This is the final section on our series reflecting on the Greenhouse Conference (Story 2) that took place here in Chicago, Feb 19-21st.

In the previous section, we peeked into the petri dish of organic church cultures, the reproduction of disciples, leaders, churches, and movements.  We considered the particulars on preparing the soil for nurturing and harvesting leaders as they emerge in and for a local movement.  Leadership is especially important in the early days of a network’s formation, so that patterns that are woven into the fabric of the network will result in spontaneous reproduction of healthy leaders.

The Church has always been about glocal influence.  In gardening, this ever-spreading and multiplication is known as propagation.

All over the world (global) this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you (local) since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all truth — Colossians 1:6

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. — Isaiah 61:11

“The Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” — Matthew 13:33

If the Church influences at the glocal level, what is its purpose?

The Church exists to bring glory to God and to bring God’s glory to all people.

That means indigenous worship, social justice, mercy, reconciliation, spiritual formation…holistic salvation!

Beginning with the End in Mind

Think about the destination, then make all your plans to get there.  For God, its about his creating a city – a living, organic city – and bringing it to earth where people of every tongue, tribe and nation are present and compose one diverse family…bursting with worship for God! (Rev 7:9-10)  With this picture of God’s dream in mind, how can we join God in his mission?

By cultivating a vibrant family of God’s from every tongue, tribe and nation in our part of the world. That is our mission.  Saturation church planting for the purpose of propagating God’s Kingdom in the hearts of each person on earth.  We dream that justice from heaven would pour out like a mighty river and that peace would be finally given a real chance. This stuff is what God has been about, and what the earliest church was intent on.

This is different than your typical “church plant” – this is about giving each people group on earth a in-life picture of Jesus-with-skin-on in their context.  With that said, we cannot continue to only propagate churches that reproduce like elephants — we need “rabbit” churches.

Watch this video for a good description of “rabbit churches” that exemplify saturation church planting.

Missionary Resources Teams

I’ve written elsewhere on MRT’s, even wrote a paper on the topic of Five-fold missionary resource teams… and Neil Cole ended Greenhouse by peeking at these teams.

Think of these teams as the catalysts in the chain reaction of gospel propagation – or maybe the connective tissue for energy to flow through.  They are the gifts of Christ to the Church (Ephesians 4:7-11), apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.  These folks are not titles, offices, or even positions.  They don’t wear badges or funny liturgical gowns.  They are functions – and their function is to work together to equip those who have spiritual gifts to do the work of ministry (v16).

Much of the recent study on church leadership has come from (1) deeper study of the terminology itself (apostolos, etc), (2) the several brief passages that address the subject (3) doing bios on people in the New Testament that lived as examples of one of the five giftings (4) church history and (5) your own walk with the Spirit of God.

This does not kick out “elders, deacons and widows” from church leadership, it simply augments it to provide a fuller picture of God’s catalyzing force in his Kingdom.

Here’s a brief snapshot of each of the giftings:

Apostle: A sent one to lay a foundation for the expansion of the church with a specific God-given assignment. Helps the whole church say, “I can do this!”

• A sent one (apostolos) is often looking for new places and people to spread the Kingdom of God.
• Lays a foundation in a given region (Eph 2:19-22) and like a good foundation are not noticeable after the building has begun. Does not build on another’s foundation. (Rom 15:20-21)
• Identifies/empowers leaders quickly, and is often the one who will call out the other functions in the MRT. (1 Tim 1:18, Acts 14:23)
• Reads cultures and sees open doors for the message.
• Has a relational authority rather than positional.

Prophet: One who hears and speaks a specific word from God to a distinct person or persons.  Helps the whole church say, “I can hear from God!”

• Encourager, comforter, and strengthener. (1 Cor 14:3)
• Often speaks for God, and reminds others that God’s ways are higher than our ways. (1 Cor 14:25)
• Consumed by the truth – tells the truth without fear of consequence.  Can be a polarizing force in the church.
• Often unappreciated. (James 5:10)

These two are the “start and go” team – the “foundation” of the church.  They function as a start-up team that can initiate the momentum and get down all the needed systems for viral multiplication. (Eph 2:19-22) When the whole church can say with confidence, “I can do this!  I can hear from God!”  anything is possible.

The next three are the “stay and grow” team.

Evangelist: One who is called to passionately seek out opportunities to share the holistic gospel with others through word and deed, bringing them to relationship with Christ. Helps the whole church say, “I want that passion!”

• Good news-caster (euangelistes)
• Often more comfortable with lost than found (1 Cor 9:19-23)
• Makes opportunities to share the whole gospel (Col 4:5-6)
• Listens closely to the promptings of God (Acts 8:26)

Shepherd: One who has an overwhelming concern for the continuing care and formation of God’s people. “I can love these people!”

• Protects and cares for the flock. (Acts 20:28-31)
• Strengthens the weak and searches for the lost sheep.
• Helps feed the young Christians and models how to be “fed” directly by God.
• Values intimacy. (John 10:3, 13-15)
• Leads by example, and is trusted by the flock because he/she has relational authority. (1 Peter 5:1-3)

Teacher: One responsible for progressive growth in understanding and truth’s application. “I can feed myself and show others how!”

• Facilitates learning of truth and a kingdom lifestyle.
• Mentors on a personal level with a “bifocal vision”. (2 Tim 2:2)
• Aims people in a healthy direction. (Phil 3:15-17)
• Loves to expose false assumptions and reveal actual truth. (2 Cor 10:5)

There is and will always be dialogue and guessing on the roles of the functions mentioned in Ephesians 4:11.  I recommend not turning this into a “personality test” where you pigeon hole someone into one category, where they are stuck for the rest of their lives.

Its important to remember that Jesus held all of these gifts in a perfect balance.  All of them are Christ-like – there is no “super-gift.”  And its important to remember that the goal of the MRT is to equip the whole church to be apostolic/prophetic/evangelistic/pastoral/didactic.

Our God is a multifaceted God, our goal is to live deeply into those endless facets, and to express our God’s glory in endless ways.  For his Glory!

Thy Kingdom Connected makes a case for the church in a world where Facebook has replaced the primary commons for people to connect.

Studies everywhere are bemoaning Generation Y’s unprecedented exodus from not just the church, but of Christianity. They posit that kids these days are just fed up with the church’s hypocrisy, its close-mindedness, boring worship events, and the like. The truth is – that the church has been like that for generations! That may be their explicit reason for leaving church, but if church has always been just as mind-numbing, why is it that this generation in particular is dropping like flies?

With this question in mind, consider the unprecedented use of smart phones, Web 2.0 technology and social media. Think about it – the very thing that people “went to church” for in past generations now is at your finger tips! Facebook is “My Kingdom, Connected.” My photos, my status, my events, my ‘friends’…”

And yet Dwight J. Friesen prepares us with new metaphors and language to connect us to a different kind of Kingdom. He plays in other fields of study, from biology, physics, mechanics, ecology…even knitting…and teases out rumors of God’s networked-Kingdom.

Missiologists and church planters could use new vocabulary to describe the fresh vision of God’s people in today’s world – and while Friesen’s language at times leaves you wondering if “there was a single English word in that last sentence…” he seems to invite his readers to explore a new landscape of metaphor and paradigm for living as a networked ecology of Christ.

I am an organic church advocate and practitioner, helping facilitate a network of faith communities meeting in homes, coffee shops, and other places life happens… I found great encouragement in Thy Kingdom Connected and found myself setting aside some of the metaphors and descriptors as a means of under-girding our theology and ecclesiology here in Chicago.

So often in theology and in church planting we pick apart models, theories, Scriptures, and just about everything else…leaving the issue just about as lifeless as a dissected frog in biology class. But Friesen takes a page from the “Science of Life” – asking the question, “What would it take to develop a theological vision that enhances life?” At the core of life-centered theology is one that cultivates life in context, rather than picks it apart – seeing theology and ecclesiology as inherently relational and therefore, not approachable as an “it” — as would have been done in the typical modern worldview — but as a “we” – and a dynamic, open-ended and even divine “We” at that. We are in the petri dish, we are in the linked network we are ourselves exploring.

In Friesen’s understanding of leadership, we are to engage our community the way Google engages its users. No one goes to Google for its own sake – it is a springboard to resources and information. Leaders too are a linking catalyst…a hub to the resources to the very best that God has to offer. This is more than the leader having a big library – this is cultivating a culture (ecology) of a organic, spiritual system, fully connected as an “all-channel network” — meaning giving not only your resources but pointing to each other as resources to access for strengthening the links of a church network. This is the nature of leadership – influencing the people-system for catalytic transformation.

I disagreed with Friesen’s approach (if not his content) regarding the Christ-Commons and Christ-Clusters. He seemed to say that Christ-Commons were regularly scheduled events whereas Clusters were serendipitous fly-by-night collections of Christians. I agree that there are both kinds of “groupings” in the Church – the folks walking to Emmaus on Easter may be to him what is known as a “Christ-Cluster” – which is fine – but to call that “the soul of the church” is a little much if you ask me. Spontaneous engagements with community and the Spirit is simply a natural overflow of family life together – which can happen in a regularly scheduled event or in an impromptu worship night at a friend’s house. People grow from both “quality and quantity” time together and with the Spirit.

Our network in Christ extends beyond our little crew that meets in my living room – it is more than our network of organic churches in Chicago. It is broader than the global church in our day, and reaches further back than Pentecost and beyond the 2nd Coming of Christ. It is the Church Universal – it is the Bride to Be. Entangled in the Network of God, who was, is, and is to come.

Thy, not My, Kingdom Connected!

All organic, healthy things reproduce.  In fact, in a sense, you are reproducing even as you read this!  Your 10 trillion cells are “mitosis-ing” all over the place, and you might want to quietly ask them to find a room.

The Kingdom of God, like all living things, reproduces itself.  Interestingly, this is done in stages developing from the smallest level to the largest.

So if churches, and disciples and even leaders are part of the Kingdom of God, why don’t we see more of them reproducing? Here’s a few reasons:

(1) They are trying to clone themselves.  Ever see the movie Multiplicity?  Michael Keaton makes a clone of himself to make life a little easier, but before long, his clone  makes a clone, who makes another clone.  And everyone knows what happens when you make a copy of a copy – its not quite as sharp as the original. (“I like pizza!”)  That’s kind of what happens with franchised church plants.  (Check out this 10 sec portion of the Multiplicity trailer to see what I mean!)

(2) In addition to scary clones, most churches are just not interested in multiplying!  It’s too painful! It feels more like division than multiplication.  It usually takes upwards of $250-$500,000 to plant a church in the first year.  It is so difficult and complex its undeliverable!

And its difficult not just at the church level – discipleship is under attack from high-level curriculum and a culture that is religiously educated beyond their obedience, and leaders must now go through seminary for the better part of a decade…meanwhile we are only copying ourselves, we have forgotten its about reproducing Jesus.

Inorganic things may PRODUCE, but they can never reproduce.  A coffeemaker may PRODUCE great coffee, but it can never make another coffeemaker.

Reproduction is FUN!

Imagine with me for a moment a world where reproduction was hard to hold back.  Where you had to teach classes in school about abstinence and contraception.  Not so hard to imagine, eh?  People want to reproduce!  Its fun!

Now imagine if disciple-making, like baby-makin’ – was just as fun. Imagine passing out “church planting contraceptives” or holding whole conferences on waiting to plant a church because people were so excited to get out there to do it!  First, that’d be awesome!  But I think that also gives us a picture of what I’m aiming for – where disciple-making, leadership development, and church planting becomes a veritable movement that cannot be stopped.

Mentoring

If Life Transformation Groups (LTG) as a part of the Micro Layer are the “wineskin” or infrastructure for reproducing Jesus-centered disciples, then mentoring helps reproduce Jesus-centered leaders, churches, and movements.

It’s important to remember NOT to put on the “mentoring hat” in an LTG.  LTG’s are for peers – people who are mutually self-disclosing/confessing, etc.  Mentoring should be done at another time, or risk the “priest/confessor” hierarchical relationship trap!

The two most central skills necessary to mentor well are: (Luke 2:46-47)

1. Active Listening
2. Asking Good Questions

If you simply spent the rest of your life working on these two skills, you’d be amazed at what would happen.

Through the lens of the above two skills, your mentoring style must be (1) Personalized to the person you’re mentoring, (2) Just-in-time (not “just-in-case”) — people don’t learn linearly like our good curriculum suggest. (3) It must also be “on-the-job” — people only learn to swim when they’re in the water, (4) and mentoring must be holistic – (a) skills — doing, (b) cognitive (knowing) — and (c) character (being).  You can’t teach character – you’ll just get behavior modification.  If you want to teach character, be a mirror and a model.

Men are looking for better methods, God is looking for better men. — E.M. Bounds

Also important to remember about mentoring is that the only way to really move forward in a mentoring relationship is through fruitfulness.  If there is no fruit, then you are mentoring is a waste of time.  This process of the bearing more fruit is a sign that the person being mentored is taking the mentoring seriously.  While you cheer every person on, mentors invest in proveness, not potential.

Bifocal Vision

A mentor has the ability to see you both as you are today, and the person you are developing into.  This allows her to view not only your personal development, but the influence you will have later on others.  Not only is she mentoring your life, but she is considering the countless lives you will touch, the churches you will plant, and even the apprentices you will one day mentor.  You know you’re a healthy mentor, not when you’ve successfully mentored someone into a godly life, but when they begin to mentor someone else in healthy ways.

A Simple Tool

So all this mentoring/coaching stuff is fine and dandy…but how do I actually DO it?  Neil Cole and CMA put out a little tool that has been helpful for them in their mentoring sessions – a Mentoring 2 Multiply Guide. Its a simple sheet of NCR paper on which you would write your notes from your mentoring session.  Then at the end of the meeting, tear off the copy and hand your notes to the apprentice.  (But don’t make a copy of a copy! See above).  The key to remember in a mentoring session is that you are educing not educating. You are not pouring your skills and expertise into a bucket — you are drawing out what is already planted in the one you are mentoring.

Acorns…not buckets… That will keep you from feeling “used up” and it will encourage the apprentice to reach his/her own potential rather than becoming your clone!

MAWL Them

M odel

A ssist

W atch

L eave

That’s a great “pathway” for the process of mentoring leaders, and assisting church plants…to see a movement take off.  This is a process of cultivating a catalytic-style of leadership.  I pray for the day when church leaders do not end up on the evening news for bad-behavior – or end up in the fetal position as they resign to cynicism from a church they could not drag behind them to fulfill their personal ambitions.  I am anticipating and already seeing the green-shoots of organic leadership – where a catalysis of love will flood the earth – and each of us will participate in the unstoppable movement of God!