Sarah Young (3)

Here's an example of the devotional reading from August 3 in Jesus Calling. As you read it, you will see that it's something Sarah felt the Lord spoke personally to her.

This is valuable to those of us who are learning to hear God's voice because it gives us an example. It helps answer the question that I've heard many times, "So, what kind of things does God say to you when you listen to Him?" For those of us who were trained to believe that God only speaks today through Scripture, these examples are quite important.

Seems to me that this same sort of thing can happen in CO2s (churches of two) and in our simple churches. That is, we can help each other by sharing the kinds of things we are hearing from God.

Share with us your impressions about what Sarah wrote below.

John

From Jesus Calling on August 3...

Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damaged others as well as yourself. This ability to verbalized is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.

Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." (James 1:19). Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray - "Help me, Holy Spirit" - before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline. Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence. In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

Sarah Young (2)

Sarah Young continues describing a turning point in her spiritual journey. The year is 1993 and, although she had been a Jesus follower for many years, she now begins listening for God's voice.

My journaling had changed from monologue to dialogue. Soon, messages began to flow more freely, and I bought a special notebook, to record these words. This new way of communicating with God became the high point of my day. I know these writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but they were helping me grow closer to God.

...This practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline, so I want to share some of the messages I have received.

Sarah's daily devotional, "Jesus Calling", is simply 365 short examples of the messages she has received from the Lord. I'll include one of them tomorrow so you can see what it's like.

What I want to emphasize today is that this "practice of listening" is at the heart of our Luke Ten Community. This is a "community of practice" where we are...

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen as individuals

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with one other person (CO2)

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with our spiritual family (simple church)

The whole thing is pretty simple, isn't it.

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (1)

A CO2 (church of two) is simple. Two people committed to two practices as close to daily as possible.

But, the CO2 concept is also highly adaptable. Sean Hyatt has applied it to his family. (Since he has a wife and three young children, it's now a CO5!) The result is a simple way that families can function as churches (think "church = vibrant family of Jesus".

Over the next four days, I'll be sharing an interview with Sean where he tells how this has worked out in his family. Today, Sean explains that this is a model that has been sustainable over time and that he loves what it has produced in his family.

Two things for you to think about. First, what would happen to the church in America (or wherever you live) if this practice became normative for every family? Second, is there anyone you need to pass this on to?

John

Please share your comments below.

Starting CO2s under the Chuppah

Wonderful insights below from Noah Cremisino (New Zealand) on the parallels between marriage and church. Properly understood, the return to the church in the home is really a return to the Jewish roots of our faith. A great resource on this is Marvin Wilson's book Our Father Abraham: The Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith.

John

I love how all of this marriage and church stuff has such parallels. Coincidence? I think not.

In Jewish wedding tradition, a marriage ceremony takes place under what's called a Chuppah. While we see a new union or marriage starting during the ceremony, beneath the chuppah the Jews actually saw a new "home" being established.

The "specs", if you will, of this home would be as follows:

1. Hospitality - the chuppah is open on all 4 sides just as the tent of Abraham and must remain open to all guests with warmth. It communicates a service oriented, servant-hearted feel.

2. Empty - the chuppah contained nothing other than the bride and groom themselves, communicating that PEOPLE are the important factor here and are the actual HOME (not the many things inside). This also communicates intimacy, and that the home/family is a place where everything is sacred and nothing is gossip.

3. Covering - the chuppah also had a thin cloth covering - this represented the glory of God presiding over the new couple/home/covenant - and also served as a reminder that the whole process was originated by God and therefore it is holy.

I think these 3 ideas can also be applied to CO2/Home Church in many ways...

Thoughts?

More on chuppah: http://www.reference.com/browse/chuppah

CO2, MRT and Weddings

Tamela and I just got back last night from Ohio where I officiated at the wedding of Tim and Brittani (Flory) Morris. (They sat right behind us on the plane coming back to Denver. See photo!)

I had the privilege of teaching CO2 to both Tim and Brittani and then they taught it to several people over the past year who ended up being in their wedding party. To hear Tim's story, go here: http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2010/04/c02-potential-for-inner-healing.html

They also wrote their own vows incorporating the understanding that this wedding was not just the beginning of a new marriage but also the beginning of a new church (CO2). Part of their commitment to each other was to regular times of listening to God together.

Very encouraging to see how CO2 reshapes both weddings and marriages. Tim and Brittani are also starting a MRT in Sedalia, CO (just south of Denver).

John

John Eldredge and CO2s

As far as I know, John Eldredge has never advocated the "church of two" idea. However, this wonderful quote from the book Love and War by John and Stasi describes perfectly how a CO2 functions in marriage.

Making decisions is probably the number one source of stress, tension, anxiety, pouting, manipulation, and arguments in a marriage. Isn't it true? Well, okay - there is money, and your family, and his parents. But you have to make decisions about money and family and parents, so I still argue that decision making is the mother of all marital strife. As soon as Stasi says, "Honey we need to decide..., " anxiety leaps from within. Aooogha, aooogha. All hands on deck. We have just entered mine-filled waters.

So, we want to offer you what might be the single most helpful thing anyone has ever offered you when it comes to your marriage. Drumroll, please. Aren't you just waiting to hear what it is?

Learning to hear the voice of God, together.

Yes. It is the simplest, most helpful, least practiced treasure and it will literally rescue the two of you in countless ways.

The secret of the Christian life - and the Christian marriage - is that you don't have to figure it out. You don't have to figure life out, you don't have to figure each other out, you don't have to figure parenting out, or money or family. You have a counselor, you have a guide - you have God. What a relief that we don't have to figure it all out! We get to walk with God. That is the beauty of Christian spirituality. This is not about mastering principles; it's about an actual relationship with and actual person who happens to be the wisest, kindest, and, okay, wildest person you will every know.

If every household made this practice - learning to listen to God's voice together - their number one goal, I believe our country (and your country) would be well on the way to transformation. And that's the goal of our MRTs - a vibrant family of Jesus on every block of every city of every country in the world.

Your thoughts on this?

John

New MRT in Clovis, NM

Email from Peg Batcheller...

Hey John,

I'm still in Clovis meeting with Carolyn Spence (pictured here with her husband). We had a great time this morning with a small group of men and women who seem to be ready to start a simple church together! We were able to SASHET, we spent time listening to God for direction for the group, and had a super time sharing God's vision for His kingdom to come to this area. We also talked about the need of building the church through CO2s, and I believe they really caught the vision for it. Carolyn has a great heart for house churches to be started throughout the city, so we're going to start an MRT this week. Just thought I'd let you know.

So just a few weeks left for the official MRT date, huh? Well, now that we're just starting, we'll probably continue it anyway. Hopefully I'll still be in touch with Hobby and his women HC leader in the weeks ahead.

Peg

Lots of things to give thank to the Lord for in this email from Peg!

• A new church birthed in Clovis (not hard if there are people of peace!)

• A new MRT birthed in Clovis (not hard if there are apostolic people!)

• Answers to Peg (and others) praying Lk 10:2b for New Mexico

• Women functioning apostolically

• Members of the MRT Community praying for and encouraging one another

• What else do you see?

Peg and Carolyn - I'm pretty sure we will do a MRT Experiment (2.0) this summer so delighted that you are joining us now. Carolyn - would love to hear something from you about what you see God doing.

John

More on our name

Hobby Chapin (Brighton, CO) asked some deeper questions about this issue of having a "name". I thought I would share with the rest of the MRT Community my answers to him.

*What do you and the team think Luke 10 is and what you hope it will become.

I see The Luke Ten Community as a starfish-type community or organization. It's DNA is a set of practices (like the rhythms of CO2, MRT, etc.) which reflect values (all the things, Hobby, that you and I have talked about... listening on a heart level to you, me and God; church = family; leaders = parents, mission flows from listening, etc.).

Luke 10 is also a set of relationships defined by people who are engaged in the practices. The level of commitment ranges from slight (one of the 550 people who has joined LK10.com) to significant (those who are participating in the MRT Experiment on a regular basis... as you are). People self-define their level of engagement.

What do I hope it will become? Seems to me that many in these early days of the house church movement are still reacting against the abuses of structure in the traditional church (spider-type organization). I think we have the opportunity to see a prototype for organic, starfish-type regional leadership teams. Could we dream of the day when there are a multitude of MRT-type teams in cities and regions around the world?

Why have a name and tag, etc. in the type of movement we are sharing? Names seem to be in the nature of being a community or family. (Of course, "names" in Scripture were always very important. In fact, "naming" was something God expected Adam to do back in the garden. See Gen. 2:19-20.) So, we have the Chapin family, the tribe of Benjamin, the Christians (Acts 12:26), the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5) etc. Examples from The Starfish and the Spider of names for starfish organizations: Alcoholics Anonymous, the abolitionist movement, Al-Qaeda, etc.

A name, in our case, becomes a short hand for our particular practices/values and our particular relationships. To say it another way, our name (and "tag line") should say something about our God-given uniqueness and calling. (For example, when I say "Hobby Chapin" a distinct and unique person comes to mind.)

Further thoughts about "naming"? And, about "The Luke Ten Community" as our name?

John

CO2: From theory to real life

We've been discussing the theory of "churches of two". Today, I want you to hear a real story of transformation and healing.

Pictured to your right is Tim Morris, a graduate of Denver Seminary and a house church leader here in Denver. Recently, Tim Pynes had a conversation with Tim (Morris) about how God has used the rhythms of the CO2 to bring deep healing in his life. Go here to hear the podcast: http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2010/04/c02-potential-for-inner-healing.html

What do you learn from this story that gives you a clearer understanding of the CO2 rhythms? What questions does the story provoke for you?

John

CO2s and discipleship (4)

As I mentioned yesterday, the value of a "church of two" is that it makes listening to God our "prime directive". And, that listening is both the source and goal of disciplemaking. Here are a few implications...

1. CO2s major in modeling. This is always the starting point in making disciples. In this case, my disciple gets to hear on a daily basis what I'm hearing from the Lord. Chadd calls this: "Trying to live a centered life in the sight/presence of others over a long stretch of time." Paul says: "Those things you have seen in me..." (Phil. 4:9)

2. CO2s adapt to the person and the season. This simple tool is equally powerful with brand new disciples or seasoned believers. God speaks to each person according to their God-given design and according to the season of growth they are in. He (not I) knows exactly what they need at this point in their lives.

3. CO2s turn concerns into conversation. "I'm concerned that we are not spending enough time in the Bible" "Well, let's ask the Lord what He wants us to do about that." "I'm concerned that we are not being very missional." "Well, let's ask the Lord what He wants us to do about that." "I'm concerned about this ongoing problem/sin in my life." "Well, let's ask the Lord what He wants us to do about that." You get the picture. CO2s continually direct us back to the Source. Everything flows from there - spiritual disciplines, missional living, community, etc.

4. CO2s create dependency - on Jesus. My daily question to my CO2 partners is: "So, what are you hearing from the Lord?" As Chadd said: Knowing and living as if I know that I am not their answer--that Jesus is their answer.

5. CO2s are transformational. Transformation is never guaranteed. But, by keeping our focus on the heart - my heart, your heart and God's heart - the opportunity for deep and significant change is maximized.

6. CO2s are viral. They are both simple and sticky. Sneeze-able. We've already seen multiplication to four generations in several cases. (See the "Four Generation" posts.) I expect we will see many more stories like this over the next year.

Back to Noah's original questions: "My question is - how is CO2 similar to and different from what we would call "Discipleship"? My growing conviction is that the two rhythms of a CO2 are both the source and goal of discipleship.

Is there a "step 2" for CO2 that leads to discipleship of some kind?" When we start with the CO2 rhythms, the Lord then leads us to a multitude of exquisitely designed "step 2s" (and 3s and 4s and 5s and...). What is fun is to be part of a community that is telling stories about the stunning beauty of His hand-crafted and unique discipleship "program" for each one of us!

Your comments?

John

CO2s and discipleship (3)

Here are my answers to the questions I posed yesterday. These answers represent a radical paradigm shift from my early training as a Christian. See what you think.

What was Jesus' "discipleship program"? One day I saw something that seems so obvious now. Jesus didn't have a discipleship manual. Everyone I knew had a discipleship manual with steps and chapters and assignments. Not Jesus. And, He really didn't have a discipleship program or curriculum in the way we think about it.

What He had was a relationship. Jesus' "program" was a relationship. An intimate, daily, conversational relationship with His Father. And, everything (really! everything) flowed out of that relationship. Everything Jesus did was what He saw His Father doing. Everything Jesus said was what He heard His Father saying. See Jn. 5:19-20; 8:28-29; 12:49-50; 14:10-11; 15:15.

How did he know what to teach His disciples? See the answer above. He didn't consult a manual. He didn't try and figure out what they needed next ("I don't do anything on my own initiative.") Instead, I believe, in every case He talked it over with His Dad. "What do you want to do next with this one?"

What was He discipling them into? He was discipling them into the same relationship with the Father that He had. This is the monumental significance of John 16. Jesus: "It is good for you that I am going away." (v. 7) Why? Because the Spirit of truth (the paraklete), who speaks only what he hears, will guide you (the word means to lead down a path) into all truth (v. 13). In other words, the Spirit will enable you to live the same way I have lived.

So, we could say that our entire discipleship "program" can be expressed in nine words: Listen, obey and teach others to do the same."

Does any of this relate to CO2s? Absolutely! Because CO2s make hearing God the "prime directive". From this conversational relationship everything else flows in a very natural way. This is the source or wellspring for all discipleship. I'll say more about the implications of this tomorrow.

Your thoughts?

John

CO2s and discipleship (2)

Here's Noah's question again: "My question is - how is CO2 similar to and different from what we would call "Discipleship"? Is there a "step 2" for CO2 that leads to discipleship of some kind?"

I've been a part of dozens of "discipleship programs" over the last 50 years.

These programs have involved various plans to read the Bible, to answer questions about the Bible (fill in the blank), to memorized verses from the Bible, to interpret the Bible correctly, to apply Biblical truth, etc. They have involved various kinds of prayer - confession of sin, intercession for others, praise and worship, journaling, silence, solitude, fasting, etc. They have involved other Christians - praying together, praying for, accountability to, etc. They have involved concern for the lost - praying for them, sharing with them, inviting them to come to church, caring for their needs, etc.

I'm sure you all have done much the same.

Everything on that list is a good thing. These are the things that most Christians would call "discipleship".

However, I want us to press into a slightly different question. What would Jesus call "discipleship"? How did Jesus go about "making disciples"? How did He know what to do next? What did He want his disciples to be able to do when He was physically gone?

Your thoughts?

John

CO2s and discipleship

Many thanks for all of your help with a "tag line" for LK10! You've given us a lot to chew on. We'll let you know what we come up with.

Here's a great question from Noah Cremisino (Noah - tell us how your early days in New Zealand are going.)

"My question is - how is CO2 similar to and different from what we would call "Discipleship"? Is there a "step 2" for CO2 that leads to discipleship of some kind?"

This is an excellent question for the whole MRT Community. You may also want to discuss it in your local MRT. I'll add a couple of related questions...

What was Jesus' "discipleship program"? How did he know what to teach His disciples? What was He discipling them into? Does any of this relate to CO2s?

Looking forward to your insights on this!

John

Another "Four Generations"

The comment below from Peg Batcheller (New Mexico) on the "Four Generations" post seemed important for several reasons...

1. It's another example of CO2 spreading through four generations.

2. Peg is great example of what Noah and Kent said in the previous post about "in the right hands..."

3. It illustrates that CO2 is just as effective with Peg's Hispanic women (who probably don't have a lot of formal education) as it is with Hobby's seminary trained men.

4. Peg is also an example of a female apostle (May her tribe increase!)

See what you think...

I had the privilege of being in Albuquerque when this first came about at the conference John led. As I shared at the H2H conference in Dallas last year, when I heard and understood CO2, it's like God said, "Peggy, this is for you. You've waited all your life for this, and this is what I planned for you. You can do this." It's like everything I learned in 40 years of knowing Jesus culminated in this. I share it with people all the time. Just last week I shared it with 2 Hispanic women, and encouraged them to be a CO2. I also invited them to be a CO2 with other women in the neighborhood, and immediately their eyes opened and they caught it. One of the women does a CO2 every night on the phone with her husband who was deported back to Mexico. From John to Peggy to Cecelia to Juan, to the community.

I also want to mention the CO2 I have with Richard in Pueblo, CO. He & I meet by phone every night with SASHET & Virkler. He has also shared CO2 with many husbands and wives throughout SE Colorado. They are learning the value of opening up their hearts together and learning that family=church. Who knows how many families are now being affected there? I know many here in Albuquerque continue it as well.

Your comments?

John

In the right hands

My sense is that we need to camp on the topic of CO2s for a bit at this point.

Noah Cremisino (now in New Zealand) commented on the "Four Generations" post that he had shared CO2 with his simple church in Denver (before he left) but that he didn't think anyone had continued with it. Then, Noah wrote, "This is obviously not the end, but I think in "the right hands" it's a powerful tool."

I believe Noah is exactly right. A CO2 isn't for everyone. Because, you see, this isn't Christianity as most Americans have experienced it.

But, when you find the right people. God prepared people. People hungry for heart-level intimacy with God and others. When you find those people, some amazing things are about to happen!

Kent Smith responses to Noah along these same lines...

I'd like to reflect on Noah's good observation, "in the right hands, it's a powerful tool."

CO2 is a simple--and powerful--way to pay attention to 3 realities most people know little about and rarely notice, namely:

1) Our own hearts (what—sure enough—we really want)
2) God’s heart (what God really wants)
3) The hearts of others (what others really want)

A major reason these realities are little known or pursued is because we have been systematically taught that, a) what we really want is dangerous or just doesn’t matter, and that, b) what God really wants beyond generic truth is—practically speaking—just guesswork on our part.

Under those convictions it’s no wonder that a set of disciplines focused on listening deeply to God and people seems a royal waste of time or worse.

True knowledge, that is to say, intimacy, comes only to those who believe in it, want it, and doggedly pursue it. For such people, the rhythms of attention in CO2 can be transformational, and for that reason, highly transferable.

From my perspective, those would be “the right hands.”

Your thoughts?

John

Four Generations

There's more to say about "small groups vs house church" but I wanted to go a different direction based on an email I received today from Hobby Chapin (Brighton, CO) who is part of our MRT Experiment. Hobby's email showed the viral nature of the CO2 (church of two). Here's the story...

Generation One. Almost a year ago, the Lord brought the basic elements of the CO2 together for me while I was doing a conference in Albuquerque. I invited the people at the conference to try it out over the summer.

Generation Two. A number of us in Denver connected with Hobby last summer. (He very much seemed like an answer to the 10:2b prayer!) Some time during the fall, I invited him to do a CO2 with me for a couple of weeks. Hobby immediately "got it" and began teaching it to people in Brighton (where he is planting churches just north of Denver) and other places.

Generation Three (a). Hobby has taught CO2 to quite a number of people. One of them is Charles Kiser who is a church planter in Dallas. (In Hobby's email today, he pointed me to Charles' blog.) Here's what Charles had to say, "I’ve been enriched in the past few weeks by an emerging structure for spiritual formation called Church of Two... The benefits of Church of Two are immense: it has helped me stay in touch with myself much better; I’m learning to listen to others at a deeper level; I’m learning to listen to God and discern what I’m hearing in times of stillness; I’m learning to have times of stillness – period; it’s a great tool for discernment and decision making; it has helped me to connect to old friends on deeper levels." Read all of what Charles had to say here: http://inthestoryline.com/2010/04/08/church-of-two/

Generation Four(a). In his blog, Charles explains that he is doing CO2 with a number of people including his co-worker, Ryan Porche, and Paul McMullen, a church planter in East Vancouver (WA?). See http://www.thevinevancouver.com/

Generation Three (b). Hobby also taught CO2 to Micah Lewis, a church planter in Grand Prairie, TX. Micah reports: "Much of the listening to God that I have been doing lately has been through some guidelines that are called CO2 or Church of Two. The idea is that you listen together with another person on a heart level as you listen to God and let him speak to your heart. I have been mentored in this discipline by my good friend and fellow Mission Alive church planter Hobby Chapin. Hobby has been practicing this listening for a while now and has found it to be very helpful in discipleship and transforming people to live missionally. I have found this practice to be the most exciting spiritual practice I have ever done. I don’t even think of it as a practice but simply as pouring myself into a relationship with God."

Generation Four (b). Micah is now "infecting" someone else: "I have started a CO2 with a good friend that I work with at Starbucks. We check in almost everyday, sharing the state of our hearts and talking about how we have been hearing from God. It is really exciting to see how God has been at work in both of us as we listen to him. If you are interested in learning more about the details of this practice, Hobby has started a blog that unpacks some more of the details of CO2. Check it out." See Micah's blog here. http://micahlewis.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/co2-church-of-two/

So, we are seeing more and more evidence that this simple tool (CO2) is both transformational and viral. Your thoughts? (Also, love to hear any generational stories you have about CO2s!)

John

A change of starting place

Several days ago, Chadd Schroeder (picture to the right) in Guadalajara posted the following comment. It was in response to the story of Sean Hyatt in Aurora, Colorado beginning a CO2 with Oswaldo.

I think what you, Sean, initiated with Oswaldo represents for me what has been a change of starting place with seekers. Instead of initially inviting people to join us in something (even a vibrant house church gathering) we are choosing CO2 relationships as the starting place and then waiting on God to see what God wants to do next.

What Chadd is saying has important implications for how we make disciples. What is the starting place in this process? Traditionally we would invite a seeker to a group meeting (house church)? Sean and Chadd are suggesting a radically different strategy. We need to hear more from you guys on this. What do you see as the potential benefits of this different starting place? What are you discovering in practice? Anyone else have ideas about this?

Here's another thought about this short paragraph that Chadd wrote...

I believe that what we are seeing (before our very eyes) is "a community of practice" in action. Do you realize how radical this is? Ever seen one before? Two people in two different countries who have never met each other learning together. And, they are doing in in front of our MRT Community so all of us are invited to join them. And, the learning isn't theoretical. These guys are practitioners. They are field testing it.

It's just a short paragraph but seems to me there is something important here. I'm not sure I can completely put it into words but it's like a whole new paradigm of learning. Community, global, practical, interactive...

Help me out. What do you see?

John

Sean starts a CO2 with Oswaldo

Just got an email today from Sean Hyatt (See the picture of Sean and his wife, Jessica, to the right. Sean doesn't always look this well-groomed!) Sean and Marty Reiswig have a MRT in SE Denver.

I'm copying part of Sean's email (with permission) below because it illustrates one way in which a city wide network can function. Sean sent the whole email to denvernetwork@googlegroups.com Using googlegroups is one way to begin to connect within a region.

I have a friend named Oswaldo who lives near downtown and is at the tail end of a 2-year drug rehab program. He and I have (yesterday) entered into a discipleship relationship (using daily CO2 primarily) and he has an urgent need for a job with at least 30 hours a week by TOMORROW... Anyone know of a job opportunity? Or know a business owner who could take him on with at least 30 hours of work, per week, for at least week or two (at minimum?)
Please pass this on to anyone you know, or let me know ASAP of an opportunity if you can. He is willing to work, is very sharp, and willing to work hard no matter what he finds.

Here's some more of what Sean told me about what he is doing.

I am planning on keeping track of what happens each day as a "CO2 as a discipleship tool" experiment, and will share it with everyone when were a couple weeks into it...

I described the daily CO2 discipline (checking in together and sharing what we're hearing from the Lord 2gether) and asked if he would join me in doing it for 1 week together, by phone, and we could go from there. He agreed...

Then I said, "Well, I'd love to pray together before we get off the phone" and I proceeded in suggesting that in the spirit of discipling one another, and shepherding one another's hearts, we should also share the prayer piece. So I asked if he wouldn't mind saying a prayer for us (since I did it yesterday). He chuckled uncomfortably, and said that he would try. So he did - it started out a little unsure but pretty soon he was praying quite confidently, pouring his heart out to the Lord, and crying! It was beautiful. I amened him heartily, thanked him, and said, "Well, Ill leave you with the Lord, and let's do this again tomorrow!" We hung up. Total conversation: 15 minutes.

What do you see in this story that encourages you?

John

PS Reminder that we would love to hear stories of how God is working in your city or region.

MRT Introduction: Cambridgeshire, England

Dear Simple Friends,

It was about 9-10 years ago that we came up with the term "simple church". Neil Cole had coined"organic church" as an alternative to house church because "not all churches meet in houses". I liked that a lot! Then, one day this thought wandered into my mind: "Simple church - a way of doing church that is so simple that any believer could say, "I could do that!" ".

In that one phrase, we took a quantum leap towards the priesthood of all believers.

MRTs are much the same... a way of doing (being) regional leadership that is so simple that any two apostolic people could say, "We could do that!"

Sean and Chris, in their story below, are a wonderful example of this principle. I love this phrase: "We held our first meeting before we really understood what the MRT process was." The fact that the MRT idea is so simple tells me that there is great potential for it to also be viral. It will be fun to see if that is indeed the case.

One other thing to point out. Once they had read the Invitation, they "began to explore the MRT blog". In other words, they began to read your stories and comments. Keep this in mind when you find others you want to invite into the MRT Experiment. Encourage them to explore this blog and see if it's the kind of community they would want to be a part of.

In the comments section, I hope you will welcome our two friends from England and share with us all your observations about their story.

Simply,

John

Hi everybody, we are Sean (Diviney) and Chris (Jefferies) in the western part of Cambridgeshire in England. We joined the MRT experiment a little late and are not very far along with it yet. However, the way we got started will make a good story so we'll tell that for now, we can share other information later as we learn more about Father's purpose for us.

We have been doing CO2 together since the first week of December and it was a blog post about CO2 that encouraged John to contact us with an MRT experiment invitation. We held our first meeting before we really understood what the MRT process was. Chris had watched John's interview with Kent before we met and we talked about that, we discussed three connections we felt drawn to make with local people, and we prayed together.

Afterwards, as we began to explore the MRT blog and understand it more thoroughly we realised that we had already held our first session. What a revelation!Everything we have seen and heard so far resonates with what we've been seeing and feeling for some time as a result of spending time in CO2. We think CO2 leads naturally to mission. Both of us had already felt driven towards some form of outreach and we thought the Luke 10:2 approach would be the way to go.

In particular we already felt that mission would come through listening, that what we do would be driven and guided by what we heard. Now we had been invited to join a considerable number of people who felt the same way. This was awesome!So here we are.

So far we have three possible 'leads', one new and two older ones that we want to try to 'refresh'. The new lead is a Muslim couple who live about a mile from Chris, they published an article on a Muslim website and we spotted it and feel we should follow up on it. We will try to make contact with them.And finally there's a good chance we'll repeat a kid's camp that we were involved with last summer. This may give us links to parents as well as the children.Meanwhile we plan to meet weekly to chat and pray. We'll keep you posted on developments.

CO2 showing early signs of spreading in the UK

Fellow Researchers,

In simple terms, a MRT is a way for two or more people to pay attention apostolically. And, to notice and share with our MRT "community of practice" the stories that emerge. These stories may be large or small but something inside you says, "This is important".

Here's an example of one of these stories...

Chris Jefferies attends the House2House Conference last September. Chris becomes "infected" with the CO2 (church of two) virus. Chris returns to Cambridgeshire, UK and others begin to be "infected" with the same virus. Observation: The CO2 virus seems to be "sneezeable".

First Five. I've asked you to consider spending the first five minutes each day of your Internet time investing in our MRT Experiment. You should have about 4 minutes left. So, here's your assignment today. Go to Chris' blog and read what he's written about the spread of the CO2 virus. Then, come back here and share your observations. http://jesus.scilla.org.uk/2010/02/news-co2-is-spreading-like-virus.html

By the way, I'm delighted that Chris and his friend, Sean Diviney, have joined the MRT Experiment. That makes 12 teams in 12 cities/regions. The MRT concept is also showing signs of being "sneezeable". Hmmm... sounds like another story to pay attention to.

John

PS. The picture above is of the N5H1 virus (bird flu). "If H5N1 viruses gain the ability for efficient and sustained transmission among humans, an influenza pandemic could result." -Center for Disease Control