91. Nairobi Gathering #5 - Roy Moran Pt. 2

This is part 2 of our two part podcast with Roy Moran. In this episode, Roy shares about the challenges of seeing movement in the West and finishes by sharing what hybrid church* looks like in his North American context.

To watch part 1 and 2 of this interview, click on the video below:

Why not the West?

Roy’s gives some great insights into how we are wired as westerners:

Individualism

Much of the early DMM training that came to the West was about one-on-one evangelism and discipleship. However it was devoid of community. Teams and groups are vital to both initiate and see movement take off in the harvest.

We are people of peace

People in the West are typically not connecting cross culturally. Instead we are seeking to reach our own networks. Therefore we are often people of peace ourselves.

Programatic can be problematic

There are nuances with the DMM strategy that we can miss if we are purely programatic with it. In the west, we often want to plug slots by taking a new program (like DMM) and applying it in our context, expecting instant results.

The religious enemy

We not only face an evil enemy but also a religious enemy. Resistance is always faced from the current tradition. In our case, a Christianised environment.

‘You can cast out demons, but you can’t cast out tradition’

Allergic to failure

We don’t persevere well in the West. We presume everything will work in our time and way.

Failure is something we are deathly allergic to in the West

To learn a new methodology when another is already well in place, it requires a lot of failure. We struggle to fail and learn in the West. We need to overcome our allergy to failure by being truly impacted by the Father’s heart for the Gospel and continue to take risks and fail.

Outcomes not process

We are guilty of focusing more on DMM outcomes than on the process. There needs to be an underground phase of that nobody can see. It is like digging deep into the ground to lay a foundation for a tall building to be built on.

Hybrid church*

Roy finishes this discussion about his reflections about what he calls hybrid church*. He draws us into what he is doing and shares about the fire in the belly of so many who have a heart to reach their networks. They are starting teams and communities all around them.

He tell us to:

Get small

There needs to be a cultural shift in our churches. But we need to get small and start changing the culture by working with a few ‘rebels’ who are already spiritually dissatisfied.

Find people of peace…in our churches

The traditional Sunday morning service can be renamed as a ‘gathering’ instead of a church. These gatherings can actually be seen as more of an access ministry where some people of peace might come when they are searching.

Yet research still shows us that only a small percentage of people from the wider community would ever come to our Sunday gatherings.

Plant ‘biblically flouring communities’

A hybrid church model is essential to reach the larger percentage of people. The traditional church can be seen as a gasoline (petrol) engine car that is old but still works. Then there is an electric car engine that is a newer way of seeing disciples multiply. These days, as well as his Sunday gatherings, Roy focuses on planting what he is calling ‘biblically flourishing communities’.

Form teams with a target

Focusing on a particular piece of geography or a people group is vital. We can’t keep sending people out alone to make disciples without knowing their target. Teams needs to form that have a shared vision, pray regularly for the people they are focusing on and create ‘circles of accountability’ around these various people groups.

The Father’s joy for ordinary people

Roy’s final word of encouragement is that each of us are vital to the Great Commission. When we take up our place in the Father’s family business, we experience a spiritual life we might have never known before. It might be risky but the Father is offering us the grand benefit of his shared joy.