Three Is Enough

Concerning our growth as followers of Jesus, there is an essential, non-negotiable connection between our inner growth (pray and grow in TiE terms) and our outward focus (serve). In my experience, when there is a disconnect, it usually happens from one side not the other. It usually comes from an innocent, unintended over-focus on inner work.

Inner work can change our heart for outsiders, the least and the lost. But our hands, our embodiment of the Gospel of the Kingdom changes from activity, from practice. I’ve seen in my life and in the lives of others, that my heart does not always get expressed—for a lot of reasons: fear, awkwardness, inexperience and shame just to name a few.

But, the reverse is not normally true. Being outward rarely fails to change our hearts. How can our hearts not be affected by tragedy and needs of various kinds? Thus, in our TiE Groups it is vital that we keep an outward, “otherly” practice. 

When it comes to connecting our inner life with an outward focus, I like the way one church leader from The River Church puts it: It’s better to be ankle-deep in application than neck-deep in theology.

Churches are beginning to use TiE Groups as their approach to discipleship and evangelism.

Below is a letter I gave to one such church to use in their brochure.

Dear TiE Group Member,

Thank you so much for participating in a TiE Group!

There are two really crucial underpinnings for TiE Groups. One is theological and one is practical.

The big idea about God (theology) and his relationship with us is this: heaven is real, but it is the destination, not the goal. The goal of Christianity is spiritual transformation into Christlikeness for the sake of serving others as ambassadors of Christ’s kingdom. The practices associated with TiE Groups give us a way to enter into and live out that reality.

The practical contribution of TiE Groups is that they locate both our discipleship and missional engagement with the world in the routines and rhythms of our actual exiting life. Many sincere attempts at discipleship have been frustrated by trying to make discipleship work in what we might call pseudo, temporary community—that limiting them to church and traditional small groups. Hold on now—I am not condemning churches and small groups! For all the good they do—and they do a lot—they are limited by space and time. In terms of time, the average Christian only spends 1 – 3 hours per week at church and home group. In terms of space, church is not where we have our most organic community.

For most of us, and this is the practical contribution of TiE Groups, our most organic, natural community is at work, school, hobby, places of residence, etc. Community, by definition, implies unplanned for, routine contact. The kind of connections you have over cubicles, or passing colleagues in hallways, elevates, parking garages, etc.

Neither our own discipleship, nor serving others can be something we add to an already over-busy, over-indebted and over-scheduled life. We must find God, discipleship and mission within the available routines of our present life. TiE Groups point us down that path and give us some tips to get us started.

My prayer is that through participation in a TiE Group you will go on what the Church of Savior in Washington, DC calls the journey inward and the journey outward; that you will grow inwardly as your life increasingly aligns with God’s purpose for you; and that others around you will experience your growth as for their good—the journey outward.

I’d love for you to share your stories on the TiE blog at www.3isenough.org. Also, please feel free to contact me on our contact page www.3isenough.org/contact-us.

The peace and power of the kingdom to you as you go on the journey.

Todd Hunter

Okay, let’s just admit it, so far I am a total failure at living up my several blog-posts per week pledge. I am just like the person saying they are going on a diet—only to raid the fridge that very night!

I do have some excuses: I’ve been traveling a great deal; I am finishing one book with IVP and starting a second. I’ve also been occupied getting all the legal non-profit issues finished for SFKL.

On the fun side, my TiE Group is having an enlightening time reading Dallas Willard’s Hearing God.

Hear is our favorite quote from last week:

…we demean God immeasurably by casting him in the role of the cosmic boss, foreman or autocrat, whose chief joy in relation to humans is ordering them around, taking pleasure in seeing them jump at his command and painstakingly noting down any failures. Instead we are to be God’s friends (2 Chron. 20.7; John 15.13 – 15) and fellow workers (1 Cor. 3.9).

We’ve noted that we are doing pretty well with the pray part, really good on the grow part, but we are needing to pay more careful attention to, and be more creative about the serving parts.

How about you—what is happening with your TiE Group?

I was traveling the 19^th – 26^th, slammed from early morning to late at night, so I got a little behind posting news.

My trip started in Portland, Oregon with a reunion of sorts: I spoke at the Vineyard Regional Pastors Conference. It was great to see old friends and get to discuss with them the things I care most about: evangelism, mission and spiritual formation in contemporary culture. It is heartening to see a group like Vineyard churches wrestle with these real issues. When a group has recently been on top—Vineyard churches got more press in the 80s and 90s than just about any other group and Vineyard Music was on a roll—it can be hard to change what was a successful recipe. I give these guys big props for not resting on their reputation and going for it again.

I caught an early morning flight from Portland to Chicago to do some Alpha business. I am in an interim period wherein I work for myself. In addition to writing, speaking and adjunct teaching (George Fox Grad School, Wheaton Grad School and Fuller this year), I do some consulting. Alpha is my biggest client. I spend 25% of my time on Alpha-related work. In Chicago we had our semi-annual board meeting, a conference with 1,200 people on the Wheaton Campus, and a strategy meeting with the key Alpha pastors from around America. I still say that if a church is looking for a simple to apply and easy to customize approach to evangelism, I do not know of anything better than The Alpha Course.

While away I got three bits of great news regarding my book—Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others:

• It is slated to be out in January 2009
• Eugene Peterson has given me the high honor of agreeing to write a forward
• IVP is going to do an audio book of CBB which should be out roughly the same time as the paper version.

I am looking forward to the book hitting Amazon and book stores. These months between now and January feel like a long dress rehearsal for Three is Enough. I am speaking virtually every weekend this fall, and about half this summer. My trip around the world in early December is coming together, but still needs some work. I have some mid-week openings the rest of this year if your group would like to hear about the concepts in my book which give rise to TiE.

Peace~