Coopers On A Mission

WOW!  God is moving in Tulsa, OK!  Last weekend was our 3rd touch of swarm team training since October with Cedar Ridge Christian Church and we have 5 consecutive swarm trainings take place at 5 different churches!  There is so much more going on there than what I am able to share here so I encourage you to reach out to the local leader leading (see list below).   I also encourage you to listen to this recent interview with Steve Addison on the Movements.net Podcast regarding what God is doing in Tulsa (and West Palm Beach, FL).

In summary, we began the 3-touch training plan in Tulsa with one legacy church in October 2015 and by April (3rd touch), we have seen:

• 5 local catalytic teams have been raised up in 5 different churches.
• We met with pastors & elders prior to first touch to training to go over the entire process, model some of the tools and answer their questions.  We wanted to make sure they knew what to expect and that we are committed to go at their pace.
• Pastors & elders led the charge to both:
  • Mobilize believers out into the harvest (Luke 10) to find houses of peace and follow up/disciple the fruit with weekly teams formed at various locations.  (Yes, they are going themselves.)
  • Train believers a simple, reproducing discipleship process through weekly training groups.
• Pastor/Teachers affirmed & gave permission to the APE (pioneers) to go catalyze movement in the community (sometimes they are threatened or caught off guard and leads to unneccesary division).  We are finding that vision & permission from shepherd leadership is critical for rolling out.  APEs need space to run!
• Training has expanded from 1 local church to over 20 churches and crossing denominations.  Local leadership passing along to local churches!  I see it as healthy when it is coming from pastor-to-pastor and church-to-church in a city.
• Local churches from various denominations are unifying around vision for #NoPlaceLeft to reach their city with the gospel & make disciples
• All these churches have vision to multiply disciples and are seeing disciples/groups multiply (3G).  Several churches are starting new churches with new believers and have vision to multiply.
• Some churches are using 4 Fields to train and mobilize missionaries to engage UUPGs globally.
• FIRST TIME: We saw 5 baptisms at one 3rd-touch training that included a 2G disciple baptizing 3G disciples
• We are noticing 3 “entry points” with legacy churches who are hungry for training:
  • Disciple-making
  • Church Planting
  • Missions Mobilization
• Practicing with swarm training team the day before leads to more competence & confidence.
• Formation of local pastoral & apostolic communities of practice are important for learning together to go after movement.
• The gospel is going out to Tulsa!
• Church leaders are equipping and mobilizing believers into the harvest to make disciples and some are starting new churches!

 

What we look for in that early adopter “pastor/church of peace” whom God is stirring towards movement:

1. Lostness: They are broken for lostness
2. Vision: They have a God-sized vision for Kingdom expansion beyond their church
3. Training: They are desperate for training & hungry to learn an effective process of executing the Kingdom vision God has given them.

What is our role as movement catalysts once we find a “pastor/church of peace” whom God is stirring towards movement?

1. Pray for them like crazy
2. Serve them like crazy (training, coaching at the pace of the Holy Spirit through their leadership)
3. Learn from what God is doing through them

 

Tulsa Pastoral Leadership Pursuing #NoPlaceLeft Vision:

• Greg Pittman, Lead Pastor (Cedar Ridge Christian Church – Broken Arrow, OK)
• Bryan King, Campus Lead Pastor (Cedar Ridge Sapulpa)
• Tony Svendsen, Lead Pastor (New Life Church, SBC)
• Roger Nix, Lead Pastor (Believers Church)
• Anthony Taylor, Lead Pastor (Mosaic Berean Church, SBC)
• Ryan Fankhauser, Campus Lead Pastor (Cedar Ridge Coweta)
• Keith Stone, Lead Pastor (Lynn Lane Baptist Church)

Catalytic leaders who led the swarm teams at the 5 Tulsa churches in April:  John & Lizz Mozingo (Sapulpa, OK), Pastor Daniel Reese (Asheville, NC), Daniel Solid (Atlanta), Peter Hi & John H (Indianapolis), Malachi Cooper, 11 (Stuart, FL) & Mateo Echeverry (Gainesville, FL).

What are you seeing God doing to mobilize believers into the harvest in your city?  What factors are important when working with legacy churches?  We want to learn from what you are seeing God doing!