Dichotomy

I was wondering on my bike ride this morning how we tend to communicate the Christian walk as a dichotomous, "lost/found" with nothing in between kind of thing and how this negatively effects our ability to minister to people that don't hold that same view. I think most people in our culture who the church community would consider to be "lost" don't think of themselves in the same way. Do we promote an us vs. them mentality in some of the language that we use by drawing a clear dividing line between being without Christ and with Christ? I think most people outside of mainstream, sub-cultured Christianity would tend to see their spiritual life as a life long process without a clear arrival point. There may be points in that journey that serve as clear defining moments, but is the point of confessing Christ the "finish line"? Obviously not if you believe Scripture and all it talks about the continued growth and shaping that takes place after that confession.

That sense of "having arrived" at conversion may be one of the biggest obstacles to the Christian walk. How many of our people have stopped in their spiritual tracks because they've "made it"? How many of them are sitting around waiting for heaven instead of really believing the words "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?" How big an obstacle will that be to reorganizing people in community if they seem content with settling for something less than all the benefits of the kingdom in the now? Will their comfort and their sense of having "got theirs" keep them from recognizing that conversion was merely an important marking point in their lives that should have changed the course of their destiny?

I'm going to keep thinking about this and about what terms we need to begin wrestling with and removing from our vocabularies so that we can engage in less divisive community with those that Christ desires relationship with.

Team building

This week was a good week for team building. The video "Noise" that the creative planning team chose for last Sunday was well received giving me hope that our people are more ready for change than we had originally anticipated. We also had a retreat with Chuck, Susan, Leanne and myself at Shirley's family's cabin at Lake Barbee that was a good first step toward open communication in planning future ministry and tackling existing problems.

Yesterday I mentioned to Leanne that I got copies of Dan Kimball's book Emerging Worship to both Dave Brown and Tim Helm, who I will be working with to pursue the goal of the satellite campus. My hope is that the three of us will have read and discussed the book and talk about it's possible implications for the satellite campus before we begin building the team that will be helping us. Right now, I don't think I would be able to have a constructive conversation with Dave or Tim because I'm coming from a perspective that is completely foreign to them. Reading the book will help them be able to understand some of what I'm thinking which will help us have constructive dialog about where we're headed. When I mentioned this to Leanne she said that it would probably be good for Chuck, Susan and her to read the book as well so that they have a better understanding of where I'm coming from. I told her that I had been thinking along those lines anyway as well as possibly getting it to a few key people on Ad. Council. Her comments were good confirmation to begin to move in that direction.

Reflections from 9.24.04 prayers

As I was praying yesterday I asked God where I needed to focus my attention in my quiet time of prayer and study. I was on the bike at the time riding between Jonesboro and Fairmount at a pretty healthy pace and I was somewhat surprised at how quickly the Lord seemed to answer.

The first thing He impressed upon me was the need to continue to learn to hear His voice more clearly. It seemed somewhat humerous since I had been praying along those lines for a few weeks pretty intently and here was a clear communication about needing clear communication. I prayed for discernment to be able to tell if this was really the Lord or just my mind making a connection to a possible answer that He might give. I prayed for any other voices to be stilled other than that of God and He confirmed what He had been telling me. I'm recognizing a greater need to be Spirit-led in what I do and a need for awareness to the needs of the people around me.

The next thing He impressed upon me was the need to study Scriptures having to do with everyday living. I tend to focus on Scriptures that help me expand my understanding of God's character which, in turn, fuels my worship. What God was telling me was that the way I have been doing it is good and valuable to me as a lead worshipper for a congregation, but that if I am serious about developing more of a shepherd's heart for lost people that I need to have a better understanding of the relevance of Scripture to their everyday existence. This seems like a pretty straight ahead direction and I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in mind for me.

Video Venue issues & some possible solutions

I just finished reading Dan Kimball's book Emerging Worship and he cautions against a video-venue as a part of an emerging worship service. This was a bit of a blow to me since that is what we were initially planning. Kimball's sense is that video-venues can work for those with a Judeo-Christian perspective and, while it might take some getting used to, those folks will be more willing to go that route.

What concerns me is that he doesn't believe that the video sermon is in step with emerging worship values and will cause a disconnect if you are trying to use it in a community where you are trying to reach people with a post-Judeo-Christian perspective. These are people that are absolutely foreign to the things of God as expressed through Christianity and have little, if any, clue as to what happens in a church.

This is the group that my heart is beating for. I believe that there are any number of churches already in our community that are capable of reaching those that have walked away from the faith of their childhood or have had a bad experience with Christianity but are interested in giving it another shot. I see very few churches, however, that are connecting with the rapidly increasing number of people who grew up outside of the church and have never even really considered being a part of a Christian community. That is what I hope we will be. I hope we will be a place for extremely messy people to begin to find something that eventually causes them to fall hopelessly in love with Jesus.

This presents a problem with the video-venue sermon style. One reason for the disconnect with emerging worship values is that what happens in successful emerging gatherings is generated out of the worshipping community. There is much less value placed on quality and more based on whether or not we have relationship with those that are creating the services, teaching the messages and creating worship expressions with. It is much more organic than what we've experienced at Hanfield, although we are seeing moments of it there as well.

So, I'm looking for possible ways to continue to consider this as a "video-venue" church and still promote emerging worship values for those that are in that 22-35 year-old demographic.

Possible solutions:

1) Use the video of Tim's teaching for an evening community gathering where we could share a meal and organize a service project around the theme of the teaching that we could engage in as a response.

Example: this weekend Tim is preaching on developing a daily quiet time. One obstacle that people face is that they are too busy. We could potentially do something around that theme as a way to help one another with that obstacle. We could encourage those with kids to watch each other's children for a half-hour each while the other spends time with God.

Example: next weekend Tim is preaching about sharing our faith. As a response, we could share our stories with one another and pray for opportunities to do so to people who don't know Jesus.

(okay, these are weak examples, but they are from right off the top of my head and we would have better ideas emerge from a planning team built around this gathering)

2) Use the video of Tim's teaching for our groups in homes. This is a possibility with a few issues:

a) not every group will probably want to use the video

b) might distract from the more intimate setting that groups would try to establish

3) Use the video of Tim's teaching for a group leader time held every week (as a solution to #2)

We know that we are going to have to create a solid support network for our group leaders. This would be an opportunity to build curriculum for the groups to discuss about the theme without the group actually watching the video. The group leader's exposure to the teaching would help them to facilitate a group meeting on the subject that Tim talked about on Sunday.

Obviously, there might be scheduling issues for group leaders, groups may sometimes spend most of their time in prayer or a service project instead of getting to the lesson, but I throw it out there as an option to consider.

I'll probably think of more ideas later. If so, I'll check back in.

Community first

It is definitely clear to me that this satellite/sister church/extension ministry... needs to be less about what we do in the context of full congregation (Sunday morning/evening) and more about what we do between large group gatherings. How are people going to be engaged in community throughout the week? Where are they going to meet? How are they going to meet? What are they going to do? How do we provide them with the support they need? Just a few of the questions that come to mind.

My hope is that we will be able to allow groups to meet throughout the week in homes, restaurants, coffee houses, bars... throughout Marion and that each group will take on the character and identity of the people in it. My hope is that the relationships that are found in these groups are among the most important relationships that exist in the lives of those in the community. I'm hoping for an Acts church feel where, yes we gather for the larger community worship, but where we are sharing life together on a weekly basis in homes, sharing meals, learning about each other, caring for each other, giving ourselves to each other.

This is what the church needs to have at its foundation. We could have the greatest experience in the world in the worship gathering but only experience safe, surface level connection with those that we are with. My dream is that we would find a deeper, more dangerous community; the kind of community that makes you willing to risk your heart and share lavishly of your love as you encounter the hurt and brokeness of real people living real life in a real, fallen world.

Lord, give us a heart for authentic community with those that You bring to us. Begin now to stir the spirits of those that will be leaders in this community. Remove from them their hearts of stone and place in them hearts of flesh that can be broken for You and can be pierced by the things that pierce Your heart. Give them new dreams of changed lives and a deep desire to risk all for You. I am trusting You to raise these leaders up. Pour out Your Spirit on them and equip them for the road ahead. Amen

Initial thoughts

Okay. The dream has been taking shape for some time. We looked at it a few years ago, abandoned it, saw it in a new light and are now pursuing it. It feels somewhat like the girl that had a crush on you in Jr. High that you weren't quite sure about so you passed her by. Now you see her in the full bloom of womanhood and can't stop thinking about her; how you'd be a different person for her, how she might change your life, where you might live, what you might do with her... Granted, we're talking about a community of Christians here, so it does look somewhat different, but I find myself immersed in thought about this new community, what it might look like, where it might be based out of, who it might impact and how it might impact me. I'm dreaming big dreams again. I'm finding a heart for my neighbors that has been buried for a long time. I'm seeing more as a pastor/shepherd responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of people than as a worship leader charged with creating a good experience for people. This is a huge shift for me.

I'm hoping over the next few years to keep track of ideas, prayers and dreams about this new community so that I don't forget where I've been on this transformational journey to the heart of God. Here we go...