Surge was developed in 2008 when pastors from four churches in Phoenix, Arizona got together and began asking the question, “How can we work together to train leaders for our churches so that we can see disciples surge out into every part of our city?” What developed is a collaborative movement of churches that includes a unique nine-month leadership training school.

There is a great scene in the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones where the Spirit comes upon God’s people at Pentecost just as the resurrected Jesus had promised.

They threw open the shutter. Sunlight flooded their room, as love had flooded their hearts. And the little room was filled with happy noises. Dancing feet, singing, laughing. They unlocked the door and surged out into the streets—as if they had never been afraid.

This is where Surge derives its name and the general vision for this movement. Surge Network is a movement of local churches united to put Jesus on display through equipping our congregations, sending servant leaders, and blessing our cities.

Jesus is the center of the story. In terms of the gospel message, He is the hero. In terms of world history, He is the centerpoint. In terms of the redemptive plan of God, He is the means by which redemption occurs.

As we examine the gospel (the good news of Jesus) and apply it to our lives, it is important that we have a robust understanding not only of the message of the gospel, but also of the power of the gospel in our lives. Surge School is a training tool designed to give you biblical lenses to see your life in the context of the greater work that God is doing in creation and also the specifi c work that God is doing in you to be a blessing to your world and show his love to those he brings along your path.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
There are three key environments that Surge School fosters for learning.

1. Individual Study. Every participant is responsible to read all the material in the books and reader.

2. Surge Table. This is the primary learning environment for Surge. It is a weekly meeting where your table leader will facilitate a discussion of the reading, focusing on its applications for life and leadership. You will then encourage each other to live out the implications of the gospel in everyday life.

3. Intensives. There will be four intensives throughout the year. These are an important classroom-learning environment for Surge. The intensives feature first-rate scholars and frontline church leaders from around the country.

CORE DISTINCTIVES
Surge School has a set of central components that distinguish this particular discipleship path from others.

1. Theological Vision of Leadership.

While the Surge School is not linked with any one denomination or theological school, we do ground our leadership in a robust theology. Surge School has been influenced by the work of Mike Goheen, Chris Wright, and Tim Keller, along with contributions from a diverse group of local practitioners.

2. Local Church Based.

Surge School is not a para-church ministry. Surge School is simply a structure that local church pastors and elders use to work together to train leaders within our local churches. In order for Surge School to start in a new church, a key leader must first go through Surge School.

3. Holistic Education.

Surge School is not simply the acquisition of information. Surge School contains three specific learning environments in which each student must participate. Together these environments provide a context for all-of-life discipleship.

4. Strategic Curriculum.

The curriculum for Surge School is based on a four module system, in which the content of each module builds on the previous one and follows a big-small-big-small motif, as follows.

*Our recommendation is to journey through the entirety of Surge School during a traditional school year calendar. However, if this commitment seems too long for your church context, you could choose to journey through the four modules over a longer period of time with shorter commitments. For example, you could offer module 1: Gospel Story in the fall for 8 weeks and module 2: Gospel Formation in the spring for 8 weeks. If you choose this route, it is pertinent to have every new participant of Surge School to start with module 1: Gospel Story as the foundation for all additional learning.

Module 1—Gospel Story:

First, we will focus on the gospel story and finding your place in the drama of the biblical narrative. This is a macro view of God’s big story.

Module 2—Gospel Formation:

Second, we will look at how the gospel forms our hearts and lives as the Holy Spirit uses community and Christian practices to reshape our thinking, attitudes, and actions through this gospel story.

Module 3—Missional Church:

Third, we will seek to develop a view of the larger purpose of God’s people in the mission of God to restore all of creation.

Module 4—Missional Vocation:

Finally, we will examine the biblical significance of work—seeing that God works through our work to bless and serve the world.

Having established a foundation in the Grand Story of the Bible (Module 1), we seek to apply the gospel to our hearts and lives (Module 2). We then ask what is the specific mission of God’s people (Module 3) before reframing our work (our vocations or stations of life) in light of all we’ve learned (Module 4).

The Bless Rhythms are the very centerpiece of your Surge Table. Surge School is an active journey to cultivate a life that puts Jesus on display. Everything you read should be filtered through the lens of the Bless Rhythms. These rhythms ought to assist you in noticing areas where your theology is being applied or denied.

The Bless Rhythms will give practical guidance for how we love our neighbor. This is the imperative, but it sits on a powerful indicative. The indicative is that you have been made new and have been predestined for a good work that God has called you to before the world was even created (Ephesians 2:10). So, as we go throughout our weeks, we understand that because of Christ, we have the strength to live in new ways and to love God by loving others (John 13:34-35). The Bless Rhythms offer a helpful method for developing regular and ongoing patterns of blessing others. Each letter in “bless” is used to form a simple reminder of these rhythms.

BLESS
This is a tangible blessing, no matter how ordinary or small. The focus is experienced blessing. In deciding who you choose to bless, challenge yourself to bless someone in the following areas on a regular basis: someone who is not a Christian, another Christian, and someone who is not like you.

LISTEN
John Stott is remembered for pointing to Karl Barth’s suggestion to “take the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” God speaks to us and calls us into action through the events of our everyday life. On a regular basis, reflect on how you listen in the following two ways: vertically (God) and horizontally (the world and its cultures).

EAT
There is something disarming and revealing about sharing a meal with someone. It has been said that Jesus “ate his way through the gospels.” Eating with someone can range from simply having a cup of coff ee to sharing a full meal. One healthy goal is to invite someone to share a meal in your home. On a regular basis, eat with the following groups of people: someone who is not a Christian, another Christian, and someone who is not like you.

SPEAK
We are invited to speak the truth of this good news as we go throughout our lives. Ray Bakke has said that “we are not in the advice business...we are in the news business.” Our role is to communicate the good news of Christ. Communicate in the following directions on a regular basis: vertically (talking to God) and horizontally (talking to a neighbor).

SABBATH
Purposeful rest is a commandment of God. It displays that our trust is not in ourselves, but in Him. Resting is one of the best ways to combat the idolatry of our culture, and is an excellent display of the joy and delight of the Kingdom!! The practice of sabbath can take many forms but the goal is pausing from work, enjoying the presence of Jesus, and delighting in God’s creation with neighbor.

As we seek to integrate the Bless Rhythms into our lives, we have structured specific practices for each module of Surge School. These specific practices are intended to assist you as you seek to develop regular rhythms of blessing in your life. As you progress through each module, allow these practices to guide you in applying what you are reading to your life by trying/practicing them.