Developing a Regional Strategy Notes
Developing a Regional Strategy
House Church Conference 9/05
Tim Pynes, Kenny Moore, Mike Steele, John White
The larger story.
“…At the center of the universe is relationship. From all eternity the living God has been community, family. From all eternity the living God has been infinitely pleased as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
”…The community at the center of the universe draws near to me. That would be good enough. And draws near to me in such a way that the community draws me into that inner relatedness of that community. An astounding claim! But this is the fundamental message of Scripture. It is what friendship with God is all about. It is what the Kingdom is all about.” Darrell Johnson, Experiencing the Trinity , P. 60-62,
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship (koinonia) with us; and indeed our fellowship (koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 Jn. 1:3
Developing a regional strategy means join God in what He is already doing. The Community (also known as the Trinity) is drawing me/us into “the inner relatedness of that community”. And, I am invited to join The Community in drawing others into that same fellowship (koinonia). That invitation is found in Mt. 28:19-20. “Therefore as you are going, make disciples of all ethne, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Dallas Willard’s paraphrase, “Renovation of the Heart,” p. 240: “As you go throughout the world, make apprentices to me from all kinds of people, immerse them in Trinitarian reality, and teach them to do everything I have commanded you.”
In order to join God in His work in our part of the harvest field (ie, develop a regional strategy), there are at least four things that we need to be clear about.
1. Clarity about God’s desired outcome. How are we to disciple a whole ethne?
Some years ago, Jim Montgomery, founder of DAWN Ministries, was asking God how the Great Commission was to be fulfilled. The Master's answer to him was, "See to it that I, the Lord, truly become incarnate in every small group of people on the earth."
Jim continues, "In a flash of insight from the Lord it all became very clear. Where does the Lord now dwell? 'Christ in you, the hope of glory' (Col. 1:27). 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them' (Mt. 18:20). Christ could be alive and well and present in all his power and glory and compassion while communicating his wonderful message of the Kingdom in a totally contextualized way in every small community of people if only there were some truly born-again believers exercising the gifts of the Spirit and functioning there as the body of Christ." (p. 31-32, DAWN2000: 7 Million Churches to Go)
The DAWN Vision: When we think about fulfilling the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20) we think about a church (a vibrant family of Jesus, an expression of the Trinitarian community) within easy access of every human being in a particular region or people group.
2. Clarity about my assignment. What is the region or people group that God has called me to? Is it a neighborhood or a county or a city or a province or a nation? Or a particular ethnic group? The “John Knoxer” concept.
3. Clarity about the starting point. We believe that the single most important thing we can do toward the objective is to be highly faithful in praying the prayer that Jesus commanded us to pray in Luke 10:2. Everything else grows out of this. Kenny: “This is our Plan A. (We don’t have a Plan B.”)
• Relentless. Wear God out. See parables about prayer in Lk. 11 and 18. Praying as close to every day as possible.
• “…to send forth workers…” exballo = thrust forth, launch, used of casting out demons, implies high degree of motivation. Once you get one of these “sent ones” everything else is relatively easy. Some probable answers to this prayer: Paul, Cornelius, Aquila & Priscilla, Lydia, etc.
• Harvest workers. Two kinds in this context: apostolic church planters (mobile) and people of peace (stationary). (Kenny: “The Leadership Solution”.)
• “Beseech” = a command. Connect with Mt. 28:20: “…teaching them to obey all I’ve commanded you.” One of Jesus’ commands was the 10:2b Prayer. Therefore, every disciple should be taught this prayer.
• Organic and viral in nature. 10:2b Virus.
• God gets the glory. He does the “heavy lifting”. We ask for “fully formed” workers. “1 Tim. 3” kind of people.
• The Lord of the Harvest responds to our prayers. 10:2b stories.
• By-products of praying this prayer daily: increase in our faith (seeing the answers), develops a “harvest mentality”, close friendship with Kenny and Mike.
Want to be on an elist where we share 10:2b stories and insights? Email John White at DenverWH@aol.com and say, “Put me on your elist”.
4. Clarity about my partner. Jesus paired people up and sent them out into the harvest by twos. He knows I need a partner who has the same assignment I have with whom I can passionately and daily beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out (exballo - launch!) motivated and gifted harvest workers into our part of the harvest.
• Why Jesus sent them out two by two – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• The basic relationship in the church is the pair. The healthiest house church will be made up of many pairs (prayer partners, LTG, etc.). The house church is not the most foundational unit.
• When Jesus sent them out two by two, he was sending churches (Mt. 18:20) to plant churches.
• Good article on the biblical concept of pairs. http://kingwatch.co.nz/Church_Ministry/power_pairs.htm
House Church Conference 9/05
Tim Pynes, Kenny Moore, Mike Steele, John White
The larger story.
“…At the center of the universe is relationship. From all eternity the living God has been community, family. From all eternity the living God has been infinitely pleased as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
”…The community at the center of the universe draws near to me. That would be good enough. And draws near to me in such a way that the community draws me into that inner relatedness of that community. An astounding claim! But this is the fundamental message of Scripture. It is what friendship with God is all about. It is what the Kingdom is all about.” Darrell Johnson, Experiencing the Trinity , P. 60-62,
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship (koinonia) with us; and indeed our fellowship (koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 Jn. 1:3
Developing a regional strategy means join God in what He is already doing. The Community (also known as the Trinity) is drawing me/us into “the inner relatedness of that community”. And, I am invited to join The Community in drawing others into that same fellowship (koinonia). That invitation is found in Mt. 28:19-20. “Therefore as you are going, make disciples of all ethne, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Dallas Willard’s paraphrase, “Renovation of the Heart,” p. 240: “As you go throughout the world, make apprentices to me from all kinds of people, immerse them in Trinitarian reality, and teach them to do everything I have commanded you.”
In order to join God in His work in our part of the harvest field (ie, develop a regional strategy), there are at least four things that we need to be clear about.
1. Clarity about God’s desired outcome. How are we to disciple a whole ethne?
Some years ago, Jim Montgomery, founder of DAWN Ministries, was asking God how the Great Commission was to be fulfilled. The Master's answer to him was, "See to it that I, the Lord, truly become incarnate in every small group of people on the earth."
Jim continues, "In a flash of insight from the Lord it all became very clear. Where does the Lord now dwell? 'Christ in you, the hope of glory' (Col. 1:27). 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them' (Mt. 18:20). Christ could be alive and well and present in all his power and glory and compassion while communicating his wonderful message of the Kingdom in a totally contextualized way in every small community of people if only there were some truly born-again believers exercising the gifts of the Spirit and functioning there as the body of Christ." (p. 31-32, DAWN2000: 7 Million Churches to Go)
The DAWN Vision: When we think about fulfilling the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20) we think about a church (a vibrant family of Jesus, an expression of the Trinitarian community) within easy access of every human being in a particular region or people group.
2. Clarity about my assignment. What is the region or people group that God has called me to? Is it a neighborhood or a county or a city or a province or a nation? Or a particular ethnic group? The “John Knoxer” concept.
3. Clarity about the starting point. We believe that the single most important thing we can do toward the objective is to be highly faithful in praying the prayer that Jesus commanded us to pray in Luke 10:2. Everything else grows out of this. Kenny: “This is our Plan A. (We don’t have a Plan B.”)
• Relentless. Wear God out. See parables about prayer in Lk. 11 and 18. Praying as close to every day as possible.
• “…to send forth workers…” exballo = thrust forth, launch, used of casting out demons, implies high degree of motivation. Once you get one of these “sent ones” everything else is relatively easy. Some probable answers to this prayer: Paul, Cornelius, Aquila & Priscilla, Lydia, etc.
• Harvest workers. Two kinds in this context: apostolic church planters (mobile) and people of peace (stationary). (Kenny: “The Leadership Solution”.)
• “Beseech” = a command. Connect with Mt. 28:20: “…teaching them to obey all I’ve commanded you.” One of Jesus’ commands was the 10:2b Prayer. Therefore, every disciple should be taught this prayer.
• Organic and viral in nature. 10:2b Virus.
• God gets the glory. He does the “heavy lifting”. We ask for “fully formed” workers. “1 Tim. 3” kind of people.
• The Lord of the Harvest responds to our prayers. 10:2b stories.
• By-products of praying this prayer daily: increase in our faith (seeing the answers), develops a “harvest mentality”, close friendship with Kenny and Mike.
Want to be on an elist where we share 10:2b stories and insights? Email John White at DenverWH@aol.com and say, “Put me on your elist”.
4. Clarity about my partner. Jesus paired people up and sent them out into the harvest by twos. He knows I need a partner who has the same assignment I have with whom I can passionately and daily beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out (exballo - launch!) motivated and gifted harvest workers into our part of the harvest.
• Why Jesus sent them out two by two – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• The basic relationship in the church is the pair. The healthiest house church will be made up of many pairs (prayer partners, LTG, etc.). The house church is not the most foundational unit.
• When Jesus sent them out two by two, he was sending churches (Mt. 18:20) to plant churches.
• Good article on the biblical concept of pairs. http://kingwatch.co.nz/Church_Ministry/power_pairs.htm
posted by Youth and Family at Friday, September 09, 2005
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