Mentoring Teenagers Through Shared Life

While I worked at the Golden Hill Farmer's Market this morning (which has become an incredible context for building new and deeper relationships), Janny hosted a house of teenage girls for brunch. Along with 4 other women from NieuCommunities, Janny has committed to mentoring local teenage girls through a program called Uplift in our neighborhood. Most of the teenagers are low income, come from broken homes and some live in local homeless shelters.

It has been an amazing experience to hear stories of these teenagers being invited into the lives of women who deeply care about them and whose examples are introducing these girls to Jesus for the first time.

I'm so proud of Janny, her huge heart and her endless pursuit of loving those who otherwise wouldn't get to experience it.

These relationships not only reflect central values to our NC apprenticeship, but continue to remind us that God's Kingdom is being made real all around us...and often in the places and lives of the most unexpected.

Road Trips that "Refresh the Soul"

Our NieuCommunties team here in San Diego recently hosted a group of high school students from a church in Seattle. They were here for about a week on what we call a “Road Trip.” A Road Trip is basically an intensive, experiential introduction to our NieuCommunties Apprenticeship (Click here for more details). Although we are able to tailor these to the specific group we are hosting, their main focus serves to give others the opportunity to taste, see, learn and experience what it looks like to follow Jesus by living every day on mission in the context of covenant community as we do here in NieuCommunities.

What did that look like?

• Shared meals in our homes and in local businesses
• Prayer, worship and listening
• Teaching on the life of Jesus and what it looks like to live on his mission EVERYDAY in our local contexts
• Serving and sharing life with the poor and homeless in Golden Hill
• Going on extended prayer walks through the city while listening to the Spirit and seeking Kingdom eyes.
• Trip to Mexico to share in the lives of our brothers and sisters across the border
• Engaging and coming alongside local churches in our neighborhood
• Hearing testimonies of current NieuCommunities Staff and Apprentices

In fact, Janny was able to share of our experience with NieuCommunities since we came on board almost one year ago. It

was so fun for her to able to articulate the hopes, challenges and priceless value this life and ministry has had on each of us.

It was this youth groups “mission trip” and it certainly served as a blessing to our community and neighborhood. But more than anything, it proved to be one of the most transformative experiences of these teenagers’ lives. They realized that to live on mission as a follower of Jesus doesn’t require them to “go” somewhere else to do ministry, but that they have been called to be missionaries right where they live…that the life of a disciple of Jesus requires submission of all aspects of life to the authority of Jesus and the advance of his Kingdom.

As a huge testament to the leadership of our team down here (Janny and Ruby were here, but I was still returning from my recent trip to Israel/Palestine/West Bank), the Senior Pastor of the teenagers’ church said, “I have been on a billion ministry trips, but this one was far and away the best trip I have ever been on." Fighting back tears, he shared what he had seen God do in each of the students this week, and it was huge stuff. Maybe just as significant, was what he shared this week had meant to him. "It refreshed my soul."

And I hope that’s true for all of us when we encounter and take seriously the life of the Risen Jesus. May it “Refresh our soul.”

What My Muslim Friend Taught Me About Jesus

(Pic: Prayer of sending/commissioning Ali)

Ali is my good friend and one of my hero’s. He has taught me so much. Let me tell you about him.

Ali grew up a Shi’ite Muslim in Iran. In an effort to complete his studies as a doctor of neurology, he moved to the United States about three years ago. His whole life is in Iran; family, religion, tradition, friends, home.

After moving to New Orleans, Ali met one of the couples who are now on staff with our NieuCommunities team in San Diego. Although coming from two very different backgrounds (Iran and Washington state), they immediately connected and became close friends. More than anything, Ali became intrigued by this Jesus their lives revolved around. Within his Muslim tradition, Jesus is a prominent and highly respected prophet, but to believe in him as God is to commit shirk (holding anything/anyone as equal with Allah/God); the worst sin of all.

In fact, Ali became so intrigued by the Jesus he saw in his friends that when they moved to San Diego to go on staff with NieuCommunities, he asked if he could come with them and be part of their missional church community. After finding a neurology position in San Diego, Ali packed his bags and not only moved to San Diego, but moved into our neighborhood of Golden Hill (where all NieuCommunties participants have committed to live).

It is there that I met one of the most brilliant, yet humble and devoted men I have ever encountered. As a doctor, Ali was frequently getting published in highly respected medical journals, but as a friend he would always be the last to walk through the door. He set aside three times in his day to pray out of devotion and reverence. Anytime I saw him pray (no matter the setting) he would turn his palms face up as if opening and surrendering himself to whatever God may be speaking. For Ali, presence and devotion to his faith could be second to nothing and his life reflected that.

Although a brilliant doctor and having lived a life devoted to Islam, Ali was a humble learner who made the most of every opportunity to hear and experience the Jesus of his friends. Ali dove deep into our Christian community as he prayed, worshiped, listened and practiced alongside of us. He wanted to encounter Jesus, so he chose to expose and submerge himself deep into a band of believers whose lives had been submitted to their King, Jesus.

Ali became a very good friend of mine. Recently, I have spent a lot of time studying Islam as I seek to engage people like Ali and develop my role as peacemaker in the Middle East conflict (see this blog for more on that). Despite my occasional ignorance, Ali would listen to my questions and share insight into his sacred traditions.

Ali became my friend and dialog partner in the areas we each held most sacred. It wasn’t a competition for whose religion was more “right,” it was a dialog of mutual respect and reverence. After all, Ali wanted to experience the truth of Jesus and he asked that we intercede on his behalf.

Through the lives and worship of his new friends and the profound work of the Spirit, my friend Ali did encounter Jesus in his time here in Golden Hill. After a recent worship gathering, Ali looked at me as said, “Yes, I am a follower of Jesus.”

Having accepted a position at Temple University in Philadelphia, Ali moved away from his new family in Golden Hill last week. While it was hard for us to say goodbye, both Ali and our community knew this was not the end of our story together.

After taking Ali surfing for the first time in his life, we all gathered for a meal just hours before his flight took off to Philadelphia. We shared the ways he had impacted us and thanked him for all that he had taught us. He came to us as a student, but his humble devotion ended up teaching us so much.

It is easy to spout out a quick prayer before a meal and quickly conclude, “In Jesus’ name, amen.” Although some of us have heard and said Jesus’ name so many times, it must not lose its sacred power and authority. Ali reminded me of that. To come before God is sacred. It is not to be done in complacency, but with reverence and devotion.

Before Ali walked out the door to catch his flight, we all turned our palms to the sky and thanked Jesus for our friend; our brother.

Making Community Real

This past weekend, NieuCommunities San Diego hosted a series of "conversations" that focused on building deep community as disciples of Jesus. While all NieuCommunities' staff and apprentices are required to go through this series of teachings, we were able to open them up to local churches, pastors and small group leaders. These are the titles and brief descriptions of each session:

“Towards Community,” we explored the stages of community and what it takes to move well through each stage.

“Myths of Community,” we looked at the myths (and realities) of community and talk about setting healthy, realistic expectations of community.

“Fellowship of the Mat,” we considered how to love each other well and create a sustainable, missional community.

Living in deep community can get messy and requires lots of communication and common commitment. It is being willing to release some personal ideals for the sake of the common ideals that God is calling us into. With that said, if we run from the hard stuff, we will never be around long enough to experience the richness of shared life and vocation.

Finally, we made clear that "deep community" is not the end goal. No, the end goal is a deeper communion with God and participation in his Kingdom. With that said, as disciples of Jesus, participating in deep community is a context that enables such communion and participation to take place.

It was a challenging, encouraging and hopeful time of learning alongside fellow Church leaders in San Diego.

Family/Ministry Update in Words and Pics

I haven't been keeping this blog as up to date as I would like, but if you are interested in what we have been up to, click on this link and check out a bunch of pics that give a glimpse into the past month(ish) of our life/ministry down here in Golden Hill.

Thanks for following along! Also, I (Jon) will be headed up to Northern California from Feb. 25-28 to meet with anyone interested in our ministry and/or interested in joining our support team. Please contact me if you would like to get together for coffee or a meal!

email: jon.huckins@gmail.com

Covenent Retreat

Central to our vision of empowering/developing Church leaders and extending the Good News of the Kingdom into our neighborhood/city is the underlying common covenant we make with God and each other in NieuCommunities.

Janny, Ruby and I are packing up our stuff and leaving in a few minutes to spend the weekend in Mexico for our annual covenanting retreat. Our Director, Rob Yackley described it like this, "It's a time for each person in our community to recommit to the shared life that defines us and guides us. It's big. It's hard. It's radical. And it's not for everyone. But it also inspires us to live all-in missional lives:"

THE NIEUCOMMUNITIES COMMON COVENANT

Communion
We will make the Triune God the center of our lives by collectively and individually…
• giving thanks at all times for all things
• praying and worshiping through multiple expressions
• reading, reflecting, and responding to scripture
• exploring and practicing a diversity of spiritual disciplines
• finding joy in the goodness of God and the beauty of creation
• enjoying Sabbath and periodically retreating together

Community
We will journey together and strengthen one another by…
• living in the same neighborhood
• opening our lives and homes as places of invitation and hospitality
• gathering at least once a week over a common meal
• caring for and submitting to one another
• speaking well of one another and defending each other’s name
• sharing stories and reflecting on God’s work in our midst
• living more simply and sharing our resources with those in need
• gathering weekly to learn to better live the missional postures

Context
We will incarnate the good news of the kingdom and seek to be a reconciling and redemptive presence by…
• submerging into our neighborhood where cultures, ethnicities and economies coalesce and collide
• adding beauty and caring for the patch of creation we occupy
• living visible lives of grace among those God longs for
• creating spaces in our neighborhood for people to experience community
• inviting neighbors and friends to periodically visit our gatherings to taste a different kind of faith community
• discipling our neighbors into a deeper relationship with Jesus
• mentoring local leaders to grow in influence
• partnering with others in our city to help advance kingdom-oriented initiatives
• apprenticing young leaders to engage all of the above with us and to live missional lives wherever they go

A Sending Community

Central to the DNA and vision of NieuCommunities is the act of "sending." As a community that creates a place of for young leaders to discern their gifts, skills and passions, each leader is being led to culminating act of diving deep into their calling as active participants in the Mission of God. Janny and I have now been part of NieuCommunities for just over 2 months and we have tasted and seen the fruit of this vision in both our own lives and in those around us.

While Janny and I have committed to the leadership of NieuCommunties indefinitely, most participants are only here for one year as they are trained, mentored and sent into their vocational call...whether in the marketplace, traditional church context, international missions, etc. We are finding it is both bitter and sweet to be part of a community that develops leaders, but also "sends" them into their missional calling. The "bitter" part is having to say goodbye to friends, but the much more sweet part is sending them into a context that we know will enliven their spirits and benefit the Church.

One of the couples that is just finishing up their year down here as part of NieuCommunities has made the decision to launch into the next phase of their leadership within the Church. They will be heading to Indonesia indefinitely as they plan to extend the love of Jesus in a Muslim culture by supporting local churches and starting sustainable businesses that may bring hope to a people in need.

We had the opportunity to hear a bit of their story and send them off with prayer and support this past Sunday evening. As they pack up, they are working to give away most of their belongings. As an affirmation of rich community and close relationships, they gave each one of us one of their most prized possessions.

Baby Ruby

Baby Ruby has finally arrived!! Because consistent sleep and daily routines are now a reality of the past, this update is a bit behind schedule. There are many parts to this story that are worth sharing, but for now we will just share the basics with some pics. We will give a more detailed telling of her arrival in our next email news letter (if you're not on that list, just give us your email and we will add you!). All in all, it was a miraculous experience.











Ruby's first time in clothes a couple hours after she was born. Ends up, she's not a huge fan of clothes at this stage of the game. We'll work on that:)










This is our first picture as a new family. Janny was able to deliver at the birthing center we had SO been hoping to deliver in. There's alot more to that story that we will share in the newsletter, but Janny was absolutely incredible through this. 12 hours of labor, no drugs and barely a whimper. It was a profound time of connection for us as the husband/father is expected to be the most involved support person throughout the labor. No, I never felt a contraction, but we went through them all together...lots of deep breathing and back rubs!


Being two weeks overdue, Ruby was not small baby! She was 8 pounds, 14 ounces and 21 inches long. And, like her father, she has a nice (large!) head.
















This is just the beginning...


















It was so great to have both of our parents in town when we delivered! They were able to hold Ruby within a couple hours of her arrival. Such a cool experience to have 3 generations represented. Also, it was great to have Char in the birth with Janny and I.

A community evening

While the mission of NieuCommunities takes many different forms (click here for explanation of such forms), one key element is the weekly gathering of the church community. Every Sunday night, the church gathers for a shared meal, worship, teaching and discussion. This video gives a good glimpse into what a church service will look like as we step into our role with NieuCommunities.

Sunday Night - NieuCommunities San Diego from Fishboy on Vimeo.