Sunday Services

This one might be a little controversial. Love to hear your thoughts! This is taken from Neil Cole's Organic Church....

"When you imagine the amount of resources, energy, and time invested in a service held only one day a week, it is remarkable. With all the importance placed on this event, you would expect there to be a lot of scriptural directives to make sure people get it right. But if you search all of the New Testament looking for the commands or injunctions having to do with this important weekly event, you will find them sadly missing. Instead you will find verses, chapters, and entire books that speak to how we are to live together as a spiritual family. You will find commands and injunctions to serve and worship, but not just one day a week. How is it that we have gone so far away from the pure and simple priorities of the Scriptures?..."

"We find it nearly impossible to even think about church without a Sunday morning service event, but this is not the biblical norm. When we read of church life, we read into the scriptural text this idea. Try reading your New Testament without a once-a-week service. In fact, there is much evidence that believers got together with their church families daily, not once a week - and the gathering had more to do with a meal together than with sanctimonious liturgy.

"How did we ever get to the place where church was nothing more than a one-and-a-half-hour service on a single day of the week at a specific location? I assure you, in Jesus' eyes, the Church is much more than that! He doesn't limit His Church to a building, a location, or a time frame."

Sunday Lunches

No Such Thing

The Prince

Hundreds of years before Jesus, the prophet Ezekiel reiterates the law for God's followers...

"The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, and peace offerings to purify the people of Israel, making them right with the Lord."

- Ezekiel 45:17

The prince will provide everything that is needed to make people right with God. And when Jesus came, that's exactly what he did.

Thanksgiving Thoughts from Annie Leonard

"Let's opt out of the frenzy this year.
"Our out-of-control consumption has taken a toll on the planet, on our family budgets, and on workers from FoxConn in China to Walmart in New York. And it has taken a toll on the quality of our lives at home.
"We have more and cooler stuff than our parents and grandparents could have ever imagined, but we pay dearly. We spend more time working and shopping than they did and we spend much less time in leisure, on vacation and with friends. What is the use of a brand new Pottery Barn table if we don't have a gang of friends and neighbors to gather around it?
"If we're going to figure out how to build an economy and society that is healthy for people and the planet, this Friday is a good place to start.
"Let's opt out of Black Friday. Choose family over frenzy."


- Annie Leonard, Choose Family Over Frenzy

For the story to be great...

It isn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it is only necessary to sacrifice everything.

- from A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller

Psalm 103:8

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

How to Make a Beautiful Garden

1. Clear out everything that's not beautiful, or that you just don't want there. Kill the things that might come back later.
2. Decide what beautiful things you want to put in your garden.
3. Plan them out in a nice way, making sure that they're in a place where they can get lots of sunlight (things don't grow well in the dark).
4. Dig holes for the new plants, and put them in.
5. Fertilise everything.
6. Mulch everything, to lock it all in, keep the weeds away, and improve the soil quality over time.
7. Water everything thoroughly.
8. Over time, make sure you keep taking out the bad things that come up, and watering everything. You'll need to trim the beautiful plants too from time to time, to keep them nice and to train them to grow in the right ways - otherwise they will get ugly. They might look a little ugly at first when you trim them, but they'll come good and look even better afterwards.

Be aware the initial set up is very quick (most gardens you can completely turn around in a day), but the care and love to help it grow into a beautiful place takes a very very long time - growth happens very slowly, but slow growth results in stronger and more lovely gardens.

What is A Good Story?

A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

- from A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, a brilliant book by Donald Miller.

Here are some more of his perceptions, seemingly unrelated, but most probably not (like much of Donald Miller's writing!)....

"When you are born, you wake slowly to everything. Your brain doesn't stop growing until you turn twenty-six, so from birth to twenty-six, God is slowly turning the lights on, and you're groggy and pointing at things saying circle and blue and car and then sex and job and health care. The experience is so slow you could easily come to believe life isn't that big of a deal, that life isn't staggering. What I'm saying is I think life is staggering and we're just used to it. We all are like spoiled children no longer impressed with the gifts we're given - it's just another sunset, just another rainstorm moving in over the mountain, just another child being born, just another funeral."

David Crowder Band - SMS [Shine]

Here's a very cool song, and a very cool video, from the David Crowder Band. The song is called "Shine."

Lily's World

I love Lily's imagination, even if it does worry me a little. We were going on a bear hunt this morning, and this is how it ended up.

Lily: Oh no! We found one! And it's not a friendly one!
Me: Oh no! Quick, run away!
Lily: Quick quick quick quick quick! Run all the way home, up the stairs, under the covers into bed.... Oh no! We forgot to shut the door! Quick! Slam.... Whew.
Me: Whew.
Lily: I don't want to go on a bear hunt again.
Me: Me neither....

Lily: Oh no! It got in the door!
Me: Oh no! Oh, it's alright, I'll get it with the vaccuum cleaner. Bang.
Lily: Bang bang bang bang bang!
Me: Phew, it's all ok now. We got it.
Lily: Now it looks like a sultana.

A Prayer for Our Church

From "Living the Resurrection," by Eugene Peterson....

Lord Jesus Christ, we come to you with a deep sense of gratitude, care, concern, devotion, love for you, and desire to live responsively to you. We sense that we're with friends in your company of followers - friends who share the life of resurrection and want others to get in on it, notice it, and begin participating at the centre of what you're doing rather than on the periphery. We pray for strength and discernment to understand the culture we are in - the deadening effects, the seductive lures.... We ask your blessing on your church - scattered and dispersed and so much of it in despair. We pray that wherever we are and whatever places we go back into - whether it's pew or pulpit - we may be part of this resurrection life, knowing that you are present and doing your work. You're not anxious about what is going to happen or whether this is going to work or not. It's worked a long, long time and will continue working. Mostly, keep us faithful, attentive, adorational, sacrificial, and personal. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Sorry

I just realised how arrogant the song "How Great is Our God" might sound if there were any non-Christian people listening, or people from other religions. I've used that song so many times when I've been leading worship, and I hadn't even thought about it in that light until now. I really hope I haven't offended anyone.

It makes me sick to think how many times we've offended people (in any number of different ways) without even knowing it. I really apologize for anything I've done in the past that's been arrogant or insulting. I wish I could apologize directly to the people who've been offended. I'm sure there are probably a few.

Good

I love the last chapter in Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elvis, about the restoration of the world, and how the church joins with Jesus in bringing this about. If you can get a hold of it, I encourage you to read the whole chapter. 

Here are some of his thoughts....

"To be a part of the church was to join a countercultural society that was partnering with God to create a new kind of culture, right under the nose of the caesars. These Christians made sure everybody in their midst had enough to eat. They made sure everybody was able to pay their bills. They made sure there was enough to go around. The resurrection for them was not an abstract spiritual concept; it was a concrete social and economic reality. God raised Jesus from the dead to show the world that Jesus is Lord, and it is through his power and his example and his Spirit that the world is restored...."

"...so many passages about the early church deal with possessions and meals and generosity. They understood that people are rarely persuaded by arguments, but more often by experiences. Living, breathing, flesh-and-blood experiences of the resurrection community.... To the outside world, it was less about proving and more about inviting people to experience this community of Jesus' followers for themselves...."

"It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display."

This is why generosity is such a big part of what we're doing in this community - whether or not people become Christians because of it. This is the heart of God and the way of Jesus, helping people to experience the kingdom of Heaven, right here, right now.

"I am learning that the church is at its best when it is underground, subversive, and countercultural. It is the quiet, humble, stealth acts that change things." I love this idea of the underground, subversive church.

"I am learning that the church has nothing to say to the world until it throws better parties. By this I don't necessarily mean balloons and confetti and clowns who paint faces. I mean backyards and basements and porches. It is in the places we live and move with the people we're on the journey with, that we are reminded it is God's world and we're going to be okay.... The images Jesus used were of banquets and feasts and celebrations. What do we do at parties such as these? We eat and talk and dance and enjoy each other and above all else, we take our time. What does Jesus do almost as much as he teaches and heals? He eats long meals. As Christians, it is our duty to master the art of the long meal."

Surprisingly, this subject of meals has been covered quite a bit in books I've been reading lately! - In Living the Resurrection, Eugene Peterson points out that enjoying meals with his disciples was one of the first things Jesus did after his resurrection - clearly showing that this is to remain a key part of the new community. And in Eats with Sinners, Arron Chambers speaks of it as one of the most important ways to share the heart of God with people outside the church. Eating with people is good for your health, in every possible way. We'd already decided that eating together was going to be a major part of our church, but it's sure nice to hear these thoughts echoes by theologians, and by Jesus himself. That's my kind of church!

An Interview with Greg Boyd

Neue Ministry regularly chats to leaders and innovators in Christian ministry, and I love listening to the podcasts that come from these conversations. Here's an interview with Greg Boyd that I found interesting - especially the discussion on his recent book.

Click here to listen to the interview, or you can find the Neue podcast on iTunes.

In this episode of the Neue podcast, Senior Editor Josh Loveless interviews Greg Boyd about the controversy that seems to follow him. They talk about how he dealt with losing a thousand people because of a sermon series he did as well as his book The Myth of a Christian Religion. Click to listen now or subscribe at iTunes.

Lily's World

Lily: Daddy, I really love dancing. I'm a singer, but I'm definitely definitely a dancer.

Words to Grow a New People: Isaiah 40-66

I've found a few passages that I believe are perfect for our beginning church: Isaiah 40-66, Paul's letter to the Ephesian church, and the Sermon on the Mount.

Isaiah 40-66 (and many thanks to Eugene Peterson for his profound thoughts on this, from his book "The Jesus Way") are the words of "the Prophet" to the Israelites who are returning from exile. They are a people who are not yet a people. A ragamuffin community who're just beginning to form, whose only identity is as slaves in a foreign culture. At this point they have no culture or identity of their own. It's the beginning of a new community, and what will it look like?

The Prophet speaks these words to centre this new people around God, to grow a people who represent God's heart and passion. They are nothing ("a lowly worm" - 41:14), BUT... "I will help you," says the Lord. A crippled and flightless bird, rescued and gently carried by the Lion.

GOD will grow his people. He has been doing it all along. It is Jesus' job to grow his church. He is the Great Church Planter. We're just joining in with him. This gives us incredible hope.

"Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.

"He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.

"He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."

- Isaiah 42:1-4

He's still doing it. Jesus is still working to bring justice and peace throughout all the earth. It's not a peace or justice accomplished through violence, or power, shouting or raising voices, crushing reeds and putting out flickering candles. It's not a revolution that will be seen in public - it might hardly be noticed at all. But it will happen. It is already. The Kingdom of Heaven - Jesus' Kingdom of light - is already breaking in. It's already advancing. And he will not falter or lose heart until he's finished, until Peace is here.

Too Important to Help?

I love how blunt Paul is in this passage....

"Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." - Galatians 6:2-3

Fishing

I've always loved that fishing and mission are so frequently tied together. Here are some tips on trout fishing, for those who are interested....

"While working in Yellowstone National Park, I saw a lot of wonderful things, but I also saw some odd things. One of the odd sights I saw regularly was someone fishing for trout on the side of the road in a pond formed by melted snow. To the novice, that looked like a nice little trout pond, but anyone with any experience in northern fishing knows that the only things a small pond on the side of the road will yield is a small trout - and only if the pond is more than a temporary puddle caused by melted snow. The big trout can best be reached by being waist deep in raging, ice-cold water in the heart of the wilderness....

"How often are our evangelistic efforts akin to fishing in a puddle of snowmelt? If we evaluated what some churches are spending on reaching the lost and what they are actually doing to reach the lost, it's the equivalent of sticking our heads out of the front doors of our sanctuaries - just beyond the earshot of sinners, whispering the name of Jesus, and then weeping because more lost people aren't responding to the gospel.

"They aren't responding to the gospel because we aren't responding to the gospel.

"Jesus clearly commanded us to go deep 'into all the world and preach the good news to all creation' (Mark 16:15). But like pathetic fishermen standing ankle deep in snowmelt, too many of us have chosen safety and convenience over risk and inconvenience, so - like that poor guy fishing in run-off - we are never going to catch anything... ever, unless we go deeper."

- from Eats With Sinners, by Arron Chambers

The Great Commission

Some encouraging thoughts about mission by Jim Petersen, from his book Lifestyle Discipleship:

"Can you imagine being among the eleven who met with Jesus on that mountain in Galilee after He had risen from the dead? Jesus instructed them to go to all the nations and teach people in those nations everything He had taught them.

"If any of the eleven did any quick math on the spot, they would have wondered if Jesus was serious. He had spent something over three years instructing them. Now He was telling them to repeat what He had done with them among every people on earth!

"Jesus was thinking generations when He gave that command to the eleven. He did not expect them to get to every breathing soul on earth. They would reach some, and these in turn would reach others - until the world would hear....

"Again we have the characteristic pattern of the kingdom at work: low profile, low maintenance, no need for press coverage, just go to people. And they did it.

"It is still the best way. My work has to do with establishing the gospel in places where it hasn't gone or where its voice is weak. The best possible approach to starting something new in a country is to send in a pair of mature, tested couples who will think long-term. They will learn the language and put their roots down. It may take them the rest of their lives before they see fruit that is bearing fruit. That kind of beginning is slow and obscure, but in the long run it will outstrip and outlast any other more gala approach to missions."

Girls and Boys

All the girls are Cinderellas; all the boys are Wendell Sailors. And that may be the problem right there....

Boxes Don't Move

"Thinking out of the box about the church building is not a new concept. The first Christians did pretty well without the use of church buildings. They gathered in homes, tombs, catacombs, and anyplace else they could gather safely in the midst of persecution. A body is the image God uses for his church..., but some churches today, based on how they spend their time and money, prefer to focus on the box instead of the body.

"This is problematic for several reasons.

"First, boxes don't move. Boxes are not alive, so - unlike a healthy human body - they are completely immobile. The church was never meant to be viewed as an immobile box sitting on the corner of Eighth and Main; God intended for us to view the church as a healthy, mobile body of believers moving - walking - through this world....

"The church is commanded to search out and get next to lost people - to make life, help, hope, peace, joy, truth, and love more accessible."

- from Eats With Sinners, by Arron Chambers

Instead of a Show

Thanks to Jon Foreman for this great song, "Instead of a Show," from his album Limbs and Branches. The lyrics are based on a passage from Isaiah, chapter 1.

---

I hate all your show and pretense
The hypocrisy of your praise
The hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show

Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when you're singing 'em
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show

Your eyes are closed when you're praying
You sing right along with the band
You shine up your shoes for services
There's blood on your hands

You turned your back on the homeless
And the ones that don't fit in your plan
Quit playing religion games
There's blood on your hands

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Let's argue this out
If your sins are blood red
Let's argue this out
You'll be one of the clouds
Let's argue this out
Quit fooling around
Give love to the ones who can't love at all
Give hope to the ones who've got no hope at all
Stand up for the ones who can't stand at all

I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

It is better to be...

"One goes more quickly to heaven from a hut than from a palace."

My favourite quote, attributed to St Francis of Assisi. I love the simplicity, and the upside-down perspective. It's so unlike what the rest of the world screams at us. But it's so true. THIS is real life. Not palaces, Porsches and playstations (although there's nothing wrong with those) - that's what we're told it's all about. But it's not.

I'm convinced the good life has more to do with great friendships, simplicity, enjoying your work, love, faith, hope and grace.

It is better to be godly and have little
      than to be evil and rich.
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
      but the Lord takes care of the godly.
Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
      and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times;
      even in famine they will have more than enough....

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
      He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
      for the Lord holds them by the hand.

- Psalm 37:16-19, 23-24

First BBQ

Would anyone like some sausages? Last Sunday was our first BBQ, and we have quite a few left over! (There's a limit to how many nights in the week you can give sausages to your children for dinner.)

It was a great morning though. We put on a barbie breakfast in the park, for anyone in the local community. This is one of the things we're doing to centre our new church around mission - so we can connect with people in the community, and so they can get to know other locals.

We weren't sure how many people would come. We ended up printing about 90 little flyers to put in letterboxes, in our townhouse complex and in the next street over. We wanted to start with this, to see what would happen. 90 houses is potentially more than 50 families, and seeing as the flyers said "FREE BBQ" on them, we realised there could be anywhere from 5 to 50 people show up!

As it turned out, there was only one person from those houses who came, and she's already a friend of ours. This shouldn't really have been a surprise, because we've said over and over that it's all about relationships. You have to have a friendship with people first. It seems that really is true.

She wasn't the only person we connected with, though. There were a few other people in the park that morning - going for a walk, doing a dog obedience class, bringing their kids to the playground - and it was nice to have a cup of tea and a chat with some of these.

As Tam and I were saying on the way home (about a one-minute drive, around the corner), I love that this is what church is for us now. It's so much fun! We get to do this every month - chatting with nice people, making new friends, having a BBQ, having a morning tea...

I'm really looking forward to the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that... We're going to be meeting some amazing people, being church with some amazing people, and doing what we love! It's such a great way to grow a church. Who doesn't like a relaxing BBQ breakfast in the park on a Sunday morning?

Why start a church? Pt IV

Ideas started popping into my head about what we could do in our local community, in Slacks Creek.

I don't even think I'd really accepted the whole thing myself, but the ideas kept coming. It was a bizarre time. I kept telling myself "No, you're just being naive. You're really not capable enough. You're too young for a start." And it was like God was saying, "Sure sure, I hear you. But if you were to give it a crack, what would you do?" and I was sucked in that easily.

As soon as it became more of a possibility in my head (as tiny as it was), I shared it with Tam. She's a wise woman, with great spiritual instincts, so I knew she'd be able to tell if it was a good idea or not. If she said "No, I don't think that's right for us at the moment," it'd be a good sign I was off track. Personally, I didn't think it was a good idea, but I was certainly being compelled to bring it up, so I was very keen to see what Tam would think.

She didn't say no straight away, and I think that may have been the point when it first clicked in my head, "Maybe this isn't crazy - maybe this is it for us." But there were still a lot of obvious questions to discuss, to which I had basically no answers....

"Do you know how to plant a church?"
"No. But if it's the right thing then I guess God would do a lot of it. We're good at making friends and building relationships at least."
"How would it look?"
"I don't know. We'd have to see I guess. Something simple though."
"You need to put a lot of time into planting a church, and there'd probably be no money in it, so you'd have to have a full-time job as well. And then what about our family?"
"Yeah, you're right. I can't see how that would work."
"We don't even know anyone else who would want to help."
"Yeah I know."

Probably the worst sales pitch ever made. But strangely enough, even though there were no answers to any of these questions, the more we discussed church planting seriously, the more I realised this is just the kind of thing God likes to do with people.

("Ben, I'd like you to jump in here if you could."
"Isn't that the deep end?"
"Yep, but you'll be right. Trust me.")

I went to bed that night praying, "God, if this is a bad idea, just let it die. I'm ok with that. I don't really think I could do it anyway. But if you think it's a good idea, then you're going to have to convince Tam, and me."

Success & Growth

One of the parts I found particularly insightful in Tim Chester's and Steve Timmis' book was the chapter on success. What does success in a church look like? Here are some of their thoughts....

"Living plants are growing plants. The plants in my garden are either growing or dying. In the same way living churches are growing churches. Members grow in their love for God and for one another. Unbelievers will encounter the aroma of Christ. Such growth is rarely straightforward. Often it is three steps forward and two steps backward. But growth is normal. God's word will achieve what he purposes for it. And so, as people are saved, the church will grow numerically.

"But numerical growth need not equate to larger congregations. There is another model for church growth: growing churches by planting churches. As we have argued, planting churches offers the most biblical and most effective way to reach our towns and cities for Christ. But it requires a different vision for church growth. If we measure ourselves by the size of our congregations, there will always be a strong deterrent to plant."

Pigeon: Impossible

The Story of Stuff

David Crowder*Band - Oh Happiness Live - Summer 2010

I love this song!

What if...?

Inspiring words by Neil Cole, from his book, Organic Church...

"Instead of bringing people to church so that we can then bring them to Christ, let's bring Christ to people where they live. We may find that a new church will grow out of such an enterprise, a church that is more centered in life and the workplace, where the Gospel is supposed to make a difference. What will happen if we plant the seed of the Kingdom of God in the places were life happens and where society is formed? Is this not what Jesus intended for His Church?

"What would it be like if churches emerged organically, like small spiritual families born out of the soil of lostness, because the seed of God's kingdom was planted there? These churches could reproduce just as all living and organic things do.

"We have seen such churches meeting in restaurants, offices, homes, university campuses, high school facilities, and beaches. We've had churches meeting in bars, coffeehouses, parks, and locker rooms. One of our church networks has as its purpose statement "To have a church within walking distance of every person living in Las Vegas." Another claims, "Every Christian is a church planter, every home is a church, and every church building is a training centre." This is a whole new way of seeing Christ's church, and it is happening today all across the Western world.... We must take Christ into people's lives, and it must be in the context of relationships."

Our Little Church

We had a lovely breakfast today with some good friends of ours, who want to make this church their home. Such an encouraging time. They are wonderful people, and we're so blessed that they want to be a part of this project.

This is only one of many ways we have seen God working in the past couple of months, beyond what we're doing ourselves.

It's Jesus' job to grow his church, and it's exciting to see him do that.

So now we have us, them, and our two girls - a church of six! It's great to be working together with some wonderful people too. The first community BBQ is in a couple of weeks. And I'm looking forward to it more now, now that we're doing it together with friends. And now we have our first life group too!

Jesus, this is your church. Please keep it growing, especially as we connect with people in our community.

Gospel & Community

I've just finished a brilliantly insightful book, Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. Tim and Steve are cofounders of The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in the UK, and codirectors of the Porterbrook Network, which trains and mentors church planters.

Total Church is filled with amazing practical insights about church that would be helpful for any pastor or church leader. But it is especially helpful for church planters and small churches.

The foundational message is a call to radically reshape church around the two key principles of gospel and community. As they explain in the introduction....

"Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and the community.

"Being gospel-centred actually involves two things. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word - the gospel is news, a message. Second, it means being mission-centered because the gospel is a word to be proclaimed - the gospel is good news, a missionary message."

The first part of the book is a discussion on why we would do well to shape church around these two elements, and then the second part of the book provides many many practical tips and insights on how this works in church life. Part two is pure gold. What does this mean for evangelism? Church planting? World mission? Discipleship and training, pastoral care, spirituality? What does success look like? And one of the most practical: what do we do in small churches and church plants when it comes to young people and children (something I've wondered about for the future)?

I'm so grateful to these guys for all of their insights. This book, and especially the chapter on church planting, was one of the things that first encouraged and inspired me to think seriously about planting a church. I love the humility and wisdom of the authors, and I'm so blessed to benefit from their priceless experience planting churches and working with church planters.

Jesus Manifesto

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola wrote Jesus Manifesto in order to correct the "Jesus Deficit Disorder" they see in many Christians and churches today. There seem to be many Christians for whom Jesus is really not the centre of their lives, as he should be.

As Paul writes in Colossians,

"[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together...."

Contemplate that for a bit! Jesus is our life, the only truth, and the only way to live, but too often he's just brought in as an interesting side-point. So when I saw this book, I thought, "Brilliant. This will be a great book to recommend. That's exactly what people need to hear."

But as it turned out, that message was exactly what I needed to hear as well. The writing is wonderfully simple, honest and direct, and the point was clearly driven home again and again. I actually started to get a little annoyed at the book, as it seemed like it was saying the same thing over and over. "Ok I've got it already," I thought. "Give me some new insights."

But I hadn't got it. As I read more and more about Jesus, it slowly started to get under my skin, and it was weeks before I even noticed the change. I started to feel more uncomfortable with where Jesus was in my own life. I began to realise that Jesus was too often just a side-point even for me, a pastor - like the interesting analogy that illustrates the real point (or even worse: a footnote).

So here I am in one of those infrequent moments of greater clarity, and I hope and pray this fragile seedling of faith continues to grow.

I would love for my life to be more centred around Jesus, but more than that, I would love for Jesus to live more in me. Not my life but his. Not my ways but his. Not my thoughts, insights, or perspectives, but his.... Christ in me, the hope of glory.

Lily's World

While we were praying together last night....

Lily: God... can you make me whistle?

Why start a church? Pt III

It took a fair amount of convincing for me to even consider the prospect of planting a church.

But convincing people to do things seems to be a task God enjoys. There was only the smallest thought in my head about church planting (which I hadn't shared with anyone), but the idea started to come up in conversation more and more often. Everywhere I turned, the idea of church planting kept buzzing at me, like an annoying mosquito when you're trying to go to sleep at night.

Someone (who again didn't know any of this) recommended listening to a series of talks by Michael Frost, given at a mission conference in the US. And suddenly he starts talking about church planting, and how church planting is the most effective way to grow the Kingdom of Jesus....

I picked up a book called Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis (not unusual for me - I'm interested in anything about church), and as I'm reading away, they suddenly start talking about church planting. Turns out they organise a church planting network in the UK....


I share with friends about how there doesn't seem to be a church for us and they say, "Well maybe you should start one...."

So the annoying mozzie kept buzzing away. More and more often church planting came up, and each time it was attached to the idea of "simple" church: that we don't need more churches with amazing programs, brilliant worship music, unbelievable pastors and big ministry teams. We need more simple churches - house churches, cafe churches, basic churches that meet in parks, pubs and living rooms - the kinds of churches that non-church people might feel comfortable in. Different expressions of church, for the people who don't feel like they fit in to the normal way of doing it.

And more and more I found myself thinking, "Maybe we could do that?"

World Cup

We're all sad the World Cup is over.

Lily's World - The Election

Me: Who do you think I should vote for in the election, Lily? Tony Abbot or Julia Gillard?
Lily: Julia Gillard.
Me: Yeah? Why do you think she'd be a good prime minister?
Lily: Because I like her, so I think she would be veeeery good and helpful.

Lily's World

Me: Come on Lily, it's time to pack up all the toys.
Lily: I'm feeling sick now, Daddy. I need to sit down.
Me: Oh, you're feeling sick now that it's time to pack up?
Lily: Yes, I'm going to womit.
Me: Well womit in the bucket if you do.
Lily: No, I'm not going to womit. I just still feel sick from when I was sick last night.
Me: Oh ok. Well you'd better go to your room and lie down if you're feeling sick.
Lily: No, I don't need to go to my room. I just need some honey toast.

Only three and already trying to con me. At least I can spot it when she's this age. I'm in serious trouble when she gets older though. She'll be running circles around me in a couple of years!

Why start a church? Pt II

Tam and I had known for months that my role as youth and families pastor in our previous congregation was going to be finishing up, so we had plenty of time to pray and search around for the next position. We expected that we would have our final Sunday service at the church, say an emotional goodbye to everyone, and then Monday morning I'd walk into my new position in another church. We knew that God had it all worked out - wherever it would be - so we were expecting he would organise everything to the right timing (our timing).

But the months went by, different positions came and went (none of which were right), our final Sunday came and went, Monday arrived, and we still had no idea what I was meant to be doing.

An unemployed pastor.

One week passed. No job.

Two weeks passed. Still no job.

And at the risk of being overly poetic, three weeks passed. Still no job.

And then a mate of mine who's a gardener and landscaper mentioned he had a couple days work for me if I wanted it. Not something I'd ever really done before, but I ended up enjoying working outside and helping make people's yards look good, like the team on Domestic Blitz. My friend generously kept giving me more work, a few days each week, and it's still going months later.

But this also created a small conundrum: why was God setting me up with work outside of a church? Why wasn't there a church that was right for us?

And then the church planting suggestions started coming....

The River

- From Between Two Kingdoms, a brilliant story by Joe Boyd....

   "So we just jump right in, Pops?" asked Bobby.

   "Pretty much. We just jump in and away we go! Come over here by me and hold hands. Mary, you stand in the middle. It's easier if you all go in together."

   "But what about our clothes?" asked Tommy.

   "You go in just like you are," Pops said. "That's the only way to do it." He stepped behind them and Tommy felt a strong hand on his back. "Ready to jump?"

   "Not quite yet," said Mary.

   "Sure you are!"

   One forceful jolt from Pops and Tommy flew into the River, pulling Mary and Bobby along with him. Pops jumped in like a cannonball right behind them.

   Cool water rushed all over Tommy’s face and pulled him downstream. In a minute, he understood what Pops had meant about the River being a person with a mind of her own. She pulled him under her waters, then threw him up high in the air when he needed a breath. If he grew scared, the River calmed him down and let him float. Whenever he grew bored, the River sped up and dropped him with a force that made his stomach jump into his throat. At one point, the River pushed Tommy into Mary and the two of them, arms linked, shot way up in the air. They hit her waters again, giggling all the way. Tommy yelled, “Do that again!” and it happened! Every time Tommy asked, the River shot them skyward and caught them when they came back down.

Who You Gonna Call?

Why start a church? Pt I

So we're planting a church. How did that come about? It's not the kind of decision you make on a whim, when you're bored on a Saturday afternoon ("So, pizzas are in the oven - what should we do while we wait?".. "Why not start a church?".. "Sweet.").

No, it wasn't a whim. Tam and I have been wanting to be involved in church planting for years now. We just thought it would be five or ten years down the track, when another "experienced" pastor started something we could help with. It certainly wasn't something I felt I could do myself.

I was under the impression that you had to be some kind of super-pastor to plant a church - an incredibly charismatic personality, who can instantly draw thousands of people, while at the same time caring personally for each one of them. Someone who God speaks audibly to on a daily basis, who prays for 5 hours every morning, and wherever their shadow falls, sick people are healed....

Of course that sounds ridiculous now that I've written it down - but to be honest, that is probably fairly close to how I felt. I didn't feel I was at all capable of planting a church. So how did that change?

It didn't. I still don't feel capable. But now I'm ok with that. Much of the first part of this journey was God explaining to me that I don't have to be all of that. The weaker and less capable I am, the more God gets to do himself. "Just do it," God was saying. "I'll work out the rest." And if I get to the end of my skills five minutes into the journey, then from that point on everything will be God. Tam and I don't know how it's all going to turn out - how it's going to grow, whether anyone at all will show up, what it's going to be like when we do gather together as a church, or what kinds of struggles we're going to have along the way. But we're ok now just to start walking, and trust that God will organise what we can't.

As Frank Viola says, birthing a church is a divine work. A church is a living organism, and God is the one who grows it and gives it life, just like he does with humans. All God needed was for Tam and I to say yes - despite all the doubts, confusion and unanswered questions.

So we did. Tick step one.

Why start a church? Pt V

On Tuesday morning, the day after I talked with Tam, she had morning tea with a good friend of hers. As they were catching up together, Tam mentioned our conversation. She was thinking her friend would say it was naive and crazy. But instead.... "You should definitely plant a church! You guys would be great at that!"

On Wednesday morning, she met with another good friend - another wise woman who Tam also thought would say it was a bad idea. Same result: "Yeah you guys could do that! Where would you do it?"

On Thursday morning, I met with a man who works for one of the denominations around, whose job it is to help pastors find the right church to join. We were trying to find the right pastoral position for me. I was happy to go anywhere, if it was the right church. But the more we talked, the more we discovered there just wasn't anything available. No one was looking for a pastor. The conversation wound down, because there was really nothing going. I'm not really sure why (probably because nothing else was happening), but I mentioned to him that something we'd always wanted to be involved in was planting a church. I thought someone with his pastoral experience and wisdom might be able to give some insight. And suddenly his face lit up and he said,

"Ah! Now you're talking my language!

It turned out that he was also the man in that denomination who was in charge of supporting church planting. I wasn't aware of that at all, but the way things were going, it didn't really surprise me! He instantly rattled off five reasons why planting a church is one of the most effective ways to grow the Kingdom. And we talked about church planting for the rest of the meeting - what the next steps for us would be, how we could be supported, etc.

"How'd your meeting go?" Tam asked when she got home later.

"Interesting," I said. "There aren't any churches looking for pastors at the moment. But it turns out he heads up the support for church plants."

Tam said she figured something like that would happen. Really she'd known we'd end up planting a church from the moment I brought it up on Monday night. It just needed some time for the idea to settle. It had taken months for me to get used to the idea, but God convinced Tam in just two days (she's a lot quicker at listening to God!).

And that was it. We were in the water. No more thinking about swimming, wondering what it might be like. No more discussing and debating how to swim. No more comparing swimming pools. We jumped, and that was it.

And as it turns out, swimming is fun.

Mission and Church

"The energy of most churches is absorbed in maintaining the legacy of a program of activities and church buildings. Roles exist that have to be filled. The life of the church is geared around maintaining its structures and programs.

"We need to shift into 'mission mode.' People are beginning to say we need 'missionary theology' rather than a 'theology of mission.' Mission can no longer be looked at as one branch of theology. All theology must be missionary in its orientation. We need the same orientation as churches. We are in a missionary situation, and all that we do must be missionary.

"Church planting is the best way for this to happen..."

"Church planting puts mission at the heart of the church and church at the heart of mission."

- from Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis.

What Will It Take?

More inspiring words from Frank Viola (Finding Organic Church)....

"There is a revolution brewing in the body of Christ today, and the need of the hour is for God to raise up, from the soil of organic church life, workers who will lead the charge. Perhaps some who are reading that last sentence wish to know "What will it take for me to be on the front lines of that revolution?"

"The answer is simple. It takes vision, insight, courage, and spiritual depth. It takes humility, maturity, genius, pain, sacrifice, and lots of rejection. It takes tenfold more problems and more heartaches than you could ever imagine that God would pour out on you. It takes the ability to see the unseen, to know the depths of the Lord Jesus and the breaking and devastation of His cross, and the ability to drown God's people with a breathtaking revelation of Christ.

"That's all it takes."

Oh, so that's it then. Wonderful....

(I'm especially looking forward to the pain, rejection and tenfold more heartaches)

Slacks Creek Community

My wife and I have fairly recently started moving towards planting a church in our local area. It's a pretty big thing, and it's going to be a long journey, so I've started putting some thoughts on here as a kind of journal - to share what's happening with others, to write down some of the ideas and thoughts that come out along the way, and so that we ourselves can look back later and see the story unfold - especially what God is doing along the way.

Elijah, Ahab, and the Prophets of Baal

1 Kings 18.

What amazing faith Elijah had here! What if God hadn't come through and set fire to the sacrifice?

Elijah would have certainly lost his life, his credibility, and ultimately it would have been the end of the people's faith in God. Baal vs God. Baal wins. God is dead.

Elijah had to trust that God would come through. Everything was on the line. Elijah was sacrificing himself too.

Thankfully, God did come through, as it seems he likes to do when only God can save the day. A huge win for God. And a crippling blow for the Baal religion.

But think of the terror Elijah surely felt while he waited for the fire. It doesn't seem so amazing when we already know the end of the story, but if we were in the middle of it, would we have had that much faith? Would I?

The Plan

So here's the plan, at this point. This will probably all change many times along the way, but for now this seems like the best way for us to go ahead....
(Click on the diagram to see it bigger.)

The first thing we're doing is putting on a free BBQ breakfast, welcoming anyone in the local community. This is a chance to meet people, make new friends, help people to meet other locals, and enjoy fun and food together. There's nothing directly spiritual about these - no talk, prayer, etc. But they are still a way to share the Kingdom of Heaven, through our generosity, grace and love, and through the fun and friendships.

If people want to come to something a little more spiritual, they can come along and bring something tasty to our morning tea. This will probably be in the park as well, so it'll stay informal, but we'll also have a spiritual discussion - talking about life, God, relationships, heaven, work, the Bible, parenting, etc. - engaging with Jesus and his way of life. We'll pray a little as well, for each other and for those who want it.

Along the way, we might find that some extra teaching may be required. E.g. Finding out about Jesus and the Bible, or what a Jesus perspective might be on parenting, marriage, money, etc. We can add these whenever we need to.

Out of all of this, and over time (probably a long time) will grow a group of people who will be our little church, where real friendship, encouragement, family, prayer and spiritual growth happens. We're praying Jesus grows us into a church that represents him well and shares his love and light in our community.

We'll keep organising the free BBQs the whole way, because it's a great way to connect with people and generously share some of what we've been blessed with, and down the track there might be some other ideas for social gatherings that we could also do. The cycle provides the potential to give birth to other church communities in the future, in different areas, or with different people groups, as more people experience the Kingdom of Heaven and begin to become Jesus' light in the world.

Five Unmovable Principles

Here are Frank Viola's Five Unmovable Principles for planting organic churches....

1. Become like little children. No one is an expert in this. Nobody is more gifted, more mature or more spiritual than anyone else. It's the body of Christ and everyone's on the same page. Humility and mutual encouragement is required.
2. Your feelings will get hurt. "Institutional religion has a way of hiding our flaws. It also has a way of safeguarding and insulating us from each other. In an organic church, we get to know one another very well. That means that what we are in the natural gets exposed. Authentic church life is a house of mirrors.... Consequently, it's inevitable that you will hurt one another...." And I love this: "Body life is a holy wedding of glory and gore - agony and ecstasy. This journey will be the most difficult adventure in your life. But it may very well be the most glorious."
3. Be patient with the progress of the group. It takes time for a church to be born, just like it takes time for a person. You have to be patient. It's a living organism, so you have to wait for God to do it. "Starting something is human; but birth is divine." There's a lot of preparation for God to do first, including helping us unlearn a whole lot of things we've picked up along the way.
4. People will leave your group. It's difficult being a part of a church like this. It requires more from you. You can't just come to receive and not to give. And giving requires spiritual preparation, time, energy. Some people who come won't be ready for the commitment, the dedication to one another. Viola's advice? "When people leave, I beg you not to pressure or persuade them to stay. And more important, do not speak ill of them when they go.... Accept what they say at face value instead of second-guessing their intentions. In fact, if you really wish to hit a high watermark, bless and speak well of them when they leave. Especially after they leave. To do so incarnates a monumental breakthrough in the kingdom of God. It also speaks volumes about your group."
5. People will experience exciting spiritual growth and healing. Because church like this is what we were made for. It's our natural habitat. It's what God called us to, so when we're a part of a community like this, it grows us significantly. It produces transformation.

Thanks Frank!

Wonders Never Cease

Just finished a great novel by Tim Downs called Wonders Never Cease, thanks to BookSneeze. I have to say I wasn't really expecting much (I picked it up mostly because it looked like one my wife would enjoy), but it turned out to be brilliantly perceptive and entertaining.

Kemp McAvoy is an ambitious nurse who ends up looking after a movie-star in a medically-induced coma, and he concocts a "brilliant" plan to use the situation to make himself rich. So he contacts a struggling young publisher, adjusts the patient's meds just a little, dresses up as an angelic visitor, and gives her "a message from God for the world." And when she wakes up, they only thing she'll remember is the message - and Kemp and his friend will have an inspirational book that'll sell like hotcakes. At least that's the plan....

Obviously it's a bit of fun, but Tim Downs' creative storyline and uncanny character insight certainly bring out some interesting commentary on life, ambition, love, success, family, and God.

The story started slowly, and there were a fair few chapters given to setting the scene, introducing the characters and so on. But once it got going, it just kept building and building, and I became more and more involved - mostly dreading how everything would turn out!

Worth a read - I've put it on my wife's bedside table for when she next needs something.

The Council Go-Ahead

The local councilor for the Slacks Creek area called me back today. I called his office earlier in the week to ask if it would be ok to do a free BBQ in the local park. I explained that it would be for anyone in the local community, so they could meet some others in the area, find out about local services (doctors, police etc.), and build community.

And he said it sounds like a great idea! We figured he would - part of their job is to help grow a sense of community in their area - but it's still nice to have the official "go-ahead." When it comes to the council, you never know what's going to be allowed and what isn't!

Amazing Magic Trick | Youth Specialties

Amazing Magic Trick | Youth Specialties

Timelines

Tam & I were encouraged the other night when we sat down with her Mum & Dad. Tam's parents are doing a new cafe-style house church in Ormeau, which they started about 2 years ago.

We wanted to talk about how they've gone about planting their church, what strategies they've used, how they've connected with the community, and so on. We were struggling to know where to start! We've had lots of ideas, but we were finding it hard to turn it into a real plan.

One thing I wasn't sure about was the time involved - how long you'd spend on each stage of the journey. We've started getting people in our community together for social gatherings - to make connections and start building relationships - but there've been no "official" spiritual input times. We know it needs a fair bit of time to build friendships, but I still felt that maybe we weren't doing enough.

So it was encouraging to hear the story of their church so far. They were doing free BBQs in the park, without any spiritual input, for five or six months, before starting a more "spiritual" gathering (with a 5-10 minute talk). And they told us the church has only really started to take off this year, and it's been two years since they started it.

We could do that. That's how we'd expected it would happen for us, but it was good to hear that six months of purely social interaction is a valid plan!

It's bizarre how quickly you can feel insecure as a pastor - our decision to plant a church was only really a few weeks back!

The Four Spaces of Belonging

I've recently been finding a great deal of helpful information about church planting in Phil Potter's book, The Challenge of Change - A Guide to Shaping Change and Changing the Shape of Church. I'm sure there'll be more posts about this book and what Phil and his church are doing in the UK, but for now I just wanted to post something that's been especially helpful for us as we think about how our church will look....

In one of the chapters he writes about what he calls "The Four Spaces of Belonging." I think the ideas are from research someone else has done (sorry I'm a bit vague on the details - I borrowed the book from my father-in-law and he's taken it back), about the different places that people find a sense of belonging. And here they are....

First there is the Public Space. This is a large scale shared experience, where you feel you are part of a great number of people on the same wavelength, but you are still free to remain anonymous if you choose. E.g. A shared worship experience in a big church, a footy game, a movie theatre.

Next is Social Space. This is where we cluster around a common interest or focus (e.g. a BBQ, local pub, workplace, party or function). Here you connect on a superficial level, sharing snapshots of yourself - who I am, what I enjoy, where I live, where I work... This is a natural space to be introduced to new people, ideas, invites - a great springboard to the other spaces.

A little more intimate is our Personal Space. This is a smaller group of our friends and family, close work colleagues, home group, etc. Here we know each other well and share more privately, reflect together on faith, share our lives, pray for one another, care for one another. Jesus had this connection with his twelve disciples.

And finally there is our Intimate Space. This is only shared with a few people - our spouse and one or two close friends. These people know us as we really are - the good and the ugly. In this space we can be "naked and not ashamed." We feel safe and secure to share the naked truth about ourselves, what we think, what we struggle with - the deepest parts of ourselves. Jesus shared some things only with his closest friends - Peter, James and John.

Hayaku

Take some time out and watch this. It's breathtaking.

Hayaku: A Time Lapse Journey Through Japan from Brad Kremer on Vimeo.

Finding Organic Church

My brother- and sister-in-law bought me a book when they found out we were planting a church:

Finding Organic Church: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining Authentic Christian Communities
The book is written by Frank Viola, a pastor in the US who has been doing new, non-institutional ways of church for the past 20 years.

I'm not finished it yet, but there've been some great practical helps in it. I was worried at first that it might be a little too detailed, or that it would provide a comprehensive guide to planting a Frank Viola church, but it's been a real encouragement to read. The guy doesn't hold back from saying what he thinks, but he's also very humble about it. He doesn't try to give a blueprint for what a non-institutional organic church will look like (because there isn't just one way). He just shares what he's found through his own experience - what's worked and what hasn't, the failures and triumphs etc.

World Collapse Explained in 3 Minutes

"King of All" Song

Ok, I've figured it out. Here's the main song I've been working on. Click here to listen. It comes out of the events of Easter, and what it all means for us on this side of the resurrection.... The new king is here, a new kingdom has come (and one day will be even greater), and it's unlike any other kingdom ever seen. This kingdom brings life, and love, and grace - and hope. Here are the lyrics. Love to hear some thoughts.

Hear the sound
And feel it rising loud
A new day’s coming now
A new day’s coming now

So raise your voice
Let’s join and make some noise
For love’s victorious
For love’s victorious

And we live to bring you praise
And we join the heavens to say

The king of all the earth is here
The song of love, the prince of peace
Forever, forever we’ll sing
The king of hope, the king of grace
You gave it all, you took our place
Forever, forever we’ll sing

 What can I say?
It takes my breath away
This love amazes me
Amazes me

Jesus Christ
Who gave up even his life
Now rules the universe
The universe

The world is waking
Dawn is breaking
All creation has longed for this day
Love victorious
Hope is glorious
Here’s our song, let it soar, Jesus reigns

Lily's World

Me: What did you do at Grandma's, Lily?
Lily: I had 13 sleep and Isla had 18 sleep.
Me: Oh, when did you wake up?
Lily: I woke up at a-thirty, and Isla woke up at 16!
Me: Wow, that's a great sleep. What else did you do?
Lily: We had asagne and we didn't have ice cream, but Grandma said, "You girls can have a little bit of ice cream," AND WE DID! And we had co-co pops and played on the coloured thing, and then we comed home.
Me: And what did Isla do?
Lily: All the same, but not on the hammer thing.

How much do I love conversations with Lily!
(the "hammer thing" is a hammock)

Lily's World

Lily: "We're going to have a girls' night, and we're going to go on a plane after we go to the beach, and after we've had fun on there then we're going to go to Bella and Ry-Ry's house but Ry-Ry can't come because it's only for girls but Lucy can, and we're going to have all fun. And there will be make-up things in there and stickers and toilets and a bag."

Songs

So I've got a song written, at least enough to put up here, but I've just figured out that I don't actually know how to put it up on the blog....

Ah well, it was a nice idea. If I do work it out, or if one of you two people who actually read this blog know how to do it, I'll post it. Otherwise, sorry for the empty promise!

Missional Living for Regular People

Here's a great post on mission for those of us who aren't "missionaries." Some good practical ideas. Simple stuff. Just click the link below.

Missional Living for Regular People | Youth Specialties

The Story of Cap & Trade

Check out this great video. Especially if you're the kind of person who cares about horses, or V8s, or gelati, or... well, anything. Also, if you found this interesting, check out "The Story of Stuff" at www.thestoryofstuff.org. It's brilliant. And then share it with someone else.


The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

Lily's World

Me: How was your day, Lily?
Lily: Good. We saw the Easter Bunny at the library.
Me: Wow!
Lily: But it was somebody dressed up. Maybe it was Santa or something.

The Perks of Unemployment

At the moment, I'm out of a ministry job, seeing as my last position finished up at the end of January. It's very sad, not having our own church family to be a part of. Thanks to our wonderful friends and family for being our Church in the meantime! We're so blessed to have you all.

I've been working on some songs lately, while I have a little time between jobs, and I'll put them up as soon as they're a little ready. Keep an eye out, then when they're up, have a listen and let me know what you think!

I'm also writing this so that hopefully it will motivate me to actually finish them. Some of these have been sitting around for months, maybe years....

On another note, I did manage to read through the Bible in the last year. It was actually a lot easier than I expected - only about 10-15min a day, thanks to the NLT One-Year Bible. I've never read so much of the Bible, so consistently, in my life, and it's been so good for my spiritual growth that I'm going to continue through this year too.