A Pattern Language for Perfecting the Saints

Pattern languages (see the Pattern Language Page at the C2 Wiki) are an idea that came out of the work of Architect Christopher Alexander and have found homes in a number of other disciplines. Pattern languages are collections of patterns which describe recurring problems within a domain and provide a template for deling with them. Each pattern is described in four parts:

Pattern Name - a handle for identifying the pattern.

Problem - a description of when the pattern applies.

Solution - the elements that make up the pattern.

Consequences - the results and trade-offs of applying the pattern.

So, why is all of this important? I've been thinking about the roll of local church leaders in perfecting the saints (see Retrenchment and Reaching Out), and I'm starting to boil my ideas down into a catalog of patterns in a pattern language for perfecting the saints.

Here are the patterns I've been thinking about so far. I'm going to try to write about one each week, I'd appreciate any comments to help improve the patterns I describe or to add others that I've missed.

Perfecting the Saints: Pattern Catalog

• Agents of Change
• Families on the Edges
• Focus Families
• Focused Effort
• Follow the Spirit
• Home Teaching is the Key
• Not Just Once a Month
• The Rising Tide
• A Six Month Window
• Teaching Teams
• To Serve and Protect
• Touching Everyone
• The Transition