A3/India alumnus Dr. Danny Sathyadass shares how A3 impacted him and what lessons he is passing on to others
When I was first invited for A3, I was quite reluctant because I had just finished my MTh (Master of Theology), and I didn't want to go through another course, so to speak. But then I was reassured that it's not a course of lots of reading, but it's something different. So I said, “Okay, fine. If that's what it is, I probably would join in.”
When I got into the A3 group, it was interesting because you had all of these pastors who were envisioning great things for their own congregations as well as talking with one another. I thought it was a great fellowship, but I found myself, talking about our denominational views. We were always being defensive and arguing about doctrinal differences. I think there was some form of a competitive spirit in trying to prove our point.
SHARING OUR LIFE JOURNEYS BREAKS DOWN THE WALLS
But one of the exercises that we did, right from the first meeting was people sharing their story. Everyone was given sufficient time to share their story. We heard their secrets; they were vulnerable, pretty transparent. When everyone prayed for the person sharing, I think it just kind of melted all of these issues. In a lot of ways, it highlighted the significance of the person of Christ in a person—in an individual's life. Just highlighting that principle itself through storytelling as well as community, it really changed my understanding of what fellowship can mean, and that we don't have to all agree with one another about all our differences or our core values that we hold onto.
Beyond that, we need to be focused on the person of Christ, and I think that was exemplified through the simple exercise, which I think we had forgotten. I started using this exercise as one of the key factors in my spiritual formation class when I was teaching in SAIACS (South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies). That brought a lot of students together, and it was something that we practiced in the cell groups. Some of these cell groups have continued to meet even after they graduated because they've gotten so close to each other.
As for me, I got close to several of the members within A3, especially a few of them. When I went through my own crises, I knew I could call on them and say, "Yes, I need your prayers." They knew my story. I knew their story, and we could relate to one another. That was very helpful. So, in that sense, it reformed us simply because we were sharing our journey, and we saw the significance of who Christ is.
STRATEGIC PLANNING HELPS US BE INTENTIONAL
Another change that took place, or what I valued what A3 did was the exercise of putting together a strategic plan for our church. I did that pretty seriously with our whole community. It was our small fellowship as a home church. When we discovered some of those things and the questions that were asked, I did it as a group. That only reaffirmed that this is the way we need to go.
I wrote a lot of plans, and it seemed like, I'm looking at it maybe over 10 years from now, but I saw that some of the things in the local context didn't really work. For example, I had this whole plan that in five years I'd like to see 500 groups within the city of Bangalore (India). Unfortunately, it didn't reach there.
But then on the other hand, I didn't even put a number that we would like to serve as catalysts for other agencies and other groups. And I said, that would be a great thing. But I saw that that just grew exponentially. It had nothing to do with us. All that we did was share our story and inspired others. I think we served as catalysts and we focused on the few and that brought about transformation.
For example, Trans World Radio... they've got 17,000 groups within the country. These are discipleship groups who are listening to radio messages in groups of four and five. They're just spontaneously multiplying. That has spread to the neighboring countries through the Bible network who were one of the partnering agencies caught onto this idea and they've spread it to other countries. So in other words, I mean, it's just going way beyond us. So that was very encouraging.
So that whole strategic plan that I put together only reaffirmed the fact that this is the way we've got to go.
Then lately we heard of Jay Kumar, one of our friends from in Bangalore, and he was inspired by just these conversations. He went on to pursue a DMin on the value of home churches. Today he's now the director of a home church network and training about 1,200 people in the state of Karnataka and Goa. So I'm just saying it's happening. So I think the tagline of A3 is beautiful focus on the few to reach many, and that's something that I'm eager to do and accomplish. I've seen that at work.
A3: CHANGING THE FEW WHO CHANGE THE MANY
I think A3 is doing a great job in bringing pastors together to rethink, but also to bond with one another. I think fellowship is absolutely essential as well as to sharpen one another—iron on iron sharpening one another—and also to edify one another, which is well beyond the two years program that we went through. That's something that I've enjoyed, and I continue to value.
Dr. Danny Sathyadass
A3/India Alumnus
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DR. DANNY SATHYADASS is a team-builder and church-planting pioneer. He launched Citylight, a movement focused on training and instilling the importance of discipleship within the context of Christ-centered teams. Initially, Citylight was a missional arm of Radiance, a home church network that Danny started with his wife and others in 2005. Danny earned a DMin degree in Pastoral Ministry (South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies) and an MTh in Pastoral Studies/Counselling (University of Wales/Taftee). Danny's wife Sayonara is a teacher and author. They reside in Bangalore, India, and have three grown sons, Joash, Joel and John. Danny is author of a new book, Spark Teams: Disciple-Making and Being Church Wherever Life Happens.
