New 6 month model of DNA for the Baby Boomer generation
Sean Carnochan, of Holy Trinity Wester Hailes, Edinburgh
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"DNA will change your life!" Actually I don’t think the literature promises that, it does promise spiritual growth, discipleship and challenges but I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that it really has changed my life. Prior to DNA I had already faced several personal challenges, a three-year illness, that started at 22 had left me physically drained and my faith very much on the floor, I had struggled out of University with a two year career in the Home Office and had various temping jobs. I was drifting along and so was my faith in Jesus.
I know about eight people who have done DNA or it’s forerunner TiE Teams, including my husband, but I had always vowed that it would not be for me, I thought I would find it far too intense and as for a year of poverty, I decided no thank you! However last July I found God was able to break through in a way he had not before, he wanted me to do DNA, I saw it on a post-it note (that my future co-ordinator had written) and actually considered that it might be for me. I investigated and found that I would be able to do something called Track 2 where you take part in the main teaching and bolting on and paying for residentials and experiences as necessary, it would also give me the freedom to take on a part-time job, poverty might not have to be an option!
By August of last year, the job, with my local council on a part-time basis had fallen into place and I found that working the latter half of the week enabled me to take part in the teaching programmes fully. On the weeks where there was no training block I was able to do projects and study. This year I have taken part in various projects, including leading a student small-group, helping to write policy for the Christian People’s Alliance in Newham and most recently taking on some pastoral visiting in my own church. These projects have really broadened my horizons and in addition the study and the part-time job have already enabled me to secure a job when I finish DNA, as a trainee social-worker.
The real change to my life however has been the discipleship input during the year, the support I have had from the DNA team and my own discipler, Naomi. This input has really helped my confidence to grow. My slow growing faith of ten years has been catalysed by doing DNA, for example, feeling very close to God and being able to use gifts, talents and skills that I had not had the confidence to use before. The culmination of all this growing experience came into its own on our recent international trip to Germany where I was able to lead some of the creative input in worship times, translate meetings from German to English, be bold (or daft) enough to preach on the streets of Munich and pray like I have never done before for the people of Germany.
I would recommend DNA to anyone but especially I would say don’t discount it if you are a few years into your career. It might be time to inject a new challenge into your life, it’s not just for the real youngies, who said you can’t teach a slightly older dog new tricks?
