Big Decision, little steps

Yes.

I am going to plant a church.

Not because I think I can do it better than another church or another psator, but because i believe this is a good and right thing to do. Now. Here. And not doing this would be wrong for me.

Questions I (mostly) have short answers to:

When? Saturday evenings, once or twice a month, starting April 7. Easter weekend.

Where? Our house

What? A very simple, small, Jesus-focused gathering. Probably some scripture about Jesus' death and resurrection, some music, some teaching from me, and sharing and praying from anyone who wants to, communion for everyone who wants a taste of grace. . .

Questions with longer and less complete answers . . . How? and Why? and Who?

More to come on those things soon, very soon.

Oh, what is the name of this church-to-be? For now, and again, "Streams of Grace".

Let it flow!

Do What's Doable

Sometimes the vision is SO big and SO amazing that I can't get out of idea-mode and into action mode. What I see in my head and dream in my heart is BIG - but what I am actually able to do is relatively small. I haven't been asking God for more ability - but I have been asking for more faith.

I've also been seeking clear guidance on what is the next step - the first thing to do. I believe God revealed that to me recently. He said, Just do it for a month. Don't try to start something that you have to sustain indefinitely - can you trust me enough to do it for a limited time?

Good idea, God!

a bit of confirmation came in a quote attributed to St. Francis Assisi: Do what is possible, then do what is needed; soon you will be doing what is miraculous.

So, what we are working towards now is to 'build a tabernacle' for the month of December - a place of beauty and community and worship and prayer - in the middle of the Urban 'wilderness' that is downtown Tempe. (Okay, we won't literally build a tent - we're hoping to rent one of those vacant retail spaces near the coffee plantation.)

Mill Avenue District - Tempe

• We hope to exhibit art that speaks the gospel (probably with the theme of Incarnation -God come to dwell with us in an unexpected way, the divine truly present in our broken world, the grace of God made accessible and tangible).
• We want to have lots of live music, especially on the weekends when thousands of people, from the University campus and all over the world, are strolling Mill Avenue.
• We plan to create a sacred space where prayer is ongoing - worshiping God, ministering healing and hope to people, blessing this community.
• We expect to engage in countless conversations with all kinds of people about ordinary and extraordinary things - with more much listening and understanding than preaching. We may have some more structured discussions and learning opportunities.
• We sense that God wants us to give and serve the oppressed and the captives - not sure what form that will take, but we are listening and available.

• And we will even 'do church' on Sunday mornings!

(but not always 3 songs and a sermon)

The point is to be present in a specific location as people who express God's grace. Our purpose is to encourage creativity, spirituality and community - an incarnational ministry of people who love Jesus and want to spend time with the people that Jesus misses most.

Now comes the hard part (for me) which is inviting other people to be part of this ministry-outreach-event-mission-whatever-you-call-it. For now, would you just pray with us - and if something begins to resonate with you, would you please talk with us about doing this with us?

"that's not a church . . . "

As Joe and I have been seeking to follow the vision God has given us, we have had a few very frustrating meetings. One of those was our first assessment interview. When we shared some of the 'outside-the-box' ideas for our potential church plant, we were told, "That's not a church, its a ministry." We were frustrated, confused and a little bit ticked.

Yes, it is a church, it is also a ministry, and a Kingdom work, and a community.
How are those other things not a church?

See, when you tell a 'regular church-goer' that the main thing you will focus on is not the Sunday morning assembly with 3 songs and a sermon -- well, its a big stretch for them to see how you could de-emphasize that and still be a church. By definition, church has to be 30 or more people meeting every week to listen to a preacher, collect an offering, in a room with a sign that says 'such-and such church.'

All the other stuff - like praying together, sharing meals, serving the lost and broken, discussing how the Word and the Spirit are transforming us, having meaningful conversations with people who don't know Jesus, creating beauty, seeking justice, loving people. . . well all that stuff is good, but it is extra, "it's not church!"

Not that they think that this is a bad idea: a storefront art gallery with live music and a prayer space, right in the middle of an urban community - where un-churched people can connect with grace-giving Christians - and Christians can gather to worship and learn and create and be a community. They say, "Great idea, go do it!"

BUT they also say they won't support it as a church plant, because it won't look like church the way they do it. "It's just not our DNA." Which feels rather like: "Sorry dear, it won't look like the rest of the family, so we don't feel comfortable helping you give birth to this baby. Go ahead and do it on your own; maybe we will adopt it later on."

So after months of hoping for support and blessing from what has been my church 'family,' and despairing to the point that I've seriously considered aborting this vision - I've realized that maybe they are right.

What God has conceived in my heart does not look like "church." It doesn't have the same desired outcome as most church planting models. I can't force this dream into a process that is designed to produce a 'normal' church and expect it to become something else. I'll be fighting to fit in and stay true to the calling - and I can't accomplish both of those. So we can either let go of the dream - or let go of the desire to be accepted within a limited definition of 'church.' Guess which one God is asking us to pursue?

Streams of Grace - vision and values

Spiritual and Social

Transformation, through:

Redemptive Relationships

Experiences & God-Encounters

Artistic Expression

Missional Ministry

Sacred Spaces

of

Grace

Renewal

Acceptance

Creativity

Encouragement