to develop heart level relationships.

At first glance, this tool appears so simple that we are tempted to dismiss it. Take a look at this 3 minute video where Tod Brown takes us deeper into SASHET. http://www.lk10resources.com/practice-2.html (Scroll all the way down.)

What are you experiencing with SASHET?

John