Thanks for the emails, links to and comments on this series of blogs...it's really just my notes of what was said in the sessions, but it's helping me cement what I've learnt and 're-hear' it and I'm glad it's inspiring and helping others.
So here goes with Wednesday! Today we were up at St Thomas Crookes for the day, looking at how these overarching principles and missional communities pan out for them in their context. Just as a heads up, the conference ends on Thursday with a coming together of Philly/KC and Crookes to tie up the loose ends and commission us all. But that's another post!
1. Devotion by Mike Breen - focus on Luke 22:13 In Mike's opening prayer he said this: Even our best intentions end up as glorious vices without God. Awesome.
This passage has an overall greater reference to the Kingdom. The Passover is remembered in it's context as a great deliverance within the Covenant rememberance.
Mike focused on the word 'confer' in verse 28. In other translations, such as Scandinavian languages, this can mean 'decree' or literally 'pass-over'. In the original Greek it is 'diatheke' (sp?) a Greek word for covenant, in fact the only word used for Covenant in the Septuagint.
Covenant relationship is that of equals - 2 become 1. In this encounter Jesus us saying he is decreeing, giving us a covenant kingdom of equals. We have a kingdom covenanted to us just as the Father shares his Kingdom with Jesus the Son. Kingdom is conferred out of Covenant relationship.
As we partake in the Eucharist/Communion/Last Supper, we should remember that Jesus has covenanted us a Kingdom and shared the throne with us (Revelation 3)
Mike further expounded on verse 25 as the key for him of this passage - Jesus says we are not to be benefactors of the message. This is a power relationship and it isn't the way God wants it. He wants us to be the message in our weakness and our need - this is the mark of Leaders in the Kingdom.
As a church leader, it is not our job to feed the sheep...the sheep feed themselves but the Good Shepherd leads his flock out and they find pasture. Mission Field...Psalm 23.
Our message needs to be "I have nothing for you - but God has."
Phew - in amongst that was a whistlestop tour of the development of power and authority in Christian history and an explanation of the feudal system which still governs our institutional church...so much to think on!
2. The Pentagon - Tom Finnemore led this session for those of us who have used this tool and shape in our context. Some useful questions came out from the group which Tom ploughed through in the time we had.
Tom started off by saying that he felt this shape needed the greatest sensitivity in the way in which it was handled and when it was introduced in a group setting. A number of those there had experience of it being used too early and 'labelling' people too early.
This shape must be understood in the context of other LifeShapes and within the idea of base/main gift and phase gifts (seasonal). The Square for example, is a great pre-cursor to the Pentagon as this can help us understand the dynamics and readiness of a group to progress and work out the timing of introducing the Pentagon. It must be used in the context of mission otherwise it's just a 'pat on the back' exercise.
Some of the questions that the group raised included:
how do you know when to challenge someone into a phase gift? Which gifts best pair together and which don't work? What are some of the characteristics/pitfalls experienced by groups or clusters which are led by particular Five Folds?
We also shared some thoughts around using the Pentagon in a Huddle situation - as I have done with some youthworkers.
3. St Thomas Crookes - the what, why and how.
As I said, this day was focused on the practical outworking of all this stuff as it looks at Crookes - the more 'traditional' parish in terms of building and set up.
Mick Woodhead led us through some of the keys to how it works - focusing on the Triangle: Meet God (Up) Meet Friends (In) Live life Better (Out).
These ideas and core values work in every setting - the Circle helps YOU as a leader determine the How.
Mick outlined the various people groups that the mission is focused on - including Youth Church, Students, Young Adults (18-30 and not students), Young Families, and Homebase (boomers, 40's with kids, 50's with teens etc)
There was lots of useful stuff in there and ideas, particularly for a big church setting. The most useful aspect for me was the understanding that the organism (of clusters, missional communities, cells and mission stuff) shapes the organisation (resources, departments, administration) and the organisation then serves the organism, with the staff team between the two. Really simple but effective.
The organism, as with everything at both St Thomas' is Low Control, High Accountability. The Organisation is Light Weight and Low Maintenance.
In terms of staffing, St Thomas work by "who is on the bus"...those already there, doing the stuff, working the vision and who are identified as having character, being teachable and open to new things and changes...
4. Young Adults (18-30) seminar This was led by Nick Haigh and Bryony Wells and talked about those who fit into this age bracket but who may have a wide variety of circumstances - could be parents, on a career path, single, married, living in student digs or in their own home, searching for independence or wanting to stay a student.... ?
So much of the diversity comes in transition and the starting of new things which can be stressful and effect people in different ways. Different format to the ministry and mission and meeting points because of this variety. This was a really useful discussion, only a few of us but it opened up some new ideas and showed how well resourced this type of work needs be in what is the lost generation in many of our churches.
5. Homebase seminar - Mick Woodhead The Day ended with a seminar similar in style to the last one which unpacked the different people groups in the church and how it all fits together. Whilst in this session, I was really starting to think about my own small group and church and what this means for our next steps...
Mick shared some of the history of Crookes and how the current Homebase group are the remnant of the those who were left behind when Mike Breen led the church into the city. He talked about Gathering, Envisioning, building Community and Input to help people talk through their Vision for the next stage up in Crookes.
As Mick was expanding on this, I began thinking of ways in which my own small group might develop on these principles: particularly around making friends, getting to know the Bible and Jesus better and living in the community and serving it.
Some of the ideas for OUT include: estate work (driveway BBQ's, open house, toddler at home stuff), Beer and Hymns outreach in the town, Prayer rooms (have a meeting about that in a week or so) and getting to know families better, particularly through the seasonal opportunities.
So that's where I'm at by the end of Wednesday...any thoughts??
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