Welcome to Friends of Aslan
Our Vision
We call ourselves Friends of Aslan, as a wink towards C.S. Lewis’ famous novel series, The Chronicles of Narnia.
We long to be a community that gets continually better at representing our heavenly Father to our people and representing our people to our heavenly Father.
We aspire to be a global mentoring community for Jesus followers in the workplace and schools. Our vision is to grow a global learning community of Jesus followers who want to:
1. make their work/occupation an expression of worship to God
2. embrace their priestly/emissary role in their home, community, and workplace
3. team up with others to see new vibrant communities of Jesus followers multiplied in every corner of society.
Today, most mission organizations operate from a recruiting paradigm that goes something like “give up your job and join us!” … and certainly, this is necessary for many. However, this paradigm immediate excludes hundreds of thousands of potential candidates from benefiting from the intentionality, comradery, accountability, and mentoring available to members of mission organizations. What if we could create new missional communities where the norm is “keep your job and let us join you” ? This is paradigm Friends of Aslan wants to embrace.
What if these communities had staggered onboarding processes that resembled that of historical craft guilds? What if you could be a member in these intentional discipleship communities from age 13 to 113, regardless of where you live, work, or study.
In today’s globalized, urbanized, and multicultural world, most of us will live and work (or study) in multicultural workplaces and live in multicultural communities. Many of us will also have opportunities for workplace mobility. Some of us will even have opportunity to take work assignments among least reached people in the 10/40 Window.
What if we could create communities that in some regards resemble Protestant religious orders or guilds designed for the 21st century? These would be disciple making communities designed from the start for people in the workplace (or school). Communities that are complementary (not competitive) with local churches, mission agencies, and other Christian organizations. Membership in these vetted global communities would be completely voluntary and not employ, control or direct people.
Missional/Mentoring communities that:
- Requires a fixed set of criteria or Commitments for membership that is achievable by most Christians, young or old, white collar or blue collar, global north, or global south, in situ. These Commitments would represent a robust basic discipleship curriculum and serves as the initial onboarding criteria for the community. See suggestions on pages 5 and 6.
- Practically any local church or Christian organization could participate as an incubator in the onboarding process. Therefore, it does not compete with local churches or Christian organizations but complements them by creating an additional layer of camaraderie and a unifying ‘thread’ of standardization for basic discipleship.
- Most members earn their living at secular workplaces. The paradigm changes from give up your job and join us” to “keep your job and we will join you.”
- Celebrates any high-quality work done that benefits the common good.
- Promotes intentional discipleship within workplace relationships and other preexisting affinity groups.
- Is not an employer, but rather a sub-community nested within other host Christian organizations.
- Has a decentralized hierarchy, plural leadership, and no super apostle/personality at the helm.
- Has sustainability and multiplication built into its organizational culture and reinforced by decentralized organizational structures.
- Subscribes to the Doctrine of faith as outlined in the Lausanne Covenant.
These Protestant missional fellowships would look different from Roman Catholic religious orders, of which there are approximately 2,500. Members of Roman Catholic orders are normally required to make vows of poverty, chastity, obedience. Instead, members of these communities commit themselves to a lifelong journey of understanding and putting into practice Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount without neglecting other teachings of Jesus. They would be spiritual communities where the priesthood of all believers and the theology of work, are two of the key pillars on which the members unite.
Members are focused on both 1) doing good works via their studies, profession, affinity groups[1]and 2) being intentional about mentoring others to be and make disciples in their workplaces.
[1]An affinity group is formed around a shared interest or a common goal to which individuals formally or informally belong. Examples: neighbors, parents with children in the same class, members of a sports team or hobby group.
We call ourselves Friends of Aslan, as a wink towards C.S. Lewis’ famous novel series, The Chronicles of Narnia.
We call ourselves Friends of Aslan, as a wink towards C.S. Lewis’ famous novel series, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Like The Chronicles of Narnia we decided to incorporate a few Turkish words into the nomenclature of Friends of Aslan. For example C.S. Lewis uses the Turkish word for lion (i.e. aslan) in his famous novel series as a Christ allegory. Likewise, we borrow the Turkish words yoldash (yoldaş) and yurt.
Yoldash – is a Turkish word meaning ‘friend on the road’ or ‘fellow traveler’. In our case, a Yoldash is vetted mentor within the Friends of Aslan community. A Yoldash are responsible to encourage, coach and verify candidates' progress towards full membership. Yoldash are normally associated with a Yurt but may also serve directly under the Executive Counsel. Yoldash normally have additional training and experience in:
- coaching/mentoring,
- biblical peacemaking
- servant leadership
- Church Planting Movements/multiplication principles and practices
- Optional (Yurt specific)
Yurt – is a word with Turkish roots and refers to a collapsible circular dwelling used by nomads in Central Asian for thousands of years. In our case, Yurts are “chapters” of Friends of Aslan established as departments or programs within local churches and Christian organizations who administers the training, mentoring and membership on-boarding into the Friends of Aslan.
In our case, Yurts have a minimum of two Yoldash associated with them and have the option to add up to five more criteria to the Commitments that would be applicable only to Narnians from that Yurt. Yurts are meant to exist within existing collaborating organizations and churches. Therefore, Yurts do not have a separate legal identity in themselves but are a department, program or people within an existing church or organization. All Yurts are authorized by the executive council for the task of on-boarding.
Other Terms
Friend of Aslan – Is a person who has completed all 25 of the Commitments and is thus a full member of Friends of Aslan. People who become Friends of Aslan are expected to coach Narnians and eventually become Yoldash.
Narnian – In our nomenclature a Narnian is a person in the candidate process of full membership into Friends of Aslan. Each Narnian has a Friend of Aslan and/or Yoldash as a coach/sponsor. It can take anywhere from one week to one year or more to complete the onboarding depending on the starting point of the candidates.
JOINING FRIENDS OF ASLAN
Membership in Friends of Aslan is administered through chapters within local churches and Christian organizations. We call these chapters responsible for onboarding "yurts".
Christians wanting to become a member of Friend of Aslan find a Yurt or a Yoldash to onboard them. A list of Yurts will be located on this website (www.friendsofaslan.org). in the near future. Until then you must contact us directly.
Yurts and their associated Mentors (which we call Yoldash) do not charge a fee to evaluate/verify a Narnian’s journey towards membership.
Yurts are not necessarily geographically defined, and many can process applicants virtually. Some Narnians will have already accomplished many of the Commitments before starting their membership journey. As such, these Narnians need to supply evidence of previously accomplished Commitments to their Yoldash. FOA relies heavily on third party (or Yurt recognized/authorized) training and education programs to fulfill the Commitments, but these must always be verified by Yoldash associated with a Yurt.
Membership is open to men and woman 13 or older who purpose to embrace the Commitments and have the accomplishment of them verified by a Yoldash.
Contact us if you are interested in learning more.
25 Commitments of Our Members
25 Commitments of Our Members
This initial set of 25 common ‘Commitments’ are divided under five “rules” 1) Foundations, 2) Good works, 3) Sacred disciplines, 4) Stewardships, 5) Global discipleship. These were derived from field onboarding criteria and competency studies of multiple inter-denominational international mission communities and Christian workplace networks.
1. Foundations of love:
I was created to love and be loved by God. Therefore, I purpose to understand and put into practice all the teaching of Jesus for the rest of my life. John 14:21, 2Tim.3:16-17. As initial actions towards this rule I:
1. Submit to God and renounce the Devil and his works. Ja 4:7, 2 Cor 4:2, Eph 6:12, Col 2:15
2. Have been baptized. Acts 2:38
3. Repent/turn away from all my known sin. Acts 2:38, Gal 5:19-21
4. Forgive those who have wronged me and pursue reconciliation with those I have wronged. Heb 12:14, Mat 5:23-25,6:14-15, Eph 4:31-32
5. Have had at a Luke 10:1-20 experience (sending of the 72). I can personally testify to how God provided for me and used me to bless others. Also see Luke 9:1-10.
2. Good works:
I was created to do good works. Eph 2:10. Therefore, I purpose to do works that are ethical, excellent, and beneficial to others all my life. (Mt 5:16, Gen 1:28). As initial actions towards this rule I have:
6. A growing understanding of my purpose(s) and S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts-Heart-Abilities-Personality-Experience) for which I was designed. Eph 2:10
7. A trade, skill, qualification, or work(s) that serves the common good and provides (or can provide) an income or financial benefit to myself. Col 3:23-24, 1 Tim 5:8, Eph 4:28.
8. Evidence of excellence at my trade, skill, school, or work. I strive to be excellent at work. Titus 3:8
9. Embraced my work (paid or volunteer) as an expression of worship, done wholeheartedly unto God. Col 3:23
10. Teamed up with other followers of Jesus for service, prayer, edification, collaboration, accountability, encouragement, counsel, and mutual benefit. Ecc 4:12, Pr.27:17, 1Pet4:8, Heb 10:25
3. Spiritual disciplines:
I was created to be holy. Therefore, I purpose to love God with all my being and to know Jesus as a friend all my life. Mt.6:1-8, 1Tim.4:8, Jn.4:24. As initial actions towards this rule, I :
11. Memorized Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7 and am committed to understanding and putting all of Jesus’ teaching into practice. See Col 3:16, Ps 119:11. Josh 1:8
12. Practice daily rhythms of intercession, confession, thanksgiving, praise, and rest. Phi 4:6, Col 4:2, 1Th 5:17.
13. Practice daily rhythms of listening, reading, study, and meditation. 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16, Ps 119:105, Jos 1:8
14. Confess (and turn from) my ongoing failures rather than hide them. I am appropriately transparent about past and current struggles with materialism, lust, pornography, drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other addictions or harmful habits. Ja 5:16, 1 Jn 1:9, Pr 28:13
15. Use my words to bless, encourage, and edify others. I strive to always speak the truth in love even when I need to correct or admonish others. 1Pet4:11. I refuse to participate in gossip, slander, deception, falsehood, and grumbling. 2 Cor 12:20, Prov 20:19.
4. Stewardships:
I was created to love others. Therefore, I purpose to be a responsible steward of what the Lord has entrusted to me, including my possessions, body, mind, time, and relationships all my life. By faith I will invest and develop what has been entrusted to me. By faith, I will take risks, but I will avoid reckless or careless decisions. 1 Pet 4:10, Lk 16:11. As initial actions to this rule, I submit to God my:
16. Finances/Possessions: These belong to God. Therefore, I embrace a modest lifestyle and live within my means. I Cor 10: Heb 13:5, 1 Pet3:3-4. I purpose to be both generous and frugal. Act 20:35, 2Cor.9:7, 1Tim.6:17-19. As such, I am free from consumer debt. Heb 13:5, Rom 13:7-8, Lk 16:11
17. Body/Appearance/Strength: These belong to God. I understand my body is a temple of God and therefore I pursue healthy habits of eating, exercise, sexual purity, and rest. I discipline my body for self-control and strive not to harm my body nor expose it to unnecessary harm or risks. 1 Cor 3:16-19; 9:24-27; 10:31 Rom 12:1
18. Mind/Heart: These belong to God. I guard what goes into my mind through my eyes and ears and what I think about. I nurture my mind with that which is pure, good, noble, and edifying. Rom12:2, Ph 4:8, Pr. 4:20-27
19. Time: My time belongs to God. I purpose to make the best use of my time and avoid squandering it. Eph 5:15-17, Ps 90:12
20. Stewardship of the earth and all living things: These belong to God and are entrusted to human stewardship. I purpose to act responsibly to God’s creation, to learn from it, care for it, and not to exploit or poison it. Gen2:15, Ps 24:1, Job12:7-10
5. Global Discipleship:
I was created to make disciples. Therefore, I purpose to make disciples in all my affinity groups and relational networks and to all nations, especially the least reached as long as I live. Therefore, as initial actions towards this rule, I:
21. Am/becoming multi-lingual (one of which is either English, Mandarin, German, Spanish, French, Arabic or Bengali). These are the seven major trade languages spoken in the world.
22. Have been through intercultural training and have a greater understanding of the lens by which I understand the world and am frequently able to adjust accordingly.
23. Practice biblical peacemaking and can help others do the same.
24. Have been trained in church multiplication principles and practices including multiple expressions of ‘church’, people of peace, Discovery Bible Studies, and other multiplication principles.
25. Embrace the priorities and values of the Lausanne Covenant
6. Yurt Specific Commitments:
I was created to _________. Therefore…. A yurt may add up to five additional Biblical commitments specific to their Yurt but cannot neglect, revoke, or change the common ‘rules’ or Commitments above. This allows Yurts to emphasize teachings of Jesus that are not highlighted in the existing Commitments. Any additional Commitments adopted by Yurts must be directly related to New Testament commands and must be approved by the Executive Council.
…