Tribes & configurations: postmodern church implications (1)

Let’s unpack the opening line from my previous entry: “Pentecost weekend 2007: a postmodern tribal event if there ever was one!” Tribes in the Australian bush or deepest, darkest Africa okay, but occidental postmodern tribes?!

Postmodern tribes are micro-societies, says Anne-Marie Green*, formed around interest based cultures, that transcend class, social status and even age.
For example, a person may belong to a musical tribe, and silently proclaims that by a particular label of clothes and other “badges” that the young person will wear and by which s/he identifies with her/his tribe.

A postmodern badge

(I had an oh-so-cool orange Led Zeppelin t-shirt that I acquired during a high school trip to the Jersey shore with my friends. I of course sported until it had gone well past dust cloth status!)

Tribal Configurations
According to Bernard Cova and Marco Roncaglio, postmodern tribal groupings are composed of the individual, the nucleus or core group and occasional huge gatherings that stimulate the imagination.**


Postmodern tribal social configurations have tremendous implications for the forms that postmodern ekklesia (church) could or should or will take. More about at the end of the month… once I return from vacation!

* Anne-Marie Green, Des jeunes et des musiques: Rock, Rap, Techno… (Paris: L’Harmattan, 1997). Professor Green teaches sociology at the Paris X University and musicology at Paris IV.
** Adapted from Bernard Cova and Marco Roncalglio, “Repérer et soutenir des tribus de consommateurs ?” Décisions Marketing, no.16 (janvier-avril 1999).

Mission Attitude: Pentecôte 2007

Pentecost weekend 2007: a postmodern tribal event if there ever was one!
(But all of you aspiring cultural anthropologists will need to wait for my next entry for more on that.) Over 3000* evangelical French youth gathered in Valence, France to cultivate a missional mindset — Mission Attitude!

Stéphane Lauzet, president of the French Evangelical Alliance,
organized the event (with the help of many French evangelical youth leaders) toward the goal of mobilizing French youth to be on mission for Christ in a needy world

Pentecôte 2007 (see: www.pentecote2007.com)

I had a major role at this festival… I was one of the taxi drivers that enabled the youth group from the Eglise Protestante Evangélique de Dijon Est (Grace Brethren Church of East Dijon) to attend!

The Dijon GBC youth group


Jérémie (above) and Christelle (below) are our fearless youth group facilitators.


Christelle beat Baptist to the top on their climb to help provide computers for an African Christian organization

Tim joined our youth group for the weekend (there is no evangelical church in his village)

Phill cultivating a mission attitude!

"My mummy makes yummy sandwiches!" says Etienne, whose parents also played a vital role — they cooked for us throughout the entire weekend! Guillaume and Baptist (below) enjoyed the pool at Etienne's uncle's house where we pitched our tents to camp for the weekend.




Elise & Antonia had things well under control


Julien helping Terrence get a better view of the band


Cultivating an even greater appreciation for coffee than when I began working with French students in 1988 ;-)


Late nights made for stimulating breakfast discussions (lol)


The French Grace Brethren Churches were well represented: Amandine (above) is from the Chalon GBC & Melissa (below) from the Lyon GBC




Dijon was well represented. "J.T.M.," the main worship band at Pentecost 2007, is from the Full Gospel church in Dijon.


Matt Redman led a concert of worship that truly gave us a delicious taste of heaven


Redman & friends adroitly utilized lighting and ballet to amplify an already powerful time in God's presence, honoring Jesus — the light of the world


This gentleman shared how he turned from being a follower of Mohamed to become a follower of Christ


Timothée Paton shared how God called him from being a youth pastor in the north of France to helping and sharing Christ with street children in Cambodia

Especially pertinent were the stories by the mayor of a French village and a young woman who is today a high government official, of how they are serving Christ in the public arena. Of course there was theater, many other concerts, speakers, workshops and forums all to promote a mindset of being on mission for Christ wherever, whenever.

May France and places beyond be transformed by the small steps and giant leaps of these young people!

Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors, issued a Zinzendorf-ish challenge to be willing to "do anything, go anywhere, at anytime" for Christ

* Just a note to remind you why France is truly a mission field, 1% of all professing French evangelicals were at this festival (3,500 people). In the United States, 1% of all professing American evangelicals would total about 980,000.

Praying in faith: exercise or expectation?

The dad was desperate. The qualified professionals could not do anything for his son who was in a really bad way.
I can relate. How 'bout you?

The Master arrived on the scene, heard the hubbub and inquired, "What's all the commotion?"
They were in a true-to-life horror movie; they needed an exorcist. The dad laments, "My son is mute, has seizures. I think he's possessed. Sometimes the demon pitches him into a fire or river to do away with him! If you can do anything, have a heart and help us!"
"If ?!” Retorts the Master, “Everything is possible for the one who believes." (Because belief— having faith—is trust in the All-Powerful God of the Universe.)
The quick-with-a-comeback dad replies, "I do believe. Help me with my incredulity!"
Jesus delivers and completely heals the boy.


Here is the introspective process that the Holy Spirit recently took me through to help me, a believer, with my incredulity.

When I pray, do I believe that God will do something? Or…
When I pray, is it a religious exercise that I perform without really expecting anything from my relationship God?When I pray, is there anticipation? Because God the Father loves me, His child, …
… that He will respond to my prayer as requested.
Or, that He will give me the strength to endure the situation.
Or, that He will surprise me by doing something of which I never dreamed.

Possibly He will respond in the next ten minutes.
Possibly He will respond ten years from now.
But do I really anticipate a response—in His way according to His agenda—because of the filial relationship that I enjoy with the Father in Christ?

To evaluate whether my praying is simply a religious exercise or done in faith, this test of relational expectation is helping me. Thought I would share the wealth.

Charis Partners in Madrid: Report (part 2)

In giving this report, I would like to thank publicly those who made possible the Charis Partners’ encounter in Madrid by means of a GBIM Leadership Development Ministry Grant. Please know that without your generosity I do not believe it would have taken place. Danke! O Brigado! Graçias! Merci!

Sincere heart-felt THANKS!

Part 1 of my report answered the question, “What were the discussion topics at the Charis Madrid gathering?” Part 2 will address direction, “What conclusions did you reach and what do you plan to do about it?”

Patty faithfully noted the content of our discussions — just 20 pages!

“In order to see their numbers dramatically increase we will seek to broaden ‘European Charis Partners’ horizontally and vertically.”
Officially, European Charis Partners were defined as remunerated church planters working outside of their country of origin. Their purpose was to begin new churches.

We decided, however, that the critical need is simply for more workers of all kinds. We, therefore, decided to expand the definition of what it means to be a Charis Partner. Vertically we want to include people from three life situations:
People on mission for Christ in 1) full-time secular employment, 2) full-time Christian ministry, 3) some percentage of both

Horizontally we want to include not just cross-cultural church planters (apostles), but also prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11). Those who could receive remuneration would be catalysts for the creation of new ministries. Together we will pray, live and serve toward birthing a disciple multiplication movement.

We discussed the great needs of Europeans today. For example:

• people are lonely, devalued and lack hope
• families are falling apart due to time, financial and other pressures
• injustice is rampant throughout the West and the world…

We then distilled from the gospels, values to live by that would demonstrate how the message of Jesus is pertinent to real life, how it is truly Good News for Europeans.

“In order to see them dramatically increase their numbers Charis Partners will seek to become holistic people.” Being a Charis person means developing, adopting and living a Charis mentality and lifestyle.
Charis values, therefore, challenge us to:

1. live community
2. live sustainable family lives
3. share material resources
4. do good in Jesus’ name
5. pray and live by faith in hope.

What we plan to do in light of these conclusions:

1. Have people in all three life situations experiment with the Charis mentality and lifestyle over the next year, then come back together in one year to compare notes and pray. We are especially interested in seeing how this lifestyle impacts our witness.
2. Gather a handful of representatives from European Grace churches, Charis Partners and Grace Brethren International Missions to develop a vision and strategy. These will need to be understandable to unbelievers, to European believers and others around the world.
3. Develop adequate systems to promote the overall well-being of Charis Partners.
4. Provide a brief monthly communiqué to stimulate awareness and prayer.

Well, there was plenty more, but that is the abridged version of our discussions, decisions and direction. And in it all, we realize that we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers from his European harvest into his European field. Thanks to those of you who are joining us in imploring him to do just that.

Next year in Stuttgart!