Entries categorized as ‘Other’
It has been about ten days since we updated the website adding the new social network component. The network seems to be shaping up very well. I appreciate all of you that have joined and taken the initiative to begin networking and dialoging together. There are some great discussions going on – this is great! But it doesn’t stop there.
There are many ways that we can visit and socialize online; with the popularity of Facebook and several great specific sites such as Simplechurch.com, Lk10.com, MissionsPlex, MissionalTribe, Missional Outreach Network, Shapevine where we can spend many hours networking together. But if you are like me – you just don’t have that much time. So what makes House2Harvest Network unique? Why do we need another social network? To be honest, we don’t need another social network. What we do need is a tool or a service for two very specific groups of people that are converging together to accomplish specific things in God’s Kingdom beyond just a social network. That is why we have started House2Harvest Network, and recently added the social networking component. These two groups that House2Harvest serves are:
- Those involved in simple/house churches and networks.
- Those involved or want to be involved to missions.
This will mean that as simple/house church folks begin to venture into missions, they will have some unique opportunities, solutions, problems, ideas, perspectives, discoveries, prayer needs and reports. That is where House2Harvest Network comes in. So keep up the good work! Let’s see what the Lord will do as we continue to network together.
One of the unique qualities of this network is that you can share with the network the many in which we can network or partner together in actual mission – not just theory or talking about it. What are some of those practical areas?
• Inviting those on the network to join together in short-term trips, projects, reaching specific unreached people groups and the list goes on.
- Holding specific trainings centered on missions and cross-cultural ministry and inviting those in the network to participate.
- Announce projects where we can partner together with human and financial resources.
This is an exciting development. As the days go by you will see new groups started around some of these specific practical areas. If you want to start one – by all means start one, that’s what the network is for. While you are at the site, explore the web site side as well as the networking site side to see all the features and articles that are there for your use. Also, be sure to invite your colleagues that have an interest in house/simple church and missions. Spread the word and ask them to come and join.
Categories: Blog Administration · Networking
Greetings!
How do you like our new banner? Thanks to Wendy for putting this together for us – it looks MUCH better than my lame attempt!
The network has been growing, and we thank the Lord for that. Unfortunately it became very labor intensive. So to facilitate more activity on the network we have made some changes. We came up with a solution, but it will cause you to have to work a little bit – hope you don’t mind.
We need those who want to be part of the network to join through the new networking application that is now integrated into the web site. So all you need to do is
1. Go to the website at http://www.house2harvest.org/
2. Click on “Enter the Network” tab and follow the instructions, or if you need more information, click on the “Need Help? Start Here” Button.
3. This will take you to a button to join, fill out the Profile Information and that’s it!
4. This should not take you but 5-10 minutes.
If you have any questions or if you see any problems on the site, let me know. I am sure I may have missed some things. I cannot add you, so you need to do this yourself.
Take some time to explore the site and you can see the potential of the new networking application will have on our ability to serve the nations!
Thank you for your patience,
Categories: Blog Administration · Networking
Tagged: Networking, ning
One of the greatest challenges we have as servants to the nations is the ability to serve those who are of the Muslim faith. There are so many differing opinions on what is the right strategy and posture to take when approaching our spiritual cousins. Let me take a few moments to recommend three great books to read that will not only warm your heart towards our Muslim neighbors, but assist you in how to be a friend and servant to them.
- The third books I would recommend is: “A Deadly Misunderstanding – A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide” by Mark D. Siljander. Siljander shares his story of seeing Muslims as an enemy to a people who are seeking God and are open to learn from those who are also seeking to know God. His historic encounters with Muslim leaders around the world will encourage and enlighten you so that you can also be a friend of those who are Muslims in your neighborhood. You may find that many of them desire to follow Jesus and learn from Him. I had the opportunity to sit down with a few other friends and discuss his book and simple church several weeks ago. It was an honor to meet him. Be sure to check his website – A Deadly Misunderstanding.
These three books may be quite controversial to some, but I highly recommend them. They have certainly kept me from growing cold and disinterested in loving followers of Islam. In fact, they have helped me to be obedient by “loving my enemies” in a real tangible way as Christ has command us to do.
Categories: Contextualization · Field Strategies · Reaching Difficult Areas · Resources
We have just finished the long process of develping the website for House2Harvest Network. This website is full of resources and is the main tool to network those who do missions with simple/house church networks.
Go to House2House Network and take some time researching and networking – be sure to join to get the full benefit.
Categories: Blog Administration · Resources
Tagged: house2harvest network, website
As you can see we are now past the National House Church Conference. In a few days I will be moving some files around and setting things up to allow for discussion around issues and areas of interest.
I hope to have this done in a few days, so be sure to come back then!
Categories: Blog Administration
I leave early in the morning for Dallas to attend the 2008 National House Church conference. It is fully booked! I hope you make it in! Be sure to come up and introduce yourself to me – I’d love to chat with you.
God Bless!
Don
Categories: Blog Administration
Greetings, since there were few who registered, we will get a smaller room – and need no registration or fee for the Round table meeting.
Categories: Blog Administration · H2H 2008 Conference Preperation
I recently got a post on my personal blog (The Dreaming Revolutionary) from Tim in Carlisle, England. Here is his post and my reply to him. Feel free to join in the conversation:
Timothy Wright Says:
August 21, 2008 at 12:32 pm e
Hello from England,
My name is Tim Wright. I am with OM. I work at the International HQ of OM in Carlisle, England. I am very interested in House Church . Where I live in England, there is not a house church that I know of. The city is only 75,00,00 people.
A big question for me is how is OM in the future going to engage all the people involved in house church and learn from them instead of trying to get them on our agenda instead of learning and partnering with them. I would appreciate any comments from you and would enjoy learning from you.
Tim
Don Davis Says:
August 22, 2008 at 9:56 am e
Hi Tim, That question is a very important one. I am part of a network of missionaries that will be attempting to mobilize house churches to do missions. We have a dialog going in preparation for the launching of this network. It can be found at http://h2hmissions.wordpress.com/ the network is called House2Harvest Network.
I work with several missions organizations, and the only we it can work is if they can agree with doing church simply rather than institutionally. If they are critics of the simple church movement, it will not be easy to work together with them.
There are also several issues and ways of doing ministry that is not conducive to simple church (those I mentioned in my 8 part “Church Structure” article on my blog), therefore a missions organization will need to make changes in their structure so that it is more “organic” and relational. When that happens, the opportunities to work together will happen.
Our main task first is to assist the simple churches and their networks to do the mission work that God has called them to do and help them remain strategic.
God Bless! Don
Categories: 2008 H2H Preconference Discussion · Networking
Tagged: missions organizations, Networking, OM
OK folks, many of you have expressed the desire to be a part of the missions round table on Sunday (31st). So far very few have registered. This may hinder us from getting a room.
Do me a favor and register now for the round table session if you have not done so. Also contact those you know who plan on being there and reminding them to register.
Go to this website to register – http://www.house2house.com/roundtable.html
The Conference is FULL! Hopefully you have already registered for the conference as well.
See you in a few days!
Don
Categories: Blog Administration · H2H 2008 Conference Preperation
There has been a little discussion regarding the funding of indigenous missionaries with western support off the blog via email so I thought it may be a good topic to bring to the forum here on the blog. Let me suggest two books that can help in this area. These books are a must read in regards to this issue, and they balance one another out quite well. They are: When Charity Destroys Dignity: Overcoming Unhealthy Dependency in the Christian Movement by Glenn Schwartz; AuthorHouse 2007; and To Give or Not to Give: Rethinking Dependency, Restoring Generosity, & Redefining Sustainability by John Rowell; Authentic Books 2006
We as westerners are so blessed financially that that we desire to be a blessing in areas where funding is lacking. But this causes concern as discussed in both of the above mentioned books. The first problem is when we give without considering the repercussion it can develop an unhealthy dependency upon the more prosperous portions of the Body of Christ which leads to a “colonial” type of relationship. What I mean by this is that we give generously and then put restrictions on the recipients and force them to be subject to our goals and standards. This can get even more complicated as time goes on. Second problem or “other side of the coin” (pardon the pun) is that if we do not consider the blessings in which the Lord has given us and use these funds to spread the gospel through our brethren’s efforts in other parts of the world we tend to become stingy.
Jeff Gilbertson shared in an email a quote from the Acumen Found CEO/Founder Jacqueline Novogratz;
“Dignity is more important to the human spirit than wealth.”
Jeff also refers to Schwartz when he states;
“The healthiest parts of the Christian movement are those where local believers know the joy that comes from supporting the work to which God has called them, governing their own ministry and caring for their own outreach. They can then justifiably feel ownership of the calling they have before the Lord.”
To illustrate the conundrum, I recall John Rowell sharing at the recent UPG Consultation in Dallas the story of when he was meeting with some national leaders in an eastern European nation and some western church leaders. The western church leaders were wanting to inform the eastern European brethren that it was now time for them to grow up and take care of their works with their own resources. The illustration that was given was that the western brothers had taken care of them as a father cares for his children and it was now time for them to step up to maturity. The eastern European brothers replied they were not their children, they have only one father and we eat from the same table. All they ask is that the brothers from the west “pass the potatoes.”
As you can see this is not an easy subject. I certainly cannot cover both sides of the issue here, and I would recommend that anyone planning on funding indigenous workers and projects take careful steps so that when that funding ends (or begins) that the Kingdom of God is advanced. There is no reason that these two opposing sides of the issue should be at odds, but that the issues they raise will cause us to act with wisdom and generosity.
The Lord has a solution for every one of the issues that funding indigenous workers may create. We must rely on His wisdom as we venture into other cultures and assist them in reaching the ethnic groups around them. That is why we must keep a open ear to the Lord through prayer and study of His Word. It would be foolish to depend on” doing what we always do” when we do missions in other cultures and economies. There is no pat answer for all situations, but there is the promise of wisdom when we ask for it, for we will surely need it when we partner with brethren from other cultures to preach the gospel of the Kingdom.
Any thoughts? Wisdom? Ideas?
Categories: 2008 H2H Preconference Discussion · Funding · Indigenious workers · Support
Tagged: Funding, indigenous missionaries, missions
