Dare I Try Again?
Hello friends,
I'm not making any claims that I will have time to keep up with this, but I'll give it another go... Spring is in the air, and I'm feeling ambitious! This week, I celebrated my 35th birthday with so many dear friends and family... I'm excited about this coming year and continuing the journey I'm on... I've been reading many of Len Hjalmarson's articles - they are definitely worth the read if any of you have time: http://www.nextreformation.com/. In one article, "How to Plant a Church Without Trying," he gives this recipe for church planting:
-start with people who have more questions than answers
-resist setting a regular meeting time or making meetings the center
-don’t have a preacher or set curriculum
-focus on life and relationships, not gift and function
-focus on the ordinary, not the “spiritual”
-care for each other in concrete, life giving ways
-be available to one another 24/7
-don’t define leadership or roles
-don't focus your life around Sunday or a building
-do talk about Jesus, His kingdom, and transformation
-do care for one another, pray for one another, and reach out to the lost
-do be authentic, vulnerable, and gentle
-do have fun together, share meals and holidays and life
-start with people who have more questions than answers
-resist setting a regular meeting time or making meetings the center
-don’t have a preacher or set curriculum
-focus on life and relationships, not gift and function
-focus on the ordinary, not the “spiritual”
-care for each other in concrete, life giving ways
-be available to one another 24/7
-don’t define leadership or roles
-don't focus your life around Sunday or a building
-do talk about Jesus, His kingdom, and transformation
-do care for one another, pray for one another, and reach out to the lost
-do be authentic, vulnerable, and gentle
-do have fun together, share meals and holidays and life
I am so drawn to this expression of church... I am wondering if anyone else is or how you respond to this?
posted by Tiffany @ 5/25/2007
4 Comments
4 Comments:
In case others are looking, here is the direct link to the article you referred to.
Many of these things, we've been trying to do for the last several years. I don't know if we're getting anywhere with it or not. Looking at any particular day or week or even month, there is very little "concrete" to show. Looking back over a year or so at a time and some things stand out. I guess relationships take time and "defining moments" in life aren't guaranteed to come with fixed regularity.
But without a set gathering, identifiable teaching, a perceived shepherd--you're basically talking about a "church" devoid of structure. It's pretty hard to tell that apart from simple friendship.
BTW, happy birthday!!
Tiffany,
Encouraging! There are christians out there all ove the world that have consistently concieved churches like this. Being in community and being in Christ are really the same. He will always lead you into relationships to give and recieve authenic love between believers and soon to become believers. Don't strive measureing love and community---let it happen.
Love ya
Karen
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Love SAMPS
This sound a lot like my house church community in Portugal (lisboamatrix dot com). I learned more about Jesus and walked through more transformation in those 3 years than I have in quite some time. I miss the days when church was held around a table, with lots of laughter, and sometimes, tears.
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