Welcome To

Friends of Aslan

Friends of Aslan is a global experiment where we work together with local churches, Christian NGOs and schools who want to develop a robust and sustainable basic discipleship pathway within their organizations. It is designed for people ages 12 and up who want to follow Jesus but in a multicultural urbanized, globalized, broken but beautiful world.

We call ourselves Friends of Aslan™ as a nod to C.S. Lewis’ famous novel series The Chronicles of Narnia. Similar to the novel series we incorporated a few Turkish words (Aslan means lion in Turkish) into the language of Friends of Aslan just for the fun and adventure of it.

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Our Goal

Help each other get better at:

1. Approaching

our work (or studies) as an expression of worship

2. Embracing

our priestly and emissary role in our current context

3. Teaming up

with others to maximize our growth and impact in our workplaces, schools and communities

THREE OF OUR UNDERLAYING ASSUMPTIONS

1. Our workplace (or school) is probably our primary sphere of influence

Therefore, we encourage each other to explore and experiment with ways to bless our workplaces, colleagues, clients, and communities. We mentor, coach, and team-up with this in mind. We understand that our work (paid or volunteer) is integral to who Jesus calls us to be. Most of us will live and work (or study) in multicultural workplaces and live in multicultural communities. You are not there by accident. God has a plan for you.

2. We are all created to be emissaries and priests within our context

As followers of Jesus, an important part of our God-given identity is to be emissaries and priests wherever we are and to whomever we are with. Each of us have roles as an emissary/priest for the Kingdom of God no matter what our age, occupation or position in society. In Christ, every politician, welder, driver, project manager, public servant, student, grandmother, etc has a priestly role. But being an emissary/priest (like many things in life) is something best done in team.

3. We are meant to journey with others

Our journey in life was never designed to be traveled alone—God designed His people to work together in teams…large and small. Friends of Aslan promotes and supports the formation of purpose driven teams (not just fellowship groups) within every affinity group we are part of. The purpose of these teams is to explore together how we might bless those in our affinity groups together and encourage each other in our priestly role. Therefore…

Theological Foundation

Two Core Emphases

1. The priesthood of all believers

We believe that every follower of Jesus is designed to be a priest and emissary of Christ. As such, we are authorized and entrusted to represent God before our people and to represent our people before God. In most cases, “our people” are the individuals in our affinity groups, including our family, neighbors, work colleagues, clients and interest groups… and yes, even the strangers and disenfranchised we meet along our way. Whenever possible, we team-up with others in our priestly and emissarial roles.

2. A Biblical theology of work

As followers of Jesus we are called to do good works. This does not just mean feeding the poor or helping an elderly neighbor get to his doctor appointment. Good works include our attitude and action in our studies, professions, and all our relationships. We believe our work (all our work) is meant to be an act of worship. Therefore, we strive to adopt a mindset about work that is rooted in biblical thought, reflecting our commitment to put Jesus’ commands into practice the best we know how… and if possible, together with others.

Friends of Aslan agree with the Lausanne Covenant.

Who are Friends of Aslan?

We are an experiment with the potential to help change the prevailing paradigms and mobilize hundreds of thousands of more workers into the harvest

Most mission organizations today operate from a recruiting paradigm that sounds something like: “Give up your job and join us!”. We believe most followers of Jesus do not need to leave their jobs to be part of a missional community. Rather all Christians need to become “full-time” followers of Jesus in the midst of whatever work or occupation we are involved. Therefore, we will encourage you to ‘Keep your job (or get one) — and let us join you‘ on your journey to become a “full-time” follower of Jesus in whatever context your are in. Becoming and making disciples is a team “sport” and a lifelong endeavor… and we think we can help each other on our journeys.

We are loosely modeled after medieval trade-guilds, in that we incorporate steps to membership that include ideas of both being and doing. We do this to create a basic but robust discipleship curriculum applicable to followers of Jesus age 12 and up.

Friends of Aslan is an experiment to see if we can create new 21st century global missional communities where local churches and Christian NGOs serve as the primary onboarding structures.

We do this by embracing a code of conduct consisting of five common purpose statements we call Milestones which we believe to be unchangeable, non-negotiable, and timeless truths. We believe these five Milestone statements are valid across all cultures, societies and time periods and fundamental for human thriving. Associated with the five Milestones are twenty five action points we call Waymarks. These represent basic ways we can respond to the five Milestone statements. Together the Milestones and Waymarks form the basis of Friends of Aslan’s discipleship curriculum and our three step onboarding process.

1 Narnians are what we call the candidates in the process of becoming members of Friends of Aslan. This is stage one.

2. Friends of Aslan are full members who embrace the five Pillar statements and have completed all twenty-five of the associated Waymarks. This is stage two.

3. Yoldash (a Turkish word meaning friend on the road or traveling companion) are the mentors/coaches who have completed both the initial twenty-five Waymarks as well as a handful of additional Waymarks designed specifically for Yoldash. The goal is for every Friend of Aslan to be a Yoldash. This is stage three.

As mentioned earlier, the onboarding process of Friends of Aslan is facilitated by partner churches and Christian organizations as a program imbedded within their organization. Friends of Aslan has no employees nor paid staff. Everyone is a volunteer or part of a partner organization. We also prefer to use pre-existing (off-the-shelf) training resources rather than create our own. Thus we have a growing ‘curated’ library of recommended resources to assist us on our journey.

Growth Happens Together

The Mentoring Community

Our global community (in the making) is made up of individuals, partner churches and Christian NGOs and schools. Currently we are in the startup phase and prototyping the concept and looking to recruit more churches and Christian NGOs interested in joining the experiment.

A Global Community in the Making

We are not yet global although our leadership team is multicultural and deeply experienced in Europe, North America, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Currently we are focused in the Nordic countries and testing the Friend of Aslan concept by helping local churches and Christian NGOs pilot test their Yurts. “What is a yurt?” you ask.

Yurts

Yurt is a Turkic word for a round portable tent historically used by nomadic peoples in Central Asia. In our context, Yurts are franchises or chapters that facilitate the training, mentoring, and membership onboarding process for Friends of Aslan. Yurts typically operate as a program within a partnering church or Christian organization. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about starting a Yurt!

Teaming-up

Teaming-up is one of the most important things we do. This typically means we either join or organize a team within our workplace, occupation sector, school, community and/or other affinity group to pray and explore together how to bless and serve it. Once we get some ideas, we then work together to put them into practice.

How to Get Started

Steps to Getting Started with Friends of Aslan

Becoming part of our mentorship community is simple. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Learn about Friends of Aslan and embrace the five Milestone statements

2. Begin working on any of the 25 Waymarks you have yet to complete

3. Contact us to learn more details and get personally connected

Get in Touch

a Code of Conduct that candidates work to embrace and members purpose to live out

Milestones and Waymarks

Milestones and waymarks are helpful on a journey. They give us confidence that we are on the right path and help us find our way back when we encounter inevitable detours along the way. Friends of Aslan use these terms to represent our guiding principles and goals. Our five Milestone are lifetime purpose statements. They each have five associated Waymarks or action steps, for a total of 25 initial Waymarks. These were derived from the Bible and onboarding criteria and competency studies from interdenominational, international mission communities. They are not meant to represent a complete list of Christian commitment but rather to serve as a “basic” discipleship curriculum for other Christian communities to continue to build upon. In addition, each Yurt (i.e. local chapter of Friends of Aslan) has the freedom to add up to five additional Waymarks. This structure is designed to create a framework for the basic mentoring of individuals and groups within a broad segment of Christian traditions so as to create common ground for communication, collaboration and rapid multiplication.

Once the startup or “testing cycle” of the Friends of Aslan “experiment” is finished, the 25 Waymarks will be fixed for a five year period. Every five years the Waymarks will be reviewed by our membership for potential modification. Of course, even now it is possible that some of the Waymarks (due to extenuating circumstances) are unattainable for some followers of Jesus to complete. In such cases, alternative Waymarks can be negotiated.

A. Foundations

I was created because God delighted to do so. As such, I am not an accident but have been wonderfully and purposefully made. Therefore, in awe and humility I purpose to understand and put into practice all the teachings of Jesus for the rest of my life. John 14:21, 2 Tim. 3:16-17. As initial actions towards this truth, I:

Surrender my life to God through faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 4:2, Eph 6:12, Col 2:15
Repent/turn away from all my known sin and renounce the Devil and his works. Acts 2:38, Gal 5:19-21, Ja 4:7
Have been baptized. Acts 2:38
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
Have a growing understanding of my identity in Christ and the loving purposes for which I was designed. Eph 2:10

B. Good Works

I was created to do good works. Therefore, I purpose to do works (paid or volunteer) that are ethical, excellent, and an expression of worship to God all my life. (Eph 2:8-10, Col 3:23, Mt 5:16, Gen 1:28). As initial actions towards this truth I:

Have had a Luke10:1-20 experience (sending of the 72) where I can personally testify to how God provided for me and used me to bless others. Also see Luke 9:1-10.
Have 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.
Have evidence of excellence at my trade, skill, schooling, or work. I strive to be excellent at work. Titus 3:8
Purpose to grow in humility, wisdom and all the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
Team up with other followers of Jesus for service, prayer, edification, collaboration, accountability, encouragement, counsel, and mutual benefit. Ecc 4:12, Pr. 27:17, 1Pet 4:8, Heb 10:25

C. Spiritual Disciplines

I was created to be holy. Therefore, I purpose to surrender every aspect of my life to God all my life. Mt. 6:1-8, 1 Tim. 4:8, John 4:24. As initial actions towards this rule, I:

Have read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation and purpose to understand and obey it.
Purpose to practice daily rhythms of prayer and meditation of Scripture. Phi 4:6, Col 4:2, 1Th 5:17, 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16, Ps 119:105, Jos 1:8
Have increasingly seen a shift in my interpretation of suffering, hardships, and disappointments from “God is against me” or “God doesn’t care” to “God is forming me” and “God is with me” without pretending the suffering is good. John 16:33, Ja 1:2-4, 1 Pet 1:6, 4:12,13,19, Phil 1:29
Purpose to confess (and turn from) my ongoing failures rather than hide them. I am appropriately transparent about past and current struggles with fear, loneliness, pride, materialism, lust, pornography, crime, drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other addictions or harmful habits. Ja 5:16, 1 Jn 1:9, Pr 28:13
Purpose to 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. I refuse to participate in gossip, slander, deception, falsehood, and grumbling. 2 Cor 12:20, Prov 20:19. 1 Pet 4:11.

Note: Narnians normally provide evidence of at least 90 days of successful practice of each of these spiritual disciplines in the form of journals (or other testimony).

D. Stewardships

I was created to love others. Therefore, I purpose to be a faithful steward of what has been entrusted to me by God. By faith I will share, invest, develop, and “risk” what has been entrusted to me in service to others for the rest of my life. 1 Pet 4:10, Lk 16:11. As initial actions to this rule, I submit to God my:

Finances/Possessions: These belong to God. Therefore, I embrace a modest lifestyle and live within my means. I Cor10: Heb 13:5, 1 Pet3:3-4. I purpose to be both generous and frugal and to be free of financial debt. Act 20:35, 2Cor.9:7, 1Tim.6:17-19. Heb 13:5, Rom 13:7-8, Lk 16:11
Body/Appearance/ 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
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
Time and Opportunities: My time and opportunities belongs to God. I purpose to make the best use of my time and opportunities. Eph 5:15-17, Ps 90:12
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 it. Gen 2:15, Ps 24:1, Job 12:7-10

E. 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:

Am/becoming multilingual (one of which is either English, Mandarin, German, Spanish, French, Arabic or Bengali). These are the seven major trade languages spoken in the world.
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.
Practice biblical peacemaking and can help others do the same.
Have successfully invited five people to hear more about the Kingdom of God
Have led three Discovery Bible Studies and been trained in church multiplication practices.

Contact Us

Are you interested in finding out more? We want to hear from you! Get in touch and we will respond promptly.