Skunk Works and Healthy House Churches

Skunk Works and Healthy House Churches
December 6, 2014
 

In 1938, a small group of engineers at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation was given the assignment to fabricate the prototype of a revolutionary new fighter.  Incorporating many innovative (just look at the photo!), advanced features, the result was the P-38 Lightning which was the first 400 mph fighter in the world.  In the years that followed, this group became known as the “Skunk Works” (from the stinky moonshine factory in the Li’l Abner comic strip) and was responsible for many other innovative military aircraft such as the P-80 Shooting Star, the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-22 Raptor.

The designation “Skunk Works” is now widely used in business, engineering and technical fields to describe an experimental laboratory with a philosophy for rapid innovation.  For instance, the term is applied to the Google X group which is reportedly working on over 100 projects including a driverless car and wearable computers.

Among other things, the LK10 Community is a sort of spiritual“skunk works”.    Since our heavenly Father is also the Creator of all that is (the Ultimate Innovator!), it makes sense that we, as His children, would also be highly innovative.  While the content of our faith is unchanging, we are constantly seeking ways to better connect with Him and with each other.   To say this another way, our focus is onequipping healthy house churches.  So, in the LK10 Community, a word you will hear a lot is “experiment”.  “Let’s try it out and see what we learn!”

Some LK10 innovations from the past seven years…

• Checking in with SASHET.  The most powerful practice we’ve found for developing deep, heart-level community in a short time.
• Jesus brings the agenda at our meetings.  Taking time to listen to Jesus right in the house church meeting.  Takes seriously the fact that He is the Head of the church.  What a concept!
• CO2.  (Church of Two)  The basic building block of all larger expressions of church.  The overlooked key to church planting.  “Two are better than one.”  Ecc. 4.
• Church 101.  A free four week course designed to impart our two fundamental “rhythms of attention”.  Can be done online or in person.  Shareware.  Over 1700 people have gone through this course (or the equivalent).
• Leader Hangouts.  A remarkably effective way of providing support and accountability for house church leaders all over the world.  Uses Google hangouts to create nurturing online groups.  Also called “communities of practice”.
• The 10:2b Prayer.  A way of obeying Jesus’ prayer in Lk 10:2.  The key to finding leaders for new house churches.  The Leadership Solution!

Another LK10 innovation is the Table Church.  This grew out of our commitment to experiential learning.  We knew that most conferences and retreats were simply a procession of “talking heads”.  And, we knew that this kind of “information dump” was one of the least effective methods of learning.  So, several years ago, we began experimenting with Table Churches.  We put people in small groups (5-7 people) and briefly explained our two“rhythms of attention”.   The groups would meet, often beginning around tables at a meal. They would “check in” with each other using SASHET and then spend time listening to God for each other.  Then, they would share with each other what they felt they had heard.  Later, we would continue the learning process by asking people to process what they had experienced in their Table Church.

A Table Church at a recent LK10 Conference

What we found was that in every situation, Table Churches proved to be deeply transformational.  In addition, they were easy to multiply.  Once someone had experienced a Table Church, they could replicate that process in another situation such as a house church or conference.

In the video below, Tony Dale (one of the founders of House2House Ministries) shares his experience of Table Church at a recent LK10 Conference.  Tony, explains that he and his wife, Felicity, went right from our Conference toNepal and Myanmar where they used Table Churches to train leaders.  (Click on the picture below which will take you to the blog post with this article.  Scroll down and click on the photo of Tony to watch this interview.)

• LK10 2.0 is coming early in 2015!  This is a major upgrade that includes a redesigned website and new training resources like the Leader 101 Course.  Stay tuned! 
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