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Triads Vision and Expectations

By yourself you're unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 [The Message]

Triads are not a new concept for spiritual formation and equipping Christians. One could argue that the concept is founded in the Holy Trinity. Certainly, the Scriptural encouragement is for a group of counselors and friends to go through life together.

Triads became re-popularized in the 1980s for spiritual formation and equipping the saints. A pastor named Greg Ogden has been championing triads over the past couple of decades. Below are some of his thoughts (with some personal edits and thoughts from BP Todd Hunter) about the advantages.

    • Triads are ever-expanding, multigenerational and reproducible.

    • Triads allow a group to convene around a simple covenant (see “Expectations” below). 

    • Triads promote greater ownership and participation. Leadership and responsibility are felt by the whole group. 

    • Triads are relational and avoid the parent-child and teacher-student hierarchy. 

    • Triads allow for more dialogue and perspective than one-on-one pairings.

    • Triads allow for greater flexibility in choosing settings, meeting times, duration of the group, service opportunities and so on. 

    • Triads focus conversations around life change and practices for the common good. 

    • Triads are positive, grace-giving, reciprocal environments for encouragement, couragement, equipping, practicing various spiritual disciplines, and mutual challenge.

Equipping

At Church of the Apostles we encourage participation in triads because the advantages above will allow more people to engage with others for the purpose of being equipped as disciples for the common good. 

For the past couple of years we have been talking about becoming a community of Jesus people who…

    • Are called by God to be a faithful, non-anxious presence for Fairfield County and the world

    • Realize that our identity, purpose, and unity are in Christ

    • Value the rest, relationship, restoration, and reach of the Gospel

    • Seek to build relationships with others through hospitality and conversation 

    • Live in a place for a long time in order to discern and engage in the missional opportunities that can affect not only individuals but an entire neighborhood 

For faithfulness, non-anxiety, presence, hospitality, conversation, and place to become our culture at Apostles, we need to be intentionally equipped in community with others. That is what Triads at Apostles are all about, three friends gathering in the presence of God to learn and practice how to be a faithful, non-anxious presence for the common good. 

Mission

In addition to equipping and shaping us as disciples of Jesus, triads are a form of mission. We are practicing Gospel conversations with two other Christians to be ready to actively share our hope and joy with those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. 

Each triad conversation will end with specific way that each participant can practice Gospel conversations with others. Participants are encouraged to go into their sphere’s of influence, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods and practice the Gospel through simple acts or hospitality and conversation. A group of people who are following Jesus together and sharing their faith has been shown to be one of the greatest mission strategies on the planet beginning in Acts 2 and continuing today. 

Conversation

A triad has a facilitator who both participates in and guides a conversation among three friends around a specific idea. The ideas that our triads will be considering for at least the next couple of years are as follows:

    • Gospel Conversation

    • What do we believe? (Conversations about the Lord’s Prayer)

    • Seven Spiritual Disciples (to become a faithful, non-anxious presence)

    • Meaning and Purpose (Vocation and Call)

Each of the above ideas will have seven or eight, 60-80 minute conversations that will be schedule throughout a specific season. This will allow each triad the flexibility to meet as their schedules allow. Time of day and location of each gathering will be determined by the participants based on shared schedules, geography, and lifestyles. 

Expectations for Participants

    • To prepare (about an hour per week) before each triad gathering by engaging with the provided readings, Scripture, prayer, and artwork

    • To be present at every scheduled gathering in body, mind, and spirit

    • To keep everything that is said in every gathering completely confidential. This includes not sharing with our spouses, close friends, or advisors anything that someone else shares (If there is a concern about physical harm, a serious spiritual matter, or a problem with group dynamics, the facilitator will share it with Deacon Jan.) 

    • To practice the ideas from the triad conversations between meetings with our friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors, and strangers and come back with stories to share at the next meeting

    • To share the joys and burdens of life by praying and caring for one another between gatherings

    • To share within the triad and not break off with one other person from the group for “special times” of prayer and conversation. In other words, triads must meet together with all three people and be aware to make all participants a welcome and equal partner