We're absolutely committed to families. Not just that we like them but that we feel they are the model for c2b - because it seems to be the biblical model!
We certainly don't have all the answers on this - we'd love you to join us in working it out! Here though are some thoughts from David, based on what we've experienced recently:
Interestingly, most newspapers aim at an intellectual and reading age of about 12 - including most of the broadsheets.... similarly if you are teaching a large group you already have to set the bar pretty low with regards language, concepts etc. In a smaller group that you know well, you can actually deliver much more complex material - because there's immediate feedback and the opportunity to say 'I didn't get that'. Not only that, but because it is so immediately applied it actually becomes learning rather than teaching....
In reality then, it's only the most complex of concepts that can't be grasped at some level by most kids over 12, so as long as there's good thought in the presentation, they're fine too. My approach has been to include in the interactive talk, lots of involvement - acting stuff out, reading, targetted questions etc that all the school age kids feel involved. My experience then is that when there is a bit they don't get or engage with, it's ok, because in a few minutes there is stuff that they relate to and if you are careful, they re-engage. Actually, that's no different to everyone else... rarely do we stay focussed for the whole time - something speaks to us and we wander off to process it then dip back in a bit later.... So it's about making it accessible, chunk sized, very practical and not so linear that if you miss or don't get point 3 you're stuffed for the rest of the talk.... So yes, I think it's about training, somewhat for the participants, but most importantly for the speaker... I'm sure there are folk a lot more gifted at this than me, but I get away with it!! In terms of very young kids let them run about, shout a bit, sword-fight... make it part of your talk, make them feel included without the expectation that they have to listen and learn. As you do that, it's amazing how much they engage!
What they do learn then is that they are valued and that learning is valuable. They hear their parents ask difficult questions, so they know it's safe to ask difficult questions. Of course there are going to be some things that aren't shareable in front of the kids... but not as many as pride might suggest!
Gareth came up with this great thought, that what we do a lot of the time by telling famous stories in watered down form out of context, in order to accommodate young ones, is to 'innoculate' our kids against the gospel! By the time they are old enough to really grasp it, their heads are full of talking vegetables and other myths! Better we think to just let them play and learn love and acceptance and wait till they are old enough to really get it!
We're not advocating mayhem, or such chaos that noone can benefit, but equally we are going to value everyone and that means the mature adults giving up their rights to an entirely quiet, structured environment that actually excludes the most vulnerable...
Monday 31 January 2011
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Beacon Basics!
Background
We believe we are created for loving relationship; firstly with a loving God but also with one another. We believe that our capacity to live this out fully is restricted if we are unable to love ourselves. We believe that we are in a battle for this wholeness as individuals and as a race.
Emphases
For these reasons we therefore believe it is imperative that we:
Know what God is like
His nature, His character and His ways. These are fully revealed in Jesus and described in the Bible. It is essential that we have a good and growing understanding of what the Bible says, not just in individual stories or verses, but as a whole. Our whole outlook on life, our view of the world needs increasingly to be shaped by through this understanding.
Are able to hear and relate with God together and as individuals
Our day to day relationship with God is founded on two way communication and should be as natural as the communication with any other person – it is the life-blood of the relationship. It will be expressed in ways such as praise, prayer, listening to or reading God’s word, reflective meditation, talking with others, serving, doing everyday tasks, being out in God’s creation – the list is endless! Because we are individuals whom God loves, we should expect the way He speaks to us and the ways we communicate with Him to be as unique as we are. We are dependent upon hearing His voice as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings. This is an integral part of our process for decision making.
Engage in the battle
Intercession & prayer ministry are integral parts of daily life. We recognise the intent of the enemy and his slaves to destroy the work of God and we exercise the gifts that God freely gives us to overcome his strategies in the lives of individuals and communities. We seek to develop and encourage those gifts and actively engage in ministry to see strongholds broken and individuals unbound and set free.
Value every individual equally
We believe God has gifted and called all people irrespective of age, sex or background. We are committed to value, trust, train, support and make space for everyone.
See every aspect of life as God-centred
The practical dimensions of life are no less spiritual than the ministry expressions. We are not physical people and spiritual people. We are people. Everything is spiritual and everything we do has a spiritual dimension.
Recognise the centrality of ‘family’
God wants us to express the love we receive to others. More than this He has designed the universe with this as a requirement. We cannot function or thrive without each other. We cannot minister or represent God without one another. God is loving relationship, we only really live when we live like that. Family then, both genetic and spiritual is at the heart of our priorities and the centre of all we do. Within our communities we affirm the value you of serving God together, not just the parents, but every generation sharing the call and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways.
Regard leadership as but one of the diverse gifts in the body
We recognise leadership as one of the gifts and ministries that people may be called to. It is neither more nor less significant than any other gift or ministry. We believe then in leadership as a call rather than a leadership hierarchy. We do not believe leadership carries with it inherent status but rather leaders serve by leading. Leadership does not imply decision making, rather, we believe in communities that are small enough for all to actively and significantly contribute to hearing God and discerning His will.
Believe in relationship over rules
The communities in which we live will be characterised by lived-out love in holiness, mutual support, transparency, humility and open communication, rather than a dependence on structures or rules.
Believe hospitality is at the heart of who God is
God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit have an eternal loving relationship into which they have invited every person to fully participate. This is the most extravagant act of hospitality and we must respond to it and emulate it. We therefore affirm hospitality as an expression of God's character and we open our hearts and homes to serve and honour one another, our guests and the poor and needy, not as acts of social protocol, but as expressions of generosity.
We believe we are created for loving relationship; firstly with a loving God but also with one another. We believe that our capacity to live this out fully is restricted if we are unable to love ourselves. We believe that we are in a battle for this wholeness as individuals and as a race.
Emphases
For these reasons we therefore believe it is imperative that we:
Know what God is like
His nature, His character and His ways. These are fully revealed in Jesus and described in the Bible. It is essential that we have a good and growing understanding of what the Bible says, not just in individual stories or verses, but as a whole. Our whole outlook on life, our view of the world needs increasingly to be shaped by through this understanding.
Are able to hear and relate with God together and as individuals
Our day to day relationship with God is founded on two way communication and should be as natural as the communication with any other person – it is the life-blood of the relationship. It will be expressed in ways such as praise, prayer, listening to or reading God’s word, reflective meditation, talking with others, serving, doing everyday tasks, being out in God’s creation – the list is endless! Because we are individuals whom God loves, we should expect the way He speaks to us and the ways we communicate with Him to be as unique as we are. We are dependent upon hearing His voice as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings. This is an integral part of our process for decision making.
Engage in the battle
Intercession & prayer ministry are integral parts of daily life. We recognise the intent of the enemy and his slaves to destroy the work of God and we exercise the gifts that God freely gives us to overcome his strategies in the lives of individuals and communities. We seek to develop and encourage those gifts and actively engage in ministry to see strongholds broken and individuals unbound and set free.
Value every individual equally
We believe God has gifted and called all people irrespective of age, sex or background. We are committed to value, trust, train, support and make space for everyone.
See every aspect of life as God-centred
The practical dimensions of life are no less spiritual than the ministry expressions. We are not physical people and spiritual people. We are people. Everything is spiritual and everything we do has a spiritual dimension.
Recognise the centrality of ‘family’
God wants us to express the love we receive to others. More than this He has designed the universe with this as a requirement. We cannot function or thrive without each other. We cannot minister or represent God without one another. God is loving relationship, we only really live when we live like that. Family then, both genetic and spiritual is at the heart of our priorities and the centre of all we do. Within our communities we affirm the value you of serving God together, not just the parents, but every generation sharing the call and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways.
Regard leadership as but one of the diverse gifts in the body
We recognise leadership as one of the gifts and ministries that people may be called to. It is neither more nor less significant than any other gift or ministry. We believe then in leadership as a call rather than a leadership hierarchy. We do not believe leadership carries with it inherent status but rather leaders serve by leading. Leadership does not imply decision making, rather, we believe in communities that are small enough for all to actively and significantly contribute to hearing God and discerning His will.
Believe in relationship over rules
The communities in which we live will be characterised by lived-out love in holiness, mutual support, transparency, humility and open communication, rather than a dependence on structures or rules.
Believe hospitality is at the heart of who God is
God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit have an eternal loving relationship into which they have invited every person to fully participate. This is the most extravagant act of hospitality and we must respond to it and emulate it. We therefore affirm hospitality as an expression of God's character and we open our hearts and homes to serve and honour one another, our guests and the poor and needy, not as acts of social protocol, but as expressions of generosity.
Leadership and Accountability
Leadership
Leadership of the Beacon Group would be via a team using the strengths of each member but without a deliberate hierarchy. For example, someone in the team who has good networking skills might be our nominated ‘point person’ to relate to other Beacon Group leaders and the ‘centre’, but this would not imply an overall leadership role within the group.
One of the responsibilities of the leadership team will be to agree a programme which would enable the priorities set out above to be achieved over a period of time. It is unlikely to be a detailed plan of what topic / passage is to be covered when, but would identify key topics that would take as long as they took to cover. Also central to the role would be to teach and model the values on a day by day basis so that these become a way of life within the group.
Initially, we would expect the leadership team to be approved and commissioned by the SBC eldership. Subsequently, leaders of the group would be recognised and affirmed by the group with the ‘centre’ being informed of any changes. As an example, someone (most likely but not exclusively one of the existing leaders) would bring a person to the attention of the whole leadership team. They may have spotted them exercising some leadership gifting or simply have a sense from God that this is what they are being called to. Over the course of a few weeks, the team would prayerfully observe to confirm or otherwise that sense. If it is, then at an appropriate point in one the Beacon Group meetings, this would be prayerfully raised with the whole group who would be asked to test what is in effect a prophetic word. If the consensus is that this is right, then the team would establish a mentoring relationship and development path for the individual to ensure they are equipped and released into their gifting. The same process would apply to any of the other gifts that were discerned.
Accountability
The leadership would be accountable to other Beacon Group leaders, to the values and vision agreed by the group as a whole and to the group members.
Relationship with SBC ‘Centre’
We’re looking for high accountability but low control. The elders have signed off on the vision and ethos for the group and will have input into any proposed changes to this as time goes on. The elders will hold the group leadership accountable to biblical principles and the agreed vision and ethos statements. With regards teaching, we will develop our own materials and programme. The key issues that the whole of SBC need to engage with would be covered in parallel rather than as a replacement to the existing programme.
We want to embrace and develop an attitude of servant-heartedness and would be happy to act as a communication conduit for needs outside the group, as well as occasionally choosing as a group to take up a specific challenge.
We anticipate our own overheads being low, but there may be significant financial and practical needs in the group that take resources. We would teach and model generosity and encourage a sense of belonging to the group but identifying with SBC as a whole. Given that we would then leave it to individuals to decide how to steward the gifts God has given them.
Leadership of the Beacon Group would be via a team using the strengths of each member but without a deliberate hierarchy. For example, someone in the team who has good networking skills might be our nominated ‘point person’ to relate to other Beacon Group leaders and the ‘centre’, but this would not imply an overall leadership role within the group.
One of the responsibilities of the leadership team will be to agree a programme which would enable the priorities set out above to be achieved over a period of time. It is unlikely to be a detailed plan of what topic / passage is to be covered when, but would identify key topics that would take as long as they took to cover. Also central to the role would be to teach and model the values on a day by day basis so that these become a way of life within the group.
Initially, we would expect the leadership team to be approved and commissioned by the SBC eldership. Subsequently, leaders of the group would be recognised and affirmed by the group with the ‘centre’ being informed of any changes. As an example, someone (most likely but not exclusively one of the existing leaders) would bring a person to the attention of the whole leadership team. They may have spotted them exercising some leadership gifting or simply have a sense from God that this is what they are being called to. Over the course of a few weeks, the team would prayerfully observe to confirm or otherwise that sense. If it is, then at an appropriate point in one the Beacon Group meetings, this would be prayerfully raised with the whole group who would be asked to test what is in effect a prophetic word. If the consensus is that this is right, then the team would establish a mentoring relationship and development path for the individual to ensure they are equipped and released into their gifting. The same process would apply to any of the other gifts that were discerned.
Accountability
The leadership would be accountable to other Beacon Group leaders, to the values and vision agreed by the group as a whole and to the group members.
Relationship with SBC ‘Centre’
We’re looking for high accountability but low control. The elders have signed off on the vision and ethos for the group and will have input into any proposed changes to this as time goes on. The elders will hold the group leadership accountable to biblical principles and the agreed vision and ethos statements. With regards teaching, we will develop our own materials and programme. The key issues that the whole of SBC need to engage with would be covered in parallel rather than as a replacement to the existing programme.
We want to embrace and develop an attitude of servant-heartedness and would be happy to act as a communication conduit for needs outside the group, as well as occasionally choosing as a group to take up a specific challenge.
We anticipate our own overheads being low, but there may be significant financial and practical needs in the group that take resources. We would teach and model generosity and encourage a sense of belonging to the group but identifying with SBC as a whole. Given that we would then leave it to individuals to decide how to steward the gifts God has given them.
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