Why Are We Not Seeing Greater Impact In This Movement?

We've been living Simple, Organic, Missional life in Christ for awhile now, and frankly there is no other choice for my husband and I.  We are completely convinced this is the way Jesus lived, and that's good enough for us.  We've raised our three children to young adults in this paradigm, and we've seen the fruit of it in their lives, and those who have joined to us along the way in this journey.  I encourage, coach, and mentor all those I can in this paradigm because I am committed to it.  God showed us the potential of the Simple, Organic, Missional paradigm to exhibit His Presence, Power, Purpose and Love to the world through it.

Before I knew anything about S/O/M, I was committed to missions and outreach to those who don't know Christ, because I wanted others to have what I have in Jesus.  It's that simple.  To me, it all boils down to the fact that God sent his Son, so that we might have fellowship with Them, and so He sends us for the same purpose.  It just isn't anymore complicated than that.

 So if this is true, why have we seen such little impact of a movement that has all the elements of going viral because in principle, all the participants are sent on mission?

Because the majority of those who are living Simple and Organic paradigms are not living Missionally.  Sadly, it's just a "buzz" word for most, the latest "cool" thing to talk about, but with very little reality or practice in their lives.

Let's get to it, and those who have ears to hear, let him/her hear.

First of all, let's look at what we're doing pretty well; the First Leg - The Fellowship Leg of The Table vision, has some good stuff happening.  Let's look at some of it:

• We have various styles and types of Simple and Organic church.
•  The essence of church as a family is happening. 
• We are doing a much better job at all of us reading, studying and understanding The Word.
•  People are exploring, practicing and growing in their gifts with one another.
• We are getting better at understanding that leadership is more like a mother and father, and less like a CEO.
• We are enjoying playing, eating, and learning together, making our fellowship experience more like normal life and it's ebbs and flows.
• We are learning that Christian life and fellowship is not what we "do" but who we "are".
• We are understanding that there is no "secular" vs "sacred" - but we serve God holistically in all areas of our life.
• We are understanding there is no laity or clergy, but all of us are called to listen, obey, serve and minister.
• We are finally learning that the 5-fold gifts of Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, Evangelist are for the equipping of the saints for the real ministry, and not for platforms of notoriety, fame, power and prestige.

 Okay! That's worth celebrating and thanking God for!  In the advertising slogan of a long ago cigarette commercial; "you've come along way baby!" But, and you knew a but was coming, we have not come far enough.  It is not enough to get better at having Christian fellowship - as good as that is! We have to live missionally to really BE like Jesus.

The truth and reality is that not many of us are truly reaching out to those who don't know Jesus, and living missionally.   Why not?  I've heard such explanations like; we need more intercession, it's not God's timing yet, we need more S/O churches to mother/father all the New Believers that will result, we are not called to mission (because that is "works") but rather to Jesus alone, we need persecution to force us, we live in a different culture, we're too busy to invest the time and commitment it takes.  Heard or said any of them yourself?  Maybe none, some or all of these are true, and I've even said a few myself trying to understand why we are not reaching out in mission.  However, in seeing that the life and vibrancy of the First Leg of The Table vision stemmed from their being connected and invested in the Second Leg of The Table which was made up of those who didn't know Christ, and seeing how the church in the Book of Acts grew, and in places like India, China and Africa is growing today - I don't think those reasons hold much merit.  I think the truth is we are afraid, discouraged with previous attempts, too busy, too self focused, lazy, expect others to do it,  and find excuses for our lack of mission and make it sound spiritual so we can let ourselves off the hook.

Am I being too harsh?  I'm hoping to exhort you to fulfill the whole purposes of God in your life to use you to bring the light, the fragrance, the saltiness of Jesus to those He has destined you to reach.

When I teach about S/O/M church I do the following visual:  I have a few from the group come and stand in a circle, holding hands.  A good and familiar picture of what we do pretty well in our Christian fellowship.  We are together, supporting one another, linked and joined in community.  All good.  Yet we are only looking at, and are focused on each other as we face inward.  No wonder our groups become ingrown, unhealthy, and full of the elements of the flesh we are warned about in Scripture. 

Now, flip everyone around, so that each is facing outward.  Still holding hands in support, linked and joined together, covering each others' backside.  But the difference is that the focus is outward.  Each person is gazing outward from the group at a slightly different angle than those on either side, into a unique and specific journey of mission that the Lord has destined EACH of us to walk in.  The Word says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10).

Living missionally means we are continually sowing Christ into the lives of people all around us.

 In Greenhouse training we learn about the four different types of soils that Jesus teaches us about in Matthew 13. Of the four identified soils, only one of those soils actually produces lasting fruit and real salvation. The problem for us is that we cannot judge by looking at it, which one is the fruitful soil.  Only Jesus and the Father know the soil of a man's heart.  We are called to sow, and sow a lot, leaving the results up to God.  Many times I've sown in soil I judged to be "the good and receptive soil" only to have that person end up just the opposite.  And I also have resisted sowing in some soil I judged to be too hard, rocky and unreceptive, only to have it produce incredible fruits of salvation in the person!  I simply cannot, and neither can you, be accurate in soil evaluations.  Therefore, we have to sow a lot and trust God to do His work, and only His work, in creating a disciple out of the soil of their heart.  I firmly believe that as we are obedient to this, and growing in faithfulness, that we will become more and more like Jesus, who "only did that which He saw the Father do" (John 5:19) Then we will be incredibly effective in our sowing, because we've learned to be great at listening and responding to the Father's voice in obedience.

 What if you asked Jesus to show you three people this week that you could invest in that are not Christians?  Can you commit to living a week of intentional missionality, and see what God might do through you?
Pretend you are just like Jesus, waking up in the morning and turning to The Father and asking; "who do You want me to reach out to today Father?  Who are you working in that I will come in contact with? Let me join you Father, in Your work to reach and save those who are lost, and those sheep without a shepherd."

Then do what Jesus did.  Listen and obey, and see what God will do through you.

Third Post of "I'm Hungry" and The Table Vision

It had been there all along, silently, quietly and slowly forming in obscurity all around me.  A little here, a little there, but far from the magnitude and impact of what I saw in The Table vision, and what had excited me to my core! The Table vision had shown me what was possible, and what was in the heart of God - and I was ruined for anything less.

The season of the "D's" was not spent in just praying, waiting and idleness.  In fact, I was seeing God do incredible things on mission and ministry trips in different countries other than the United States during these years.  This caused me to beg God to do what I saw Him do in other countries, here at home in my own relationships, neighborhood, city, region and country!

I've always believed that God prefers to direct our steps as we keep walking, over lighting a match to our butt to get us moving.  So even while walking through desert seasons, and seeing very little of The Table vision manifest, I was starting, facilitating, and participating in many various types of Simple/Organic Churches during this time and through these years.  We saw a lot of fruit from these groups.  No two were ever the same - the make up the participants, the duration of the group, the specific "issue" we might be gathering around, how we gathered, etc. was varied. Some gatherings were scheduled, and others were fluid (meaning they happened without scheduling).  Some met for a year or more, and others a few months, and still others were so fluid that they were far more relational based and they were lived in spontaneity. They were a small example of the First Leg of The Table. However, an example I could tangibly see, and I was encouraged.

 One Simple Church that Tom and I have fond memories of was predominately made up of those with mental health disorders. (I would venture to say that this type of church planting does not get on the list of current church planting books and seminars.) This Simple Church formed naturally as we reached out to a guy we knew who struggled with his mental health, and then he brought others, and so on, and so forth.  This group had some Christians in it, and others who became Christians through the fellowship and healing prayer of group members as they ministered to one another in Christ. Again, it was only a small glimpse of The First and Second Leg of The Table, but it was there.

 I constantly wondered: were there others out there who were also living disconnected from the traditional once or twice a week Christian experience, and programed life of fellowship and ministry?  Were their others who like us, who were living and experiencing fellowship and mission with others without a program facilitating it to both Christians and non Christians?
Those people that had a lifestyle that resembled more than anything else, an unknown adventure of discovery of what church really was, coupled with the  natural expression of the Great Commission as we lived our lives WITH, not separate from, those who don't yet know Christ?  Where were they? How could I find them?

Towards the end of my "D" season, I began to hear of others meeting in Simple Churches.  Although they were hard to find, just knowing about their existence was encouraging. Most were, "under the radar", in the unobtrusive and quiet manner of Simple Church. I was spending quite a bit of my time explaining Simple, Organic, Missional life and fellowship to people, and I saw there was increasingly more and more interest in it.  It seemed daily that God was crossing my path with others who were "looking for more" in their relationship with God and others.  God was drawing people into this paradigm.

I began to pray about how to bring connections.  How to connect the people that I was meeting, and still others I knew must be out there, that I had no knowledge about- but God did.   I didn't know how I could possibly identify, reach and pull people together - but I was excited about trying if God was going to do all the real work!  I had heard Neil Cole at a House2House conference in 2006, teach a workshop called Greenhouse.  Neil spoke the things that had been in my heart and mouth for many years, but he spoke them WAY BETTER !  I contacted Paul Kaak, Neil's co-author of Greenhouse and CMA  (Church Multiplication Associates), to share my story and ask to sponsor a Greenhouse for my region.  That was the first of 5 Greenhouses (GH1 & GH2's) that brought many people together from all over the region and country (and even from Australia for a GH!).  I also developed a conference called Living The Mission, and helped promote and involve people in a House2House regional conference.  These gatherings brought people together who were in different "streams" of Christianity, who lived in different areas, who had no knowledge or connection with one another, but shared an interest in Simple, Organic, Missional paradigms.  They were lay people, paid ministry people, new in Christ or mature in Christ, male, female, young and old.  They shared their stories, encouraged one another, learned from one another,  formed connections, built relational networks, formed new Simple Church expressions or outreaches, or went back to traditional church with new zeal and organic life in Christ principles. The fruit of these gatherings (and this is just a small piece of what the Third Leg represented) was evident.  I began to see, year after year, more of The Table vision form, especially the First and Third Leg, although there is a long way to go in the Third Leg of The Table vision of the Church coming together.  This is just a short synopsis for a blog post.

 Some of you wonder if there are others in your area or region who are living Simple, Organic, Missional life.  Many of you wonder how to connect with those in your region.  Hosting city/regional gatherings of some sort, is one way for you to see God bring people together that you would never had known or had access to.  Greenhouse, Momentum (House2House's regional conferences) or other venues like these are great ways to see God bring connections and relational strength to the Simple, Organic, Missional movement in your area.  Contact www.cmaresources.org for information on sponsoring a Greenhouse, or contact Ken Eastburn at www.house2house.com for information about a Momentum conference if your interested.


So what's up with the Second Leg of The Table vision?

Sadly, not much....let's talk........

The Second Leg - I'm Hungry continued....

Yesterday I started to share with you a vision I had about a table and the legs that supported it. If you haven't read this previous blog post, I suggest that you read that before you start this one.

After the formation of the First Leg of The Table, the Second Leg began to take shape before me. This new leg forming before me was very different from the small fellowships of Christian koinonia that made up the First Leg of The Table.  This table leg was the "missional" leg.  I saw that the umbilical cords from those groups in the First Leg, reached over and connected them to communities and people from their lives who didn't yet know Christ.  Individuals and communities that First Leg people had connections with through work, their neighborhoods, interests, family members, previous lifestyles, and other "oikos" from which they came from or presently lived in.  I saw it as The Mission Leg of The Table, because it was through these relationships and connections that the First Leg fellowships grew, and how new fellowship groups were formed.  First Leg fellowships didn't form and grow from each other, or through the shuffling of people around from group to group, but rather through the addition of new believers!

Then The Third Leg began to form.  I saw this leg represent the corporate gathering of the many fellowship groups from the First Leg who gathered together for such things as regional trainings, conferences, corporate worship, teaching, local and international mission projects, and various community outreaches. Those things where the Body of Christ of a region came together in larger community and in corporate unity type of events.  Thus, the Community Leg of The Table.

Then I saw the Fourth Leg of The Table empty and without anything visible, and asked the Lord, "what about that leg?" and He said, "that's not for you to know at this time."

End of The Table vision.

I was stunned. I was amazed.  I was enthralled with what I had just saw. I saw true shepherding, real discipleship, natural evangelism, training and equipping, the "one anothers" of scripture in true community and authentic fellowship, the participation of each member of the Body, and so much more in this vision.  Seeing that everything we needed spiritually, physically, emotionally for such Kingdom life, had been bountifully provided for us on the top of the banquet table, boosted my faith to new levels.  I was ready!  Bring it on Lord!  This was going to be great!

 I prayed and prayed and prayed.  But nothing.  I told people about the Table Vision, and received back blank stares or raised eyebrows.  I drew picture after picture of it on napkins, scrap papers and anything else I could find to illustrate it. Once in a while I got a, "oh, cool!"  My initial excitement began to wane.  Years went by.   I waited, watched, and prayed, and waited some more.

But nothing happened. Only the "D's" - deserts, droughts, discouragement, disillusionment, defeat, dejection, despair, depression, death. For years I prayed and looked for the manifestation of this vision.  It had impacted me so powerfully, and I was aching for it to become something that I could be a part of, or at least witness in my lifetime.  But nothing.  What had started out to be an incredible blessing of insight and encouragement, became to me like a curse.  I began to beg God to take it from my memory if He was not going to allow me to be a part of it, or at least see it come to pass. I prayed and prayed for it to be forgotten and lost to me.  But it didn't go away.  It stood before me daily like a great neon sign advertising something I could not have. 

Then the long season of the "D's" came to an end.  I began to see the Table Vision form around me.

More in the next post........

I'm Hungry

It was about 20 years ago when unexpectedly the Lord placed a clear picture in front of my eyes.  Some would call it a vision - I called it a blessing and curse.  Here's the vision, and here's why.

Before me I saw a large banquet table that was full of every kind of food and drink imaginable.  It was overflowing with more than I saw the table could hold, and yet it did.  Immediately, I knew that what I saw was the provision of the Lord to His People.  It was symbolic all that we needed for life and godliness, power, provision, grace, wisdom, strength - you need it, it was there.   I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that all that provision was there waiting for us to take. Faith welled up inside of me as I saw the magnitude of this provision for us.

Then, I saw the First Leg of The Table form before me.  I saw that what made up this leg was various and diverse types of fellowship gatherings.  They were of different sizes, although none were very large, and they were each quite unique from one another.  Some were made up of young mothers, others of men and women at work places, some were couples of various ages, some were those seeking freedom and healing from issues that plague humans, others were affinity type groups of some sort or another, there was an incredible diversity of them.  Although all the groups were very different from one another, they did all have in common that they read and studied the Word of God together, they cared and ministered to one another - using the gifts God gives - growing in them through practice and application, and they were maturing.   These groups were full of life.  Pulsating life, in fact!  As I marveled at the vibrancy of these groups, I wondered how they grew and how the new groups formed on this table leg.  As soon as I did, I saw umbilical cords from these groups grow backwards into the now forming Second Leg of The Table.

Are You Headless And Don't Even Know It?

  Lately,  I've been struggling with the decision of whether or not to continue writing Backseat Driver.  I'm really seeking to know the direction of the Lord in this.  I'm wondering if it's really valuable and producing Kingdom fruit, or if its time to move on with other things. I hate to think I'm just contributing more pablum to our obsession with teaching, information, endless opinions, "expert" dissemination and constant verbal noise. Maybe I'm just tired, and in pessimistic mood, but I find myself in reading blogs, twitter, and Facebook/Google posts, the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes when he says, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity". 

I'd like "Backseat Driver" to be what Solomon describes when he says, "The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write truth correctly.  The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by the one Shepherd", (Chapter 12:10-11).  However I'm worried that I may be falling into his warning in the next verse along with many others when he continues with, " But beyond this, my son, be warned; the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books (blogs, twitter) is wearying to the body.  The conclusion, when all has been heard, is fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person". Ecclesiastes 12:12-13.

So, going back to my very first blog post from February 2009, which I re posted here - I'm taking a good look in the mirror and wondering if I'm walking around Headless, or connected firmly to the Head. 

 What about you - are you walking around Headless and don't even know it?

 

 

Headless

Last night I had a disturbing dream where everyone was walking around without a head attached to their body.  Even stranger, was that it didn't seem to be problem or an issue.  I watched them function in all the ways we do naturally, going here and there, living their life.   I was confused because I couldn't understand how they were doing so without their head directing, seeing, listening, processing etc.

Have you ever been driving the car for a period of time, lost in thought, and suddenly realized that you had covered many miles, switched lanes, maneuvered through traffic and not had a consciousness of what just happened?  There was a disconnect from the "head" but you functioned just fine on "auto pilot".

In Colossians 2, the theme is learning how to walk out our being complete in Christ.  In verse 19 it states; " not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God."  

In Ephesians 4:15 it say; "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ."

How much of our daily lives to we live "without the Head", and we don't even notice it?  When we go on "auto pilot" ?

I know I desire to grow with a growth which is from Christ, and I believe you do also.  To remain connected to Him so that our lives are a living, fruitful and growing reflection of His Will and direction.  No more auto pilot or headless meandering!  Let's stay connected to our Head!

The Last of the Questions!!

Q:  How do you handle bad doctrine and those who bring weird ideas?

 For any disciple new or old in their relationship with Christ, it is necessary and paramount to our maturing process to read and know the Word of God and the Word Himself as our teacher. Not only reading, but also in the practice of what we read for it to become a part of us.  Otherwise, it is quickly forgotten and it never takes root within us to bear fruit.  There are no shortcuts to maturity - it takes time and commitment.  It means you listen and obey your way to maturity and discernment.  Hebrews 5:14 says, "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil". 

Maturity means your not easily misled.  Unfortunately, we have people misled by false teaching because they don't mature and are vulnerable to any charismatic and forceful teacher.  It will always be so. The Apostle Paul dealt with false teachers and teachings, and those who misled others and comments a lot on the subject in his letters. Jesus said we will have tares grow up alongside the wheat.  We should expect it, and train ourselves to discern wisely.  We should also expect to be misled if we are not reading and practicing the Word ourselves.

When our children were very young, we encouraged them to read the Bible and ask God to teach them what it means.  Of course we engaged with them in the process, but we did not substitute a quick answer for them, and required them to seek out God and His Word for themselves.  They developed a lifestyle of asking, listening and obeying.  That is the essence of any disciple - to know Jesus intimately and do what He says.  We do that with those we disciple also - point them to Jesus.  This doesn't mean they couldn't, or didn't come to us with questions or for counsel, it just meant that God was sought FIRST and the Holy Spirit was trusted and expected to do what He says He does -which is teaching, guiding and conforming us to Christ.

With the MSF motorcycle rider training program we use to teach the basic skills of riding, most of those who take the class have no prior knowledge or skill about motorcycling at all.  At the completion of 10 hours of "on the motorcycle" training, most are doing good quick stops, skilled cornering, tight U-turns and more.  If we can do that with a good training program in two days in our flesh, how much MORE can the Holy Spirit do if we trust Him to train us in The Word - the very thing He is wanting to do?!

 Everyone needs to read the Word of God.  We discern error when we know the real thing because we have familiarity and personal interaction with it regularly. If we only know regurgitated and editorial interpretations of The Word, we will be easily mislead. Weird and false doctrine usually comes through the teaching of one person in the group, and where the group doesn't know it's wrong because they are ignorant.  When we give the responsibility to know the Word to someone else because it's easier for us that way, we open ourselves up to being mislead.  When the group has matured through knowing the Word themselves, they can easily recognize and deal with error.

A great tool in helping people (especially new Christians) read the Bible, are LTG's  (Life Transformation Groups) from CMA Resources (http://www.cmaresources.org/).

Q:  Our house church didn't last very long and people went back to the traditional church, why does this happen?

Because nothing really changed, it only shrunk.  We call it the "honey, I shrunk the church" syndrome.  It's as if by leaving a building and then substituting the meeting place with a house, a city park, or a coffee shop, that somehow it's now become a Simple, Organic, Missional church.  In essence and in practice, nothing is very different.  The paradigm of how we view church never changed, only the location.  They are still "doing" church, instead of "being" church.  A very profound difference in theology and practice.  
Many leaders who think they are starting a Simple Church, are just taking people with them from the traditional church where they had faithful relationships who supported their leadership, but who don't have a clue about what S/O/M life really is.   They just are following their leader. When these people  see that the leader is basically leading the same thing in just a smaller (and often more unhealthy) version of church, that doesn't offer them the "perks" that they are used to like child care, short services, professional music, youth activities and such, why stay? 

Understanding the paradigm of Simple, Organic, Missional life and fellowship and how it is practiced 24/7, is crucial.  Some people don't want to make the commitment once they see that it requires more effort, maturity, accountability, involvement and commitment. Many are not willing to make such a lifestyle change, especially if they have found the convenience of traditional church more accommodating at fitting into their schedules.  When they really begin to see what is required of them, they often leave for an easier venue of practicing their faith.

Another point I want to make is that we are used to thinking about church in the traditional sense of going on and on for generations in some town, city or region.  We think of congregations as lasting forever.  In the paradigm of S/O/M Church, fellowships are far more fluid.  They form, grow, die, change, etc. according to the leading of the Lord and His Purposes.  The eternalness of the Body of Christ is always there, but the fellowships and their makeups change.  The Bible says that unless a kernel falls to the ground and it dies, it cannot produce fruit.  The death of something allows for the birth of someone else. Change is healthy and life is transitional (birth, childhood, youth, adult, middle age, old age).  Our fellowships are also transitional, and that's okay!  Our relationships with each other are eternal, and they aren't contingent upon how much or often we gather with each other.

Q:   How do you get the word out in the community about your home church?

I am not supportive of most "attractional" ways to gather people for S/O/M fellowship.  This is the way traditional churches try and build their congregations.  Marketing is a big deal in our culture, and it certainly has affected the Church.  I think that growth should happen naturally through your relationships and contacts, and not through advertising.  


Many put their Simple Church on various websites, name and build networks, advertise and promote their groups to those seeking this venue of fellowship and life.  I'm not a proponent of that.  However, I do recognize that it may have some benefit in the connecting of people, but it feels to me like "church shopping" and artificial addition instead of natural growth through divine connections.  

The best way to "get the word out" is to live your Christianity in ways that those around you ask you questions about your faith and how you practice it.  God will bring you in contact with those He wants you to connect with - that's His job, and He does it well without our help in advertising.

****And that's all the questions we're going to address for now!  Thanks for following them in these last few blog posts, and remember if you have some suggestions, thoughts, opinions or disagreements - feel free to post them in the comments section!  

 I named this blog Backseat Driver for a reason.  YOU are the one in the front seat of your own journey with the Lord in this wonderful adventure called Simple, Organic, Missional life and fellowship.  I'm just offering my thoughts on the journey to you in humility.  If you find them confirmed by the Holy Spirit ........GREAT!  God has used me to encourage and ignite you.........

  If not, backseat drivers can easily be ignored.........:)

Questions Continued: What About Financial Support?

• In the process of organic church planting, how does the person support his family?

My quick answer?  By working a job or jobs, or having a spouse who works to financially support your family's income needs. 

I find that most of the time this question is asked by those who have been financially supported in ministry by receiving a salary from a traditional church or ministry.  Simple, Organic, Missional ministry is very different.  There are a few instances that I know of where a denomination or an organization who is seeking this direction of church planting is funding the Organic Church Planter because that is how traditional church does church planting in the West.  There are others (a very few) who receive income from their writing and speaking forums in this area. 

The majority of Simple, Organic, Missional Church Planters work secular jobs to support themselves and family in some way.  

For me, between my husband and myself, we have 9 separate streams of income from various jobs - (all but one is part-time and/or seasonal).  It's part of the paradigm change to consider "full time ministry" not as something special, positional, professional, and from which you receive a salary,  but instead where "ministry" is the normal Christian life for ALL of us as we present and live Christ to those around us in our daily journey. Ephesians 4:12 says, we are all called and equip "for works of service" in our normal lives made powerful because of Christ in us.  In this paradigm there are no "secular jobs" or "sacred jobs", where one is holy and special, and the other not. Work is ministry, life is ministry - for everyone.

When we work at a job/jobs, it means that there is not a lot of extra time to "do" ministry in the way we have thought it had to happen in the past traditional sense. This is where we think of ministry only happening in time slotted meetings, prepared orations of teaching, directed study, preplanned activities and organized events.  The Simple, Organic, Missional paradigm is that ministry is not something we do, but rather live, and it fits into our lives naturally in its' various contexts.  It is not something for the "chosen few" professionals, but rather the whole Body of Christ.  It is not "slotted" but fluid, and responsive to the direction of the Holy Spirit. We look for opportunities at work, with our families, in our neighborhood, with people we associate with through our children, communities of activity, in fellowship with other Christians, etc. to live ministry and Christ fluidly and naturally in all contexts.  I spoke with a guy recently who resigned from a pastoral job and went back to school to become a nurse.  He shared with me that he feels he is ministering to others far more through his nursing job, than he did through his weekly church events that were called "ministry".

But what about those in Ephesians 4 who are called to "equip the saints for works of service"?  Shouldn't they get compensated?  

My short answer?  Yes and no. 

Those called to equip the Body are not professions and positional.  They are functional and with a divine authority attached to them that results in effective equipping and obvious fruit.   Not everyone who thinks or calls themselves one of those listed in Ephesians 4, who take an assessment that tells them what they are, or have a seminary degree or title given by others,  are necessarily those described in Ephesian 4 as 'equippers' of the Body.  We should be looking for fruit and the obvious evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit that endorses such a claim.

The Apostle, Teacher, Evangelist, Pastor Paul (all obvious when viewing the fruit of his life) said in I Thessalonians 2:5-9, "For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed - God is witness -nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.  But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.  Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased  to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.  For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not be be a burden to any on you we proclaimed to you the gospel of God."

He speaks of his authority and yet uses the example to describe his leadership as being "like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children".  That is a distinctly opposite visual picture to "seeking glory from men, flattering speech, greed" and positional authority.  A nursing mother is quiet, subdued and totally there for the nursing child at her breast.  Certainly no mother expects compensation.  Can you imagine a mother saying, "you owe me for nursing you ten times a day, seven days a week, for two years!"  If we can see true Biblical leadership in terms of good mothering and fathering instead of as a CEO who needs compensation, then we will begin to understand this passage much better.....but that is another future blog post I'll have to write.........


RARELY do we hear and read books about the teaching in the Scriptures of the Apostle Paul (and others) who supported themselves financially WHILE living and "doing" ministry. Why not?  Is it because most of those who teach the Scriptures don't work secular jobs, and they don't want to lose their financial support which would cause them to have to work secular jobs?  It seems to me in reading the book of Acts, that Paul did incredibly powerful effective ministry WHILE making tents. Equipping Aquila and Priscilla, starting churches, teaching principles and doctrine, disciple making of men and women who would go on to plant churches and make disciples of their own. Paul did receive financial gifts at various times, his incarceration being one of those times. While he was in prison the making of tents was likely denied him, but I'd bet if given the opportunity, he would have made tents to support his own needs while he was sitting in jail. 


 I Corinthians chapter 9  is full of Paul's exhortation regarding the right of those who minister to receive financial support, but he also chooses not to be dependent upon it.  In II Thessalonians 3:7-10 Paul says, "For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; not because we did not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example.  For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order; if anyone will not work, neither let him eat." 

The Scriptures have many verses that indicate that we need to financially support particular leaders who devote themselves to equipping the Body for ministry.  In order to get more of the Body of Christ really ministering like we emphasize in Organic, Simple, Missional life, we need the Equippers to be equipping!  And that might mean supporting some financially so they have more time to do it.  

And, we need more examples of those who claim to be "equippers" working "day and night" and "as a model" to the Body of how to live ministry fluidly in the contexts of life AND work who do not expect financial support as a "right". 

I believe that if there is evidence of fruit and impact, in certain seasons of life, and under certain circumstances, that some should receive financial support at times if they are truly equipping others for service .  We have to follow the teachings in Scriptures that endorse financial giving and working to support oneself - both! Going back to the Apostle Paul, he sometimes got financial support and others times he supported himself and those around him.    

It should be both and, not one or the other.

Questions Continued: What About Stagnant Fellowship?

Question:  We are stagnant in our house church and we don't grow.  Some in our group don't want to grow, and they say we should stay as we are, but others do want to grow. What can we do?

First, let's start with the premise that multiplication is good! Christ in us produces life, and that life produces more life! Fertility is part of our natural, and spiritual DNA.  We are created to overflow the life of Christ into others, and that results in multiplication!   When Jesus called out to Matthew one day as a tax collector who was just out taking care of business, he wasn't reaching out to just Matthew.  Matthew was connected to a whole group of people, and he immediately invited his friends over to hang out with Jesus at his place.  That resulted in many more people coming in contact with Christ.  When Jesus conversed with the Samaritan Woman at the well, she immediately left and shared all she knew about him with others she was connected to in her village.  The Church in Acts grew because they were intentional about sharing the Good News with those around them, even if that meant danger to their lives.  Christ is out seeking and saving those who are lost - then and now.  How He does that, is through our contact and connectedness to others through relationships.

 

  There are many in the simple/organic church practice that are content to never grow - either by addition or multiplication.  They prefer to remain a nice little comfortable (and usually predictable) fellowship of familiar faces.  Many such people couch this insular focus in sanctimony, or in the belief that they will lose intimacy.  The reality is that many people are just looking for a reason to prefer the safety, security, and the familiarity of stasis. Some people just don't see a problem with stagnation.  In fact, some prefer it.

 

The word stagnate is a verb, and verbs describes an action or a state of being. Stagnation describes a state of inactivity, or standing still of something.  It is to be idle, vegetate, rust, cease to grow, and to exist in a changeless situation. 

This word describes much of what happens in our fellowship gatherings - traditional or simple/organic.  Why?

I believe that most people naturally gravitate to stagnation and we have to intentionally fight against it if we don't want it.  Think of rust forming.  It will eventually form on metal because of the elements in the metal itself and in the environment.   In order to combat rust, you must constantly be doing the things that combat it, or at least, hold it at bay.  The same is true with stagnation in simple church fellowship. The older we get, our love of comfort, our struggles with insecurities and fears, if we are tired and overworked, if we are lazy or complacent in nature - these are just a few factors that inevitably lead us towards stagnation.  Sometimes it is just easier to settle into stagnation, rather than fight against it.  


A few ways to keep from stagnation:

•   Keep the value of being missional in your fellowship together.  Coming together is NOT just about "us"; the "me" generation.  Fight the tendency towards selfish agendas. The best way to stay missional is to tap into the internal motivations of each person in the group.  God has put into each of us inclinations that are natural missional expressions for us as individuals, and as a group, that He desires to use us in.  I've written a lot about this in past blog posts, one most recently, (see the first post in Common Questions from July 30).  

• See each member as a potential and likely church planter and act on it.  Most people are able to begin another simple church with the support and encouragement of the current fellowship.  A new simple church can start with couples and/or with their families, using LTG's, affinity groups (i.e. motorcycle riding clubs, scrap-booking clubs, study groups), with apartment residents, neighbors or co-workers.  The possibilities are endless.  As we teach in Greenhouse (CMAresources.com), we need to "lower the bar on how to have church, and raise the bar on what it means to be a disciple". (Being a disciple means making MORE disciples btw!)  When faith is acted upon, it is contagious and spurs one another on "towards love and good deeds"!

• Have agreement on starting new simple churches from the beginning.   If you don't do this, people will quickly slide into wanting the simple church to stay "as is" indefinitely.   Starting new simple churches when your around 15-20 people who regularly participate each week, should be a part of your commitment together to grow from the beginning.

• Be aware of the tendency towards stagnation and exclusivity.  Regularly examine if your simple church is becoming stagnant, ingrown, insular and not a fostering a welcoming environment for new people. We can all relate to the "cliques" of adolescence and sadly, even adulthood!  Many of our simple churches believe they have unique, intimate, close, committed fellowship, and those around them think they are more like a clique or even cultish!  A church I was in years ago, was once accused of being exclusive and elite by other churches in that denomination, and it was true - we were, and sadly even proud of it!                                                                                                               
• Be comfortable with ending the fellowship.  Scripture is full of dichotomy's - the way to greatness is through humility, the first will be last, pruning for fruitfulness, death that brings forth new life.  Simple/Organic churches are not meant to go on, and on, and on, in the same way with the same people indefinitely.  So much of the paradigm of the continual congregation comes from traditional churches that have been there for decades, mainly because they have a building to support, a denomination that keeps it going, the history attached, and religious behavior that falls into rote. In scripture, we see the fluidity of fellowships that change with life, relationships, and the Spirit of God working in purpose differently and according to His Plans. Our relationship to one another as believers and members of The Body, Bride and Church doesn't change, but our venues for that will and should if we are following the Spirit.

 
                                                           

Questions Continued: What About Structure?

What is the structure of the simple, organic home church?

Here in the West, we live in a culture that is in love with structures, systems and manuals of operation. This is a significant factor in our perception and practice Simple, Organic Church.  Not only do we have to consider our culture, but also such things as; personality, age, familiar practices, lives that are scheduled to the max, our work, ages of children, traditions, etc. All these can and do influence our attitude towards wanting more or less some degree of structure when it comes to fellowship paradigms.  I often use a line of continuum as a visual example to explain this thought.  The left side of the continuum represents a point of highly structured practices. Traditional churches, especially those with liturgies would be on this end. The other end at the right, is what I describe as  fluid practice - where there is little, if any structure, and more like liquid or gas that is not dependent upon structure and even permeates around and through it. Much of missionary and evangelism work would be considered more fluid because it is not contingent on a special event or meeting.  Rather it happens spontaneously, and with divine serendipity moments. People find a place of comfort and practice somewhere on the continuum.

  HIGH STRUCTURE---0----1---2----3-----4----5----6----7---8----9----10--- FLUID

  Jesus practiced his fellowship all along the continuum, but remained mostly on the fluid end.  The book of Acts gives us examples of more structured fellowship.  I don't think structure of our fellowship is the main issue, but rather what you do when you come together that is important.  The key to fellowship being simple and organic, is being like Jesus who "only did that which the Father was doing".  So that means seeking the Father for His Will for the simple church.

So the first question to ask is; what is God directing for this simple church in this season of coming together?  

Is it to focus on a deeper understanding of the Word, doing outreach together, maturing new believers, deepening family intimacy, spending quality and quantity time in prayer or worship, ministry equipping, fun and relationship building, releasing others to begin new simple churches?  
Like life, our fellowship should be viewed in holistic terms that change with the rhythms of our lives and the themes that God is working in and through us at this time, and not stagnant meetings which become rote over time.  Once we know what God is focusing on in our lives, and how much structure that requires, we can structure our time together for that to happen.

For example, in one simple church we began, it was apparent to all of us that God was bringing us together for a season of encouraging one another in the specific and unique ways that each of us was feeling led to minister in.  It was a season of "coaching one another" with the truths of the Word, prophetic words, prayer support, encouragement and accountability.  Our structure supported this happening. After about a year, God released everyone to these ministries and the group disbanded.  The relationships are still there years later, but the time of that simple church reached it's end. Another group came together for a season of working on our marriages so we structured our time to include some DVDs that taught on marriage issues, had some great "date" nights together, spent some nights in ministry prayer for specific couples, and we didn't include the children in this simple church.  And in another simple church we led, children were very much a part of it so we structured eating together with "kid friendly" foods, playing together as a simple church with games, stories, toys etc.  We did worship with a ton of instruments that the kids could play (shakers, bells, chimes, drums, etc.),  kept the study of the Bible short and applicable to the kids in the group, and ended early in the evening to meet bedtimes.  In this simple church we were far less structured, and because of having the children participate, our times became quite fluid.

The reason and purpose for the simple church determined the structure and duration of the fellowship we experienced.

Most people who begin to practice Simple, Organic, Missional Church start out by bringing with them all the familiar structure of what they knew in traditional church, i.e. the same time/place each week, someone leading worship, usually the same person doing the facilitating/leading each week, scripture study, prayer time, fellowship time, and it's pretty much the same from week to week.  Nothing much has really changed except they went from big to small, and from a building to a home.  They change very little in what they do and look like from the traditional church they left.  Many call this "honey, I shrunk the church" syndrome and it's very common.

Some of the major strengths of Simple, Organic and Missional church practice is that it is mobile, intimate with God and others, it is done easily by anyone, can change without bureaucracy, adapts to circumstances, and supports everyone in their participation.   As we like to say in  the CMAresources Greenhouse is to; " lower the bar on HOW we do church, and raise the bar on being a disciple". 

Here's my take - If we think of church like a family, then we know that the structure of family gatherings changes with life and the seasons God takes us through to mature.  For example, when my kids were young, we had set times for dinner and everyone was home and around the table. As they grew older and more involved in activities like sports, drama, dance and such, and my husband started working nights, we shifted our meals and lives to accommodate these changes in our life as a family.  The structure of our dinners changed, but our relationships didn't.  What else didn't change was the interactions, involvements, and commitments with each other because our relationships determined our fellowship - not our structure!  We were still family and spent time together but what that looked like changed, and still continues to do so!

The Bible is clear about the things we should accomplish in our relationships with one another as The Body of Christ.  Some of those listed are; encouragement, prayer, the Lords Supper, each using their spiritual gifts, admonishment, confession, the study of the Scriptures, the sharing of resources, and many more!  This happens through the holistic interaction of our lives with one another.  It doesn't all have to happen at a scheduled and structured time every week with a few.

Of course, most of us need some element of structure because we don't live very fluid lives, but rather from "event to event" and pack our calendars full with our time slots.  So since that is how much of western world lives, I'd recommend checking out what my friends Tony and Felicity Dale have put together as a great resource which covers the many details and basic paradigm of having fellowship in the home at the House2House website.  You can find it at http://www.site.house2house.com/news-a-resources/video-resources 

The next post will be on why Simple Churches don't grow and often become stagnant.

More Questions About Simple, Organic, Missional Church/Life

• How do you make disciples who make other disciples?

In the motorcycle riding and safety classes we teach, one of the questions during the classroom portion is: "Who is responsible for safety on the road?"  The answer is all of us, those of us riding a motorcycle AND those who are driving cars are all responsible for safety.  The same is true of disciple making.  All of us who are followers of Christ are responsible to disciple others.  We make ourselves available and willing, and God does all the work.

Here is a direct quote from a letter I recently received from Jim in Wisconsin who is passionate about making disciples.  Jim says, "You see friends we are all disciple makers.  In this past week, Linda and I are seeing that those who we disciple, are making disciples, and those people are making disciples.  It is all completed by our loving God.  I stand by my 3 L’s of making disciples; LISTEN, LOVE, LEAD BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. "

Jim said it great! If everyone understands that making disciples is all of our responsibility as those who follow Christ, it then becomes an issue of obedience, and not of "calling", "profession", or someone Else's job. 

So, once that is established...............

Be around those who are not Christians and be available to introduce Jesus in many contexts.
Then you have relationships with those who are not presently, but may become, disciples.  This means you START with those who don't know Jesus yet. The process of making an disciple happens before someone is even a Christian.   Jesus was making disciples out of the rag tag group of men and women who were following him WAY before they even understood who He really was!  All they knew in the beginning, was that this was a guy who made them think differently than anyone else ever had.  He also did some very unusual things, and he was touching their heart in ways that nothing else ever had before.

 My husband and I started making disciples out of our three children before they ever made a commitment on their own to follow Christ.  We talked about Jesus like He was alive and always interacting with us.  We spoke to Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit like they were right there in our midst, and eager for our attention.  We asked Jesus about issues and guidance in decisions, and relied upon Him for healing, safety, provision, etc.  Our children got to know Jesus, The Father and the Holy Spirit in character, love, forgiveness, faithfulness, provision, etc. through the natural challenges, joys and issues of our daily lives.

Making a disciple means having an authentic relationship where you continually bring the truth of Christ and His Presence into the relationship, and that happens from the moment you meet someone.  I have many friends in my life who don't follow Jesus "yet", but still are interested in me praying for them, encouraging them, and sharing truth into their lives and circumstances.  Others don't even want that, but they just like to "hang out" together for the time being.  Either way -  I rest, knowing God is one One who brings men/women to Himself in faith, so I just keep sowing and enjoying the relationship for what it is.  I let God do the big work of revelation, conviction, salvation, and conformation to Christ.  I just make myself available and "ready to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 1 Pet 3:15.

 I knew a young woman years ago who started coming to the church I was attending, who was somewhat interested in knowing more about being a Christian.  She was living with her boyfriend at the time, and she was watching pretty violent "snuff" type movies as her entertainment. We began a friendship together, and I brought Jesus into it with our conversations.  It didn't take long before she was asking me if she should quit both living with her boyfriend, and watching these movies if she was seriously going to be a Christian.  You might be surprised that my response to her was not what I wanted to say which was; "yes, quit both of those activities right now!" Instead, I said to her, "if you want to be a Christian, that means you have a relationship with Christ that allows you to ask Him what He thinks about these things.  Ask Him, and see what He says to you about it, and then do what He says."  I continued to hang out with her, treating her as a friend and someone I truly enjoyed being with, and waited to see what Jesus would tell her.  It didn't take too long before she said to me one day, "I moved out of living with my boyfriend because I felt Jesus wanted me to".  And then a few weeks after that she said, "I don't want to watch those movies anymore.  I'm not sure why, but they don't interest me anymore like they used to." 

 I was watching Jesus make His own disciple, and was blessed to be a part of the process!  This woman has been very missional over the years in her faith, having many different simple churches in her home, and she has been a light to many in very dark places.

Making a disciple means to point others to Jesus who is the Author and Perfecter of their faith.  To encourage them to listen to Jesus (as opposed to you, or some great book or teacher) and then obey what He says.  Not everyone wants to be a disciple.  Many never made that commitment when Jesus Himself was right in front of them!  However, if we are listening and obeying and sharing our love of Jesus with others all around us, fruit will result from it, and some will chose to follow The Way and The Way Maker. Life produces life.

In the flesh, we have tried to make disciples who follow a denomination, a charismatic leader, a fellowship large or small, a social/political agenda, or something else OTHER than Jesus.  We have the fruit of those efforts - nothing!  Jesus is the only thing that will produce new life - period.

Making disciples is about KNOWING JESUS and teaching people how to do that through prayer and the Word of God, and then obeying what He says to us. There are no special gifts, skills, education, training, certificates, or seminary that is needed to point people to the "author and perfecter" of our faith.  Just a desire to seek Jesus, listen to what He says, and then do it.  Anyone can do that! 

By removing the hindrance of the "necessity of special training" that is needed to make disciples, it sets people free to do what is natural to them if they have a relationship with Jesus and with others. 

When our kids were very young, they were the incredibly good at making disciples of those around them, and we expected and encouraged them to do so!  We didn't say, "bring them to mommy and daddy, and we'll teach your friends how to know Jesus", but we encouraged them do it, and we saw God back them up with His presence and power!

For those of you who love tools, a great one in helping people become disciples who learn to seek God, listen and obey, are the LTG cards through CMA Resources (http://www.cmaresources.org/resources). Check out their website and order a few.

Common Questions I'm Asked About Simple, Organic, Missional Life and Fellowship

I am repeatedly asked many of the same questions by those who are interested in Simple, Organic, Missional church.  These questions come up inevitably over phone calls, at coffee shops, at a CMA Resources Greenhouse training event I am doing, or while mentoring and coaching someone in this paradigm.  Here are some of these common questions, and my responses to them.

Maybe these are questions you have, or you have a response to share.  Feel free to add your own questions, experiences and/or responses in the comments section below.

• How do you build an effective outreach dimension to our existing house group? 

What is primary to any gathering of believers in Christ, is that those believers see themselves and others as church planters and missionaries into their own unique realm of relationships and communities to which they belong.  If you look at the explosion of the church in the book of Acts, and now in such places as China, India and Africa, you see that the average Christian is sharing their own testimony of Christ with those they have access to, and relationship with.   My friend Neil Cole likes to say, "the gospel is to be spread on the wings of relationships". Every person has a network of relationships that they engage with, unless they live alone on a desert island!  
When we come to Christ initially, most of us are eager and unabashed about telling everyone around us how great Jesus is, because our life has dramatically changed!  Sadly, most of us lose that natural initiative to reach out to others with The Good News, because we lose our passion, substitute "meetings" for mission, and we "give that job" to someone else.
    God has placed within each person who is in Christ, the Holy Spirit and the power to be effective witness's to Himself.  Each person! In the past, we have looked to specific positions and leaders to do this.  However, Ephesians tells us that leaders are there to "equip the saints for the work of the ministry" - not DO all the ministry.  When only a few do ministry, or what we perceive as valuable ministry, we inadvertently hobble the majority of saints in their power and purpose.  In contrast, when we see each person working in their individual and God given purposes to advance the Kingdom, we see a TEAM come together, a BODY working, and Christ is revealed into ALL communities in UNIQUE manner.

 The key is uncovering, unlocking, igniting and encouraging each member to step out into what intrinsically motivates them.  God has purposed each Christian to be His "fellow workers" and He has put a unique enthusiasm within them to fulfill it.


Does someone have a heart for the homeless or poor?  Maybe young parents?  Possibly the refugees and immigrants in your city?  There might be a guy who just wants to help widows, single moms, and those without much income, keep their car in working order. Or someone who wants to visit and transport the elderly who are home-bound and lonely. Does someone has a heart to start a community garden and interact with the community through it?  The possibilities are as numerous as the issues of life that come to all of us.  God has placed within each Christian a strategic empowerment to reach into all the normal realms of life, so that He Himself, can be revealed through the average Christian.
Take the time to discover and learn what each person has inside them that has been dormant, discouraged, disillusioned, or held quietly, in regards to what they are passionate about.  Pray, encourage, empower, come alongside each other in mission and outreach - big or small.  Get excited about what God has placed within each person as a unique extension of Himself to reach out to others!  Each person is an "Esther" for "such a time as this" to bring the realities of Christ to those around them.

When I share this, I like to give people a visual picture of a group (like a simple church) all holding hands in a circle, except as you would expect - your NOT all facing inward, but instead your facing outward with your backs to the center of the circle.  This is a great picture of each person supporting one another by holding hands and covering/protecting the vulnerable "back" of each other, and yet facing OUTWARD. 

What wonderful missional adventure awaits you as you look outward for it?

• How do I sow Jesus into people's lives who don't know him?

Since most of us have put "doing church" into a slot of Christian activity a few times (at best) each week, we easily forget that we ARE the church every minute of every day - whether for good or not, we are the representatives of Jesus on this earth.  Most of us settle into having only Christian relationships, and I know some people who would be hard-pressed to name a handful of people they invest time in that are not Christians!   The fact is, we have people around us everyday who don't know Jesus, but we just "go blind" to seeing them.  Each day, all of us have opportunities to be the fragrance of Christ to those around us.  Like any perfume - some like the smell, and other people don't, but we are supposed to SMELL, and hopefully your walking in a way that your smelling good and full of Jesus!  The Bible says that we are like salt, and if salt loses it's saltiness, it is worthless even for manure.  We are called to illicit some flavor to those around us so they are curious and want more information about why we "seem different". Salt is enticing, and causes us to crave more.
We are to be a Jesus fragrance to the stink of the world (not always smelling each others fragrance in our Christian fellowships), and to add the enticing salty flavor to those needing salt  -what good is salt if it stays altogether in the salt jar?
 Have relationships with no agendas other than to simply "smell like Christ", add some salt, and be ready to have an answer if they want more information.  If they don't ask - that's okay!  Your still carrying around the Presence of Christ and your sowing may result in someone else reaping.  People are not projects for whom we have an agenda, but rather opportunities to drop a little of Jesus in their path.  Why not see people as relationships that for whatever season, venue, or time you have with them, you have a window of opportunity to be a fragrance and salt that they might see something appealing and different in you, and want more!  Jesus is the One who " draws men to Himself" - we are called to have relationships that allow people get a whiff or taste of Him.

 Here are some tangible things from my own life for those of you who want more practical, rather than conceptual help.  Remember - these are NOT things to do with those in your Christian circles of relationships, (of course you can, but then your not sowing) but rather with those who don't know Christ. 

• Weed, mow their lawn, shovel their snow, plant a garden, give some flowers/vegetables to your neighbor/s, offer to take care of things when they leave for a vacation, help them with a home building project or car/motorcycle maintenance

• Have a baby shower, welcome to the neighborhood BBQ, a children's backyard party for those in your neighborhood, sprinkler/water balloon battle with kids/parents in the neighborhood, ice cream cones party for everyone, multifamily garage sale, neighborhood events of all sorts!

• Encourage, engage, pray for, talk with, and regularly visit the same store clerks/gas station attendant, coffee barristers, etc. building rapport and relationship

• Take neighbors, co-workers, etc. to doctor appointments when they need someone to drive them or support them

• Go out to movies, dinners, parties, game night, Farmer' Market's, rodeos, motorcycle events, car races, Pow Wow's, cultural celebrations,  Zumba, and other events with people who DON'T know Jesus

• Go on vacation, camping, weekend "get-a-way's" with people (again - who DON'T know Jesus) and even offer to pay for some or all of it if they couldn't go otherwise

• Go to a sports event together (don't just give away your ticket), go to their child's game in support, walk your dogs together, go shopping together, canoe, picnic, or hike, take a motorcycle/bicycle ride together

• Help tutor adults or children with a need, offer help with finding doctors/dentists etc. in the area, help with find a job, resume upgrades, practice interviewing, help with doing taxes

• Offer to help with child care (one night or as needed), help the children with homework, food for when someone is sick or after a death, cook a meal together sharing recipes/skills

• Clean their home for them as a gift, buy them groceries if they would need them, pay a bill for them in a tight month, buy the kids "back to school" stuff, or a new outfit for a job interview

I could continue - but hopefully you'll see something in there that will stimulate you to "love and good deeds" and will help you see the daily opportunities around you to sow the fragrance and  saltiness of Jesus into the people who are living right around you, in your own unique way.


More questions in the next blog post....................................

The Practice & Power of Hospitality

Once we invited our neighboring Mexican family over for dinner to celebrate the husbands birthday.  I knew he had tried roasted prime rib once and loved it, but they couldn't afford it, and didn't know how to cook it.  Of course when I served it for his birthday meal, he lit up like a kid in a candy shop!  "For me?", he asked.  "Really? I have not had anyone ever go to so much trouble before to celebrate my birthday, and you even know that I like this meat best!"  He beamed throughout the meal, and the family was all smiles that we were celebrating and honoring their family in this way.  They stayed well into the evening opening up and sharing personal stories, and allowing us to pray for them before they left.  A door into their heart was opened to Christ through roasted prime rib.

Hospitality is not the kind of spiritual gift that dynamically changes a life in a moment, like the gift of healing.  Nor is it powerful in unlocking understanding, as in the gift of teaching. It is not especially empowering or encouraging like the gift of prophecy.  For all these things that it may not be, hospitality is powerful in unlocking and preparing a person/persons for all these spiritual things to take place.  It is like a platform, an environment, that creates an atmosphere of welcome, acceptance, freedom, security and love from which ministry and the Presence of Jesus can flow and accomplish His purposes. Living a life of hospitality is also living a life of ministry and mission.  Hospitality is a "one another" ministry to those who already know Christ.  However, when extending hospitality to those who don't know Christ, it then becomes missional hospitality.  Your mission is to introduce and communicate Jesus in tangible and powerful ways, and then let Jesus take it from there. This is one of the best and most valuable reasons for living simple, organic church out of your home.  It's a powerful venue if you understand and make us of it's power.

Here are some tangible ways to communicate the value and worth of people as we welcome them into our homes and ultimately our lives. Whether it is for one day, an evening, or a few days, the basic principles are the same in practicing hospitality.

• Greet people at the door when they enter, and see them off when they leave.

• Don't ignore your guests and get busy with other things.  Once they enter your home, they should be your focus.  If you have children, involve them in serving them also. This is where the team of husband and wife can "tag-team" together so the guests don't feel ignored and left to themselves.  Of course you can always involve them in preparations that still need to happen.

• Research your guests and know some information about them. They will notice that you made an effort (however small) to attend to their uniqueness and that will immediately communicate their value to you. Things like certain foods and drinks that they enjoy, putting dogs/cats in other rooms if they are afraid or allergic to them.  Find out any particular comforts that will mean a lot to them, like a glass of water near their bed, the particular snacks they like, extra blankets, etc.  Fine tune your hospitality to meet their needs.  When I visit with my friend the Dale's, they always turn the jacuzzi on in the evenings because they know it is a treat for me to use it since we don't have one, and I love to sit in the jacuzzi!

• Serve your guests. Especially in the beginning until they feel comfortable in your home. For some people this may take awhile, and for others this can be pretty quick, but look at it as an opportunity to serve them while they are with you and not to teach them independence and autonomy.

• Let them have the best you have to offer.  We have a large leather recliner that is the most comfortable chair in our home, as well as some comfy couches.  Instead of securing the best spot for ourselves, we sit in the least comfortable places, giving preference to our guests. 

• One thing I learned from my friends from other countries, was to provide a small gift on occasion for those coming over. Chocolates, a card, something personal in their guest room, all communicate (with the power that giving gifts uniquely does) how special they are to you.

• Listen, ask questions, be interested in their life!  I can't tell you how many times I have been a guest in someones home and I have not been asked anything about me, my life, my family, etc. That alone communicates loudly that you are really not interested in them, and to only talk about yourself and your life exemplifies it!

• In our culture, and depending on the region you live in, the practice of "dropping in" is regarded as uncomfortable at best, and rude at worst.  But if we want our home to be a hospitable place, folks need to feel that they can come by anytime and we will be happy to receive them.  This was hard for me because I was the type of person who wanted the house nice, clean and everything prepared when someone came by. I wanted to feel "ready" for visitors. We have a Laotian friend who is deaf who would stop by at the worst times.  He'd walk in the house while I was napping, dressing, getting ready to leave, just sitting down to dinner, disciplining our kids...you get the idea.  But we got over it, and we learned to love his interruptions of our lives, and enjoy his company for the time he spent with us.  Repeat and repeat that you're okay with people "stopping by" unannounced, and then when they do - receive them like your okay with it.  If your not, then don't do this, but realize that may cause people to see that you have "conditional hospitality" that is based upon their pre-scheduling their visits.

*A note about this if your wanting to reach your neighborhood with hospitality. Kids in our neighborhood always have the invitation to come into our house anytime during the day or early evening, and we encourage them to experience our home as an inviting and safe place, and as a refuge if they needed it.  Many have done this, and some powerful times of sharing, prayer, and counsel between them and our kids, and with Tom and I, have occurred over the years.  A couple times instead of running away, they came to our place instead because they felt comfortable coming into our home.

The bottom line of hospitality is to communicate through your words and actions - love.  God wants to use our lives and homes incredible ways, if we understand the power that hospitality holds and make diligent use of it.  The Bible says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 34-35.

 Let's be known for showing love and using hospitality as a venue to do so.

Men and Hospitality

Let's be honest.  Especially here in the West, if we think of hospitality at all, we immediately associate it with the female gender.  We've been socialized to think of the home as the female domain and even use the analogy of a bird in commonly calling the home "her nest". No matter that in almost all bird species, the male is just as active in building, maintaining and incubating the nest as his female partner, and in some bird species even more active and involved than the female!  This gender linking to hospitality generally prevails in our minds here in the West, even if the female works outside of the home most of the time, and/or has little interest or inclination towards it .  This paradigm has been changing in the last couple decades, and of course there are a few guys here and there who are the exception when it comes to this, but generally speaking, women are still given the role and expected to be the primary hospitality person over a man.  Of course, in most other areas of the world, hospitality is very much a man's role.

Biblically, hospitality is not gender specific. Both men and women are given the responsibility and charge to be hospitable in the Bible. The Bible gives clear examples of both men and women practicing it.
I believe, as in a healthy Biblical family where there is both a male/father and a female/mother who each have unique and specific contributions in the parenting and family life of the home, so in hospitality there is also a unique contribution that men and women make that is often quite different from each other in how it is practiced and the value it imparts to those it is dispensed upon. 

I believe that men are given the initial responsibility for hospitality and have a unique influence to create the atmosphere of welcome and inclusiveness for those who enter their home. 

I gave a number of examples of men in the Bible doing this in the first post with; Jesus (our final banquet host), Abraham, Lot, Jethro, Elders/Overseer's, and in addition there are more examples with;  Cornelius, Matthew, the Jailor (who invited Paul to his home), Publius (at Malta), the father with prodigal son, Phillip in Caesarea, and Joseph with his brothers.
These are all men (although a case could be made for women elders - but that's another post), who acted as hosts and initiated hospitality to welcome and serve those who were their guests. 

Men create the initial atmosphere of welcome, value, affirmation and the sense that you are important as a guest in their home in a special way that can be quite powerful.  Like an affirming father who opens heart and home, and says by word and action; "I am so glad your here!"
 It doesn't matter what age you are - you feel valued.  That's powerful hospitality!

Here are two examples from my own life to use as illustrations as to the value and importance of men in the initiation and operation of hospitality.  The first one illustrates the lack of hospitality, and the second one the impact of it operating fully.

Once we were invited by a man who was a leader in his region to his a home for a few days to minister. When we arrived, the male host had someone else meet us at the airport and take us back to his home.  We were shown our rooms by the wife, and then left on our own while she went about her responsibilities of that day.  After a few hours of sitting around entertaining ourselves, we were all pretty hungry and didn't know if we would be eating soon, or expected to fast.  Eventually we were told, "help yourselves to whatever you find", which was very uncomfortable for all of us as we searched through the kitchen spurred on by the rumbles of our stomachs. After finding some leftovers, we sat around eating and talking with each other because there was nothing else to do.  We saw the host himself only for a brief quick greeting at the end of the day, and then we wandered to our rooms to wonder if we had done something to offend our hosts. We imagined there must have been an emergency or something that came up to pull the attention of our hosts from us as guests, and silently hoped that soon we'd be shown the hospitality that would cause us to relax and feel welcomed. This was not to be.  Our team was uncomfortable in this home for the few days we stayed there even with the wife of the host doing her best to offer us some hospitality even while she was busy working a job outside of the home.  It felt like we were intruding, even though we had been invited. Ignored and left on our own for most of the time, we tried to find ways to minister and make use of our time there.  Some on the team found other lodging. Our hosts treated us in the antithesis of true hospitality.  I can only assume they believed that hospitality was to supply a room and kitchen.  Unfortunately, their actions communicated loudly to us that we were not worth their time and effort as invited guests. I have never been back.

In contrast, on another occasion we experienced the power of hospitality done right.  Our host welcomed us into his home by being at the door and giving us the biggest hugs as he was proclaiming, "I've been waiting for you, and I am so glad you've finally arrived! Welcome to my home!   We are so excited to have you here with us!"  He introduced us to his wife and family, and he led us into a simple but warm and readied home.  Wow!  That was enough for me, I was good!  Whatever happened from there on was icing on the cake!  However, our host was just getting started.  He knew what foods and drinks we enjoyed and had them in supply for our visit.  He and his wife both served us throughout our time there.  They were sensitive to our needs, initiated conversation, but also allowed us some "down time" to relax and not socialize.  They treated us like honored and special guests who were not imposing, but rather blessing them by being there.  It was very impacting and humbling.  It felt like Jesus Himself was our host, loving and serving us through this man and his wife.

In both my examples, the men set the tone of what kind of experience of hospitality we would have in their homes.  It was the men who initiated the first impression on whether we were wanted or just tolerated.  Their influence was profound and powerful in what and how it was communicated to us.

There is something uniquely honoring about a man welcoming others into his home and family, and then being attentive in serving them.  Hospitality is not just for women!  It is for all of us who seek to use our homes as welcoming sanctuaries for all we are privileged to welcome inside. 

Brothers, all I can say to you is; "Man up, and walk in the powerful tool of hospitality to communicate worth, value and The Father's great love to all who enter your home!"

*****The next blog post will be suggestions, ideas and specific things you can do to communicate hospitality .........

Till then,