"How can we do more of it?"

Responding to this post will take a little longer. So, give me 5 minutes today and 5 tomorrow.

Remember the quote from the book a couple of days ago? (I recommend the book, by the way: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard)

Here's the quote: Find the Bright Spots! To pursue bright spots is to ask the question "What's working, and how can we do more of it?"

Our variation of that might be - What do we see God doing and how does He wants to build on that?

So, below I've compiled and arranged the bright spots you all identified with our MRT Experiment. Today, I would just like you to read over the list. See what the Lord says to you about it and tomorrow give us your comments.

So, just read today.

John

Bright Spots from the MRT Experiment

Mission from listening. It (MRT) has helped me to focus together with another local person (Sean) on how we can best take mission forward in our area. There's a tendency to 'drift' in life - manana! But meeting weekly helps to avoid this. Listening together and sharing what we hear is very valuable. It informs our thinking and our conversations with others.

-Chris UK)

A bright spot for me as a part of the Denver MRT has been to listen to God together for the whole city. I feel like I am a part of a band of brothers with a common vision. All of us care deeply about Denver desire to see transformation occur through vibrant families of Jesus within easy access of everyone. –Hugh (Denver)

Both Jorge and I were drawn more toward our community of practice's common baseline - intimacy with God, listening to him and each other, and having that be the step that moves us into mission. It translates a way of seeing into practice. We are "sasheting" all the time now, checking the heart, intentionally watching our lives to ask and notice what God is doing. –James (Mexico City)

Hi John just quick note to let you know Chris and I discussed the experiment last night. I am sure Chris' notes will be better but our general consensus was that hearing the stories helped us to connect and be encouraged. There was confirmation that what we had been doing with CO2 , specifically listening to God, draws towards mission. It has facilitated us to focus our thoughts towards mission by bringing us together for this purpose so we meet up twice a week now with the second meeting with mission specifically in mind (at least that's the intention). We agree that we should continue this beyond the experiment unless we are lead in a different direction, we believe strongly that we must continuously be listening and not to continue out of habit. –Sean (UK)

Community (“I’m not alone). 2 - It has been wonderfully encouraging to have this blog available. Every time I have visited I have read, seen, and heard good stuff from the rest of you. I think that every single one who has commented has helped me in one way or another. You have been inspirational companions on the journey. Thank you all!

I echo Peg's comment recently. Even if the experiment ends (and I hope it won't) Sean and I are likely to continue with the weekly sessions.

-Chris (UK)

I like knowing there are many others in the same boat I am as far as working with and training other church planters. I enjoy the challenge of hearing your stories, and pressing into God on things I need to do here. I'm one of the few church planters here in NM with a vision for the 'bigger picture' of the region, so the conversations I see hear are a great encouragement. –Peg (Albuquerque)

(Local MRT) Because we connected at the heart level, I've really appreciated the deep fellowship we share. We're intimately connected with each other, praying for one another, and have a feeling of being "in it together" like the missionary pairs and teams in scripture. –Marty (Denver)

(Local MRT) Second, these people have become friends through whom I can hear God speak to me and all of us. Corporate listening is a miracle I can't stop marveling over. –Hugh (Denver)

(Local MRT) Hugh, I really like your point about corporate listening. Thanks for making it. I agree, listening together is special - much, much better than listening alone. –Chris (UK)

(Local MRT) I think the MRT Experiment has been fantastic. The best part of it is daily walking with brothers and sisters in Christ to listen and obey the Spirit. One of the things we must combat in our culture is compartmentalizing our lives. We have found the CO2’s to be a great way of crossing this barrier and helping people stay connected with each other and their King. This is something we were lacking by only meeting together a couple times a week for simple church or LTG’s. We still encourage reading lots of scripture reading and have noticed that our CO2’s spend a good amount of time talking through the scriptures being read from the LTGs. Lee (Colorado – Western Slope)

I liked that this community of practice was happening worldwide - sharing insights, connecting pockets of experience/expertise, and connecting maybe somewhat isolated practioners. 
-James (Mexico City)

Helped my local MRT. This MRT Community has played an exemplary role to MRTs in which I participate. It is easy to replicate striving groups. –EEM (Houston, then Russia)

The bright spots for me have been hearing the stories of other MRT's and what type of things have come out of their time together - what kind of things they have been hearing together and what actions have resulted. These things help our MRT to know whether we are on the right track or not and to learn (even indirectly) how to better do it ourselves. –Artman (Denver)

Viral. So where next with MRT? Well, we'll see! I hope it will grow and spread rather as CO2 is doing. In fact I think there's evidence that's already happening. It wasn't too hard for John to find a few extra MRTs along the way. –Chris (UK)

the biggest bright spot for me is:
simplicity.
basing mrts around the same principles that we base co2s on:
1. connecting on a heart level
2. listening to the Lord

if we are going to see a movement of transformation it has to start small and spread and with these two simple principles we can see new believers learn to hear their own hearts, each other's hearts and the Lord and then get a heart for a city and develop into leaders in a region who ask the Lord what He has to say to them about their cities as well.
i guess what i'm saying is:
co2s can birth both organic churches and mrts that help resource and provide leadership and empowerment for whole regions while all being based on 2 simple principles.
now that sounds like something that can spread virally. –Desi (Denver)

I agree with most everything else that has been said here. I think a bright spot has been noticing how simple and transferable this posture and these practices are. I love that our participation with God doesn't have to be complicated! -Chadd (Guadalajara)

(I wrote to EEM saying that I was looking forward to seeing how the MRT concept might work in Russia.) His response…. Truly, what you and others have done with MRT experiment here makes its implementation in other places much easier.

Training/learning. Not everyone knows what leadership based on listening to God looks like…. The MRT Experiment has been extremely valuable to me as an alternative form of leadership. For me, it is a clear example of ministry flowing out of listening to God… Most valuable was input from more mature people and questions from fellow MRTers… Every post had valuable information in it. Among most recent ones, the post about the nature of CO2 was very helpful. –EEM (Houston, then Russia)

It's also a place I can bring my questions and concerns to others for their suggestions. –Peg (Albuquerque)

I'm finding the things I've learned in the MRT context are CRITICAL to true and lasting regional networking. (Contrasts with “man-oriented networking”) MRT is about putting GOD in the center and regional workers, who are already in relationship, gather around and LISTEN to HIM and share their HEARTS (not their accomplishments). …
By employing disciplines that get us out of OUR heads and into GODS heart, we can triumph over all of the things that divide us and focus on our common desire to see God glorified and His Kingdom spread throughout the planet!

I believe this is KEY to the forward motion of the gospel in our world. Noah (New Zealand)

Thanks to listening to Jesus, mission has flowed from that. We've heard from God several times on exactly where we're supposed to go to find good soil, share the gospel, and even reap a harvest at times. It's been a real paradigm shift to listen and do rather than strategize. –Marty

I stay on the run, and my blackberry doesn't allow me to post comments, so sorry, but I read each post, and discussed our learning each week with Jorge in our weekly MRT. 1. The intentional and systematic shared learning is significant. As community practitioners (each one of us) and operational team members (in many different contexts), we created learning loops. In other words, what I was reading and learning from you, I shared with others in my circle of influence. This intentional knowledge/experience sharing and listening was something that is very helpful - I think it will carry over into how we are moving in mission. (I think someone said the other day that it is like we are sharing a community journal).

Should this continue? Even if the experiment ends (and I hope it won't) Sean and I are likely to continue with the weekly sessions.

-Chris (UK)

I do not see this experiment ending any time soon. –EEM (Houston, then Russia)

Hopefully this will continue. –Peg (Albuquerque)

We have not added the weekly/bi-weekly MRT meetings to this point. We have monthly network leadership meetings that function somewhat like this, but not in the purest form of what you have recommended. I would be willing to try this if you do another MRT experiment. –Lee (Western Slope of Colorado)