10:2b Story (Part Two)

As Hobby and his apostolic partner, Robbie James, began praying the 10:2b Prayer (see yesterday's post) the Lord of the Harvest began arranging divine encounters. In the video below you will hear about one of those encounters with Mike Deaton, a professor at James Madison University in Virginia, and his wife JoEtta. (More from JoEtta tomorrow.)

Notice that Mike and JoEtta were already committed to planting house churches. But, two years of very limited success had made them hungry to learn. We have found this to be true for people who are answers to the 10:2b Prayer. In every situation, God has worked in their lives to prepare them. They have been "thrust out" by the Lord of the Harvest and are already motivated. You might say that "God does the heavy lifting" in preparing these church planters.

See what else you hear in Mike's story.

John

A 10:2b Story (Part One)

The DNA of our Luke Ten Community focuses on seven key practices. (To see all seven, go here: http://lk10.com/media/lk10_visionpaper_2_0.pdf )

The fourth practice is in obedience to Jesus' command in Luke 10, verse 2, part b. We sometimes call this the "10:2b Prayer". This was Jesus' solution to a specific problem. Namely, "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few". To Jesus the answer was obvious - ask the Harvest Master for more laborers.

So, what does a "10:2b answer" look like? In this three part series, you will see three examples of harvest laborers sent out by the Harvest Master.

First, in the video below (the first of three parts), you will see Hobby Chapin who was a "10:2b answer" here in Denver over a year ago. Hobby has become a good friend and a very effective church planter in Brighton (north of Denver). Tomorrow, you will see what happened as Hobby prayed the 10:2b Prayer.

John

Women in MRTs?

Yesterday's post featured a video of one of the Denver MRTs sending greetings to a similar group in New Zealand. In the video, five men share some of what they appreciate about their team.

Carolyn Spencer (Clovis, NM) responded with an important question...

Hi, Are all the seven MRT's (in Denver) a group of guys only? Is connecting together this way something done more easily when its just a group of guys, or is it just as effective when its mixed company? Would this group be as comfortable if a female leader joined you at Sojourner's Coffee Shop? What is your take on including women in MRT? Carolyn

Carolyn,

Thank you for asking this question! Some of the MRTs in Denver do have women members. And, I believe my MRT would actually be more effective if there were women as a part of the team. I believe that female apostolic church planters are just as "called" and just as effective as men. I believe that it is preferable to have a MRT with both men an women.

As you know, we are coming out of a period when women were often limited in their leadership roles in the church. In the Luke Ten Community, we believe that church = family and, in that context, spiritual mothers are just as important as spiritual fathers for a healthy family. I want Luke Ten to be an environment where women are encouraged to function that way both in house churches and as apostolic church planters.

So, Carolyn, thanks for asking that question so that I could clarify our values! And, to both men and women readers, please send me stories where you see women functioning in this kind of leadership.

John

A Conversation with Chadd Schroeder - Guadalajara, Mexico - Part 2

In this Part 2 of a conversation with Chadd Schroeder, he continues to share about the transition he and his wife Nancy underwent as they shifted from focusing on planting a Traditional Church in Guadalajara, Mexico to planting House Churches.

Chadd also tells several remarkable stories of people God raised up to be leaders of the Church in Mexico, in particular the story of a "couple of Peace" (Luke 10:6), Gerardo and Carola (pictured), whom God has used to impact hundreds of people throughout Mexico.