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. 

 

 

 

Why don't we do this stuff ! Why are we bothering doing anything else?

Repeated Research findings tell us some of the following are by far the most effective practices of human learning and development and yet those of us involved in this field continue to do other less effective things. My question is why?

You want to be a Master Developer of People? Focus on these practices..

- tell more stories - proven as THE most powerful communication practice

- do residentials - powerful tool in developing community eg. Alpha

- eat food with friends - learning in community around food beats individual learning all the time.

- lead as a coach - best way to empower and develop people

- develop a 12 - small is beautiful, focus on a few to change the many...

- apprentice people ... Hanging out together is still the best way to develop - caught not taught

- Go Viral by training trainers - one of best ways to learn something deeply is to train in it.

- Impart by Doing something, not by teaching something in the lecture room (knowledge retention of 'learning by doing' vs 'learning by listening' is 80% vs. 10%)

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...

I like this kind of thinking - so fresh !

http://floydandsally.com/2011/07/28/why-evangelicals-should-stop-evangelizing/

If Apple did 'church', it would look like this...

It's a question that has got me thinking.

I'll post about this over next few days but would love to hear your thoughts, anti-apple allowed too!

Simply... Day 9 - 'Chill Out - you've got a long way to go'

Come to the end of the first month of Simply... it's good to take stock, catch up with some comms and admin, maybe do some study 'cos for me the Study/Research bit is quite crucial... After 2 years of study I'm about to start a Masters degree disertation on Movements to Change the World - how does one not get in the way of the exponential growth of the Kingdom of God? 

Simply... Day 7. 'Find out what God is doing and join in.. '

Wandering around my local neighbourhood, praying and chatting to folks ..

I'm trying to get a sense of where people are at and finding out 'what God is already doing!'

Previously, in my wonderfully proud way, I was taught that basically as I go to reach out to the folks around me, God comes with me - sounds good and proper .. And to some degree really true. But we forget that we can't box the creator of the universe into just being our little helpful chum! After all this God is wild and not tame or tamed - the Celtic Christians called Him the Wild Goose - goes where He wants, when He wants, doing what He wants!

Yes He is with me but Yes He is also already where I intend to go and has been at work in people's lives since the day they were born - ever so gently drawing all people to Himself through Christ.

'Find out what God is doing and join in.. '

Simply... Day 5. Pioneer Friends..

It was great today to meet up with my friends Billy Kennedy and Roger Ellis from Pioneer... www.pioneer.org.uk.

Pioneer is about 'non-religious Christianity' - a phrase taken from a German theologian called Bonhoeffer. As he saw the German church retreat into insignifance in 1930's Nazi Germany, he grappled with this vision of decline and compared this with what he felt Jesus had originally intended for the church... 'non-religious Christ following' - an organic movement of followers of Christ, filled with the Spirit and seeking to bring transformation and hope to the world around them. As Bonhoeffer went on to explain, we then made it a little more complicated !!!???!!!£££$$$!!

Simply... is part of Pioneer ( as well as being part of Methodism) - a network of networks of churches and projects and other great stuff. We love hanging out with these guys and gals and are popping over to their national leadership conference  in a few weeks .. if you're around in Southampton, come and say hello!

 

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?