ONE YEAR IN
One year ago we were packing for this move to Ireland. All we really had in place was an invitation from some leaders here and a deep sense that this was something God was asking us to do. The openness of the invitation was a big part of the appeal for me.
The needs of the church here in Western Europe are vast. Something about that vastness, what Roger Martin calls, the “wicked problem,” has brought out the best in me. In many ways, it has felt like the perfect fit of my gifts and the openness of the church here. Of course, there are cultural challenges and so much for me to learn about the context and the way to engage it. But even that has been renewing for me. I am a missionary at heart.
PROGRESS
I entered the work kind of like a venture capitalist. I thought I would invest in 10 ideas (new projects) expecting 6 to fail, 3 to break even and 1 to really fly. You try so many because you are looking for that 10x return on just one, and you are never quite sure which one it will be.
The good/challenging news is that almost all of our projects are working! That is both unexpected and challenging, but I am amazed at the maturity, courage and competence of the Irish leaders I am walking alongside. Naturally, all of these projects will be better led (in the long run) by Irish leaders and so we have not wanted to start anything without a strong Irish partner. Likewise, the work I find myself doing throughout Europe is also walking alongside existing and emerging movement leaders, incarnating in their own context.
Still, these projects needed a push from someone like me, who knows a bit about starting things and who has an eye for potential and timing. It has been a beautiful and so far, fruitful marriage.
I am writing this letter for the small team of people who have been supporting us here. A day does not go by when I am not aware and ultimately grateful for the investment you have made in us. Your trust and support is part of what motivates me to give all I have to this work.
Your support is allowing me to freely give my time away to churches and leaders who I know would also say they are grateful. And it is not just in Europe that your support is bearing fruit. I continue to provide leadership for our movement which is growing in partnerships and relationships all over the world.
Thank you so much.
PROJECTS
Here is a taste of what we have been up to here, in Europe and around the world.
Praxis Press: Seeing that there was no Christian publisher here in Ireland, we set out to start one. “Irish voices for the Irish church,” we want to empower Irish writers, thinkers and practitioners to share their ideas. The Press is up and running, with all the means of production in place, our first book launched and the next one in the pipeline.
Seol Course: Seeing that there was very little curriculum offered on mission, and missional engagement in the seminary system here, we set out to forge a partnership between two seminaries (one in the north and one in the south) to offer an accessible prototype course. This is now up and running with 6 of the best Irish practitioners helping to write the curriculum and offer it at a low cost to anyone called into mission.
Mission Disco Podcast: Again, looking to stir up the hope and possibility of mission as a means of renewal for the church we believed we were going to need to create a space to tell good stories, highlight Irish leaders and bring the discussion of mission in the Irish context into focus. This podcast has been very well received as we try to stimulate new thinking and practice.
Future Church Cohort: A part of the work of change is experimentation. We needed to find a cohort of churches who would agree to try new things together in order to reflect on and ultimately share those results. We handpicked 5 churches to take on this challenge and we are three months in, having already run two Calling Labs together (one in Dublin and one in Belfast) for 100+ potential planters.
Mission Lab: The Methodist church has shown real interest in converting one of their buildings in the city centre to a mission center hub. This is a very exciting prospect. As I have consulted in on those plans, I suggested we take a portion of the building and allow me to build a prototype to test the concept. The end result is the MIssion Lab, a coworking space right in the heart of Dublin for missional people.
Praxis Movement: There is a very exciting group of leaders who are forming a new missional network in the city and I have had the privilege of being invited to be a part of that team in its early formation stage. We are already running an annual conference, monthly learning communities, city wide prayer gatherings and training events.
Brave Future Consulting: Being in Dublin has allowed me easy access to western Europe and I have been able to accept invitations to consult with new movements, church plants and historic churches that are looking for insight into their change management challenges. This year I have been able to consult with leaders/churches in England, Scotland, Wales, France, Belgium, Denmark and even made it out of Europe to spend some time consulting in Chicago and Christchurch, New Zealand.
UNDERGROUND: Of course in addition to all of this I have remained connected to my young and talented team helping to serve microchurches and movements all over the world. We now have a covenant relationship with 20 city movements and a growing relationship with many more. In addition to my continued role as Executive Director, supervising our executive team, I have been able to contribute to our Movement School, teaching module 3 in Manila this year, and helping to teach our online modules as well and planning for our next major conference. https://www.undergroundopen.com/
Microchurches Book: Finally, I am happy to report that I was able to write a book about microchurches, as both a case for a smaller version of the church and a guide to starting one.
This has been a full year, with lots of seeds planted and some very good fruit. Thank you for your love, trust, friendship and continued partnership.
Brian