The apostolic genius

I'm at Wolfgang Simson's place in Korntal in the Black Forest for an interactive seminar with Afrikaans-Jewish Aussie Alan Hirsch, national director of Forge and co-author of 'The Shaping of Things to Come', one of the best books on church innovation and mission. Alan is a non-assuming guy with some bright insights on what made catalytic, exponentional church growth happen in the first century, and still makes it happen in China today. He calls it 'the apostolic genius', which he presented as a kind of molecular structure consisting of five (indispensable) elements centering on Christ: missional-incarnational impulse, apostolic enviroment, disciple-making, organic systems, and communitas (not community). We interacted on his input with 25 apostolic thinkers and practitioners, which I found truly enriching. Most of these elements I've been teaching on, and Alan's input helped me to fine-tune that.

Comments

[Ross Garner]

so what is the difference between Community and Communitas?

[Marc]

Communitas is the kind of community that is being formed in the context of danger, disorientation and/or liminality, when you're out of your comfort-zone, and experience a truly shared journey. Think of David and his 'mighty men', the Fellowship of the Ring and Band of Brothers. A situation where you really have to depend/rely on each other. Which is probably not exactly the same as your church's house group.

[Marc]

Someone asked me what liminility means. Apology for these new words, but then at least we learn something we didn't know yet, right? ;-) Liminility is an anthropological term and means a state of transition, where people are stuck between normal social roles. Compare it to African initiation rituals where boys are taken into the jungle to become men. Or people in the Bible who spent some time in the desert as a preparation for ministry.