ARMY CONVERSATION

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERSATION FOR GOD'S STRATEGY

• there is a huge opportunity to get "God" into the coversations - to evidence love for God and neighbour and induce Kingdom change
• faith comes by hearing from words based on the Word of God
• there is a huge need to shift from feeling and superficial conversations to thought-provoking stuff
• also the need for shifting away from "me" to "we" oriented conversation, from self to "He" and Kingdom.
• the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation
• we are to be hearers and doers of the Word
• the world is soaked in fantasy rather than reality, escapism rather than pioneering, negative speech instead of positive etc
• the huge opportunity to move away from technology (which the enemy dominates) to face-to-face word-of-mouth (which we can dominate - sounds old-fashioned, but the world was well-built without the internet and social media etc.
• conversing with God is good.
• tapping into the mind of Christ is bigger and better than the internet - that's the connectivity we should harness and celebrate
• using our God-designed brains is good - see The Human Brain - God's Masterpiece
• there are huge reservoirs of brain-energy and untapped human potential out there - that needs to be engaged for the fight and change-process
• why not use our God designed minds more to create game-changing conversation
• words are easy to remember for listeners on key matters
• conversation builds culture (see Positive Culture and Negative Culture
• courageous conversation can destroy "political correctness" and fear
• conversation demonstrates Integrity
• conversation is Biblical e.g preaching, teaching, withessing, prophesying
• the push strategy relies on decentralised word-of-mouth - the cheapest information medium in the information war
• the time is extremely urgent - any better ideas
• there is a huge void to be filled - the enemy wants you to think he controls that space, but that space is promised for the Kinfgdom.
• the world needs words of hope. Positive words about future direction/ Love instead of hate. Reconcilaition through unity as the answer for division.

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF "THE ELEVATOR PITCH"

• we all need to practice this - Google it. Ask any leader you know to define, describe and illustrate it
• find out how to pitch at the right time in the right way with the right content
• remember AIDA (awareness , interest, desire, action)
• Awareness - what's the headline that will grab attention in the crowded information space?
• Interest - OK, so they're listening. Was the call to action powerful?
• Desire - are the moving on? Do they wany in? Do they want more? This is all about motivation. They won't be motivated without A & I first.
• Action - define the next step. Rember call, commit, coach, commission - to help make them change-agents
• try it on a family member with a succinct problem or opportunity statement, vision,proposal etc - a 30 second verbal pitch
• you'll get better with discipline and practice - great for articulation skills. Great for leadership.

Here's an example elevator pitch that relates to us right now. You could choose to say all of it, or just parts in your qown words.

• "In recent decades political leadership in Australia has been preoccupied with side-issues while allowing the gradual takeover of our sovereignty by a coalition of evil globalist forces. They have fiddled while Rome burns.

• We the people are alarmed by the serious decline they have presided over in our national identity, heritage,  values and democratic freedoms.

• Most of the trends are in free-fall and it's time to fight back before it's too late for us and our future generations - certainly over the next 2-3 years. History will judge that the country was lost on their watch.

• They welcomed this Trojan Horse, but now do not have the strategies and  structures to stop the final orchestrated authoritarian takeover.

• We believe the only way to address this negligence is to decentralise most of the authority, responsibility, ownership and control away from the enemy, their fellow-travellers and ineffective leadership - back to the grassroots.

• The Australian people need to wake up and unite to transform the nation from the ground up - a real groundswell to produce a really self-sustainable, creative, productive and successful sovereign Australia.

• The day calls for a new generation of leaders across the board who have strategic understanding, courage, moral character and integrity. They will fight to see that truth prevails over ignorance and deception and that love for our fellow-Australians will see public service prevail over elitist self-interest.

• It's time for the rise of the Anzac spirit to fight once again for our families, freedom and the Australian way of life."  

3. THE POWER OF QUESTIONS

Use questions as much as possible - children do, particularly the "why" question. You should also know when to ask the "when", "where", "who", "how" and "what" questions as well. People like talking and it gets them started. Remember you're going fishing - in the right spot spread the burley then drop in the baited hook (the pitch).

Jesus asked lots of questions - some of them might be worth thinking about and asking too. See "Questions Jesus Asked"

The education system is a bit light on for developing enquiring minds. So is use of the internet. Modern propoganda focusses on immediate responses and satisfaction by appealing largely to the feelings/emotional part of the brain, whereas we should be thinking and reasoning a lot more using the logical part of our brain in the conscious mind. See my presentations on this

"Understanding & Training the Mind"

"The Human Brain - God's Masterpiece".

Remember that God designed the brain. All conscious and sub-conscious information processing happens there. God's word develops neural pathways in the mind. It's a huge computer - far more skillful that computing and atrifiial intelligence - they have no connectivity to the mind of Christ - but we can.

4. 3 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE CONVERSATION

     1.       Identity is more important than image

• identity (the real you) is more important than image

• people are attracted to people they can trust, whose identity is based on integrity

• integrity is based on truth, not pretence, lies, deceit or spin

• don't say one thing and do another (the word for that is "hypocrite") - that's where image doesn't match identity - a cosmetic problem. Our walk has to match our talk.

• which is easier - calling someone else a hypocrite or admitting you're one

• that's why we have to do two things - look for change in what say and what we do

      2.       Humility is powerful

• sanctification is a process that never ends - we are still trying to be someone more than we are and who God wants us to be.  We're changing. Christ is at work in us.

• thus, being imperfect Christians we make mistakes

• non-Christians often think Christians are judgmental

• we have to avoid being negative, critical and judgmental - it's too easy to condemn non-Christians for their habits, life-styles and political views (when non-Christians do it to others it's called virtue-signalling, which is a way of elevating yourself by judging others

• love is much more powerful. We are not to judge - but reach out in love.

• can you love someone and judge them at the same time

• rather than come across as negative - be positive - talk about what's better. Talk love, hope and faith. A Kingdom approach.

• humility is the opposite to pride - and God is looking to exalt the humble and oppose the proud. His strength is made perfect in our weakness

• where necessary, admit our shortcomings - it can help bridge the gap

• so, when our talk becomes more humble our walk will have less stumble - allowing acceleration

      3.       Be Friends

• even the best relationships (like marriage) have obstacles to overcome

• when we overcome obstacles in human relationships, friendship and trust becomes deeper

• real love becomes deeper - in fact love often grows through experiencing suffering

• real lasting love penetrates image and superficial emotion, searching for the real person to love beneath and disarms pride in search for a basis for change and mutual growth based on real love that is more powerful and deeper than emotion

• so, rather than be negative, critical and judgmental we switch our thoughts, talks and walks to being positive. We see problems as opportunities - obstacles as challenges

• so we pray - and as we become friends with God we become better friends with others

• we have to pursue meaningful friendships with people who don’t share our faith

• we have to allow time for that - which is hard if our Christian think, talk and walk time crowds out time to make friends outside church

• whilst we are not of the world we are in the world. We don't let fear of the world block the pursuit of authentic relationships with non-Christians. What is the opposite of fear? Love.

• the answer always is to love God and neighbour. We can't do one without the other

• that's why we seek to be one with God and neighbour. So God can make us one, establish and build unity, bring effective reconciliation and heal and eliminate all division

• follow Jesus - He pursued friendships with people who were different than he was and whose character and lifestyles were far different than anything God had in mind for them. He offended the religious leaders of the day in doing that.

• deal with people as people - not projects. Be genuine. Show harmony between image and identity

• be a sincere listener - in fact it's often far more important to listen respectfully than to talk. It validates the other person's worth and identity. Often there has to be a relationship connection before the new content connection can work. We're not door-to-door salesmen. Everyone has a story, but far too few people to tell it too. They love the opportunity to tell it. They yearn for real contact - real love. It's OK to ask questions while listening. The conversation has to peel back image and fantasy so both can share reality, truth, identity and the God-kind of love.

5. WAR-ROOMS

Our change-agents should meet in war-rooms to pray, get wisdom and then discuss key thrusts and finish with prayer.

At a regional level we want the meetings to look like this (with women involved as well, but women, wouldn't it be great for men to pick up their fair share of the Kingdom burden as well.)

Imagine:

•  each person in the photo has an inter-locking set of geographic responsibilities - local neighbourhood, suburb, Council Ward, Council, State Elecorate, State Government, Federal Electorate, Federal Government as well.
• each person has a unique strength in functional areas - like teaching, pastoring, prophesying, education, law, business, marketing, finance, human resource management, leadership etc
• each person is working on at least one program for strategic change in the physical, economic and social space
• they are all hanging in there for the 10 year mobilisation period 2020-2030
• they are all pray-ers, conversationalists and change-agents and as such are instrumental for new wave of people being called, recrutied, trained and engaged in the fight.

 

6. CONVERSATION AND CHANGE-MANAGEMENT

 

7. THE "CAFE CONVERSATION" APPROACH - A POWERFUL WAY FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS OF ANY KIND

There are many ways for meetings, conversations and consultation - all useful.  But try using the "cafe conversation" approach called "Open Space Technology": It's a bit like some other approaches - like focus groups, brainstorming groups and quality circles - in being relatively unstructured and free-ranging, but with some powerful features added.

• people arrive expecting to talk about something - usually just a broad topic
• they gather round in a circle and introduce each other saying why they are there
• they are invited to write a topic down on a piece of paper and stick it on a wall or whiteboard
• people mill around the board and choose which group they'll join
• separate tables for separate groups and topics
• people can leave or join any group at any time
• the group jots down their ideas and try to come up with say 3 great ideas for change/moving forwards
• group appoints a leader to report back
• summing up etc
• great way to mobilise the silent majority and to freeze out troublesome minorities who just want to stir up trouble and get attention
• great way to build a Positive Culture and overcome a Negative Culture as well as getting the job done
• great to feel the atmosphere - it can be electric
• the ideas generated will help build agreement and participation in the change-planning and implementation phase