More on CO2 and marriage

I've continued to think about Tim and Brittani's wedding. I am realizing that, for me, it represented something new and important that needs to be marked.

The clear message to the congregation from Tim and Brittani was "You are actually witnessing two things. The beginning of a new marriage. And, also the beginning of a new church." I wonder if that message has ever been communicated before in a wedding in the history of the world. Ok. That may be a little strong but you get the idea.

I've often thought that if this one idea ever began to spread, we could start a million house churches in a month. Hmm... Maybe it is beginning to spread!

See below for an "amen" to all of this from Wade Adams in Central Texas. Wade has recently started a MRT in the Kileen (TX) area.

John

"Dorothy and I have been using the CO2 to spark our conversation and to become more intentional in our partnership with the Lord. These two simple practices have been great for us."

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

Can you be in more than one MRT? (2)

Further reflections on Peg Batcheller helping to start four MRTs in New Mexico (see yesterday's post)

Sending. The reality is that the Lord of the Harvest is answering the Lk 10:2b prayer and sending out a multitude of apostolic church planters. The problem is that many of these people aren't what we expected apostles to look like. Most of them haven't been to seminary and haven't been approved by some mission agency. A growing number of these people are women. And, many of these folks didn't even know that they were apostles.

Seeing. But, there is also another side to the 10:2b prayer. One side is that the Lord of the harvest is sending an increasing number of these harvest workers. The other side is that, as I pray this prayer day after day, my "eyesight" changes. With every person I meet, I find myself asking the question, "I wonder if he/she is an apostle?"

Which leads to this question: How do we know they are apostles? Consider this definition for an apostle: A man or woman called and gifted by God to plant multiple churches. So, what I look for is someone who has something in their heart that longs to see these "vibrant families of Jesus" multiply across their city or region.

To see a "vibrant family of Jesus" within easy reach of everyone will require dozens of MRTs in Denver and thousands across the US (how about your country?). I believe that's exactly what we are beginning to see.

Your thoughts?

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 from north Denver

Yesterday, I told you about a new MRT that has formed in the north part of Denver (centered in Brighton, CO) with Hobby Chapin and Robbie James. This is the third MRT in Denver. (Can you picture the day when there are dozens of MRTs in your city?)

The video below helps us imagine what the future might be like ...

1. It's a monthly regional gathering of house churches in north Denver that flows from Hobby and Robbie's MRT. Seven house churches are represented in this video. (Can you imagine dozens of regular gatherings like this in your city?)

2. It's a gathering that centers on listening to the Lord. In particular, notice how singing and worship is flowing from listening. (Can you imagine a growing multitude of believers in your city who are experiencing the reality of all of life flowing from listening to God? Worship, community, study, mission, etc.)

3. It's Hobby's first video! (Can you imagine a day when we have a huge library of powerful videos that help us picture every aspect of organic church life? That tell an "alternate story" about what church can be?)

Your thoughts?

John

Being "a community of practice"

This comment from Peg Batcheller is a great picture of our MRT Experiment functioning as a "community of practice". In this case, Peg in New Mexico is learning from Hobby Chapin in north Denver (see yesterday's post). I love it!

Hobby,

Thanks for this great description of what you guys are doing. I'm invited to meet with a group of women leaders in Clovis, NM, this weekend, and I was praying about what to share with them. There are about 7-10 women who are hungry to get something started there, with lots of passion but have little direction. Your post about your new MRT gives definition to what I need to share, so this is very timely. I ask you all to pray with me that God will move in an amazing way to raise up many CO2s and simple churches in the NE area of New Mexico and into Texas.

Peg

We'll be praying for you Peg. Let us know how it goes.

John

New MRT in Brighton, CO

Hobby Chapin is a church planter centered in Brighton, Colorado (north of Denver). He has been an important part of our Denver MRT for several months and recently felt the Lord leading him to start another MRT in Brighton with a fellow church planter, Robbie James. (I know... Hobby and Robbie!)

Here's Hobby's story...

Last month we started meeting as an MRT. We meet on Sunday nights from 9:30 to 11:30. We alternate between our homes and function out of our basements. We begin by checking in and prayerfully drawing out what is happening in our hearts. We have both had some heart issues concerning our families and our identities as apostolic leaders.

We have been doing some leveling early on to say where do we think we are going. We have made a list of the things we think will be on the horizon to address. I type up a summary each week. I listen before our MRT to see what God wants to talk with us about. After our check in, we both throw out a few things we think the Lord has for us to discuss. We put them on paper and expose them. Then we take some time to be quiet and listen together about the specific thing the Lord wants to say. When we break silence we both share what we heard and draw out what we think God is giving to us. So far we have talked a lot about households, the supernatural work of God, apostolic leadership, stages of equipping, and how to facilitate a group toward being in the presence of God and hearing from Him.

We have a vision to equip our leaders toward MRT. For the moment we feel like we need to invest with one another as a closed group. In a short time we have taken good steps toward building a foundation on which we can work together. We are in a time of narrowing our focus. The MRT has been a blessing for synergy. It has also been a blessing for our friendship. We are great friends and love one another deeply and value very much our opportunity to walk alongside one another in ministry.

What do you see in this MRT that encourages you? What do you learn from what Hobby and Robbie are doing?

John

How MRTs grow and multiply

The picture to the right shows how full spectrum light is filtered so that only yellow light emerges on the other side. This picture helps explain how the appropriate people get into an MRT.

When Kent and I started this MRT Experiment, we sent out a description of what it would involve to friends in 11 regions. We asked everyone to watch the introductory video on the blog site and ask the Lord if they should join. Nine of those regions self-selected in. Two regions self-selected out.

Then, friends in three other regions (Aurora, CO; Western Slope of Colorado; and England) indicated interest so we asked them to go through the same process of reading and watching and praying. As a result of this self-selection or self-filtering, we now have 12 regions committed to the MRT Experiment.

What are we "filtering" for? People with an apostolic (church planting) calling who resonate with the rhythms of the Experiment.

Chris and Sean in the UK, at their own initiative (I love it!), are continuing the process. Here's part of an email Chris sent me:

This is just to keep you updated with CO2 and MRT news from our part of the UK. Below is a message I sent out to the few dozen house church people I know who live within an hours drive of Sean and me. We're agreed that we should invite others to join our weekly MRT sessions so I invited everyone on the basis they'll self select. If we end up with an extra two or three people with an 'apostolic' inclination joining us for the meetings I'll be well pleased. Any that do join us we'll introduce to the MRT blog so they can be fully on board with the experiment.

We have just four small simple churches meeting in St Neots and Huntingdon, four churches from a population of about 60 000 or so. (How does that ratio compare with yours in Denver?) Then there are some larger ICs that we have not, so far, invited to join the experiment. I don't say we won't - but so far I don't feel it's time to take that step.

Your comments on this process of self selecting for MRTs?

John

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.