Beauty

This past Sunday gathering we discussed the word "beauty."

We defined beauty has coming together and creating something that resonates with the heart of God. Creating a different reality than others are used to seeing which results in giving others a glimpse of God's glory. It's awakening other's imagination to realize there is more than this life.

We talked about walking in beauty when we walk in excellence & creativity.

1 Corinthians 10:31— So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

What are you doing right now? What are going to do today? What are you doing this week and Thanksgiving? Remember, that we are called to do it with excellence as unto the Lord! When we do beauty is released and others see a glimpse of God's glory!

Take Home: What is one thing that I can do with excellence this week?

Story

This past Sunday we talked about the word "Story."

Why are stories so powerful? Why do stories have the ability to touch our hearts like nothing else? Stories make us laugh, they make us cry, and they draw us in so we feel connected. Why is that?

I know this has been told many times but the word History is really His-story. The Bible is not a bunch of fragmented books that are disconnected. The Bible is 1 story starting in Genesis and signing off temporarily in Revelation. It's a story of Redemption and forgiveness. It's not a book full of rules and regulations and law. It's a story of how we turned away from God and severed our relationship with Him. It's a story of God's amazing plan to restore that relationship so we could know Him again. It's a story of how we can live our lives to the fullest and we can truly know God personally.

Have you read the story lately? Go ahead...start in Genesis 1:1 and read the beginning of it all. The more you know and become a part of God's story, the more you will desire to share it with others.

And Conference part 3

As we continue this conversation on being attractional and missional I wanted to share a few barriers that we come up against. There are usually 3 barriers that challenge us and try to keep us from being missional in our every day lives.

BARRIER #1—Individualism
*This is how we process our social interaction…control who we are with. More and more in America we have become individuals often isolated from others. This is true for the church at large. We have created our own "bubble" that keeps us from being around the very people that need the love & power of Jesus. We are not truly a disciple (which means follower of Christ), until we are intentionally around those who need Him the most.

BARRIER #2—Materialism--which we define..."the reason I live and work is to get stuff" It's hard to be missional when we are focused on all of the things in life we want for ourselves. It makes it hard to be generous and giving. A disciple who is missional is characterized by generosity.

BARRIER #3—Consumerism--defined as...God is here for me first…I do everything for me. I seek God because God blesses my business. I attend this church because it meets the needs of my family. How do we know this is true? Statistics reveal that a majority of churches spend 80% of their money on themselves and keeping themselves alive. A missional disciple is one who understand that they are here for God and His purposes. They live with His mission and purpose for their lives at the center of every thing they do.

Which barrier do you struggle with the most? Write down and make it a strategic matter of prayer and focus this week as you strive to live missional and with meaning!

And Conference part 2

Once again the topic of this blog is on the tension of being an attractional and missonal church. Being attractional is trying to compel those who aren't walking with Jesus to come to the church. Being missional is leaving the church "box" and going out to the community to bring Jesus love to others.

Here are some more thoughts & insights from the conference

In the PAST—We focused on getting the community into the church. Church was defined largely by the weekend service. Primarily centralized top-down structure. Attendance and giving were how success was gauged. People come to the church building to do their ministry. Buildings serve the church—the community is invited to join them

Where we are NOW—Get the church into the community. Church defined by “where you are." We begin also tracking community impact and loving others as a gauge of success. Ministry isn’t confined to a building. It happens where you are. Buildings serve the community—the congregation also meets there

Many do what we have always done. Other's want to throw out the past and go with where we are now. We are going to join the movement and believe God to help us do both. I've always said, this is not a church...just a place where the church meets.

When you go to work Monday, there is church. When you meet others at Starbucks or Tim Hortons, there is church. When you hang out watching sports with others, there is church. Let's allow God to shift our mind and understand that everyday is an opportunity for us to meet with God to be used by Him to help others meet Him.

From the "And" Conference

I have been given the great opportunity to attend this challenging
conference in Indiana. The entire conference is to wrestle with the
philosophies of being an "Attractional" church and a "Missional"
church. It's going to take a lot of blogs to share what God is saying but hang with me :)

First of all..let me define what Attractional & Missional means?

Missional means to Be the love of Jesus right where you live, being the church in your everyday life. Being Missional is being outward focused and taking the love and grace of Jesus out of the church into the community. Being missional is understanding that we don't go to church but we are the church. Everywhere we go, we take the power and love of God with us.

Attractional means to use creativity, arts, technology and other resources to attract the community to come to church. It's more inward focused trying to compel others to come to you. Attempting to be relevant and connect with the culture in how one designs one gatherings.

Over the past 5-7 years there has been debate on which one we should be. This conference is about how we can become both!

BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM...

The Shrinking 40% --This percentages used to be higher but is ever shrinking. Many Americans who currently don't go to church will possibly come to the “box” The way we do church is working for fewer and fewer people everyday. The way we do church isn’t style, traditional, denomination doesn’t matter—it's usually come to us.

60% and growing—60% of those who don't go to church, will never come to the “box”. Many of them believe there is a higher power yet don’t consider the church as a resource to take steps to know God better or find answers. Young adults today are less connected to church than previous decades but just as spiritual. If this trend continues churches will close as fast at GM dealerships

We feel this tension because many of us say..."But I love inviting people to church because that is how I came to know Jesus. That is how my life has changed. Yet we all have friends who we have invited to the "box" for years but they won't come. So, this leaves us with two choices.

Two Choices:
#1—Continue to pour our lives and resources trying to reach the 40% (28,565 unchurched people in Wyandotte, Riverview & Southgate who may come)
#2—Leave the institutional church behind. Go out and spend the resources and time going after the masses 60% (42,828 unchurch people who most likely will never come to the box)

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH? IS IT POSSIBLE TO REACH OUR COMMUNITIES AND FRIENDS? YES.

MORE TO COME and comments encouraged...

What Outfit are you Wearing

Well, yesterday was the special illustrated message "Chainsaw Jesus." (Check our facebook fan page for pictures soon)

We talked about how many of us even after Halloween try to cover up the sins, hurts, and void in our lives with other things. However, the more we try to "mask it," the greater the wall becomes inside our hearts and the further from God we actually become.

Yet, THANK GOD FOR CHAINSAW JESUS! Through His death on the cross and his triumphal Resurrection on that 3rd day, we can be forgiven and freed from our sin and ourselves.

As I was reading this morning I came across this verse in Romans

Romans 13:14--Rather clothe (cover) yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do no think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Thank you Jesus that even though I deserve death and eternal separation from You because of my sins, I can clothe (cover) myself with Your love, forgiveness and freedom.