pilgrim blog :: steve jones

Simply... Day 28 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of G12

Had an amazing time with Sid from Newquay.. a genuinely brilliant guy working in Cornwall in Youth Work and Schools Stuff around Drug, Alcohol, Relationships...

We have many similarities apart from the hair!!! I have none - he has lots ! and I have big eyes too (and so does my son)  and he doesn't !

But (being more grown up now) in a Costa in Truro, we actually chatted deeply about a 'church-growth' movement called G12 (Government of 12). In some senses it's the exact opposite of the kind of things I'm wanting to sing about here in the SW - it's hierarchical (not freeing), it's fundamentalist (not open), it's non-flexible and top-down driven (not indigenous and local), it's very big-leader'ish with well-known personalities (not unknown wandering catalysts and nomads) , it's mega large with over 100,000 people part of the local church in Bogata, Columbia (not small is beautiful).  That's perhaps the Bad; the Ugly can happen when abusive leaders get hold of the hierarchical thing and can potentially cause quite some damage in terms of spiritual and emotional abuse. 

Both Sid and I had been involved in G12 churches in our pasts and were sharing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I think we both felt there were some interesting and potentially massive principles within the G12 thing to re-capture and remold even though most of me just wants to run from that kind of thing. So what is the Good?

1. They had a seriously passionate vision to change the world - the individuals I met were consumed by the vision. I find in myself sometimes and in others a rather British niceness that is scared of 'big dreams'- I've got something to learn from these Columbians...

2. They focused on a few by developing a group of twelve - heard that before somewhere. I am starting to spend my time helping a maximum of about 12 guys become all that God has created them to be... are you in a '12' ? It' just following the Ways of Jesus. Get in touch if the idea grabs you...

3. They appreciated the power of both the small (thousands of small 'cell' groups across the city) and the big (massive stadium celebrations every week !!) . Now we may not express our small and big in such ways (for example... Simply is looking to develop small Simple Churches and large Festivals) but I think most of us need the intimacy of the Small and the encouragement of the Big in our lives somewhere. 

 

 

 

storytelling - there's something very powerful hidden in this ancient art

I'm currently sitting in a day on storytelling ... there is so much power in the ancient art of storytelling... 

• Stories connect with us all deeply
• Stories are the only way I know to connect with a demographically diverse group... I've seen 4 year olds and 84 year olds equally enticed by the same story.
• Stories are full of different interpretations bringing a sense of common experience and yet recognising our different views within that commonality..
• Stories paint pictures in our minds 
• Story is big in contemporary culture... comedians, 
• Stories build our sense of history and therefore identity 
• Stories within the Oral Tradition (no notes, reading or writing) are a viral tool - used in people movements throughout world history... we can all hear and retell a story

 

There is currently a UK wide revivial of the ancient art with storytelling clubs and festivals springing up all over particularly in the Celtic extremities!

www.weststoryfest.co.uk nr.Exeter

Christ used story in nearly all his public and private life... why ?? 

Christ also used questions as His conclusions to His stories... why??

Lord, please help me be a better storyteller and a better listener of the stories of others...

Drift 3

Just wanted to build a bit on the 'drift' habit (see previous post). As I've thought more about it I've realised how 'drift' is stolen from us... Remember the 'drift' of childhood, wandering along parks and roads and stopping to dissect every leaf and study every stone and twig - 'drifting' with no cares and 100% focus on whatever my grubby hands picked up. The complete attention given to every conversation, every facial crease and wrinkle examined, every word savoured.. The deep listening and focus habits of a child... All eroded over time into a complexity of noise, worries, time pressures, competing demands... Is it right to even imagine 'drift' can be rediscovered and re-enchanted in a 'matured' life?

The times I most 'drift' are when the noise of a busy life have been quietened - a holiday when previously I'd genuinely caught up with all promises to self and others. Only when I've actually got Inbox Zero and all my stuff (projects, appointments, next actions, Things to Do) in a system that I can trust, can I leave this stuff and recapture 'drift'.

A philosophy of workflow and 'drift' management I've found revolutionary is GTD ( Getting Things Done) - it talks a lot about recapturing the creative 'drift' moments by tightly managing the 'other stuff' of life. Managing and channeling the complexity in order to find space to create, space to wonder and wander and space to 'drift'.

Simply... Day 10 part 2.. The Drift!

Just met a great young pioneer called Sam from YMCA Exeter www.Ten-10.org.uk .
We talked about the concept of 'Drift' - having the space in your life to just be, to drift along, deeply engaging with people around you. We live in an Anti-Drift world where even the most talented and spiritual church innovators and missional leaders are having to make 'appointments' with beginnings and ends with even their dearest friends and family... Where is the Drift, the time to be relationally spontaneous, coffee, meals, late nights chatting where you forget the time - haven't done that in years. Everything is so clinical, so structured, so boxed.

What's my advice to those of you wanting to be a Drifter ... plan to drift. For me in my highly organised and structured day I need to actually pencil in Drift Days and evenings, even part days ...

Two guys who are teaching me this at the moment are Kris and Henry from Tubestation in Polzeath - two surfers planting surf churches in North Cornwall - the first thing they did was offer me a lager and a seat with them on a train. We chatted, they said come down to Polzeath for a day, I love the way they are and want to learn from them.

Where is Drift in your life ?

Simply... Day 2. Why Pray?

Those of us with an activist mindset wanna get going and we wanna get going now, no messing. Thanks to all those friends and advisors that have said to me, 'start in prayer, Steve'. Why as an activist, do I want to spend most of today praying? 

Prayer is God's way of giving 'spiritual say-so'... it might sound a little weird but I believe that as I pray, God responds and does good stuff. Because God genuinely loves us, He has made Himself 'influence-able', like any good parent,  who gets down on the floor with her child and says, 'well Reggie, what do you want to do today? What do you want to make, to create, to bring into being?' The excitement of walking with a God like that is sometimes overwhelming. That's the essence of prayer, not all that 'stuffy stuff' we sometimes picture.

Prayer is good for my mates  - Because I only pray for good stuff to happen and for encouragement and life to happen for people, prayer is good for my mates and their families and friends.

Prayer is good for me - it encourages me to recognise that it's not all about me. It's about the purposes of God, I'm only alive because of Him, I'm only going to 'do stuff' because of His power working not mine... Basically, prayer humbles me and that's gotta be good 'cos many activists are just plain full of themselves, their 'leadership', their gifts, their calling, blah, blah,!"

Have a good one!

Simply... Day 1. Thinkin' Deep

Today is my first proper day with Simply... going to Plymouth on the train to see my good friend and line manager, Dave Martin. Got my little son with me too so he's all excited by the train bit. Dave and I are going to pray together and chat about Simply... and how we develop it.. I've drafted what some people call a 'Philosophy of Mission and Ministry' - can be helpful because it gets you to think through the essence of who you are, what you are going to value, what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.

Here's a clip from draft - I've called it our 'Everys'.. tell me what you think. Subscribe to Updates too

Inclusive - everyone is welcome

Following Jesus 24/7 - everyone can learn the ways of Christ ( the Jesus Model) and put them into practice

Everyone can play! There is a space for everyone to flourish in what we are good at, even if we don't know what that is yet. It's only as we all make space for each others gifting that we can truly transform and be transformed.

360° - every part of life & culture is important and we seek to engage in the whole of this life - We want to develop through partnerships 'All Things Good' and help to meet the breadth of human needs, whether that’s educational, economical, physical, spiritual, social or environmental.

Viral - everything we do, we design to spread, to multiply, to virally transform for good .. Why spend time developing 'hit & run' projects and friendships with no thought on the long-term sustainability of an initiative? Mathematicians call it the exponential effect - multiplication is so built into the DNA of this movement that the 1 becomes the 12 and the 12 the 72.

Creative - everyone can be creative and lead as we seek to nurture the creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit found in each one of us

Habits and Movements

There is an intrinsic, deep link between the habits we have established in our lives and the movements we seek to develop - whether that be church, mission, development, business or charitable movement.
Habits are so key to everything we are, in fact according to the old phrase, our character is made up of the habits we have developed, both good and bad.

Habit 'researchers' tell us this is the case - a recent researcher I was reading spoke of the link between habit accumulation and 'success'.
We all know this to be true.
So what if the link with movements ? Any significant movement has at its core some basic practices or habits, especially if it is to last and change the world around it. Think of the early communists with their learned mantras and disciplined lifestyles; think of the Methodists with their 'bands' (small accountability groups) and 'holy' lifestyles; think of the Jesuits and their patterned lives.
Movements need easily replicable patterns to create the viral, exponential dynamics so evident in truly world-changing networks. Without these core practices, the movement flounders in a sea of multiplicity.

What are the core practices for the movements you are part of?
Are they viral, sticky, replicable?
How can we 'exponentialise' and lever our life's effort?

I love these goals

The MDGs

This site will track progress on the millennium development goals up to 2015.

Find out more about the goals

The goals

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV, Aids, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

via www.guardian.co.uk