pat loughery

Part of the learning model in the Doctor of Ministry program at Bakke Graduate University has us writing daily journals for each in-class day. These journals describe what we saw, how we interpreted it and what we’ll do with it.

I awoke earlier than usual today and had to journal what was bubbling up inside me. It is becoming more clear that my passion is to start simple, multiplying movement of Christian churches which have a high bar of discipleship and which are fully missionally engaged in our culture. It was the multiplying movement piece that I wrote about today.

This was the day on our schedule that I was most looking forward to. Several of the speakers are friends of mine, and I love to hear their perspectives and their stories.

Lowell introduced the D.Min specializations to us by speaking this gift: We believe that God is at work in your life already, and we want to find out what you’re called to so that we can be part of a life-long partnership with you. It is this perspective that is exciting about BGU, and being in a BGU class is always a thrilling way to hear what God is up to around the world in a wide variety of cultures.

Ron Ruthruff, whom we met earlier in the course at New Horizons, gave the first specialization lecture. Ron spoke passionately (again) about youth culture and why we should care about youth ministry even if it isn’t our specific calling. He spoke about the difficult transitions that youth have to undergo in our culture with a special emphasis on emotional, physical, and psychosexual development, and then on the media culture’s impact on youth. Ron spoke about trauma in adolescence and the process of forming identity and personality in normal and in traumatized lives. He argued for an incarnational approach – simply being with youth, and doing it over the long term. Ron’s approach is life-on-life. Although I don’t feel called directly to youth ministry, I do believe that multi-age ministry is in my future, and I love seeing young adults develop in their lives and their own calling. I will continue to study from Ron’s words and handouts, and I could certainly see contacting him for some mentoring in the future also.

Rose Swetman spoke next on being a practicing, missional church. Rose and her husband Rich have been my friends and church-planting mentors for several years now, and they are among my most helpful friends. When I spend time with them on email, or phone, or in person, I feel at home, and specifically I feel that they understand where I’m trying to go without me feeling that I need to translate my ideas into their expectations. I’ve described them before as heroes and lifesavers to me.

Rose told the story of her church’s transition from a conventional church to a missional church. She described her crises of faith along the way, and how helpful she found Church of the Saviour in Washington DC, Vineyard Central in Cincinnati, and Lawndale in Chicago. She spoke about Catholic religious orders. Her church read through Celtic Way of Evangelism, Missional Church and The Shaping of Things to Come, wrestling with church might look like if it were missionally shaped. I have heard these stories before as they coached me individually and in other group settings, but I know that they are also the stories of where I want to go also. Rose encouraged us to find out own unique purpose, and then grow form and structure to support that.

Jim Henderson spoke next about being a missional leader, basing his challenges to us on 1 Corinthians 9:23. He spoke about his organization, Off the Map, which wants to make evangelism doable for most Christians. He told us stories of deconstructing what evangelism has meant before, and redefining what it can mean now. I’ve participated in several of Jim’s events, and I know how he works. I think Jim is a prophetic voice who can be very difficult to hear, even offensive. I also think that his message needs to be heard, so that non Christians can see what Christianity truly is in dialogue with us and by observing the reality of our lives, rather than hearing what we say we believe.

Neil Tibbott spoke next about being a multiplying movement. I’ve known Neil for a few years also, and have enjoyed dinner at his home a few times with a small group of Christians who are thinking about missional church. However, I hadn’t understood what Neil’s ministry was, and it was great to hear. When he said “multiplying movements”, I smiled, given that I had been up earlier in the day thinking about that very thing. I talked to him during breaks and at lunch. He spoke to us about both concepts – multiplication and movements, and gave us ten essential markers for multiplying movements. I want to spend more time with these items and speak more with Neil. I want to hear more about his experience with movements who use missional orders or Rules of Life, as I’m creating a Rule for myself while also studying the topic for my thesis.

Nancy Murphy then shared her life’s story and spoke deeply on the topic of domestic violence. I have heard Nancy several items as well, but this was the deepest I had heard her story. It is shocking and horrifying. Nancy’s role now is director of a counseling service for victims of domestic violence, which is not only necessary but also a clear sign of the redemptive power of God’s love in response to tragedy. Where much of Tuesday dealt with issues of the head, Nancy spoke straight from her heart into our hearts.

On the way home from school, I went to Costco to pick up items for my family. This Costco is in Issaquah, about 15 miles away from North Bend, and where many of my neighbors go for bulk shopping. It was the first time for me in that building in which I thought seriously about spending time observing, asking questions and listening to staff and customers of Issaquah Costco in order to understand it deeply. I was challenged to, in Ray Bakke’s words, exegete Costco in order to determine how God’s hope would make sense to the micro culture there. I wrote myself a to-do note to exegete Costco.

When I got home, I found email from Jim Henderson introducing me to a man who lives in Issaquah and who Jim described as “looking for real Christians”. I was honored that Jim considered me something like that, and I look forward to meeting this person and sharing stories together.