dear starfish reader ! please enjoy this latest issue of

8/14/2019 DEAR STARFISH READER ! Please Enjoy This Latest Issue Of

1/17

DEAR STARFISH READER !

Please enjoy this latest issue of The Starfish Files. May it beinstructive and inspiring, and may it ignite you into action asyou fulfill your God-given role in the emerging house churchmovement across Canada.

Picture yourself taking a trip across this land on a spiritualtrans-Canada highway that stretches from Vancouver Islandin the west to Prince Edward Island in the east.

Every hour or so, you can stop and visit a dynamic andmissional group of believers that meets in homes, coffeeshops, board rooms, and almost anywhere imaginable.

The goal of The Starfish Filesis to relationally link the housechurches and networks across Canada for greater missionalimpact on our cities, regions, and nation.

Although hard copies and e-copies are basically freefor the asking, the magazine requires the talents and

finances of folks like you!

Thanks for considering how you can get involved!

Rad ZderoEditor, The Starfish Files

CONTRIBUTE YOUR SKILLS (check all that apply)

I can write an article, book review, etc., on ________________________________ I can draw cartoons, create artwork, or take photos for the magazine

I can be a one-timedistributor for a house church event scheduled for _________. I need __ paper copies I can be a regulardistributor to the house church(es) in my region. I need ___ paper copies of future issues. I have access to professional-quality production facilities. I only need a print-ready PDF copy to become a

printer-distributor of the magazine in my region.

Other skill ? ________________________________________________________

CONTRIBUTE YOUR CASH (check all that apply)

One-time non-tax deductible gift of $________ 1 subscription for 1 year (hard copies of the next 3 issues) for $ 10 ___ subscriptions for 1 year (hard copies the next 3 issues) x $ 10 = $ ______ I would like to advertise my business, service, or product (___________________). What are the rates?

Other funding or donation (paper, hardware, etc.) idea ? ______________________________

YOUR INFOName ________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

Email________________________Telephone__________________________________

STARFISH FILES CONTACT INFO

Send cash or make cheque payable to Starfish Network with Starfish Files in memo line Mail this form to: Rad Zdero, PO Box 39528, Lakeshore PO, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5G-4S6 Scan and email this form to: [email protected]


2/17RFISH FILES3

FALL 2009N.6

THE ANATomy oF CHuRCH

PLANTINg movEmENTS

KICKIN IT oLd SCHooLwith Roland Allen

NATIoNAL HouSE CHuRCH NEWS

THE goSPEL oF LENIN?

CANAdAS HouSE CHuRCH mAgAzINE


3/17

THE mISSIoN?

To see te kingdom o God establised in or cities, regions, and

nation, b linking arms as a relational, intentional, and missional

network o ose crces, tat develop and deplo ever believer

in Crist as te impact oters.

THE STARFISH FILES?

Stars line te sores o te worlds beaces. Cop o an arm,

and a new one grows to take its place. Tear a stars in al, and

oll soon ave two stars on or ands. A torn-o limb can

even become a brand new stars. And wats more, te poplate b releasing ndreds o tosands, and sometimes millions, o

eggs in jst a ew ors. Jst like te ose crc movement

trog te ages. An estimated 300,000 new ose crces ave

started between 1998 and 2006. And tis doesnt inclde wats

appening in Cina, wic as abot 80 to 100 million believers

involved. Its also taking root in Canada. Enter Te Stars Files.

Te magazines goal is to inspire, inorm, and interconnect te

ose crc networks across Canada and beond.

THE TEAm?

Editor, Rad Zdero, [email protected]

Designer, Jason Stace, ellowcanardesign.comPrint Prodcer, Kle Bltman, snkros.org

SubmISSIoNS?

Send or writings, sggestions, and potos to Rad Zdero (editor),

c/o Te Stars Files, P.O. Box 39528, Lakesore P.O., Mississaga,

ON, Canada, L5G-4S6, or b email to [email protected].

FINANCIAL doNATIoNS?

Non-tax dedctible ceqes can be made ot to Te Stars

Network wit Stars Files in memo line and sent to te address

above.

PRINT RuN ANd ELECTRoNIC CoPIES?

Intended pblication is 3 or 4 times per earwinter, spring,

smmer, and/or all. A limited bt growing print rn is available

or eac isse. Electronic versions are available ree online at

www.osecrc.ca (in Resorces section) and

www.starsnetworkconerence.org.

THE ANATomy oF CHuRCH

PLANTINg movEmENTSBy RAD ZDERO3STARFISH STATS

7CRoSS CANAdA CHECK-uP:

House church news across the country8

REACHINg STudENTS FoR

CHRIST: A REPoRTBy TERRy MACLEAN

10

IS THERE good doCTRINE IN

THE HouSE? PART 1By GORD COuLSON12

KICKIN IT oLd SCHooL

...with Roland Allen14THE goSPEL oF LENIN?By RAD ZDERO15

RFISH FILES2

ACTIoN PAgEBy ROB ROSS

11

FIELd REPoRT FRom INdIAS

HARvEST FIELdSBy VICTOR ChOuDhRIE

12bILLy bLoCKmAN LIvE!13


4/17

THE ANATomy oFCHuRCH PLANTINg movEmENTS

By RAD ZDERO

Rad earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in bio-

mechanics and bio-materials. He is the director o a hospital-based research

group and has been involved in the house church and small group movement

since 1985. He is the author o The Global House Church Movement (2004) and

Entopia: Revolution o the Ants (2008), as well as being the editor o Nexus: The

World House Church Movement Reader (2007) and The Starsh Files magazine.

He lives just outside Toronto (Canada) and can be reached at [email protected]

THE god oF HISToRyGod as oten saped te last 2000

ears o istor trog crc

planting movements (CPMs), mainl

trog simple, grassroots, smallgrops and ose crces. A CPM

is a rapid mltiplication o crces

planting crces over a sstained

period o time.

A CPM is not jst anoter man-

made tactic or trend. It is, in act,

Gods work. And its prpose is to see

people come to a saving enconter

wit Jess Crist, grow in spirital

matrit, and ten become cange

agents or God.

Te past is illed wit storieso CPMs as people let go (to one

degree or anoter) o te trappings

o religios instittions to grab old

o a living breating Cristianit.

Some o tese movements inclde

te Monastics, Lollards, Waldenses,

Franciscans, Anabaptists, Qakers,

Metodists, and Bretren. Te saw

man tosands o people canged

and reconciled back to God in teir

generation.

Toda, CPMs are everwere. InCina, te crc as grown rom

1 to 2 million believers in 1949 to

almost 100 million believers toda

in ndergrond ose crces. In

India, over 100,000 ose crces

ave been started between 2001

and 2006. In te uSA, Crc

Mltiplication Associates recentl

planted 1000 simple crces in 7

sort ears at ome and abroad. In

Latin America, te Basic Cristian

Commnities started in te 1960s

among te marginalized and ave

grown to 1 million grops b 2007.

Past and present CPMs ave been

analzed wit modern researc

tools to discover ke elements or

ig-qalit rapid crc growt.

CPMs ave been well docmente

in E.h. Broadbents Te Pilgri

Crc(1931), Jon Drivers Radic

Fait: An Alternative history

te Cristian Crc (1999), Pet

Bntons Cell Grops and hoCrces: Wat history Teac

us (2001), David Garrisons Crc

Planting Movements(2004), and m

own book Nexs: Te World ho

Crc Movement Reader(2007).

I want to briel remind s abo

some vital elements oten mentione

b stdents o CPMs. Bt, I also wis

to point ot oter actors tat a

almost never discssed in tis regar

Everting in te world as a sap

a geometr, an anatomand so d

CPMs. I believe we mst serios

consider and praerll implemen

te ollowing 10 actors to see God

grand prposes accomplised

or generation trog or simpl

organic, ose crces.

FALL 3


5/17RFISH FILES 4

1. THE bIg PICTuRESome ose crces wander abot

aimlessl. Te ave no direction and

make no real impact. Some realize tis

is a problem, wile oters wrongl take

pride in tis and even mistake it or

being Spirit-led. Bt, tere is a better

wa! hose crces tat wis to trive,

grow, mltipl, and make a dierencemst be captivated b a bigger vision

beond temselves.

Te Bible tells s tat were tere

is no vision, te people peris (Prov

29:18 KJV) and except te Lord bild

te ose, te labor in vain tat bild

it (Ps 127:1 KJV). Certainl, te earl

crc was oten directed spernatrall

in te moment beore taking action (Acts

8:26-40, 10:1-48, 13:1-4). Bt, it was te

Great Commission mission statement

o Jess tat gave te apostles a clearmandate or all te did in tose earl

ears (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-16; Lk

24:46-49; Jn 20:21-23; Acts 1:8).

As ose crces toda, tereore,

we mst get old o wat God is saing

to s beore we lanc ot. We mst get

te big pictre o Gods main prpose

or s locall, regionall, and globall. Let

s pra, ast, recieve Gods spernatral

power, watc te circmstances,

discern or contexts, talk togeter, set

measrable goals, and even crat mission

statements.

2. THE RIgHT d.N.A.Some ose crces are nbalanced.

Te are strong in some tings and weak

in oters. Instead o seeking to grow in

teir areas o weakness, te contine

to operate onl in teir strengts. Bt,

tere is a better wa! hose crces

tat wis to be vibrant mst ave terigt D.N.A., as noted b Neil Cole o

Crc Mltiplication Associates.

D reers to Divine Trt and

sold inclde Bible std and allow

or propetic words, dreams, visions,

miracles, and godl consel. N stands

or Nrtring Relationsips and

sold involve onest, aection, and

practicall doing lie togeter. A means

Apostolic Mission and sold inclde

reacing ot in word and deed to amil,

riends, neigbors, workmates, and

strangers. Te earl crc ad a good

measre o te D, te N, and te A

(Acts 2:41-47).

As ose crces toda, tereore, we

mst be brtall onest wit orselves

and take stock o weter we ave te

rigt D.N.A. or God to work trog

s. Te D.N.A. sold not be nraveled,

bt sold be ll present witin eac

individal believer, eac ose crc,

and eac network o ose crces.

3. AN ARmy oF LEAdERSSome ose crces reject te wole

isse o leadersip becase te eel

tat Crist alone is te ltimate leader

o teir grop or becase te ave

been rt b instittional leaders in te

past. Bt, tere is a better wa! hose

crces mst look to te Scriptres and

te Spirit to allow or te emergence o

God-given leaders in teir midst.

Te earl apostles certainlencoraged all believers to se teir

abilities (1 Pet 2:5-9; 1 Cor 12:1-31 and

14:1-40). Bt, te also implemented

two main tpes o leaders, namel, local

elders (Acts 14:23, 1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9;

1 Pet 5:1-5) and translocal apostles (Act

13:1-4, 15:6; Ep 4:11) to eqip te crc

and reac te world.


we mst encorage te emergence

o ealt leaders. Micro leaders (or

elders) are npaid spirital moms

dads wo nrtre, train, and empo

believers in teir ose crc. M

leaders (or apostles) are pion

and strategists wo start new

crces, adopt existing ones, link t

togeter into networks, and ten m

on to repeat te process.

4. NETWoRKSSome ose crces are tterl isol

de to circmstances. Te soon bec

ingrown and irrelevant and event

implode. Isolated grops simpl do

work. Oters create ormal organizat

tat brand teir ose crces

like denominations wit teir var

branc crces. And te wil

work closel wit oters becase

are o a dierent brand. Even w

some ose crces rese to w wit oter ose crces in te s

town becase o competition, lim

vision, or pett dierences. Bt, te

a better wa! hose crces tat w

to be ritl mst link arms wit ot

nearb, relationall bt coesivel.

Te earl ose crces partn

togeter as citwide networks

Jersalem (Acts 2:41-47), Rome (

16:3-15), and Epess (Acts 20:17

and as a regional network in Asia M

(2 and 3 Jn; Rev 2 and 3). Te w

linked trog leaders meetings (

15:6, 20:17), large grop events (

2:44, 5:12, 20:20), apostolic visits (

14:23, 15:36; 3 Jn 1:5-8), and apos

letters (Acts 15:22-23).

As ose crces toda, tere

we mst orm relational, bt coe

networks wit oters close-b in

cities and regions. Face-to-ace c

pollination allows s to pool reso

sare experiences, permit accontabengage in training, meet or own s

needs, and impact an entire cit

region. We can accomplis ar m

togeter tan we can apart.

5. moNEy ANd RESouRCESome ose crces ave abando

giving mone or resorces to mis

Becase te rigtl believe tat

titing is not a New Testament prac

We must

get the big

picture of

gods main

purpose for

us locally,regionally,

and globally.


6/17

te wrongl conclde te do not need

to give at all. Conseqentl, man tings

God wants accomplised get delaed.

Bt, tere is a better wa! hose

crces tat wis to make a dierence

mst take te locks o teir wallets and

give generosl to Gods mission.

Te earl Cristians were tagt

to give gladl. Tere were two grops

o people te mainl gave mone and

resorces to, namel, tose in dire need

(Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35; 1 Cor 16:1-3; 2 Cor

9:1-15) and apostolic workers (Lk 10:7-8;

1 Cor 9:1-18; Pilip 4:10-20).


we mst ask God were e wants s to

give. Eac ose crc or network

sold do several practical tings. Te

sold give mone to teir own bank

accont or mone bag. Te sold

circlate amongst temselves good

teacing resorces sc as books and

videos. Te sold elp te poor and

destitte locall and abroad. Te sold

give inances to apostles and apostolic

projects tat elp ose crces learn,

grow, mltipl, and connect.

6. CuLTuRAL CoNTEXTSome ose crces are completel

ninterested in (or naware o ) te

economic, religios, pilosopical,

lingistic, political, artistic, and

tecnological actors tat sape teir

cltre. So, teir attempts at impacting

non-believers and reacing crc

drop-ots are ineective. Bt, tere is

a better wa! hose crces tat want

to inlence people mst be stdents o,

and participants in, mainstream cltre

(except, o corse, witot sinning).

Te earl Cristians related te good

news o Jess sing cltrall relevant

metods (1 Cor 9:19-23). To ellow Jews,

Peter wold retell te amiliar stor o

Gods dealings wit te people o Israel

and ow Jess was te lillment o

tat drama (Acts 2:14-41, 3:11-26). To

pilosopical Atenians, Pal elt ree to

qote rom pagan religios inscriptions

and poets to make is argment (Acts

17:16-34). Jess, too, told simple stories

abot dail lie to ordinar people (Mt

13:1-52), wile debating teolog wit

religios leaders (Mk 12:13-40).

As ose crces toda, tereore, we

mst engage societ in relevant was and

live liestles tat oters can relate to.

have we seen te latest poplar movie?

Do we know abot te economic isses

saping or da? have we stdied te

worlds religions and clts? I so, we will

be mc more eective.

7. THE LoRd oF TImESome ose crc people want to grow

and mltipl easil and qickl.

is an nderstandable and noble de

Bt, wen te discover tat God o

takes a long time to do tings, te

Tese olks are not tre world-cang

Mabe te are not actall calle

God to te work. Mabe te are i

pragmatists wit little real convic

Mabe te are immatre believers.

tere is a better wa! hose cr

mst recognize tat or God is te L

o Time wo oten takes longer to

is plans into action tan we somet

expect or want im to.

Abraam waited 25 ears beore

lilled is promise o giving im a

Moses spent 40 ears in exile ten

seep beore God called im to

Israel rom Egptian bondage. D

waited 17 ears ater is anointing b

propet Samel beore becoming kJess spent 30 ears in obscrit be

lancing is pblic ministr. Pal

to wait over 10 ears ater is conver

beore actall being sent as an ap

to te Gentile world.


we mst be in tis or te long a

we are to see God irml establis

oseold strateg among all

nations o te world.

8. bLood, SWEAT, ANd TEASome ose crc people are absol

nprepared to endre te neces

ardsips and do wat it takes to see

accomplis is prposes trog t

Te will onl be involved i pers

sacriice is not reqired. Bt, tere

better wa! hose crces tat wa

prodce qalit disciples o Crist m

be read to be reined b te ire.

Jess and is earl ollowers k

tis well. Te spilt teir bloodte were psicall persected

civil atorities, religios leaders,

lnc mobs trog arrests, tr

imprisonments, beatings, stonings,

assassination attempts (Jn 19:1-30;

4:1-7, 5:17-27, 7:54-60, 8:1-3, 19:2

23:12-22; 2 Cor 11:23-25). Te po

teir sweat rom te ard wor

praing, evangelizing, ealing, teac

traveling, battling psical ard

and persisting in teir concern or

FALL 25


7/17RFISH FILESFISH FILES

crces (Mk 3:20; Lk 6:12, 8:1, 9:6;

Acts 1:14; 2 Cor 11:23,26-28). Te

sed teir tears as te were denied,

betraed, abandoned, and criticized b

amil, riends, and ellow Cristians

(Mt 10:34-37; Mk 3:21, 6:1-4; Jn 6:66,

18:1-3, 18:25-27; 2 Cor 10:10; Pilip 1:15-

17; 2 Tim 4:10,16).

As ose crces toda, tereore, we mst be read to expend blood,

sweat, and tears, or God is asking s to

elp repair te broken ondations o

is crc to reac is broken world.

9. LASER bEAm FoCuSSome ose crc people are not ll

engaged and are not ll committed

to Gods agenda. Te are dabblers.

Te are sometimes too distracted b

obbies, ambitions, sinl abits, and

participation in oter good instittional

crc ministries. Bt, tere is a better

wa! We mst ll dedicate or time,

energ, abilities, passions, resorces,

and even lie-decisions into te local,

regional, and global ose crc

movement tat God is raising p toda.

Anone wo pts oter relationsips

aead o ollowing Jess cannot be is

disciple (Lk 14:26). Anone wo pts

teir and to te plow and keeps looking

back is not it or te kingdom (Lk 9:62).

Anone wo does not cont te cost

beore embarking on a new ventre

will oten ail (Lk 14:28-30). Anone

wo allows te worries, rices, and

pleasres o tis lie to dominate tem

will never bear rit (Lk 8:14). Anone

wo perpetall practices sin will get

entangled and enslaved (Jn 8:34-36; heb

12:1-2; 1 Jn 1:6-10, 5:18).

As ose crces toda, tereore, we mst ocs like a laser beam on te

speciic task God as or s. We mst

never allow te good tings in lie to

replace te God tings in lie. We mst

sweep aside anting tat wold slow s

down. We mst rn te race to win.

10. PERSoNAL CALLINgSome ose crc believers ave not

been geninel called b te Spirit to

get involved in tis new, et ancient, wa o being te crc. Mabe te

are jst looking or qick crc growt

reslts. Mabe te jst want to ollow

te latest Cristian trend. Mabe te

jst want a platorm or teir personal

ministr. Mabe te are jst reacting to

past emotional rts rom instittional

crces. Mabe te are jst looking

or a comortable ellowsip to belong

to. Bt, tere is a better wa! hose

crces sold gentl encorage teir

members to do some real sol searc

beore God to igre ot i te r

sold be involved at all.

Noa was called to elp save a rem

rom te lood o jdgment (Gen

22). Moses was called to elp delive

hebrews rom Egptian slaver (E

3:10). Gideon was called to deliver G

people rom te Midianites (J6:14). Jess was called to resce te w

rom te spirital darkness o sin b

sacriicial deat on te cross (Jon 3

Pal was called to be te cie ap

to te Gentiles (Acts 9:15-17, 13

And onl becase te were gen

invited b te Spirit to pt teir an

te task did te lill teir mission


we mst be 100% sre tat te S

as trl smmoned s personall t

wat we are doing. I we are nsall, we ma indeed be messing ting

So, we ad better get into or prove

praer closets and sta tere ntil w

an answer one wa or anoter. Onl

will we be able to endre te trials

accomplis te tasks tat la aead.

Ma Jess Crist contine to ge

spotless Bride read and allow s to w

war in is ol revoltionar str

Amen.

We must focus

like a laser

beam on the

specific task

god has for us.

We must never

alloW the good

things in life toreplace the god

things in life.


8/17FALL 27

in a survey of 255 house churches in the u.s.a. --

146 (r 57%) ha aptie at least 1 persn in the preis ear

123 (r 48%) ha plante at least 1 new hse chrch in the preis 3 ears

Ratis f this sie ataticall place these [hse] chrches an the st

effectie eanelistic chrches[an] in the hihest cater f chrches plantin

chrches in Nrth Aerica.

(Srce: J.d. Pane, missional House Churches, 2007)

starfish stats


9/17RFISH FILESRFISH FILES

Te organic

o s e

c r c

movement is

making stead

progress in B.C.,

bt tere is mc

work to do. Several o s attendedte Jne 2009 Stars conerence in

Newmarket, ON, were Frank Viola

was te main speaker.

Te conerence was excellent.

Rand Woll and I were privileged

to meet Ron and Larel Kellington

rom Mission, BC. Networks reqire

connections, and tis was srel

arranged b te Lord!

Te Kellingtons organized a

conerence in Mission, BC, in Jl2009, eatring Milt Rodrigez, an

associate o Frank Violas. Abot 60

olks attended. A nmber o ose

crces cold be starting in te

atermat in Abbotsord, Kelowna,

Mission, Prince George, and Victoria.

We also need to pra or Vancover. It

is one o te most igl seclarized

regions in te province and mabe

te contr.

Please pra or Rand and LoreWoll and teir tree kids as te

ead o or a 9-mont missionar

assignment in Tailand starting in

September 2009. I o eel led to

elp wit expenses, o can donate at

www.powertocange.org and speci

Woll (980 680).

8

CRoSS CANAdAbRITISH CoLumbIAGord Coulson (Vancouver, BC)

homechristian @gmail.com

On Jl 23,

2009, te

A l b e r t a

hose Crc

Network once

again gatered in

Red Deer or or

bi-montl cat, plan, and dream.usall 6 to 8 olks come rom

Calgar, Edmonton, and Red Deer.

We ave penciled in October 2009

to rn Albertas rst provincial ose

crc smmit (No, tis isnt te G8;

its more te hC8).

Wit Bob Carroll rom Edmonton

bringing mc o te impets, we

talked trog or expectations.

Te goal will be to bring awareness

to tose testing te waters and toempower tose alread engaged.

Between 40 and 60 people are

expected to attend.

One o te main topics on or

agenda is intercession or Alberta.

One weakness I ave observed in

ose crc networks is te lack o

praer, spirital warare, and asting.

I we are to see tis movement grow

in Alberta and across Canada, we

mst ear wat God is saing.I tis Alberta network is to grow

and oris, we also need to move

rom talking abot cross-pollination

o ministries to actall doing it.

Onl ten will networking not be

misinterpreted as not working.

Please pra or Gods work in tis

province.

ALbERTATerry Johns (Red Deer, AB)[email protected]

www.reddeerhousechurch.com

On t a r i o

s i m p l

o s

crc movemen

is emerging rom

sea o praers, tear

sweat, md, an

blood. Tere as been a cost!In recent ears, ver loos

connections ave been ormin

between ose crces. We a

invested in relationsips trog

tink tanks, visits, emails, pon

calls, and weekend retreats.

Conseqentl, te province-wid

links are starting to oster mor

coesive cit-based networks o

ose crces tat want to partne

togeter practicall to impact tearea wit te good news o Jess.

Tere is now a Golden Triangl

network linking leaders rom Baden

Cambridge, Gelp, Kitcener, an

Waterloo. A Metro Toronto networ

o a dozen leaders now meets ever

6 weeks. Leaders are clstering rom

te hamilton, Norolk, and Niagar

region. Te Barrie-area and Trenton

area networks are pressing on. An

preliminar links are being orged ite greater Ottawa region.

All told, tere are at least 30 town

were tere is a ose o peac

tat wants to start a work (Lk 10:1

11), a nctioning ose crc (Rom

16:3-5), or a ll-blown ose crc

network (Acts 2:41-47; 20:20). Let

contine to stand in te gap or eac

anoter!

oNTARIoRad Zdero (Mississauga, ON)[email protected]


10/17

In recent ears inte Maritimes(Canadas east

coast), some o save been concernedprimaril wit or ownatonomos ose

ellowsips. Beginningin te New year, I elt an increasingdesire to gater wit oters aving asimilar eartbeat. Te need to developa network o ose crces seemedpressing.

Two ome ellowsips began recentlin Woodstock, NB. We elped plantanoter in Carribo, Maine. Anoterin Saint Jon, NB, is orising. Eacellowsip as sent representatives toorm a regional resorce team. Tis

team does not nction ierarcicall,bt exists or mtal encoragement andplanning o regional gaterings.

We ave ad two regional teammeetings so ar and ond tem to beqite elpl. We are planning a tretime to bring all 5 ose crcestogeter or ellowsip and saring ameal, as well as regional worksops oncoacing and redemptive listening.We are also linking wit olks in NS andPEI.

Cell and celebration. Local andregional. Micro and macro. One witotte oter is like tring to wit onl one

wing. We need to get to know oters inor varios regions. Once relationsipsare establised, larger gaterings andstrategic partnersips will be mc morenatral and ritl.

Jess is coming back. Will we as isBride be read?

THE mARITImESMike Maclean (Fredericton, NB)[email protected]

CHECK-uP

Te Stars team acilitated te recent Canadia

National hose Crc Conerence. Tere wer

214 people rom 7 Canadian provinces and 3 u

states. Te gatering was eld in Newmarket, ON, o

Jne 26-27, 2009. Newmarket Alliance Crc graciosl

partnered wit s to pll o te event, wic oere

an opportnit to ear rom Frank Viola, one o t

messengers at te oreront o te organic crc movement.

Ator o works like Pagan Cristianityand Reimagining Crc, Viol

set te stage on Frida nigt wit a clarion call b raising vital concern

abot te movement in Nort America tat were sobering to man.

Frank pointed ot on Satrda tat te ondation o organic lie wa

te Godead and Gods eternal prpose to nd a Bride or is Son. he spok

abot leadersip as participating togeter trog ollowersip o Cris

he reminded s tat crc planting was reall abot seeing te Lord birt

a new commnit. Frank displaed great milit in is interactions.

Te Stars team (Sam Bick, Ed Peng, Al Remle, Marc Wrigt, an

Rad Zdero) also sared abot te great need or networking, otreac

orgiveness, persistence, grace, and vision.

Participation was encoraged trog small grop table talk, a Q/

time, lots o breaks, and lnc. Strong relationsips were begn and existinones were strengtened.

Ma we take te next steps boldl across tis nation as Crist leads s!

2009 NATIoNAL CoNFERENCESam Buick, (Waterloo, ON) | [email protected]

bRITISH CoLumbIA

Gord Colson (Vancover)

[email protected]

Ric Finla (Okanagan Valle)

[email protected]

Ron/Larel Kellington (Mission)

[email protected] Wiebe (Srre)

[email protected]

ALbERTA

Terr/Cristine Jons (Red Deer)

[email protected]

Jon Pritcard (Calgar)

[email protected]

Rob Ross (Calgar)

[email protected]

mANITobA

Ken/Valerie Stade (Winnipeg)

[email protected]

oNTARIo

Sam/Lori Bick (Waterloo)

[email protected]

Marc/Cristina Wrigt (Ottawa)

[email protected]

Rad Zdero (Toronto/Mississaga)

[email protected]

QuEbEC

Donald/Lorraine Gingras (Montreal)

[email protected]

Clade Massana (Qebec Cit)

[email protected]

THE mARITImES

Rik Berr (Nova Scotia)

[email protected]

Mike/Anne Maclean (New Brnswick)

[email protected]

CANAdIAN CoNNEXIoNS


11/17RFISH FILESRFISH FILES10

REACHINg STudENTS

FoR CHRISTD

nnvi l le

is a small

town in

sotern Ontario

(Canada). Te

residents enjo a

vibrant downtown

core were greetings and eas catter

are te norm. Accepting a teacing

position ere 27 ears ago, it as been

m ome ever since.

In Marc 2009, or ose crc was discssing te teme, Find ot

were God is working, wen a knock

came to te door. A crios neigbor

wanted to join in on or meeting. We

discovered e was beriending some

stdents rom Cina. he and is wie

ad alread extended teir ospitalit

to tem in marvelos was.

W were tese stdents rom

Cina now living in Dnville o all

places? Well, a somewat dbios

claim to ame as been an inactiveairport wic was sed as a training

centre or pilots dring World War

II. Te government o Cina sent

tese stdents to Dnnville were

te wold receive pilot training.

Altog liestle evangelism

was or neigbors preerred

metod, e wold not neglect to tell

tem is togts abot God. Sall

I keep going, e wold ask, tell o

more, or do o want me to stop?

No, no, tell s more, te stdents

wold repl.

We began discssing was we cold

reac ot to tese stdents in a more

proactive wa. As te discssion

contined and entsiasm monted,

it was soon apparent to everone tat

God ad an agenda, and we needed to

get on board.

God immediatel began to pt his

plan into action. Or ose crc

resolved to pt on a dinner o pancakes

and sasages. Te local Baptist crc

in town oered teir acilities. One o

te members o or ose crc was

given a 10 pond bag o pancake mix.

We also obtained a Mandarin langage

version o Te Jess Film rom a

riend in anoter ose crc.

Someone else donated $100 towards

or ood. Anoter

person made a blk

prcase o sasages and donated

teir expertise wit sond and video

eqipment. One o or ose crc

members obtained 300 gospel tracts

in te Mandarin langage.

Wats more, a Cinese Crc

in Toronto agreed to send a team o

6 people to lead in praise songs and

personal testimonies. Te word went

ot trog te grapevine to

Cinese pilots. And we praed.

Te ollowing Satrda nigt

swarm o 70 ong and energe

Cinese stdents arrived. T

Jess video started, bt tere wa

restlessness in te all. B te ti

te video ended two ors lat

tere were onl abot 35 to 40 peo

let. however, we elt te and

te Lord was still orcestrating

proceedings.A testimon was given. And te

went silent. Te ong Cinese pil

were visibl moved. Ten a o

Cinese girl rom Tndale Bi

College gave er testimon, ollow

it p wit a timel altar call. Follow

er appeal, 7 ong men respond

to te gospel, going orward

praer and dedication.

One o te converts w

immediatel convicted o

idol tat e ad worn arond neck or 15 ears. A tire iron w

secred. Laing te idol o

a crb in te parking lot, a

raising te iron above is e

tis ong man smased te a

god, reeing im rom bondage a

into a new ond libert in Crist.

Te Cinese Crc team were

activel speaking and praing w

tose wo were still seated at

tables doing ollow-p on te vid

and testimonies.

Or small ose crc w

privileged to see God at work. G

sed not onl s, bt oters we rea

did not even know rom te Bod

Crist to reac te stdents.

We looked were God was work

and responded ot o obedience. A

God did te rest.

AReportByTerryMaclean,(Dunnville,ON

[email protected]


12/17FALL 211

action pageFoCuS

on living in such a way that Jesus message

is clearly expressed through our lives. We

can trust God to do the rest.

LovEgenerously, genuinely, and with no

strings attached.

CHooSEan activity you

can do as a

house church.

LIvEas a participant in the natural activities

of culture while maintaining lines of clear

conscience and non-compromise.

bRAINSToRmand pray for specific ideas about

living on mission. For example

Adopt a park. Adopt a family. Help

a neighbour. Start a storytellers

group. Donate to a food bank.Volunteer at a homeless shelter.

goand just do it.

FoLLoW-uPthe activity with a meeting as a group to prayerfully

determine what worked and what did not.

REAd Hugh Halter and Matt Smays book The Tangible Kingdom:Creating Incarnationa l Community.

LEAvE your comfortable Christian activities, goutside your comfort zone, and take thtime to build and invest in relationships

with those around you like workmates

neighbours, and students.

LISTEN

in a way that

demonstrates

sincere

interest inothers.

HouSE CHuRCH Rob Ross (Calgary, oikosministries@sha


13/17RFISH FILES

Victor Choudhrie

INDIA

vchoudhrie @gmail.com

Victor is a key leader in India who has helped

plant tens o thousands o house churches since

the early 1990s. He is a ormer cancer surgeon

and is a ellow o the Royal College o Surgeons in

the UK and the American College o Surgeons. He

is also the author o the book Greet the Ekklesiain Your House.

tere is a major arvest being reaped in

India toda. Over 250,000 new believers

ave been baptized rom abot Janar to

Marc 2009.

Tere are tosands more we ave not

incorporated, as we are not sre tat te

went trog proper repentance.

God gave s te vision to move to te next

level and reap a arvest o at least 100,000

sols, wic as been ar srpassed.M wie Bind and I went to man distant

places and sared te vision wit grassroots

people. Man partners in te gospel asted

and praed. I also asted or 2 monts, te last

11 das on total ast were I jst lived on water

and noting else.

We ave sited rom tinking small to

tinking big. Tose wo sed to baptize ten

are tinking in ndreds, and tose wo

were in te ndreds categor are tinking in

tosands, and tose wo were in te tosand

mindset are planning in tens o tosandsWe praise God or tis great cange in

paradigm. Women plaed a great role in

Tis as annoed some o te tradit

pastors.

Now we mst go to te next level and

tem into ose crces and matre

so tat te can bring tirtold, sixt

and even ndredold rit.

We need to make sre tat eac

believer as a New Testament. We ms

train ndreds o master trainers to

mltiple generations o disciples. I o

an srpls mone, please do not orgsend it tis wa. Tis is rgent.

Tanks to all wo spport s trog p

and practical spport. We want to de

yesa Messia te King o tis nat

or generation.

(Editors noteTo send a non-tax dedu

git, please make cheque out to S

Network, put Project India in memo line

mail to Rad Zdero, PO Box 39528, Lakeshor

Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5G-4S6.)

Or ose

crces are o-

ten comprised o believers (and opell

some seekers too) rom

varios backgronds,

rom te mainstream to

te ringe. Qestions o

doctrine will ndobtedl emerge. At

times, serios doctrinal error mst be

dealt wit ead on (2 Tim 2:14-26; Tit

1:9-16). Bt, ow can we sta nited in

Crist and avoid destrctive debates

over secondar isses or teological

speclation?

One strateg is to ignore te prob-

lem. Tis is based on ear. Like a ds-

nctional amil, no one likes talking

abot so-and-sos drinking problem.

We pretend everting is peac, bt

we walk on eggsells. Tere is little

spontaneos love or creativit. It will

not take mc or tis amil (or ose

crc) to nravel. Obviosl, tis isnot a good soltion. We need to talk

abot it.

Anoter strateg is to control te

problem. Tis is also based on ear.

To preserve trt, man Cristian or-

ganizations, crces, denominations,

and movements ofciall adopt a bind-

ing doctrinal statement. Te Nicene

Creed, or example, as saped mc

o Cristian togt over te cen-

tries. Altog not wrong in tem-

selves, creeds do not ll work eiter,

since bad beavior and bad teolog

abond even among tose bodies tat

ave adopted creeds.

Frank Viola, in Reimagining Church,

wisel writes tat, Te indwelling lie

o Jess Crist is te onl reqirement

or te nit o te Spirit... te ac

tat Crist dwells in tem obligates

s to accept tem as amil members(p.128-9).

Rater tan ignoring or controlling

te problem, we can look to Jess or

nit. I we sta in te vine (Jon

15:5), and remain mble and teac-

able, or lives and belies sold be

conormed to is over time.

however, or man Cristians, doc-

trinal disptes cannot be set aside so

easil. We grow ond o certain teac

ings or practices we eel are crcial

Peraps tese belies, to some extent

dene s. And in or need to deend

tem, we nwittingl divide te Bod

o Crist.

Bt, wat does te Bible explicitly sa

we mst believe to be saved? In Part 2

we will drill down and see.

RFISH FILES12

good doCTRINEIN THE HouSE?

IS THEREPART 1: WHATS THE PRobLEm?

by goRd CouLSoN

[email protected]

field report FRom INdIAS HARvEST FIELdS


14/17

byRAD [email protected]

Local leaders

are unpaid

volunteers

...which really

just means

theres nomoney in it

for you!..

Thats it forme folks.

Youre tookind. Im

here all

week!

. .

Hello! Am I the only

one here who thinksthis is areallybadidea?!

.

.

Themeetings are

interactive

...which really

just means you

never get aword in

edgewise!

. .

Apparently,

people come

over toyourhouse

whichreally just

means youhave to

clean up

someone

elsesmess

when theyleave!

. .

Its just like

when my uncle

Morty and hisfriends come to

my house

for dinner

uninvited and

unannounced!

..

And house

churches are

spreading

around theworld like

a virus!

A virus!!!

That cant

be good foranyone!

..

Whats the

deal with

housechurches?

Have

you

heardabout

this?

. .

R

EvoLu

TIoN

13 FALL 2

KomIX

BY

RAD

ZDERO

RZDERO

@YAHOO.


15/17

Te Crc was rst establised and organ-ized wit a worldwide mission or a world-

wide work. It was a living organism com-

posed o living sols deriving teir lie rom

Crist... It was an organism wic grew b

its own spontaneos activit, te expression

o tat lie wic it ad in nion wit Crist,

te Savior.

Te rapid and wide expansion o te

Crc in te earl centries was de in te

rst place mainl to te spontaneos activ-

it o individals. [Te] natral instinct to

sare wit oters a new-ond jo, strengt-

ened and enligtened b te Divine Grace oCrist, te Savior, inevitabl tends to impel

men to propagate te Gospel.

Te names o a ew great Apostles were

known to te wole Crc; bt te rst

teacers o te majorit o te Cristians

were probabl nknown to an bt tose

wom te ad qietl inencedTs

as men moved abot tere were constantl

springing p new grops o Cristians in di-

erent places.

Te Crc expanded simpl b organ-

izing tese little grops as te were con-

verted, anding on to tem te organizationwic se ad received rom er rst ond-

ers. It was itsel a nit composed o a ml-

titde o little Crces an one o wic

cold propagate itsel, and conseqentl te

reception o an new grop o Cristians

was a ver simple matter. B a simple act

te new grop was brogt into te nit o

te Crc, and eqipped, as its predeces-

sors ad been eqipped, not onl wit all

te spirital power and atorit necessar

or its own lie as an organized nit, bt also

wit all te atorit needed to repeat te

same process wenever one o its members

migt convert men in an new village or

town.

Te spontaneos expansion o te

Crc redced to its elements is a ver

simple ting. It asks or no elaborate organi-

zation, no large nances, no great nmbers

o paid missionaries. In its beginning it ma

be te work o one man, and tat a man nei-

ter learned in te tings o tis world, nor

ric in te wealt o tis world.

Te organization o a little Crc on te

Apostolic model is also extremel simple,

and te most illiterate converts can se it,

and te poorest are sfcientl wealt tomaintain it. Onl as it grows and spreads

trog large provinces and contries do

an complex qestions arise, and te arise

onl as a Crc composed o man little

Crces is able to prodce leaders pre-

pared to andle tem b experience learned

in te smaller tings.

No one, ten, wo eels witin imsel

te call o Crist to embark on sc a pat

as tis need sa, I am too ignorant, I am too

inexperienced, I ave too little inence,

or I ave not sfcient resorces. Te rst

apostles o Crist were in te ees o te

world nlearned and ignorant men: it was

not ntil te Crc ad endred a perse-

ction and ad grown largel in nmbers

tat Crist called a learned man to be his

Apostle.

Te missionaries wo spread te Gos-

pel and establised te Crc trogot

te lands rond te Mediterranean are not

known to s as men o great learning or abil-

it. Most o tem are not known b name at

all. Onl wen te Crc ad been estab-lised and ad spread widel did Crist call

te great doctors wose names are amiliar

to s b teir writings, or b teir great pow-

ers o organization and government.

Wat is necessar is ait. Wat is needed

is te kind o ait wic, niting a man to

Crist, sets im on re. Sc a man can be-

lieve tat oters nding Crist will be set

on re also. Sc a man can see tat tere

is no need o mone to ll a continent wit

te knowledge o Crist. Sc a man can see

tat all tat is reqired to consolidate and

establis tat expansion is te simple ap-plication o te simple organization o te

Crc. It is to men wo know tat ait,

wo see tat vision, tat I appeal. Let tem

jdge wat I ave written (Roland Allen, The

Spontaneous Expansion o the Church, 1927).

What is needed is thekind of faith which,

uniting a man to Christ,sets him on fire.

RFISH FILES14

KICKIN IT

RoLANd ALLEN (1868-1947)infuential writer and apostolic leader

Roland Allen trained or ministry at Oxord and became an Anglican priest in 1893. He had two

stints in northern China working or the Society or the Propagation o the Gospel. These early

dicult experiences caused him to undergo a shit in his understanding o strategies commonly

used to spread the gospel versus those he saw in the New Testament. He became an advocate o

sel-supporting, sel-propagating, and sel-governing churches that adapted to local conditions,

rather than being merely imitations o western-style Christianity. Near the end o his lie, he

became disillusioned with the established churches o his day, believing that his ideas would be

better received by uture generations. His books Missionary Methods: St. Pauls or Ours? (1912)

and The Spontaneous Expansion o the Church (1927) have become infuential classics.


16/17

THE goSPEL oF LENIN?

EdIToRS CommENTS

Te sccess o te revoltion

is te spreme law! Now,

ntil o can sa tat

comradeand mean itistor will ave

no se or o! So said Vladimir Lenin, te

onding ater o te Rssian commnist

state, in te BBC television drama Fall o

Eagles. It was wit distrbed ascination

tat I irst watced tis program tat

retold te stor o te gradal demise o

te Eropean monarcies o German, Astria-hngar, and Rssia in te late

19t and earl 20t centr. In teir place

emerged a new world invigorated b new

ideologies tat promised eqalit, libert,

and raternit. As well as work, land, and

bread!

Among tose wo attempted to

overtrn te oppressive and sel-

indlgent political establisments o

te da were te Marxists, te most

sccessl sbgrop o Commnists. In

Rssia, as in oter contries o Erope,

radicals were gripped b te writings o

Marx, Cernsevski, and Plekanov.

Among teir leaders was te ier and

intelligent ong law stdent Vladimir

Ilic ulanov, best known to te world as

Lenin.

Some aspects o Commnism (and

Capitalism) are certainl in direct

contradiction to Cristian ait. Bt, m

own researc into te actal personalities

and events o te time ave led me to

believe tat tere are man positive and

negative lessons we can learn as a Crist-

powered ose crc movement rom

te gospel o Lenin.

LENIN SINgLE-mINdEdLy dEdICATEd

HIS LIFE To THE REvoLuTIoN . A political

adversar once said o Lenin tat teres

no sc person wo is so preoccpied

twent-or ors a da wit revoltion,

wo tinks no oter togts except

tose abot revoltion and wo even

dreams in is sleep abot revoltion.

he wold eventall strip imsel o

personal obbiessc as listening

to Beetoven, reading Latin classics,

plaing cess, and ice skatingtat were

taking too mc time and energ awa

rom is revoltionar role. Altog

e did marr, romantic relationsips

were o secondar importance.

LENIN AggRESSIvELy SPREAd THE IdEAS

oF THE REvoLuTIoN. he organized and

met wit secret ome std grops. he

wrote nmeros articles, pamplets, and

books to disseminate is ideas to a wide

adience, bt primaril to is ellow

Marxists. he even tried to gain a earing

among labor nions, stdent grops,

and oters oppressed b te government.

LENIN buILT A CoHESIvE NETWoRK oF

FIERCELy dEvoTEd LEAdERS oF THE

REvoLuTIoN. Give s an organization

o revoltionaries, e once wrote, and

well trn all Rssia pside down!

Tose or wom revoltion was a mere

obb, te latest trend to join, or a

convenient activit to engage in were

never going to cange te world. Onl

a small ncles o radicals tat was

organized and disciplined cold catalze

a movement to accomplis te mission.

LENIN WoRKEd PERSISTENTLy WHILE H

WAITEd PATIENTLy FoR THE REvoLuTIo

It was 30 ears rom te time o te on

Lenins initial interest in radical politi

in 1887 to te Rssian revoltion

October 1917 tat saw im come to pow

as Rssias ead o state. Dring to

man ears, Lenin nderwent arrest

exiles, conlict wit colleages, inanci

trobles, and a ost o ealt problem

Bt, e never stopped speaking, stdin writing, networking, orga

traveling, and agitating or cang

LENIN, HoWEvER, dId HAvE mAJo

CHARACTER FLAWS. he cold be

domineering bll. he was argmentativ

and rde and wold mock is opponent

he gave no togt to personal loalti

and qickl prged nreliable peop

rom te emerging movement. he w

a workaolic and ad an extramarit

aair. he was an ardent ateis

And ater e took oicial carge

te Rssian empire in 1917, e se

brtal orce against is own peop

Even so, someting abot te ear

Marxist movement in Rssia resonat

wit me. I sometimes wonder ow t

world wold be dierent toda ad Len

become a Crist-ollower. Pt simpl, t

kind o dedication, discipline, and delibe

ateness Lenin and oter radicals sowe

in prsing teir manistic topia p

man o s Cristians toda to sam

how mc more so sold we as o

lowers o Cristilled wit te ve

spirit o te Living God and armed wit

te tre Gospelbe passionate, persis

ent, patient, and practical in reacing t

world or Crist and seeing te kingdo

o God establised among te nations!

Rad Zdero (Mississauga, ON)

[email protected]

15 FALL


17/17

FREE e-BOOK

Biblicalanalysis.

Archaeologicaldiscoveries.

Manuscriptevidence.

Perfectforskepticsandseekers

Packedwithgraphs,stats,photos

Idealforthosewhoarevisuallearners

8.5inchx11inchsize(printerfriendly)

25pages

DownloadfromtheResourcessectiona

www.housechurch.ca

ABOUT THE AUTHORRAD ZDERO earned his Ph.D. in Mechanic

Engineering, specializing

orthopaedic biomechanic

He is currently the direct

of a hospital-based resear

lab in Toronto. Rad has be

involved in the house chur

and small group movemesince 1985 and is committed

the full restoration of original New Testame

Christianity in our day. He is the author ofT

Global House Church Movement (2004) a

the allegorical novel Entopia: Revolution of t

Ants(2008). He is also the editor ofNexus: T

World House Church Movement Reader (200

and The Starfish Fileshouse church magazin

He lives just outside Toronto, Canada.

TRIbES:We Nee y T

Lea us

by Seth Godin

RECommENdEd

READING

SAvE ouR STARFISH!The STARFISH FILES magazine needs your

stories, poems, photos, practical teachings, book

reviews, and artwork. Financial support is also

needed to pay for design and printing costs.Please make a cheque out to Starfsh Network

with Starfsh Files in the memo line. Send to:

RAd zdERo (EdIToR)P.o. boX 39528LAKESHoRE P.o.mISSISSAugA, oNCANAdA, [email protected]

THE STARFISH ANd

THE SPIdER:

The unstppale

Pwer f Leaerless

oraniatins

by Ori Braman andRod Beckstrom

SOS!

dear starfish reader ! please enjoy this latest issue of

Documents