Catalyzing and Supporting Kingdom Movements Scott Allen, Disciple Nations Alliance

1. Catalyzing and Supporting Kingdom Movements Scott Allen, Disciple Nations Alliance www.disciplenations.org

2. Our Purpose The Disciple Nations Alliance exists to help the church rise to her full potential as God’s principle agent in the restoration, healing, and blessing of broken nations.

3. Discipling Nations

4. The DNA Is… A starfish, not a spider A virus looking for a host

5. Our Structure • Distributed, not centralized • Unity • Common mission • Common passion for seven core truths • Common set of operational principles • Diversity • Volunteer “champions” • Independent local and regional networks • Affiliated organizations

6. Our Structure

7. Principles for Organizing Kingdom Movements

8. Principle #1: God’s Work First, Our Work Second God is always in the lead. We are the supporting cast. Seek God for visions, plans, and goals. We find out where He is working and join Him. Hold plans loosely! Listen to God, rely on His Spirit. Allow Him to work through you.

9. Principle #2: Engage the Church • The Church is God’s key agent for advancing His Kingdom (Eph. 3:10-11). • The Church is not a building but a body… gathered on Sunday and scattered on Monday into every sector and sphere of society. • Engage leaders of and in local churches • OF -- Clergy, full-time vocational ministers or pastors • IN -- Laity, leaders in the sectors and spheres of the city (family, arts, business, commerce, education, etc.). • Think in terms of local churches, but also “the Church” of the city. Work at both levels.

10. Principle #3: Think Movement Do we have a vision so large that it can only be realized through a multitude of churches, organizations, networks, gifts, talents and skills working together to accomplish it? Does it require us to think “Kingdom” rather than particular churches, denominations or organizations? The wrong question: How can we form an organization? The right question:How can we catalyze a movement?

11. Principle #4: Start with What You Have God supplies each of us with talents for the purpose of extending His Kingdom (Mt. 25:14-30). Identify your own resources and start with them. Trust God to multiply what you have for the advancement of His Kingdom. Inventory and steward existing capital (individually and collectively)

12. Operating Principles

13. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory!

14. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an Institution

15. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an InstitutionPrinciple 3: Following God’s Lead

16. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an InstitutionPrinciple 3: Following God’s LeadPrinciple 4: Working Collaboratively

17. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an InstitutionPrinciple 3: Following God’s LeadPrinciple 4: Working Collaboratively • Principle 5: Getting Ideas Out as Widely as Possible

18. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an InstitutionPrinciple 3: Following God’s LeadPrinciple 4: Working Collaboratively • Principle 5: Getting Ideas Out as Widely as PossiblePrinciple 6: Relating to Each Other in the Love of Christ

19. Principle 1: We Seek Neither Power nor Glory! Principle 2: A School of Thought, Not an InstitutionPrinciple 3: Following God’s LeadPrinciple 4: Working Collaboratively • Principle 5: Getting Ideas Out as Widely as PossiblePrinciple 6: Relating to Each Other in the Love of Christ Principle 7: Optimizing Local Resources

20. Catalyzing Movements

21. The Idea Whose Time Has Come • Transformational social movements have at their center a powerful idea • “The Idea whose time has come” (James Davidson Hunter) • Captures peoples imagination. • Leads to a fundamental paradigm shift. An “ah-ha.” • Creates new “mental space” that enables new values, actions and behaviors.

22. Our Big Idea!

23. A Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal • All effective social movements have at their center, not only a powerful idea, but a “big, hairy, audacious goal.” (Jim Collins) • A goal that is too big for any single church, organization or denomination to accomplish it. It requires a movement. • A goal that is simple, clear and measurable. • A goal capture the imagination, and brings focus and energy to the movement.

24. Our Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal • Change the paradigm of the church worldwide from this:

25. Our Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal • To this:

26. Three Key Groups of People Powerful ideas and big goals are inadequate. Movements require three key groups of people • Teachers (ideas experts, vision casters) • Modelers (practitioners) • Connectors (networkers) Working Together in Supportive Networks!

27. Teachers Ideas experts—deal in ideas and concepts Expose ideas to others—cast vision Driven to communicate—to teach, write, speak Live to persuade others

28. Modelers Practitioners—practical, hands-on people Driven to develop workable models Give credibility to the ideas Help other modelers catch the vision (modelers learn best by seeing ideas in action)

29. Connectors Driven to connect, form alliances and partnerships Always looking for others to link up with Interpret the ideas Spread the ideas and models Expose working models to different networks, sectors and spheres

30. Putting it All Together: Powerful Social Movements Supportive Networks Teachers/Ideas Experts Modelers Connectors The idea whose time has come + a big, hairy audacious goal

31. Supportive Networks“The key actor in history is not individual genius but rather the network, and the new institutions created out of those networks.” (James Davidson Hunter)

32. Supportive Networks Need Support! “Secretariat” to provide administrative Support Teachers/Ideas Experts Modelers “The Idea Whose Time Has Come” Connectors

33. Supportive Networks Need Support! “Secretariat” to provide administrative Support Teachers/Ideas Experts Modelers “The Idea Whose Time Has Come” Connectors Economic/financial supporters

34. Economic SupportFinancing that allows for the expansion and scaling of the ideas supportive networks • Wilberforce and Clapham Sect were largely financed by Henry Thornton • James Joyce and The Dial were financed by Harriet Shaw Weaver • Karl Marx received significant funds from the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt • Billy Graham received seed funding from William Randolph Hearst

35. Supportive Networks Need Support! “Grass tops” supporters with platforms of influence “Secretariat” to provide administrative Support Teachers/Ideas Experts Modelers “The Idea Whose Time Has Come” Connectors Economic capital

36. “Grass Tops” Supporters • The elite, with broad influence • Influence is often the result of advanced degrees, leadership in an influential organization, or significant success or awards in a particular field of endeavor • Power to reach a large audience and provide credibility and plausibility

37. Supportive Networks Need Support! “Grass tops” supporters with platforms of influence “Secretariat” to provide administrative Support Teachers/Ideas Experts Modelers “The Idea Whose Time Has Come” Connectors Prayer Warriors Economic capital

38. Case Study: The Clapham Sect

39. Overview Started in 1790 by Henry Venn, member of Holy Trinity Church in Clapham (a wealthy suburb of London). Active from 1790 to 1830. The 17 core members were prosperous, influential evangelicals who shared a common vision and reform agenda. They met in the Clapham home of banker Henry Thornton.

40. Members Politicians (Wilberforce, Eliot, Smith) Pastors (Gisbourne, Simeon, Venn) Governors & Administrators (Macaulay, Teignmouth) Economists & Bankers (Thornton) Scholars (Sharp) Writers & Poets (More) Philanthropists (Thornton, More)

41. Comprehensive Agenda Focused on the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. Reform of the penal system. Transform the morals of the society (e.g. bans on bull fighting and bear baiting, suspension of the lottery, etc.). Fought for better working conditions in factories and for child labor laws. Helped establish Christian schools. Reform of the British East India Company. Founded several missions sending organizations including the Church Mission Society (William Carey).

42. Tactics • Worked to shape public opinion • Issued journals (The Christian Observer) • Wrote letters, tracts and pamphlets • Spearheaded petition drives • Spoke and taught • Worked in concert with the Anglican Church. • Worked through the social sectors (governance, law, arts, communication, education). • Gave sacrificially of their time & wealth—were committed with their pocketbooks.

43. Willing to Pay the Price They were ridiculed as “the saints.” Macaulay gave up night after night of sleep, neglected his business and lost much of his substantial fortune. Thornton gave 80% of his income to charity. Ramsay was hounded by malicious accusations. Wilberforce suffered a nervous breakdown, his life was often threatened. Macaulay took passage on an African slave ship so that he might witness firsthand the horrors of the trade.

44. Victories Emancipation of slavery and the slave trade Penal reform Factory reform Missions sending organizations founded Reform of the British East India Company Founded Sierra Leone to provide a home for refugee slaves (Macaulay was the first governor)

45. Characteristics Set clear and specific goals. Researched carefully to produce reliable and irrefutable evidence. Built a committed support community. The battle could not be carried on alone. Refused to accept setbacks as final defeats. Committed to the struggle for the long haul, even if it took decades.

46. Characteristics Cont. Focused on issues, not allowing opponents’ vicious attacks distract or provoke them. Empathized with opponents’ position so that meaningful interaction could take place. Accepted incremental gains. Cultivated grass-roots support as well as “grass tops” influence. Transcended a single-issue mentality by addressing issues as part of an overall moral climate.

47. Characteristics Cont. Worked through recognized channels without resort to dirty tactics of violence. Proceeded with a sense of mission and conviction that God would providentially guide if they were faithfully acting in His service.