Conversations as you Go

As we began Praxeis our friend Peter Roennfeldt was very foundational. We studied the book of Acts together as we were forming team and church in the western suburbs of Melbourne. We found ourselves sitting with Peter in cafes, African restaurants and the like, reading and praying together. In this season, the story Acts and the birth of the early church became a living church planting manual for us.

Peter is unwavering in his commitment to scripture. Jesus and the early church becomes the formative model for us to learn from. It is never more relevant today as we struggle to adjust in this unusual season of COVID.

It is really worthwhile visiting Peter's website following-jesus.com. Here you will find a new equipping package for multiplying disciples. It can be can be found at this link here.  He is very practical and helps us to take concrete steps today in reaching out to our neighbours. I have found Peter's material so grounded in scripture that he always stretches my mind... and practise. I hope he does the same for you.

Listen to this exciting report coming straight out the fields of Gypsy villages in Transylvania. We are hearing from Gabi Haidinger, the leader of our DMM team there, as they have focussed on this wonderful, warm and hospitable people group who face constant poverty and discrimination.

Gypsies descend from nomadic tribes in India that roamed through to Europe and the Middle East about 1000 years ago. They now live as a marginalised people, in isolated communities and villages. Struggling with often extreme poverty they live day-to-day in difficult housing on the margins of society.

The team visited this region of transylvania in Romania just before the outbreak of COVID. Being unable to return until now, they went back in nearly two year later and to their surprise people had taken the Discipleship training. Churches have been started around Discovery. Semi-illiterate people are running churches and lives are being transformed! Households are ready for baptism. They are seeing Gypsy leaders disciple others.

The context is simple, yet filled with deep spiritual hunger. The tinder is dry. The flint of the word and prayer has ignited the flame. We are looking for the raging fire to sweep through this people!

A few years ago I met Phil Alessi. Phil has a great story, of how God birthed a movement within the prison system of Indiana! The fruit of empowering 'inside' leaders to become leaders of communities is self evident. Thousands have come to Christ. In this podcast you will be blessed as we delve into principles of disciple making movements that Phil has learnt from the most surprising of places. Also, as well as the podcast you can watch Phil's story on Vimeo posted below.

If you are interested in joining us for the monthly Prison Huddle, email us at [email protected]

https://vimeo.com/showcase/6831756

Too many our good friend Steve Addison needs little introduction. However, if you want to learn more, or grab one of Steve’s books go to movements.net and you can find his podcast here

Steve has been studying and wrestling with the book of Acts! In this podcast, Steve takes us to the core of Acts which is the continuing mission of the risen Lord Jesus. We discuss the three foundations of Jesus’ movement, the Word of God, the Spirit and the Mission of God. These three core elements remain with us today. The book of Acts finished with God's Word unchained. It’s now our Acts 29 moment!

Stories like Jason and Myra's journey into making disciples are really important. They have grown from knowing 'about' making disciples to actually being practitioners in the game. From theory to practise. Starting as missionaries, involved in a busy communications ministry, they were challenged to move from 'packaging and broadcasting the gospel' to engaging and discipling the lost. This is what is so good about their story. There are many principles here we can learn from. We all start from our traditional answers, and learn as the Spirit leads us.

So what are the essential elements of moving from theory to Practise? Moving outside the Christian bubble, they intentionally immersed themselves in the harvest field that God had called them too. Through their kids they began building relationship with Muslim families. In this time they connected with a Praxeis hub where they lived. Church modelled in a home was both new and helpful. Through hearing stories and reading books and scriptures they had keys to move forward. Joining a community of practitioners that were living and breathing the great commission mandate of 'making disciples' proved vital for them. It's 'caught not taught'. Through prayer and more prayer, hearing God's voice they were able to move from friendship to spiritual conversation and Discovery Bible studies. We need to learn from stories like Jason and Myra's. We need many more 'workers for the harvest' (Lk10:2b) like Jason and Myra!

This week we listen to a talk I gave at our Asia Hub. I talk about movements lessons learnt from 3 seasons of life.

India - where we encountered people from the harvest coming to Christ and multiplying fast! We learnt that

The gospel in good soil multiplies (Parable of the Sower)Instantaneous multiplication (It’s fast!)It’s God’s work not oursPower encounter, prayer and the work of the Holy SpiritKey inside leaders (POP) are the best! 

Season 2 we were church planting in Australia. We learnt that

The traditional church is a barrier for most non-christians in AustraliaPeople have to navigate church tradition and culture to find Jesus. Church is not ‘stage, singing and sermons’Church within movements are formed around households (oikos) and people that belong together (affinity)Discipleship is the core. Discipleship is evangelismThe gospels leaves us with one conclusion. Jesus made disciples in the harvest that multiplied If you make disciples you always get church, if you plant churches you won’t always get disciplesDon’t start with Church. Start with making disciplesThe book of ACTS is the fruit of Jesus ministry 

In season 3 we focussed on Movement, DMM taking place here in Australia and the nations. some lessons we have learnt are

DBS and discovery methodologyClear Methods accelerate Movement Developing a clear strategy ofPray - Go - Disciple - MultiplyBeing driven by Core Values (Word, Spirit, Mission)The value of multiplying leaders and teamsThe importance of catalysing inside leaders, Training coaching and mentoringA saturation vision is the end goal

After farewelling Toby, we are thrilled to introduce Sue Ash, our new Praxeis Chair. 

We know in Eph 4:11-12 Paul talks about the gifts God gives to help the church grow. They were apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers. The gifts God gave were ‘people gifts’.  God generously gives people to help his body to grow. 

Praxeis is in a new season. We are growing, and growth requires change. We are excited about the gift that Sue brings, or the gift that Sue is to Praxeis as we continue to grow. 

Sue shares her own faith journey, and how she continued to follow Jesus after her husband died. Carrying depth of character and also a wealth of professional experience, Sue shares about the role of Praxeis and her own heart for the church in Australia. 

The role of good governance is often poorly understood in Christian organisations. Sometimes governance is simply dismissed as unspiritual, or simply something a leader has to 'endure'. However good governance  plays a vital back ground role. To use three metaphors, when governance is done well an organisation can find its wings and fly, It can build on solid foundations, it provides the skeleton and backbone for strength.

A board that seriously carries the vision and mission of Jesus to make disciples amongst all the nations is a great gift to many people who have decided that Praxeis is their ’tribe’. A good board says to those disciples who have passionately laid down their lives for Jesus and his mission ... ‘go for it, we’ve got your back’. 

Welcome Sue.

Meet Mike, a great guy working in Hong Kong! Mike and his wife Alice are leaders of our Praxeis team in that great city. Listen to his story starting as a Buddhist Hawaiian to becoming a Jesus follower after reading the gospel of John chapter 3. 

Becoming dissatisfied with ‘ordinary’ evangelism methods, he bumped into Grant, a movement worker who shared about disciple making movements which created hunger for more and changed Mike's paradigms! Now Mike is a disciple maker and multiplier of workers in Hong Kong.

Jesus teaching in Luke chapter 10 caused Mike to ‘Go’ in a way he had never done before. This teaching has shaped his methodology. He began to go and find God prepared people in the Harvest. We learn from Mike the power of the Word, listening to Jesus and obeying the Spirit. And importantly, how this is a continual process for all of us. 

Mike shares about creating team, starting with praying for workers for the harvest and the importance of ‘desperate’ prayer. Now with over 30 DBS's in the harvest they are starting to see households being baptised.

‘We were a company of friends who became desperate for God to show up’

You will really love this podcast, and be encouraged by Mike and his infectious enthusiasm ... and more than that, you will be challenged to obey Jesus to go into the harvest in the way he commands in Luke 10.

Disciple Making Movements are growing exponentially around the globe. In hard to reach places, amongst the most unlikely scenarios, often amidst severe persecution. Currently there are well over 1000 explosive movements under way. Where are they not taking root? In the West. The Western world (Europe, North America, Australia etc) is traditionally the heartland and centre of Christianity. But the Church is in great decline in places like Europe. Increasingly the church, once the centre of culture and society, is now on the margins. The West is a unique missionary challenge as it is a Post-Christian Culture.

Much can be said here. But when I see leaders taking risks, stepping outside the normal traditions of church culture and reaching the harvest, I am all ears.

Meet Paul working in Middlesbrough in the north of England, and Ben working in Somerset, in the south of England. Both have had to step out of the church, take risks and go through the struggle of reshaping their lives internally and in practice. They are bearing fruit. I am deeply encouraged by these guys! If movements are to be birthed in the West it will be birthed by risk taking apostolic leaders like these.

You can read more about Ben's ministry here https://benandcatherine.org and here https://www.missionsomerset.co.uk

Indonesia is a great nation! 'Daly' is coaching many teams and leaders in the principles of disciple making movement throughout Indonesia. So far 4 'Hubs have been established and a number of key leaders are being developed in various ares. Around each key leader there are teams who start discovery groups.

Join us as we explore an emerging work in Indonesia. We discuss the importance of internalising the disicpleship DNA, before we try and replicate it in others. How to start where you are, and how to identify new leaders. Daly also shares with us his 6 core essentials that he trains at every level.

Indonesia is confronting a huge challenge with COVID. We are taking an offering for this need. More information can be found here.

Even though Covid has resulted in the postponement of onsite gatherings and training recently, God is doing many amazing things among the workers there.

One leader reports that there are 43 groups gathering. Amazingly some even meeting in the most dangerous of locations, amongst areas normal associated with high persecution.

Another group are seeing a movement among women. They tell the story of a woman, previously from another faith, who was doing discovery with women around her. When she met some nominal christians she was able to encourage them to also start a discovery group. This story has encouraged boldness among the team.

For security purposes names and places have been changed