dear starfish reader ! please enjoy this latest issue of
TRANSCRIPT
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8/14/2019 DEAR STARFISH READER ! Please Enjoy This Latest Issue Of
1/17
DEAR STARFISH READER !
Please enjoy this latest issue of The Starfish Files. May it beinstructive and inspiring, and may it ignite you into action asyou fulfill your God-given role in the emerging house churchmovement across Canada.
Picture yourself taking a trip across this land on a spiritualtrans-Canada highway that stretches from Vancouver Islandin the west to Prince Edward Island in the east.
Every hour or so, you can stop and visit a dynamic andmissional group of believers that meets in homes, coffeeshops, board rooms, and almost anywhere imaginable.
The goal of The Starfish Filesis to relationally link the housechurches and networks across Canada for greater missionalimpact on our cities, regions, and nation.
Although hard copies and e-copies are basically freefor the asking, the magazine requires the talents and
finances of folks like you!
Thanks for considering how you can get involved!
Rad ZderoEditor, The Starfish Files
CONTRIBUTE YOUR SKILLS (check all that apply)
I can write an article, book review, etc., on ________________________________ I can draw cartoons, create artwork, or take photos for the magazine
I can be a one-timedistributor for a house church event scheduled for _________. I need __ paper copies I can be a regulardistributor to the house church(es) in my region. I need ___ paper copies of future issues. I have access to professional-quality production facilities. I only need a print-ready PDF copy to become a
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STARFISH FILES CONTACT INFO
Send cash or make cheque payable to Starfish Network with Starfish Files in memo line Mail this form to: Rad Zdero, PO Box 39528, Lakeshore PO, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5G-4S6 Scan and email this form to: [email protected]
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FALL 2009N.6
THE ANATomy oF CHuRCH
PLANTINg movEmENTS
KICKIN IT oLd SCHooLwith Roland Allen
NATIoNAL HouSE CHuRCH NEWS
THE goSPEL oF LENIN?
CANAdAS HouSE CHuRCH mAgAzINE
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THE mISSIoN?
To see te kingdom o God establised in or cities, regions, and
nation, b linking arms as a relational, intentional, and missional
network o ose crces, tat develop and deplo ever believer
in Crist as te impact oters.
THE STARFISH FILES?
Stars line te sores o te worlds beaces. Cop o an arm,
and a new one grows to take its place. Tear a stars in al, and
oll soon ave two stars on or ands. A torn-o limb can
even become a brand new stars. And wats more, te poplate b releasing ndreds o tosands, and sometimes millions, o
eggs in jst a ew ors. Jst like te ose crc movement
trog te ages. An estimated 300,000 new ose crces ave
started between 1998 and 2006. And tis doesnt inclde wats
appening in Cina, wic as abot 80 to 100 million believers
involved. Its also taking root in Canada. Enter Te Stars Files.
Te magazines goal is to inspire, inorm, and interconnect te
ose crc networks across Canada and beond.
THE TEAm?
Editor, Rad Zdero, [email protected]
Designer, Jason Stace, ellowcanardesign.comPrint Prodcer, Kle Bltman, snkros.org
SubmISSIoNS?
Send or writings, sggestions, and potos to Rad Zdero (editor),
c/o Te Stars Files, P.O. Box 39528, Lakesore P.O., Mississaga,
ON, Canada, L5G-4S6, or b email to [email protected].
FINANCIAL doNATIoNS?
Non-tax dedctible ceqes can be made ot to Te Stars
Network wit Stars Files in memo line and sent to te address
above.
PRINT RuN ANd ELECTRoNIC CoPIES?
Intended pblication is 3 or 4 times per earwinter, spring,
smmer, and/or all. A limited bt growing print rn is available
or eac isse. Electronic versions are available ree online at
www.osecrc.ca (in Resorces section) and
www.starsnetworkconerence.org.
THE ANATomy oF CHuRCH
PLANTINg movEmENTSBy RAD ZDERO3STARFISH STATS
7CRoSS CANAdA CHECK-uP:
House church news across the country8
REACHINg STudENTS FoR
CHRIST: A REPoRTBy TERRy MACLEAN
10
IS THERE good doCTRINE IN
THE HouSE? PART 1By GORD COuLSON12
KICKIN IT oLd SCHooL
...with Roland Allen14THE goSPEL oF LENIN?By RAD ZDERO15
RFISH FILES2
ACTIoN PAgEBy ROB ROSS
11
FIELd REPoRT FRom INdIAS
HARvEST FIELdSBy VICTOR ChOuDhRIE
12bILLy bLoCKmAN LIvE!13
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THE ANATomy oFCHuRCH PLANTINg movEmENTS
By RAD ZDERO
Rad earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in bio-
mechanics and bio-materials. He is the director o a hospital-based research
group and has been involved in the house church and small group movement
since 1985. He is the author o The Global House Church Movement (2004) and
Entopia: Revolution o the Ants (2008), as well as being the editor o Nexus: The
World House Church Movement Reader (2007) and The Starsh Files magazine.
He lives just outside Toronto (Canada) and can be reached at [email protected]
THE god oF HISToRyGod as oten saped te last 2000
ears o istor trog crc
planting movements (CPMs), mainl
trog simple, grassroots, smallgrops and ose crces. A CPM
is a rapid mltiplication o crces
planting crces over a sstained
period o time.
A CPM is not jst anoter man-
made tactic or trend. It is, in act,
Gods work. And its prpose is to see
people come to a saving enconter
wit Jess Crist, grow in spirital
matrit, and ten become cange
agents or God.
Te past is illed wit storieso CPMs as people let go (to one
degree or anoter) o te trappings
o religios instittions to grab old
o a living breating Cristianit.
Some o tese movements inclde
te Monastics, Lollards, Waldenses,
Franciscans, Anabaptists, Qakers,
Metodists, and Bretren. Te saw
man tosands o people canged
and reconciled back to God in teir
generation.
Toda, CPMs are everwere. InCina, te crc as grown rom
1 to 2 million believers in 1949 to
almost 100 million believers toda
in ndergrond ose crces. In
India, over 100,000 ose crces
ave been started between 2001
and 2006. In te uSA, Crc
Mltiplication Associates recentl
planted 1000 simple crces in 7
sort ears at ome and abroad. In
Latin America, te Basic Cristian
Commnities started in te 1960s
among te marginalized and ave
grown to 1 million grops b 2007.
Past and present CPMs ave been
analzed wit modern researc
tools to discover ke elements or
ig-qalit rapid crc growt.
CPMs ave been well docmente
in E.h. Broadbents Te Pilgri
Crc(1931), Jon Drivers Radic
Fait: An Alternative history
te Cristian Crc (1999), Pet
Bntons Cell Grops and hoCrces: Wat history Teac
us (2001), David Garrisons Crc
Planting Movements(2004), and m
own book Nexs: Te World ho
Crc Movement Reader(2007).
I want to briel remind s abo
some vital elements oten mentione
b stdents o CPMs. Bt, I also wis
to point ot oter actors tat a
almost never discssed in tis regar
Everting in te world as a sap
a geometr, an anatomand so d
CPMs. I believe we mst serios
consider and praerll implemen
te ollowing 10 actors to see God
grand prposes accomplised
or generation trog or simpl
organic, ose crces.
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1. THE bIg PICTuRESome ose crces wander abot
aimlessl. Te ave no direction and
make no real impact. Some realize tis
is a problem, wile oters wrongl take
pride in tis and even mistake it or
being Spirit-led. Bt, tere is a better
wa! hose crces tat wis to trive,
grow, mltipl, and make a dierencemst be captivated b a bigger vision
beond temselves.
Te Bible tells s tat were tere
is no vision, te people peris (Prov
29:18 KJV) and except te Lord bild
te ose, te labor in vain tat bild
it (Ps 127:1 KJV). Certainl, te earl
crc was oten directed spernatrall
in te moment beore taking action (Acts
8:26-40, 10:1-48, 13:1-4). Bt, it was te
Great Commission mission statement
o Jess tat gave te apostles a clearmandate or all te did in tose earl
ears (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-16; Lk
24:46-49; Jn 20:21-23; Acts 1:8).
As ose crces toda, tereore,
we mst get old o wat God is saing
to s beore we lanc ot. We mst get
te big pictre o Gods main prpose
or s locall, regionall, and globall. Let
s pra, ast, recieve Gods spernatral
power, watc te circmstances,
discern or contexts, talk togeter, set
measrable goals, and even crat mission
statements.
2. THE RIgHT d.N.A.Some ose crces are nbalanced.
Te are strong in some tings and weak
in oters. Instead o seeking to grow in
teir areas o weakness, te contine
to operate onl in teir strengts. Bt,
tere is a better wa! hose crces
tat wis to be vibrant mst ave terigt D.N.A., as noted b Neil Cole o
Crc Mltiplication Associates.
D reers to Divine Trt and
sold inclde Bible std and allow
or propetic words, dreams, visions,
miracles, and godl consel. N stands
or Nrtring Relationsips and
sold involve onest, aection, and
practicall doing lie togeter. A means
Apostolic Mission and sold inclde
reacing ot in word and deed to amil,
riends, neigbors, workmates, and
strangers. Te earl crc ad a good
measre o te D, te N, and te A
(Acts 2:41-47).
As ose crces toda, tereore, we
mst be brtall onest wit orselves
and take stock o weter we ave te
rigt D.N.A. or God to work trog
s. Te D.N.A. sold not be nraveled,
bt sold be ll present witin eac
individal believer, eac ose crc,
and eac network o ose crces.
3. AN ARmy oF LEAdERSSome ose crces reject te wole
isse o leadersip becase te eel
tat Crist alone is te ltimate leader
o teir grop or becase te ave
been rt b instittional leaders in te
past. Bt, tere is a better wa! hose
crces mst look to te Scriptres and
te Spirit to allow or te emergence o
God-given leaders in teir midst.
Te earl apostles certainlencoraged all believers to se teir
abilities (1 Pet 2:5-9; 1 Cor 12:1-31 and
14:1-40). Bt, te also implemented
two main tpes o leaders, namel, local
elders (Acts 14:23, 1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9;
1 Pet 5:1-5) and translocal apostles (Act
13:1-4, 15:6; Ep 4:11) to eqip te crc
and reac te world.
As ose crces toda, tereore,
we mst encorage te emergence
o ealt leaders. Micro leaders (or
elders) are npaid spirital moms
dads wo nrtre, train, and empo
believers in teir ose crc. M
leaders (or apostles) are pion
and strategists wo start new
crces, adopt existing ones, link t
togeter into networks, and ten m
on to repeat te process.
4. NETWoRKSSome ose crces are tterl isol
de to circmstances. Te soon bec
ingrown and irrelevant and event
implode. Isolated grops simpl do
work. Oters create ormal organizat
tat brand teir ose crces
like denominations wit teir var
branc crces. And te wil
work closel wit oters becase
are o a dierent brand. Even w
some ose crces rese to w wit oter ose crces in te s
town becase o competition, lim
vision, or pett dierences. Bt, te
a better wa! hose crces tat w
to be ritl mst link arms wit ot
nearb, relationall bt coesivel.
Te earl ose crces partn
togeter as citwide networks
Jersalem (Acts 2:41-47), Rome (
16:3-15), and Epess (Acts 20:17
and as a regional network in Asia M
(2 and 3 Jn; Rev 2 and 3). Te w
linked trog leaders meetings (
15:6, 20:17), large grop events (
2:44, 5:12, 20:20), apostolic visits (
14:23, 15:36; 3 Jn 1:5-8), and apos
letters (Acts 15:22-23).
As ose crces toda, tere
we mst orm relational, bt coe
networks wit oters close-b in
cities and regions. Face-to-ace c
pollination allows s to pool reso
sare experiences, permit accontabengage in training, meet or own s
needs, and impact an entire cit
region. We can accomplis ar m
togeter tan we can apart.
5. moNEy ANd RESouRCESome ose crces ave abando
giving mone or resorces to mis
Becase te rigtl believe tat
titing is not a New Testament prac
We must
get the big
picture of
gods main
purpose for
us locally,regionally,
and globally.
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te wrongl conclde te do not need
to give at all. Conseqentl, man tings
God wants accomplised get delaed.
Bt, tere is a better wa! hose
crces tat wis to make a dierence
mst take te locks o teir wallets and
give generosl to Gods mission.
Te earl Cristians were tagt
to give gladl. Tere were two grops
o people te mainl gave mone and
resorces to, namel, tose in dire need
(Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35; 1 Cor 16:1-3; 2 Cor
9:1-15) and apostolic workers (Lk 10:7-8;
1 Cor 9:1-18; Pilip 4:10-20).
As ose crces toda, tereore,
we mst ask God were e wants s to
give. Eac ose crc or network
sold do several practical tings. Te
sold give mone to teir own bank
accont or mone bag. Te sold
circlate amongst temselves good
teacing resorces sc as books and
videos. Te sold elp te poor and
destitte locall and abroad. Te sold
give inances to apostles and apostolic
projects tat elp ose crces learn,
grow, mltipl, and connect.
6. CuLTuRAL CoNTEXTSome ose crces are completel
ninterested in (or naware o ) te
economic, religios, pilosopical,
lingistic, political, artistic, and
tecnological actors tat sape teir
cltre. So, teir attempts at impacting
non-believers and reacing crc
drop-ots are ineective. Bt, tere is
a better wa! hose crces tat want
to inlence people mst be stdents o,
and participants in, mainstream cltre
(except, o corse, witot sinning).
Te earl Cristians related te good
news o Jess sing cltrall relevant
metods (1 Cor 9:19-23). To ellow Jews,
Peter wold retell te amiliar stor o
Gods dealings wit te people o Israel
and ow Jess was te lillment o
tat drama (Acts 2:14-41, 3:11-26). To
pilosopical Atenians, Pal elt ree to
qote rom pagan religios inscriptions
and poets to make is argment (Acts
17:16-34). Jess, too, told simple stories
abot dail lie to ordinar people (Mt
13:1-52), wile debating teolog wit
religios leaders (Mk 12:13-40).
As ose crces toda, tereore, we
mst engage societ in relevant was and
live liestles tat oters can relate to.
have we seen te latest poplar movie?
Do we know abot te economic isses
saping or da? have we stdied te
worlds religions and clts? I so, we will
be mc more eective.
7. THE LoRd oF TImESome ose crc people want to grow
and mltipl easil and qickl.
is an nderstandable and noble de
Bt, wen te discover tat God o
takes a long time to do tings, te
Tese olks are not tre world-cang
Mabe te are not actall calle
God to te work. Mabe te are i
pragmatists wit little real convic
Mabe te are immatre believers.
tere is a better wa! hose cr
mst recognize tat or God is te L
o Time wo oten takes longer to
is plans into action tan we somet
expect or want im to.
Abraam waited 25 ears beore
lilled is promise o giving im a
Moses spent 40 ears in exile ten
seep beore God called im to
Israel rom Egptian bondage. D
waited 17 ears ater is anointing b
propet Samel beore becoming kJess spent 30 ears in obscrit be
lancing is pblic ministr. Pal
to wait over 10 ears ater is conver
beore actall being sent as an ap
to te Gentile world.
As ose crces toda, tere
we mst be in tis or te long a
we are to see God irml establis
oseold strateg among all
nations o te world.
8. bLood, SWEAT, ANd TEASome ose crc people are absol
nprepared to endre te neces
ardsips and do wat it takes to see
accomplis is prposes trog t
Te will onl be involved i pers
sacriice is not reqired. Bt, tere
better wa! hose crces tat wa
prodce qalit disciples o Crist m
be read to be reined b te ire.
Jess and is earl ollowers k
tis well. Te spilt teir bloodte were psicall persected
civil atorities, religios leaders,
lnc mobs trog arrests, tr
imprisonments, beatings, stonings,
assassination attempts (Jn 19:1-30;
4:1-7, 5:17-27, 7:54-60, 8:1-3, 19:2
23:12-22; 2 Cor 11:23-25). Te po
teir sweat rom te ard wor
praing, evangelizing, ealing, teac
traveling, battling psical ard
and persisting in teir concern or
FALL 25
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crces (Mk 3:20; Lk 6:12, 8:1, 9:6;
Acts 1:14; 2 Cor 11:23,26-28). Te
sed teir tears as te were denied,
betraed, abandoned, and criticized b
amil, riends, and ellow Cristians
(Mt 10:34-37; Mk 3:21, 6:1-4; Jn 6:66,
18:1-3, 18:25-27; 2 Cor 10:10; Pilip 1:15-
17; 2 Tim 4:10,16).
As ose crces toda, tereore, we mst be read to expend blood,
sweat, and tears, or God is asking s to
elp repair te broken ondations o
is crc to reac is broken world.
9. LASER bEAm FoCuSSome ose crc people are not ll
engaged and are not ll committed
to Gods agenda. Te are dabblers.
Te are sometimes too distracted b
obbies, ambitions, sinl abits, and
participation in oter good instittional
crc ministries. Bt, tere is a better
wa! We mst ll dedicate or time,
energ, abilities, passions, resorces,
and even lie-decisions into te local,
regional, and global ose crc
movement tat God is raising p toda.
Anone wo pts oter relationsips
aead o ollowing Jess cannot be is
disciple (Lk 14:26). Anone wo pts
teir and to te plow and keeps looking
back is not it or te kingdom (Lk 9:62).
Anone wo does not cont te cost
beore embarking on a new ventre
will oten ail (Lk 14:28-30). Anone
wo allows te worries, rices, and
pleasres o tis lie to dominate tem
will never bear rit (Lk 8:14). Anone
wo perpetall practices sin will get
entangled and enslaved (Jn 8:34-36; heb
12:1-2; 1 Jn 1:6-10, 5:18).
As ose crces toda, tereore, we mst ocs like a laser beam on te
speciic task God as or s. We mst
never allow te good tings in lie to
replace te God tings in lie. We mst
sweep aside anting tat wold slow s
down. We mst rn te race to win.
10. PERSoNAL CALLINgSome ose crc believers ave not
been geninel called b te Spirit to
get involved in tis new, et ancient, wa o being te crc. Mabe te
are jst looking or qick crc growt
reslts. Mabe te jst want to ollow
te latest Cristian trend. Mabe te
jst want a platorm or teir personal
ministr. Mabe te are jst reacting to
past emotional rts rom instittional
crces. Mabe te are jst looking
or a comortable ellowsip to belong
to. Bt, tere is a better wa! hose
crces sold gentl encorage teir
members to do some real sol searc
beore God to igre ot i te r
sold be involved at all.
Noa was called to elp save a rem
rom te lood o jdgment (Gen
22). Moses was called to elp delive
hebrews rom Egptian slaver (E
3:10). Gideon was called to deliver G
people rom te Midianites (J6:14). Jess was called to resce te w
rom te spirital darkness o sin b
sacriicial deat on te cross (Jon 3
Pal was called to be te cie ap
to te Gentiles (Acts 9:15-17, 13
And onl becase te were gen
invited b te Spirit to pt teir an
te task did te lill teir mission
As ose crces toda, tere
we mst be 100% sre tat te S
as trl smmoned s personall t
wat we are doing. I we are nsall, we ma indeed be messing ting
So, we ad better get into or prove
praer closets and sta tere ntil w
an answer one wa or anoter. Onl
will we be able to endre te trials
accomplis te tasks tat la aead.
Ma Jess Crist contine to ge
spotless Bride read and allow s to w
war in is ol revoltionar str
Amen.
We must focus
like a laser
beam on the
specific task
god has for us.
We must never
alloW the good
things in life toreplace the god
things in life.
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in a survey of 255 house churches in the u.s.a. --
146 (r 57%) ha aptie at least 1 persn in the preis ear
123 (r 48%) ha plante at least 1 new hse chrch in the preis 3 ears
Ratis f this sie ataticall place these [hse] chrches an the st
effectie eanelistic chrches[an] in the hihest cater f chrches plantin
chrches in Nrth Aerica.
(Srce: J.d. Pane, missional House Churches, 2007)
starfish stats
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Te organic
o s e
c r c
movement is
making stead
progress in B.C.,
bt tere is mc
work to do. Several o s attendedte Jne 2009 Stars conerence in
Newmarket, ON, were Frank Viola
was te main speaker.
Te conerence was excellent.
Rand Woll and I were privileged
to meet Ron and Larel Kellington
rom Mission, BC. Networks reqire
connections, and tis was srel
arranged b te Lord!
Te Kellingtons organized a
conerence in Mission, BC, in Jl2009, eatring Milt Rodrigez, an
associate o Frank Violas. Abot 60
olks attended. A nmber o ose
crces cold be starting in te
atermat in Abbotsord, Kelowna,
Mission, Prince George, and Victoria.
We also need to pra or Vancover. It
is one o te most igl seclarized
regions in te province and mabe
te contr.
Please pra or Rand and LoreWoll and teir tree kids as te
ead o or a 9-mont missionar
assignment in Tailand starting in
September 2009. I o eel led to
elp wit expenses, o can donate at
www.powertocange.org and speci
Woll (980 680).
8
CRoSS CANAdAbRITISH CoLumbIAGord Coulson (Vancouver, BC)
homechristian @gmail.com
On Jl 23,
2009, te
A l b e r t a
hose Crc
Network once
again gatered in
Red Deer or or
bi-montl cat, plan, and dream.usall 6 to 8 olks come rom
Calgar, Edmonton, and Red Deer.
We ave penciled in October 2009
to rn Albertas rst provincial ose
crc smmit (No, tis isnt te G8;
its more te hC8).
Wit Bob Carroll rom Edmonton
bringing mc o te impets, we
talked trog or expectations.
Te goal will be to bring awareness
to tose testing te waters and toempower tose alread engaged.
Between 40 and 60 people are
expected to attend.
One o te main topics on or
agenda is intercession or Alberta.
One weakness I ave observed in
ose crc networks is te lack o
praer, spirital warare, and asting.
I we are to see tis movement grow
in Alberta and across Canada, we
mst ear wat God is saing.I tis Alberta network is to grow
and oris, we also need to move
rom talking abot cross-pollination
o ministries to actall doing it.
Onl ten will networking not be
misinterpreted as not working.
Please pra or Gods work in tis
province.
ALbERTATerry Johns (Red Deer, AB)[email protected]
www.reddeerhousechurch.com
On t a r i o
s i m p l
o s
crc movemen
is emerging rom
sea o praers, tear
sweat, md, an
blood. Tere as been a cost!In recent ears, ver loos
connections ave been ormin
between ose crces. We a
invested in relationsips trog
tink tanks, visits, emails, pon
calls, and weekend retreats.
Conseqentl, te province-wid
links are starting to oster mor
coesive cit-based networks o
ose crces tat want to partne
togeter practicall to impact tearea wit te good news o Jess.
Tere is now a Golden Triangl
network linking leaders rom Baden
Cambridge, Gelp, Kitcener, an
Waterloo. A Metro Toronto networ
o a dozen leaders now meets ever
6 weeks. Leaders are clstering rom
te hamilton, Norolk, and Niagar
region. Te Barrie-area and Trenton
area networks are pressing on. An
preliminar links are being orged ite greater Ottawa region.
All told, tere are at least 30 town
were tere is a ose o peac
tat wants to start a work (Lk 10:1
11), a nctioning ose crc (Rom
16:3-5), or a ll-blown ose crc
network (Acts 2:41-47; 20:20). Let
contine to stand in te gap or eac
anoter!
oNTARIoRad Zdero (Mississauga, ON)[email protected]
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10/17
In recent ears inte Maritimes(Canadas east
coast), some o save been concernedprimaril wit or ownatonomos ose
ellowsips. Beginningin te New year, I elt an increasingdesire to gater wit oters aving asimilar eartbeat. Te need to developa network o ose crces seemedpressing.
Two ome ellowsips began recentlin Woodstock, NB. We elped plantanoter in Carribo, Maine. Anoterin Saint Jon, NB, is orising. Eacellowsip as sent representatives toorm a regional resorce team. Tis
team does not nction ierarcicall,bt exists or mtal encoragement andplanning o regional gaterings.
We ave ad two regional teammeetings so ar and ond tem to beqite elpl. We are planning a tretime to bring all 5 ose crcestogeter or ellowsip and saring ameal, as well as regional worksops oncoacing and redemptive listening.We are also linking wit olks in NS andPEI.
Cell and celebration. Local andregional. Micro and macro. One witotte oter is like tring to wit onl one
wing. We need to get to know oters inor varios regions. Once relationsipsare establised, larger gaterings andstrategic partnersips will be mc morenatral and ritl.
Jess is coming back. Will we as isBride be read?
THE mARITImESMike Maclean (Fredericton, NB)[email protected]
CHECK-uP
Te Stars team acilitated te recent Canadia
National hose Crc Conerence. Tere wer
214 people rom 7 Canadian provinces and 3 u
states. Te gatering was eld in Newmarket, ON, o
Jne 26-27, 2009. Newmarket Alliance Crc graciosl
partnered wit s to pll o te event, wic oere
an opportnit to ear rom Frank Viola, one o t
messengers at te oreront o te organic crc movement.
Ator o works like Pagan Cristianityand Reimagining Crc, Viol
set te stage on Frida nigt wit a clarion call b raising vital concern
abot te movement in Nort America tat were sobering to man.
Frank pointed ot on Satrda tat te ondation o organic lie wa
te Godead and Gods eternal prpose to nd a Bride or is Son. he spok
abot leadersip as participating togeter trog ollowersip o Cris
he reminded s tat crc planting was reall abot seeing te Lord birt
a new commnit. Frank displaed great milit in is interactions.
Te Stars team (Sam Bick, Ed Peng, Al Remle, Marc Wrigt, an
Rad Zdero) also sared abot te great need or networking, otreac
orgiveness, persistence, grace, and vision.
Participation was encoraged trog small grop table talk, a Q/
time, lots o breaks, and lnc. Strong relationsips were begn and existinones were strengtened.
Ma we take te next steps boldl across tis nation as Crist leads s!
2009 NATIoNAL CoNFERENCESam Buick, (Waterloo, ON) | [email protected]
bRITISH CoLumbIA
Gord Colson (Vancover)
Ric Finla (Okanagan Valle)
Ron/Larel Kellington (Mission)
[email protected] Wiebe (Srre)
ALbERTA
Terr/Cristine Jons (Red Deer)
Jon Pritcard (Calgar)
Rob Ross (Calgar)
mANITobA
Ken/Valerie Stade (Winnipeg)
oNTARIo
Sam/Lori Bick (Waterloo)
Marc/Cristina Wrigt (Ottawa)
Rad Zdero (Toronto/Mississaga)
QuEbEC
Donald/Lorraine Gingras (Montreal)
Clade Massana (Qebec Cit)
THE mARITImES
Rik Berr (Nova Scotia)
Mike/Anne Maclean (New Brnswick)
CANAdIAN CoNNEXIoNS
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11/17RFISH FILESRFISH FILES10
REACHINg STudENTS
FoR CHRISTD
nnvi l le
is a small
town in
sotern Ontario
(Canada). Te
residents enjo a
vibrant downtown
core were greetings and eas catter
are te norm. Accepting a teacing
position ere 27 ears ago, it as been
m ome ever since.
In Marc 2009, or ose crc was discssing te teme, Find ot
were God is working, wen a knock
came to te door. A crios neigbor
wanted to join in on or meeting. We
discovered e was beriending some
stdents rom Cina. he and is wie
ad alread extended teir ospitalit
to tem in marvelos was.
W were tese stdents rom
Cina now living in Dnville o all
places? Well, a somewat dbios
claim to ame as been an inactiveairport wic was sed as a training
centre or pilots dring World War
II. Te government o Cina sent
tese stdents to Dnnville were
te wold receive pilot training.
Altog liestle evangelism
was or neigbors preerred
metod, e wold not neglect to tell
tem is togts abot God. Sall
I keep going, e wold ask, tell o
more, or do o want me to stop?
No, no, tell s more, te stdents
wold repl.
We began discssing was we cold
reac ot to tese stdents in a more
proactive wa. As te discssion
contined and entsiasm monted,
it was soon apparent to everone tat
God ad an agenda, and we needed to
get on board.
God immediatel began to pt his
plan into action. Or ose crc
resolved to pt on a dinner o pancakes
and sasages. Te local Baptist crc
in town oered teir acilities. One o
te members o or ose crc was
given a 10 pond bag o pancake mix.
We also obtained a Mandarin langage
version o Te Jess Film rom a
riend in anoter ose crc.
Someone else donated $100 towards
or ood. Anoter
person made a blk
prcase o sasages and donated
teir expertise wit sond and video
eqipment. One o or ose crc
members obtained 300 gospel tracts
in te Mandarin langage.
Wats more, a Cinese Crc
in Toronto agreed to send a team o
6 people to lead in praise songs and
personal testimonies. Te word went
ot trog te grapevine to
Cinese pilots. And we praed.
Te ollowing Satrda nigt
swarm o 70 ong and energe
Cinese stdents arrived. T
Jess video started, bt tere wa
restlessness in te all. B te ti
te video ended two ors lat
tere were onl abot 35 to 40 peo
let. however, we elt te and
te Lord was still orcestrating
proceedings.A testimon was given. And te
went silent. Te ong Cinese pil
were visibl moved. Ten a o
Cinese girl rom Tndale Bi
College gave er testimon, ollow
it p wit a timel altar call. Follow
er appeal, 7 ong men respond
to te gospel, going orward
praer and dedication.
One o te converts w
immediatel convicted o
idol tat e ad worn arond neck or 15 ears. A tire iron w
secred. Laing te idol o
a crb in te parking lot, a
raising te iron above is e
tis ong man smased te a
god, reeing im rom bondage a
into a new ond libert in Crist.
Te Cinese Crc team were
activel speaking and praing w
tose wo were still seated at
tables doing ollow-p on te vid
and testimonies.
Or small ose crc w
privileged to see God at work. G
sed not onl s, bt oters we rea
did not even know rom te Bod
Crist to reac te stdents.
We looked were God was work
and responded ot o obedience. A
God did te rest.
AReportByTerryMaclean,(Dunnville,ON
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12/17FALL 211
action pageFoCuS
on living in such a way that Jesus message
is clearly expressed through our lives. We
can trust God to do the rest.
LovEgenerously, genuinely, and with no
strings attached.
CHooSEan activity you
can do as a
house church.
LIvEas a participant in the natural activities
of culture while maintaining lines of clear
conscience and non-compromise.
bRAINSToRmand pray for specific ideas about
living on mission. For example
Adopt a park. Adopt a family. Help
a neighbour. Start a storytellers
group. Donate to a food bank.Volunteer at a homeless shelter.
goand just do it.
FoLLoW-uPthe activity with a meeting as a group to prayerfully
determine what worked and what did not.
REAd Hugh Halter and Matt Smays book The Tangible Kingdom:Creating Incarnationa l Community.
LEAvE your comfortable Christian activities, goutside your comfort zone, and take thtime to build and invest in relationships
with those around you like workmates
neighbours, and students.
LISTEN
in a way that
demonstrates
sincere
interest inothers.
HouSE CHuRCH Rob Ross (Calgary, oikosministries@sha
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13/17RFISH FILES
Victor Choudhrie
INDIA
vchoudhrie @gmail.com
Victor is a key leader in India who has helped
plant tens o thousands o house churches since
the early 1990s. He is a ormer cancer surgeon
and is a ellow o the Royal College o Surgeons in
the UK and the American College o Surgeons. He
is also the author o the book Greet the Ekklesiain Your House.
tere is a major arvest being reaped in
India toda. Over 250,000 new believers
ave been baptized rom abot Janar to
Marc 2009.
Tere are tosands more we ave not
incorporated, as we are not sre tat te
went trog proper repentance.
God gave s te vision to move to te next
level and reap a arvest o at least 100,000
sols, wic as been ar srpassed.M wie Bind and I went to man distant
places and sared te vision wit grassroots
people. Man partners in te gospel asted
and praed. I also asted or 2 monts, te last
11 das on total ast were I jst lived on water
and noting else.
We ave sited rom tinking small to
tinking big. Tose wo sed to baptize ten
are tinking in ndreds, and tose wo
were in te ndreds categor are tinking in
tosands, and tose wo were in te tosand
mindset are planning in tens o tosandsWe praise God or tis great cange in
paradigm. Women plaed a great role in
Tis as annoed some o te tradit
pastors.
Now we mst go to te next level and
tem into ose crces and matre
so tat te can bring tirtold, sixt
and even ndredold rit.
We need to make sre tat eac
believer as a New Testament. We ms
train ndreds o master trainers to
mltiple generations o disciples. I o
an srpls mone, please do not orgsend it tis wa. Tis is rgent.
Tanks to all wo spport s trog p
and practical spport. We want to de
yesa Messia te King o tis nat
or generation.
(Editors noteTo send a non-tax dedu
git, please make cheque out to S
Network, put Project India in memo line
mail to Rad Zdero, PO Box 39528, Lakeshor
Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5G-4S6.)
Or ose
crces are o-
ten comprised o believers (and opell
some seekers too) rom
varios backgronds,
rom te mainstream to
te ringe. Qestions o
doctrine will ndobtedl emerge. At
times, serios doctrinal error mst be
dealt wit ead on (2 Tim 2:14-26; Tit
1:9-16). Bt, ow can we sta nited in
Crist and avoid destrctive debates
over secondar isses or teological
speclation?
One strateg is to ignore te prob-
lem. Tis is based on ear. Like a ds-
nctional amil, no one likes talking
abot so-and-sos drinking problem.
We pretend everting is peac, bt
we walk on eggsells. Tere is little
spontaneos love or creativit. It will
not take mc or tis amil (or ose
crc) to nravel. Obviosl, tis isnot a good soltion. We need to talk
abot it.
Anoter strateg is to control te
problem. Tis is also based on ear.
To preserve trt, man Cristian or-
ganizations, crces, denominations,
and movements ofciall adopt a bind-
ing doctrinal statement. Te Nicene
Creed, or example, as saped mc
o Cristian togt over te cen-
tries. Altog not wrong in tem-
selves, creeds do not ll work eiter,
since bad beavior and bad teolog
abond even among tose bodies tat
ave adopted creeds.
Frank Viola, in Reimagining Church,
wisel writes tat, Te indwelling lie
o Jess Crist is te onl reqirement
or te nit o te Spirit... te ac
tat Crist dwells in tem obligates
s to accept tem as amil members(p.128-9).
Rater tan ignoring or controlling
te problem, we can look to Jess or
nit. I we sta in te vine (Jon
15:5), and remain mble and teac-
able, or lives and belies sold be
conormed to is over time.
however, or man Cristians, doc-
trinal disptes cannot be set aside so
easil. We grow ond o certain teac
ings or practices we eel are crcial
Peraps tese belies, to some extent
dene s. And in or need to deend
tem, we nwittingl divide te Bod
o Crist.
Bt, wat does te Bible explicitly sa
we mst believe to be saved? In Part 2
we will drill down and see.
RFISH FILES12
good doCTRINEIN THE HouSE?
IS THEREPART 1: WHATS THE PRobLEm?
by goRd CouLSoN
field report FRom INdIAS HARvEST FIELdS
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14/17
byRAD [email protected]
Local leaders
are unpaid
volunteers
...which really
just means
theres nomoney in it
for you!..
Thats it forme folks.
Youre tookind. Im
here all
week!
. .
Hello! Am I the only
one here who thinksthis is areallybadidea?!
.
.
Themeetings are
interactive
...which really
just means you
never get aword in
edgewise!
. .
Apparently,
people come
over toyourhouse
whichreally just
means youhave to
clean up
someone
elsesmess
when theyleave!
. .
Its just like
when my uncle
Morty and hisfriends come to
my house
for dinner
uninvited and
unannounced!
..
And house
churches are
spreading
around theworld like
a virus!
A virus!!!
That cant
be good foranyone!
..
Whats the
deal with
housechurches?
Have
you
heardabout
this?
. .
R
EvoLu
TIoN
13 FALL 2
KomIX
BY
RAD
ZDERO
RZDERO
@YAHOO.
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15/17
Te Crc was rst establised and organ-ized wit a worldwide mission or a world-
wide work. It was a living organism com-
posed o living sols deriving teir lie rom
Crist... It was an organism wic grew b
its own spontaneos activit, te expression
o tat lie wic it ad in nion wit Crist,
te Savior.
Te rapid and wide expansion o te
Crc in te earl centries was de in te
rst place mainl to te spontaneos activ-
it o individals. [Te] natral instinct to
sare wit oters a new-ond jo, strengt-
ened and enligtened b te Divine Grace oCrist, te Savior, inevitabl tends to impel
men to propagate te Gospel.
Te names o a ew great Apostles were
known to te wole Crc; bt te rst
teacers o te majorit o te Cristians
were probabl nknown to an bt tose
wom te ad qietl inencedTs
as men moved abot tere were constantl
springing p new grops o Cristians in di-
erent places.
Te Crc expanded simpl b organ-
izing tese little grops as te were con-
verted, anding on to tem te organizationwic se ad received rom er rst ond-
ers. It was itsel a nit composed o a ml-
titde o little Crces an one o wic
cold propagate itsel, and conseqentl te
reception o an new grop o Cristians
was a ver simple matter. B a simple act
te new grop was brogt into te nit o
te Crc, and eqipped, as its predeces-
sors ad been eqipped, not onl wit all
te spirital power and atorit necessar
or its own lie as an organized nit, bt also
wit all te atorit needed to repeat te
same process wenever one o its members
migt convert men in an new village or
town.
Te spontaneos expansion o te
Crc redced to its elements is a ver
simple ting. It asks or no elaborate organi-
zation, no large nances, no great nmbers
o paid missionaries. In its beginning it ma
be te work o one man, and tat a man nei-
ter learned in te tings o tis world, nor
ric in te wealt o tis world.
Te organization o a little Crc on te
Apostolic model is also extremel simple,
and te most illiterate converts can se it,
and te poorest are sfcientl wealt tomaintain it. Onl as it grows and spreads
trog large provinces and contries do
an complex qestions arise, and te arise
onl as a Crc composed o man little
Crces is able to prodce leaders pre-
pared to andle tem b experience learned
in te smaller tings.
No one, ten, wo eels witin imsel
te call o Crist to embark on sc a pat
as tis need sa, I am too ignorant, I am too
inexperienced, I ave too little inence,
or I ave not sfcient resorces. Te rst
apostles o Crist were in te ees o te
world nlearned and ignorant men: it was
not ntil te Crc ad endred a perse-
ction and ad grown largel in nmbers
tat Crist called a learned man to be his
Apostle.
Te missionaries wo spread te Gos-
pel and establised te Crc trogot
te lands rond te Mediterranean are not
known to s as men o great learning or abil-
it. Most o tem are not known b name at
all. Onl wen te Crc ad been estab-lised and ad spread widel did Crist call
te great doctors wose names are amiliar
to s b teir writings, or b teir great pow-
ers o organization and government.
Wat is necessar is ait. Wat is needed
is te kind o ait wic, niting a man to
Crist, sets im on re. Sc a man can be-
lieve tat oters nding Crist will be set
on re also. Sc a man can see tat tere
is no need o mone to ll a continent wit
te knowledge o Crist. Sc a man can see
tat all tat is reqired to consolidate and
establis tat expansion is te simple ap-plication o te simple organization o te
Crc. It is to men wo know tat ait,
wo see tat vision, tat I appeal. Let tem
jdge wat I ave written (Roland Allen, The
Spontaneous Expansion o the Church, 1927).
What is needed is thekind of faith which,
uniting a man to Christ,sets him on fire.
RFISH FILES14
KICKIN IT
RoLANd ALLEN (1868-1947)infuential writer and apostolic leader
Roland Allen trained or ministry at Oxord and became an Anglican priest in 1893. He had two
stints in northern China working or the Society or the Propagation o the Gospel. These early
dicult experiences caused him to undergo a shit in his understanding o strategies commonly
used to spread the gospel versus those he saw in the New Testament. He became an advocate o
sel-supporting, sel-propagating, and sel-governing churches that adapted to local conditions,
rather than being merely imitations o western-style Christianity. Near the end o his lie, he
became disillusioned with the established churches o his day, believing that his ideas would be
better received by uture generations. His books Missionary Methods: St. Pauls or Ours? (1912)
and The Spontaneous Expansion o the Church (1927) have become infuential classics.
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16/17
THE goSPEL oF LENIN?
EdIToRS CommENTS
Te sccess o te revoltion
is te spreme law! Now,
ntil o can sa tat
comradeand mean itistor will ave
no se or o! So said Vladimir Lenin, te
onding ater o te Rssian commnist
state, in te BBC television drama Fall o
Eagles. It was wit distrbed ascination
tat I irst watced tis program tat
retold te stor o te gradal demise o
te Eropean monarcies o German, Astria-hngar, and Rssia in te late
19t and earl 20t centr. In teir place
emerged a new world invigorated b new
ideologies tat promised eqalit, libert,
and raternit. As well as work, land, and
bread!
Among tose wo attempted to
overtrn te oppressive and sel-
indlgent political establisments o
te da were te Marxists, te most
sccessl sbgrop o Commnists. In
Rssia, as in oter contries o Erope,
radicals were gripped b te writings o
Marx, Cernsevski, and Plekanov.
Among teir leaders was te ier and
intelligent ong law stdent Vladimir
Ilic ulanov, best known to te world as
Lenin.
Some aspects o Commnism (and
Capitalism) are certainl in direct
contradiction to Cristian ait. Bt, m
own researc into te actal personalities
and events o te time ave led me to
believe tat tere are man positive and
negative lessons we can learn as a Crist-
powered ose crc movement rom
te gospel o Lenin.
LENIN SINgLE-mINdEdLy dEdICATEd
HIS LIFE To THE REvoLuTIoN . A political
adversar once said o Lenin tat teres
no sc person wo is so preoccpied
twent-or ors a da wit revoltion,
wo tinks no oter togts except
tose abot revoltion and wo even
dreams in is sleep abot revoltion.
he wold eventall strip imsel o
personal obbiessc as listening
to Beetoven, reading Latin classics,
plaing cess, and ice skatingtat were
taking too mc time and energ awa
rom is revoltionar role. Altog
e did marr, romantic relationsips
were o secondar importance.
LENIN AggRESSIvELy SPREAd THE IdEAS
oF THE REvoLuTIoN. he organized and
met wit secret ome std grops. he
wrote nmeros articles, pamplets, and
books to disseminate is ideas to a wide
adience, bt primaril to is ellow
Marxists. he even tried to gain a earing
among labor nions, stdent grops,
and oters oppressed b te government.
LENIN buILT A CoHESIvE NETWoRK oF
FIERCELy dEvoTEd LEAdERS oF THE
REvoLuTIoN. Give s an organization
o revoltionaries, e once wrote, and
well trn all Rssia pside down!
Tose or wom revoltion was a mere
obb, te latest trend to join, or a
convenient activit to engage in were
never going to cange te world. Onl
a small ncles o radicals tat was
organized and disciplined cold catalze
a movement to accomplis te mission.
LENIN WoRKEd PERSISTENTLy WHILE H
WAITEd PATIENTLy FoR THE REvoLuTIo
It was 30 ears rom te time o te on
Lenins initial interest in radical politi
in 1887 to te Rssian revoltion
October 1917 tat saw im come to pow
as Rssias ead o state. Dring to
man ears, Lenin nderwent arrest
exiles, conlict wit colleages, inanci
trobles, and a ost o ealt problem
Bt, e never stopped speaking, stdin writing, networking, orga
traveling, and agitating or cang
LENIN, HoWEvER, dId HAvE mAJo
CHARACTER FLAWS. he cold be
domineering bll. he was argmentativ
and rde and wold mock is opponent
he gave no togt to personal loalti
and qickl prged nreliable peop
rom te emerging movement. he w
a workaolic and ad an extramarit
aair. he was an ardent ateis
And ater e took oicial carge
te Rssian empire in 1917, e se
brtal orce against is own peop
Even so, someting abot te ear
Marxist movement in Rssia resonat
wit me. I sometimes wonder ow t
world wold be dierent toda ad Len
become a Crist-ollower. Pt simpl, t
kind o dedication, discipline, and delibe
ateness Lenin and oter radicals sowe
in prsing teir manistic topia p
man o s Cristians toda to sam
how mc more so sold we as o
lowers o Cristilled wit te ve
spirit o te Living God and armed wit
te tre Gospelbe passionate, persis
ent, patient, and practical in reacing t
world or Crist and seeing te kingdo
o God establised among te nations!
Rad Zdero (Mississauga, ON)
15 FALL
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17/17
FREE e-BOOK
Biblicalanalysis.
Archaeologicaldiscoveries.
Manuscriptevidence.
Perfectforskepticsandseekers
Packedwithgraphs,stats,photos
Idealforthosewhoarevisuallearners
8.5inchx11inchsize(printerfriendly)
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DownloadfromtheResourcessectiona
www.housechurch.ca
ABOUT THE AUTHORRAD ZDERO earned his Ph.D. in Mechanic
Engineering, specializing
orthopaedic biomechanic
He is currently the direct
of a hospital-based resear
lab in Toronto. Rad has be
involved in the house chur
and small group movemesince 1985 and is committed
the full restoration of original New Testame
Christianity in our day. He is the author ofT
Global House Church Movement (2004) a
the allegorical novel Entopia: Revolution of t
Ants(2008). He is also the editor ofNexus: T
World House Church Movement Reader (200
and The Starfish Fileshouse church magazin
He lives just outside Toronto, Canada.
TRIbES:We Nee y T
Lea us
by Seth Godin
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THE STARFISH ANd
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