Sunday 28 March 2010

MSCs - households of faith

I've been spending quite a lot of time with leaders of missional communities in the past couple of weeks. There is lots to be thankful for - two MSCs are preparing to do ALPHA courses with people who are interested in exploring faith further. The great thing is that these ALPHA's are emanating from a community of people who are willing to take the call seriously to 'go and make disciples' - in other words they aren't expecting some 'others' to do it... they are doing it themselves. This confirms that as a church a key part of our vision is to seek to transfer responsibility... the ability to respond.... to those who have been commanded by Jesus to go and make disciples. Communities of disciples are well positioned to respond positively and strongly to our society - an MSC is small enough to care and big enough to engage as a spiritual household, an extended family in a western world that is thirsty for community. The 'oikos' was the household of extended family and friendships formed around common purpose that was  the primary 'unit' of early church. MSCs as oikos are about committing our lives together to a common purpose and re-ordering our lives bringing faith, family & mission focus together. It means that we also need to have to adjust our faith expectations. Where perhaps we have expected people to come to faith through something centrally organised like ALPHA or our services instead we are expecting MSCs as 'oikos' to be life-transforming environments that multiply and this requires that we have faith for people coming to Christ as we go.I'm praying that faith will be released for multiplication of MSCs throughout the surrounding area.

Saturday 13 March 2010

Blogs well worth following


There are many blogs being written - I follow a few but the following ones are well worth spending some time on...


My friend Mike Breen has recently started a blog facilitated by 'Aidan' - which is like a conversation and a Q&A all rolled into one. The first three entries alone are brill and cover Lifeshapes, some small things that we can do that could make a big difference and family life. I would especially encourage attention to the Lifeshapes one if you are not completely sure what to think of my regular use of and reference to them.


http://mikebreen.wordpress.com/


Another friend of mine, Andrew Dowsett, has been blogging for a long time now and is well worth following. His most recent thoughts especially in regard to Oikos have been really thought provoking as this is an area that I beginning to do further observe, reflect, discuss.

http://dowsetts.blogspot.com/