DMM/CPM: Casting Vision, Scattering Pearls

Casting Vision, Scattering Pearls

Recently, my husband and I were asked to facilitate a CPM Exposure, with DMM emphasis, to another missions organization**** **** International Leadership.

The risk of facilitating a CPM Exposure, as they requested, could be compared to obtaining enough controlled exposure to a disease which makes one immune to its affect.

In some sense, we felt akin to the Rodney Dangerfields of the CPM world, or perhaps better put…we saw ourselves as the “expendable crewmen” as in a Star Trek episode. (You know, the ones who were beamed down to the unknown alien territory but were not going to make it out alive!)

And yes, this particular missions agency international leaders were on the whole,  antagonistic. Their comments were rude at times, as they communicated a level of stubbornness as they clung to their “16 years to plant the average non-reproducing traditional church” traditional approach. Thankfully, their International Director was leading the way in trying to move the org to the biblical paradigm of CPM.

We had been prompted by him on a lengthy Skype call prior to our coming to meet with their 80 or so field/regional leaders, mostly over the age of 55 years with an average of 30 years field experience each. Most were male, excepting about 20 or so women. (Most women present were in the capacity of wives, some engaged, some not so much). I met two Team Leaders who were women over women. We were given 80 minute sessions, first in the morning, over a 4 day time frame, to present CPM exposure. We had them do some of the key DBS lessons. We also addressed their objections they carried: Is CPM heretical? What about women in leadership? How can the lost lead? The CPM numbers are exaggerated? We don’t like CPM people we have met? How could this be a healthy church? What about teaching gifting? How could un-qualified (non-theologically trained) people lead these movements?  Doesn’t it take four years+ to train a national to become worthy? Surely this is a fad?

I also met with their key international women's ministry director.(At least they had this in place and that could be good). I spent time just to listen to her passion and vision. She asked how she could lead the women under her in order to become more effective. I walked her through a coaching pattern of discovery style of where she sees the End Vision of what a women on the field in their org will ideally be engaged in as a servant. I asked her about the dreamed of 4th generation indigenous women/households in these UPG areas and what they would look like as followers of Jesus? I then asked her plan of how she would coach them to be that? In their present approach? I then shared with her the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 leadership training of CPM for everyone, from expat to the field indigenous women, to the potential multiplying women. I asked her what approach she presently engaged in order to reproduce field women who are all-in, all engaged, incorporating their various phases of life but intentional in basic 101 of reproducing disciple-making ways that could help with the launch of a CPM. She was riveted upon her present approach of member caring the women, first at a regional level women, then, hoping that would trickle down. However, when I asked her to consider equipping women in her org in the competence (MEWL-MAWL) piece of what Jesus modeled, she was messed with. Hopefully, in good ways. 

Interesting side note, after we had facilitated the DBS First Steps Lesson on What is Church?, the U.S. Director of their org gave an update as a wrap up to the week. In his statements, he recounted that he and the Board of Directors had spent the last year’s time studying the topic What is the Church? He posted on the power point the essential biblical elements their leadership board had found in their year’s worth process of parsing Greek words. The same exact list, which we had just “discovered” from the DBS on What is Church, is what he posted up front. That required a high level of humility for him to basically say, “Here, because of our present paradigm of how we approach what we do, we took a year to hash this around, when, just now in a 1 hour DBS “discovery” of truths in Scripture, we all came up with the same list, together.”

At the end of the week, after my husband and I tag teamed facilitating the times together, we each gave a concluding challenge. Spencer gave the challenge for all in the org and I gave the challenge for the org to make sure that the “boat load” of funding from the “CPM/DMM” minded foundation, which is funding them to set up 5 Regional DMM Trainings in the next year, also prioritizes “vetted child care” so that women get firsthand equipping at these trainings. We also challenged them to ALL come to the DMM trainings and wrestle with Scripture firsthand rather than being an untrained naysayer. (Though we communicated this aspect in softer words) 

They gave us feedback recently and it will be part of their trainings to set up child care, so as to make the norm for women to get the training firsthand.

So, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”, comes to mind here. It is really that simple, at times, to shift paradigms with some initial practical norms which have yet to be challenged largely in the global missions community. “Times, they are a-changing!”. And still, the ethne Persons of Peace and their households are waiting to be found!

May the Lord increase the fold of laborers who choose the hard places. And may the Holy Spirit increase those who are willing to be willing to choose to die to old patterns of doing what we want to do rather than what needs to be done, as well as those who choose to trust the HS to reproduce the simple patterns of Jesus.