Thinking about NCAA movements

I have been reading Neil Cole's book: Organic Church recently and he writes about the key elements of every group that multiplies is the DNA of a group. I have been thinking, how can we take some of this teaching and put it into a language of our college/university language. After tweaking some letters and thinking I am using NCAA. The following was posted on our ministry blog fuelmovements:

NCAA (college) Multiple Movements

I want to challenge this week as you think of your groups/ministry/movement (whatever you call it) to think/evaluate in these terms.

NCAA
N: Nurturing Relationships
C: Christ Centered
A: Authority based on God’s Truth
A: Apostolic Mission
(Adapted and tweaked from Neil Cole’s DNA in Organic Church: Growing faith where life happens)

I believe that in order for our groups to multiply, reach the campus, grow students to a deeper level with God we must aim to have these four elements as part of our group dynamics. If you miss one, focus on 3, don’t like one, then you will be a group that becomes self focused, fellowship orientated, disgruntled, lacking focus, and purpose.

• Nurturing Relationships: Does your group value growth, authenticity, accountability, love and service to those in your group and to those outside? Is true discipleship (not counseling) happening within group members?
• Christ Centered: This is the core of why we exist as groups. It needs to be about Christ, His message of redemption, and us becoming like Him. All elements need to be about the presence of Jesus in our lives and in our group. Are we being Christ to the community around us?
• Authority based on God’s truth: What is God’s truth? Truth comes from God’s word, the Spirit’s direction and leading. All we do and say is based on what God has to say, not our preferences, desires, or traditions. Who is the authority in your group?
• Apostolic Mission: Why do we exist? Are we a fellowship group gathering Christians for growth and security? Are we living, existing, growing to reach the lost and not yet Christians around us? We live to seek and to save the lost. It is about God’s Kingdom work. Are we going outside of our group to show the love, care and service of Christ?
  

We’ll be talking (this article comes from a letter I send to our student leaders each week) more about these four areas in the year to come. In the mean time talk to Jesus about them, spend some time with your co-leaders and with your disciples. Make changes, pray for a heart that seeks what God has in store for us, and ask the Spirit to give us power to be what He wants us to be. You will be the best people to lead us in the charge to be the NCAA (college) multiple movements that will reach every student in every nook and cranny on campus and around the world.

Drop me your thoughts and ideas about the four areas. I love hearing from you and hearing what God has placed on your heart.

Categories: Books