EPL's paradigm shift

Guess what? God is saying the same kind of things to EPL as to Connect Europe. The themes are: transition, storm, refuge with Jesus, being stripped, new foundations, a sense of urgency, giving birth, eagles, the river of God, leading by lifestyle.

Ueli Haldemann shared about the tension he experiences in Switzerland between what Australian prophet David Orton calls 'networking the old' and 'anointing the new'. The two don't go very well together. It's like putting Saul's armor on young David, it's a non-fit. The season we live in requests a new level of working together. What worked fine in the past is simply not sufficient for today or tomorrow. The key to connect people these days is not consensus, but the cross of Christ. We have to humble ourselves, throw down our crowns, die to our own agendas, in order to be raised into a new level of anointing.

In case you're wondering what the picture below is about: it's the fun/joy part of hanging out together. I took it a year ago when we met in Vienna. Ian had just told us that he carries a special anointing to release money for the Kingdom, and as you can see we were all too eager to receive it. :-)

Yesterday evening I gave an interactive presentation on the paradigm shift God is taking us through: from an old-style comprehensive organisation approach to a new organic network approach. I introduced some biotic and sociological principles that helped us to define a new style of working:

1. Intimacy with Christ, hearing from God, prophetic revelation.
2. Strong relationships and DNA ('loving each other deeply', 1 Peter).
3. God's word by God's people at God's designated time and place, with God's power. This sums up what we mean with the word 'kairos'. It's not about just doing good things, but doing what we see the Father do.
4. Flexible hub-type structures (organic vs. control, specific vs. comprehensive).

We decided to make a two-fold investment in the prayer movement in Europe: 'eagle's nest' meetings for key people in the prayer movement to help 'birth' the new moves of God, and a basic structure that helps us to respond pro-actively to 'kairos' opportunities.