The simplest view of the living church life cycle is this:
At the heart of this process is the imperative to make
disciples. Alan Hirsch does a great job
of describing one aspect of why this is so important.
Alan Hirsch: Disciple-Making [VERGE video] from Verge Network on Vimeo.
I am hosting a one-time webinar/conversation on Engaging More of the Supernatural in Life & Ministry. Of course, all of life and ministry is supernatural as we partner with God, but our thinking and actions often keep us from experiencing the full weight of God’s activity because of our innate reliance on ourselves.
Time: Thursday, April 18, 5:30 pm Pacific Daylight time.
Limited space available.
If you are interested follow these 2 steps in order:
The video in the previous post (52 churches in 5 years) is part of the inspiration for this webinar. In addition, we will look at some of the key principles of supernatural engagement and share stories with one another on these:
I still see the tendency, in myself and others, to want to follow someone else’s model: the successful organic church guy’s strategy, or the hottest apostolic disciplemaking methodology, or the latest book on how to perfect the house church gathering, or someone else’s ministry whom we revere.
Yes, I think we must learn from each other.
But let’s not discount the unique persons that we are. I believe we will go further investing in the lives of others if we honor the passions that are stirring within us rather than trying to clone ourselves after the likes of others.
Bob Pierce prayed “Lord, break my heart with the things that break your heart.” He followed his deep compassion for neglected children, founded World Vision, and reached thousands of people for Christ through that ministry.
William Booth’s passion propelled him to care for the poor in London and work to right injustices out of which the Salvation Army was birthed. Again, thousands upon thousands have been impacted for Christ over the decades.
My point is that these two men, as examples, had differing passions that moved them into different kinds of settings where they each made an impact for the Kingdom using very different methods. And each of them differed from the passion that moved Billy Graham to gather tens of thousands into crusades. These men did not model their ministries after one another, but they followed Jesus with the passion that gripped their own hearts by the Spirit of God.
It seems to me that we would do well to do the same.
Big things happen, really big things, when there are enough small, collective things taking place.
We are not dreaming big enough. No, I’m not talking about how big each one of us can become, or how important each one of us can be, or how big of an organization or ministry each one of us can grow. That’s backwards. That turns God’s thing around. We always think God wants US to be BIG. He’s not into that. He’s into HIM being BIG.
God is the one doing something big, way bigger than any of us are yet seeing or dreaming.
But when we see that dream of His and it stirs us and motivates us to do our part with all of our heart, then we become one of the many that He collectively uses to do something big with. We become part of HIS BIG.
For sure, God is up to some BIG stuff: “My kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” That’s BIG. “The oppressed set free, the downtrodden lifted.” That’s BIG. “The Gospel of the Kingdom proclaimed to every nation (ethnic group).” That’s BIG. “The knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.” That’s really big.
Are we dreaming that big?
I believe we need to dream BIG with God in order to step with our whole hearts into the small, but divinely orchestrated, part that is ours to play with all of our gusto. We are not small when we give our all to HIS BIG. We are not unimportant when we do our part in HIS BIG. We are needed more than ever to do all that He has called and gifted us to do with joy and passion so that His BIG collective purposes come to pass.
And, frankly, there’s nothing better than that!
I believe this is one of the most important, least asked, question: “What field(s) am I called to sow into right at this time in my life?”
The question assumes, first of all, that the unleashed church is engaging the world rather than settling for the ‘holy huddle’ as the primary expression of the body of Christ. The church thrives as a ‘going’ experience rather than a ‘hunker down’ way of life.
But, once we make that turn toward sowing the word and shining the light out into the world, we can find ourselves simply doing what we see others doing rather than letting Jesus give us clear, specific direction as to where we are to sow.
I have been guilty of this. I look at other ‘master-sowers’ and at the fields they are called to and at the way that they sow and at the fruit that they are having, and I then assume that I am supposed to do what they are doing and in the types of settings they are doing it. But this negates the beauty of the diversity of who God made each of us to be.
“What fields am I called to sow into?”
When I answer this question for myself, I first recognize that there are fields that are around me each day, that I do want to sow into regularly:
Even so, I want to take Jesus’ lead in asking where the Father is working and learn to have a listening relationship with Him so that, even in my everyday sowing, I am working where He is.
But, honestly, it seems to me that the sky is the limit once we begin asking the Father where he wants us to sow beyond the most obvious. Some of us are gifted/called to touch the lives of people who are severely handicapped, or who live in the farthest parts of the world, or who have extreme needs, or who are in extreme situations, or none of the above, or who live in a specific area across town, or right in my neighborhood, or neither.
Some of us are even called to sow into the fields of the ‘already-Christian’ who needs to be discipled (without sinking into the holy-huddle syndrome).
My point is not to try to describe the many possible variations but to affirm all of them if that is where Jesus is leading us to sow. And, yes, not all will produce the kinds of ‘evident fruit’ that a book will be written about. That often misses the point when the real issue is, are we faithfully, in love, following Jesus into that field where He is working and wants us to work alongside of Him?
For me, this is a key question to ask myself and then keep on asking… Which can lead to two more questions, for a future post:
1. Who are we to sow with as co-laborers?
And
2. How… are we to sow? The latter question suggests that not all ‘mission’ work looks like typical evangelism as we know it…
Neil Cole’s most recent book (2012) is “Church Transfusion: Changing your Church Organically From the Inside Out.”
Let me first say that, as with all of Neil’s books, it is filled with many quotable insights (see below) that make the book worth reading. Even as he looks at the prospect of changing traditional church systems into organic, missional forces, he maintains a sharp and clear focus on the themes he laid out in Organic Church and Organic Leadership.
That said, tackling the question of whether churches can shed their institutional frameworks in order to function organically is a bit (to me) like asking if water can be turned into wine. We know it can happen, after all Jesus did it. In the same way, we know churches can be ‘transfused’ with new life, but… oh how challenging.
To Neil’s credit, he does not water down this challenge as he states that churches wanting a truly organic transfusion will have to:
The last two will require (in this writer’s opinion) a commitment that probably few will make, but for those who do this book will be an invaluable guide.
Some Neil Cole-isms from Church Transfusion:
“It is time to abandon the domestic faith of suburban consumer Churchianity to live a life of risk for the love of a Savior who left heaven to live among the poor and marginalized people of a backward and oppressed nation.”
“He did not hang out in safe places. I imagine that today you would be more likely to find Jesus in a gay bar than at a church service.”
“Why would you want to give up the daily miracle of God’s actual presence and leading, a presence that parts oceans and causes water to flow from rocks or breaks the political oppression of Pharaoh? Why would we want to be like everyone else on the planet when we could live a supernatural life of love every day?”
“When a church starts to accumulate things and hold on to them as prizes worth defending or preserving, they will quickly find that their affection and provision is not found in Christ but in the maintenance and management of possessions and property.”
“Resurrection power is available only to the person or church that is willing to die.”
“Churches were never meant to become providers of spiritual goods and services to consumers, even if there are many who appear more than eager to buy.”
“Have the people of God been divided between those who provide services and those who pay to have them provided? Absolutely! May God have mercy on us all!”
Church at Home: Explained in 2 Minutes on a Napkin
You
can help kickstart the next House2House magazine.
Before House2House had a website or conference it all began with a printed magazine. The House2House magazine ended up in a lot of people’s hands and contributed to spark the growing house church movement. As the Holy Spirit was stirring this vision of simple, organic churches in the hearts of Tony and Felicity Dale and others in Texas, He was also cultivating it in you, me, and many others around this same time. Now there are millions of Christians meeting together as the church in homes, coffee shops, businesses and wherever they can.
Due to many factors including the rising costs of production, the last issue of House2House was printed in 2008.
You can help bring it back!
Some of you wrongly assume that I have some formal connection to House2House. I do not. They have simply been wonderful partners and encouragers over the years as they have been to so many.
I think there is something potent about holding a magazine in one’s hand that can be passed along to another. If God is nudging you to help make this happen, jump in!
Someone recently commented to my wife, regarding our core community gang, “It’s obvious that you guys really take care of each other.”
It’s been a while since I have blogged on the topic of community-life due to a greater focus on the missional aspect of 24/7 organic church lifestyle.
But, I do not want to forget that Jesus tied community-life and mission together when he said, “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me (John 17:23)”
Now, let’s be clear.
Developing committed, authentic community life among a core group of follower is, well…
But forging deep relationships over a longer period of time has amazing benefits:
1. I have many spiritual friends that have stood with me while going through some of the darkest times of my life including losing a son two years ago. There is nothing like that kind of care and support when you need it most. It makes the hard work of building community well worth it!
2. I have grown immeasurably from the challenges of working through issues and conflicts with others in my community, however uncomfortable.
3. I have support for my mission and passions which is practical and real. I trust that I provide similar support to others in my ‘gang.’
4. I get to experience, in no small measure, what John Eldredge describes:
“You cannot live the Christian life without a small group of intimate allies surrounding you… who know you… and who will stand with you and fight for your heart."
I believe community is one of the most difficult aspects of true Jesus-following. But I do know what it is to feel the strength of having intimate allies in my life, and it’s worth the effort.
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