10:2b Story (Part Three)

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Great comment from Carolyn Spence (Clovis, NM) in response to Mike Deaton's interview in yesterday's post:

OK, agreed! We need the opportunity to see it practised. My mother (89 years young) cried to experience the very tiny taste of our gathering in Clovis with MRT members from Albuquerque and Colorado saying, "now I see what you mean"... If you are going to spread a virus, personal physical contact works best... Carolyn

Today, we have an interview with JoEtta Deaton. She tells a similar story. To paraphrase: "By visiting some of the house churches in Brighton (CO), I experienced a whole different paradigm of church. What I saw was church that flowed out of listening to Jesus. This was transformational and I want to begin to try this out when we go back to Virginia".

(JW: This is the third of seven LK10 Practices. Church = a spiritual family focused on listening to Jesus.)

Now, listen to JoEtta tell the story in her own words below. Share with us your response to what she has to say.

John

Women in MRTs?

Yesterday's post featured a video of one of the Denver MRTs sending greetings to a similar group in New Zealand. In the video, five men share some of what they appreciate about their team.

Carolyn Spencer (Clovis, NM) responded with an important question...

Hi, Are all the seven MRT's (in Denver) a group of guys only? Is connecting together this way something done more easily when its just a group of guys, or is it just as effective when its mixed company? Would this group be as comfortable if a female leader joined you at Sojourner's Coffee Shop? What is your take on including women in MRT? Carolyn

Carolyn,

Thank you for asking this question! Some of the MRTs in Denver do have women members. And, I believe my MRT would actually be more effective if there were women as a part of the team. I believe that female apostolic church planters are just as "called" and just as effective as men. I believe that it is preferable to have a MRT with both men an women.

As you know, we are coming out of a period when women were often limited in their leadership roles in the church. In the Luke Ten Community, we believe that church = family and, in that context, spiritual mothers are just as important as spiritual fathers for a healthy family. I want Luke Ten to be an environment where women are encouraged to function that way both in house churches and as apostolic church planters.

So, Carolyn, thanks for asking that question so that I could clarify our values! And, to both men and women readers, please send me stories where you see women functioning in this kind of leadership.

John

Can you be in more than one MRT?

Can you be in more than one MRT?

Peg Batcheller's comments below illustrates the answer to that question quite well. I'm pretty sure Peg didn't set out to start four MRTs. What she did was pay attention to what God was doing around her. (Did anyone know that New Mexico was going to be a hot bed of apostolic activity?!!)

I'm going to have more to say about this tomorrow. But, today I want you to enjoy what Peg has written below and share your observations with us in the comments.

John

It seems God has put me in a position of having or starting multiple MRTs that all look differently.

1. Richard (Hijar) & I pray, SASHET, and discuss our regions of New Mexico and SE Colorado various times through out the week, but are deciding to be more 'intentional' about it the next 3 months. We mostly 'meet' over the phone. (JW: Peg and Richard are planning to be married this fall. So, this might be an example of apostolic dating!)

2. Carolyn (Spence) lives in Clovis, NM, about 4 hours away. She is new to MRT, but has such a burning desire to see new churches started in her region, that it will be difficult to NOT meet with her. We will skype, pray, and listen to the Lord regularly, when she gets back to town. She has friends who are well equipped to start 3 new house churches, but didn't know how to do that until we recently sat together and asked God to put things into place.

3. There are about 7 of us throughout New Mexico and SE Colorado who have started audio skype calls on the weekends. We all represent different towns or cities, even a Wycliffe Translator from Finland who has recently joined us. Our times of prayer and discussion have been great, and God is refreshing our hearts with a larger vision for the state of NM, and beyond. There are about 30 of us leaders meeting in Ruidoso, NM, this weekend to meet each other face to face, pray together, and ask the Lord what His plan is for the state. We plan to have a joint retreat later in the fall when we can invite simple churches to gather all in one place. We sense a real "knitting and netting" of believers that will change the culture here in the SW. I would never have imagined it would look like this, but God is going before us, showing us what HE wants. We're praying that as we grow, the harvest will have a place to find a healthy spiritual home in any part of the state.

4. Nick & Ramona & I will meet spontaneously and regularly to pray for Albuquerque and God's heart for our city. Nick has already demonstrated his heart in helping others start simple churches, and is planning to meet with various ones in the city to encourage and strengthen the body. He is a great gift to me in the work here.

I appreciate partnering with all of you in MRT. John, I'm glad you mentioned that they will all look a bit different, but I know God has the same end result in mind.... that we send laborers into the harvest, to reap and bring in the harvest. What exciting times we live in!

Spiritual research (2)

More from Carolyn Spence's email...

Is there a reason that this "present kingdom" model doesn't seem to be promoted among simple church proponents? If we are truly following where God is going, would he not be working some of the same things today that he did then? Should this not be a part of our expectation and our report?

Absolutely! In fact, the listening (Virkler) part of a CO2 puts us in a place where we can join God in his supernatural work just as Jesus did. See Jn. 5:19.

Shouldn't this be one evidence of a vibrant family of Jesus? Shouldn't his presence among us produce an effect that ministers to people in the same ways he did when he was here? It seems that we do get from the Lord what we seek after, and what we expect. Can we share stories of how we see the kingdom come to encourage each other that this is a part of the normal Christian life? Now I am newer to the MRT, and maybe I am off base, or it’s a topic already covered that I have missed... so please excuse me if it is. Tell me what you think. Carolyn

Carolyn, you are totally "on base". The MRT 2.0 Experiment is designed to provide a basic framework or starting point for spiritual research. My hope is that this spirit of questioning and experimenting will characterize our community and that people will experiment with all kinds of things having to do with helping to birth "vibrant families of Jesus". Carolyn, please take the lead in reporting what you are learning this summer about demonstrations of God's power as it relates to church planting.

Speaking of God's supernatural power, take a look at the story below of healing at our city wide house church gathering in Denver a couple of weeks ago.

John

Spiritual research (1)

Carolyn Spence (Clovis, NM) sent me an email this week that embodies the spirit of the MRT Experiments that we will be undertaking this summer. Here's the first part of what she said with a few of my comments...

I was going back over the mail on MRT's to read what I may have missed. Now I have a question. It may be that there are things yet to be discovered and implemented among CO2 and CO 12s and simple church groups, that would make a difference, but there seems to be something missing in the message.

Right on, Carolyn! There are things "yet to be discovered and implemented". That's the premise of the MRT Experiments - we have a lot to learn and we have a Father who delights in us trying things out. And, we often learn best in the context of community - a "community of practice"!

When Jesus announced that the kingdom of God was among them, the message was either preceded or followed by a demonstration of the presence of God, and the rulership of God as found in his kingdom, shown by something, and event or occurrence, that superseded natural expectations. As we become "families of Jesus", it would seem right to expect that the same principle of the evidence of the kingdom of God should be seen among them. This should be "normal" for families of Jesus.

I agree with you. That's what Jesus said in Lk. 10:9. "Heal the sick and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you." " Paul says much the same thing in 1 Cor. 2:4. "...my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstrations of the Spirit and of power..."

Carolyn, thanks for raising the issue! At the heart of spiritual research is the practice of relentlessly asking questions. More tomorrow 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