Find the Bright SpotsThat's the title of a chapter from the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Here's a quote from that chapter:
To pursue bright spots is to ask the question "What's working, and how can we do more of it?"
As we think together about where we go from here with our MRT Experiment, that's the question I would like you to comment on. What have been the "bright spots" for you? What has been helpful to you as a church planter? What's "working" for you in the MRT Experiment?
Click on "Comments" below and give us your response.
John
I've been uncommunicative for a while, but Sean alerted me to this post and I really want to comment.
ReplyDeleteFor me, MRT has been valuable for two reasons.
1 - It 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.
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.
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.
Maybe MRT is sneezable too?
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.
ReplyDeleteMost 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.
This MRT Community has played an exemplary role to MRTs in which I participate. It is easy to replicate striving groups.
I do not see this experiment ending any time soon. Every Christian leader seems to be stating that his leadership is based on God's principles. Not everyone knows what leadership based on listening to God looks like.
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.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding the things I've learned in the MRT context are CRITICAL to true and lasting regional networking.
ReplyDeleteThe brightest spot in the MRT experiment has been the fact that it's NOT ABOUT OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Rather we're putting the focus in a place that allows us to MOVE FORWARD.
Excuse the need to compare, but most regional meetings involving pastors or ministry workers in a city are based around everyone laundry-listing their accomplishments or possibly trying to find the common denominator (which is usually almost nothing by the time you get down to it). This results in man-oriented networking and often creates even greater gaps in unity as ministers leave the gathering either feeling inferior, jealous, or prideful in what THEY have done.
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). If and when it ever gets to the accomplishment portion it is usually shared in COMMON because everyone has been participating in prayer TOGETHER to see these things happen.
Another area in which even house church networking attempts fail is when they center the gathering around "simple church". Again, this may be a common denominator, but it isn't enough to create TRUE UNITY and still leads to talking about ourselves rather than finding out what God has in mind.
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.
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 plantes here in NM with a vision for the 'bigger picture' of the region, so the conversations I see hear are a great encouragement. It's also a place I can bring my questions and concerns to others for their suggestions.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this will continue.