God's Timetable

My wife always tells me that any plan needs to have clear, attainable objectives, so when I knew the direction I believed the Lord wanted me to go in, I began to plan out a path of clear,attainable (I hoped) objectives.  What I didn't know was that the Lord had already set His own parameters.

Now to be fair to the Lord (a little bit of sarcasm there), He was operating in regards to my prayers, more than my plans.  Let me explain.  Back in late winter I began praying that if the Lord was in this vision, He would begin preparing the hearts of a few men and their families to join in the work.  I wasn't looking to habitual 'church hoppers' or disgruntled people getting away from conflict or crisis in an existing congregation.  I wanted people who were disaffected by the status-quo of  the tradition bound Sunday morning meeting.

I am not an extrovert by nature, so I wasn't quite sure how all this going to actually work?  Moving 1600 miles into a new world of complete strangers, having to be home to watch over my kids and work out their home school program, how was I going to meet people?  So I began to devise a timetable. The gathering of my family would be the 'hub'.  We would meet on a certain date and from that date I had set a 3-6 month window in which to find ways into the community and form relationships and from there, hope to find one family to invite to participate in the house church.  8-12 months from the founding of the hub, I hoped to find a second family.  My friend Joe C. from HCC used to say, 'If you want to make God smile, tell Him your plans.'  Well God was surely smiling because about two weeks after we'd moved in we were at the neighborhood park/playground and my wife, as is common to her extroverted nature, was talking up the other parents.  In the course of conversation, we met this one couple with a young daughter.  They were looking for just what we were proposing.  We invited them.  A week or so later, talking with the neighbors in back, they also shared their desire for the small, connected fellowship.  We invited them.  So while my plan called for a 3-6 month window, God's plan had a 3-4 week plan!  The hub launched with 9 people on September 27!

I am so excited for what the Lord has in store for this new faith family, but I guess I'd better think twice before setting any more timetables!  

 

First Hand Reminder

This past weekend we visited a large local church near our new home.  By the time we left, I was even more convinced of everything that is wrong with the contemporary models we are told to adopt.

The first challenge as we pulled onto 'campus' was to navigate our way around parking lot islands and rotaries.  We found a 'first time visitor' space quite near the door and noticed that many of these designated spots were filled.  

Approaching the doors we were somewhat pleasantly greeted by two older ladies, although we were never asked about being visitors (I guess no one was keeping tabs on who parked in those special spots).  At the far end of the massive lobby was a counter, like you'd find in Starbucks or Panera, selling coffee and refreshments.  Even with the number of people milling around, not one inquired about us. Perhaps with so many people its hard to know who is new or not. (Perhaps no one really cares so long as the numbers stay up.)  

When I entered the concert hall I was...I'm not even sure what word to use. Stadium/theater seating, sloped floor, huge sound and light control center, giant stage with all the theatrical trappings.  Finding our seats, we were given a brief 'hello' by the aisle attendant, but again no one took any real interest in who we were. 

The service started soon after as the lights dimmed and the entertainers emerged. The band took its place and the audience was asked to participate in the singing. Now I've been around churches for a long time and consider myself pretty up to date on worship music, but I didn't know any of the songs.  Judging from the number of other people not singing it would seem I wasn't alone.  

The words were projected onto the screen...along with the live video images of the 'worship team'.  Anyone seen the movie, That Thing You Do?  Near the end the band is performing on Ed Sullivan and we watch the technical controller giving commands to the crew.  I could imagine a similar scene in the booth behind me. "Close up on drummer...now!  Great shot.  Now pan across the front...Hold it! Stop on the singer to the right.  She has such a passionate worship face; lets make sure the audience sees that.  Beautiful.  Okay back to the lead singer.  Pull back...back...hold it.  Nice shot!"  At this point I disengaged. 

I'm not saying they don't love Jesus, I'm just wondering if anyone has ever stopped to question the over the top nature of such unabashed marketing in the church of Jesus Christ.

When the music stopped a man came out to share some announcements about a few of the ongoing programs.  First time visitors were invited to go to a certain room following the service to meet some of the leadership team; even Pastor G--- would be there!  I felt like I was being offered a backstage pass to meet the stars of the morning show.  Maybe there would be autographed pictures...I didn't bother to find out.

At this point, Communion elements were passed, indiscriminately, through the auditorium.  The man on stage spoke about his trip to visit his aging father-in-law who was losing his ability to remember, and how important it was to remember...and oh yeah, Paul tells us to remember the sacrifice of Jesus, so here's a tic-tac size piece of bread (I think it was bread anyway) and a cup of grape juice.  "Come on folks, you don't need to understand it, just join in this weird ritual...You go ahead and take them whenever you feel you are ready." Not one word about the nature of the elements or of having a relationship with Christ. (this was the point at which my wife checked out).

A black bag on a pole was passed for an offering...we let it pass.

Then the pastor came out.  A man of about 55, thin, bald (I liked that!), simply, plainly dressed in jeans and a plaid button down shirt.  He spoke on why we could trust the Bible.  He talked about archaeology, scientific and prophetic statements and the enduring nature of the Bible.  He used Scripture verses to support his points.  He was a fair speaker, but never offered any real study of the Word which he was asking people to read.  "This book will change your life" we were told...but is that really the right message?  

Don't get me wrong, I love the Word of God!  But didn't Jesus warn people about reading the written Word of God and missing the Living Word of God?  Yes He did: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5:39-40 ESV)

There was a brief prayer and that was it.  The service had lasted almost one hour on the nose. 

As we made our way back to the lobby and then out the glass doors (to freedom!) one of the ladies from when we entered said "Goodbye, nice to meet you."  I immediately muttered under my breath (I probably should have said so aloud to the woman), "but you DIDN'T meet me!" We left as anonymously as we had arrived.  

The announcement man had made a comment about how the Spirit had moved the week before, but if that service was anything like this one, I failed to see how that would be possible?  There was no time for the Spirit.  No prayer, no reflection, no invitation into the life of Christ.  It was consumer driven, entertainment based and full of cheap gimmicks.  It lacked substance from start to finish.

This past Sunday did me good.  It reinforced my conviction that small and simple is the way to go; that less can be more; that being connected to the people around you draws you more deeply into worship...even if you don't know the words.

Back to the Basics

We tend to over complicate things, don't we?  Cutting away the complexity of our church structures can be a daunting task, but I am convinced that the Lord has given us a relatively simple form of what a local congregation should be focused on.

This form is found in the expression of the New Testament Church as reflected in Acts 2:42-47:

⁴²And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  ⁴³And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)

We recognize in these verses the essentials of the Church.  The Church was committed to the Apostolic Word; teaching and following the Way of Christ. They devoted themselves to one another in fellowship (the word 'koinonia' which denotes sharing life) opening their homes to one another.  I believe the reference to 'the breaking of bread' is referring to the sharing of the Lord's Table.  Prayer encompasses a broader state of worship.

  

The passage also reflects an incredible spirit of generosity, not forced, but willingly participated in; not 'communism' but a communal life in which each looked out for the others; (In a future post I will share my views on how giving will be handled in the network).

What was the net result of this pattern of life in the early Church?  The power of God was evident and people were being born again.  

Friends, I don't claim to have it all figured out.  What I do desire is to strip out the excess and get back to 'doing church' the way Jesus seems to have intended.  I can only wonder how our structures have kept us from realizing God's potential for the Church.

Motives

Why do we do the things we do in ministry?  What drives us?  In this blog I would like to begin to share with you the catalyst for this vision of the house church network.   

In 2010 I was introduced to the leadership training material produced by BILD International known as the Antioch School.  These courses drove me back into the Scripture to challenge the assumptions I had been making and forced me to reassess those assumptions.  The initial seeds were planted in the beginning Acts course, and by the end of the course on Leaders in the Early Church, the idea had taken root in my heart and mind.   

Before I go on, I should make it clear that there is nothing in this vision shift that comes from any ill feeling towards the brothers and sisters or the ministry at Hope Community.  However I am not sure this vision could be realized in the context of our NH community without alienating some good friends. So it's no accident that the vision coincided with our actively seeking to put our dream of living in Florida into reality.

I believe that the structures of our churches and congregations have reached a point of inhibiting the growth of the Body of Christ.  The vision of Community Faith Network is founded on the principle that the successful expansion of the New Testament Church came about through networks of small home-based gatherings of Christians engaging one another and their communities in daily life.

This might be accomplished within the existing frameworks of current congregations, but only partially.  There are always the elements in traditional congregations which resist the move to community and close relationships, even if that move is grounded in Scripture.  The formal Sunday service and a midweek gathering are enough and if people would just come to those everything would be fine.  Except they don't and it's not.

There needs to be a fresh vision for training up disciples who are able to carry out the mission of Christ of carrying the Gospel to the lost.  

I truly believe that the most effective means of establishing Christians in the Way of Christ is mentoring and training through relationships developed not in classrooms but living rooms; not in large congregations but in family groups.

Please don't think I have it all figured out; I do not.  There are still a lot of unanswered questions and my own uncertainties, but I am excited for the journey ahead.

First steps...

This is the initial post for our vision for a new house church network in Trinity Florida. We will make the move to FL at the end of August, and although the network probably won't be founded until October, I want to begin to share what I believe the Lord has given me for this ministry vision.

I have chosen the name of Community Faith Network to capture the essence of this movement.  

1) it is community based, located in homes and in neighborhoods rather than centralized in buildings with crosses and steeples.

2) it is focused on passing on the Faith, not denominations, programs or institutional agendas.  It is about making disciples and training leaders.

3) it is a network of interrelated house gatherings- one Church led by one team of Ministers of the Gospel and Elders.  It is expansion minded.

This is perhaps a new concept for many, as it is for me, but I am convinced that this is the direction the Church must embrace in the coming era.

In subsequent posts I will lay out the direction for the network and once established, will keep a record of its progress.  I will be as consistent in posting as possible; be patient if you are following the story...