First of all, I apologize for my silence. I have wanted to share this for a while now, but felt it was best to wait until my wife had a chance to first share it with the board at our church and we had had a chance to personally let people close to us know. But, for the most part that has now been done.
So, what’s the big news? Well, my wife and I have decided to make a change in our lives. I have basically gone to the same church all my life. However, God has opened up a door and called us to do something different. We are going to be a part of an organic house church that meets in our neighbors’, Darrell and Robin, home.
My wife, who was on the board at our old church, did a great job of explaining our feelings and reasons in her resignation letter to the board. So, check that out for some background.
I will just add a few things to that. First, this transition has been much more difficult than I expected. Communication with friends/family at our old church has been challenging. It has been hard to control the message so that feelings are not hurt and misunderstandings do not result. But, we are getting through that fine. In no way is our decision based on anything negative about our old church. This should not be viewed as a threat of any kind. This should only be viewed for what it is: a mission to build God’s kingdom in our neighborhood.
What is so exciting to me personally, is that my entire mindset has changed. My thinking when I encounter people in my neighborhood has changed in a big way. Before, the thought of inviting people to join me at my church hardly even crossed my mind. Not necessarily because there was something wrong with my church, but for a couple other reasons. Either I didn’t think they would go to a church building, or because I felt that the church I went to was too far away (we live about 25 minutes away from it). So, I never really invited anyone to join us. But, now, my thinking has completely changed. Now, every person I come in contact with in my community, I think about how I can reach out to them, how I can connect with them. Someone that I never would have thought about inviting to a church building a half hour away certainly might be interested in living life together, “being” the church together, if you will, right here in a house on their own block. Instead of an acquaintance that I occasionally wave to while passing by, they now become someone that I have to figure out how to relate to, how to be in relationship with. And, “being” the church doesn’t necessarily mean getting together once a week at Darrell and Robin’s house next door and talking about God. It means, getting to know people around us, meeting them where they are at, and being in relationship with them regardless if they are interested in coming to Darrell and Robin’s on Sundays.
Afterall, it’s organic. It’s alive. It’s fluid. It moves. It doesn’t really keep a schedule.
Anyway, I am sure I will have much more to say about this is the days and weeks to come. But, I wanted to get some of this out because it’s been stored up inside me for a while now. I am excited and at the same time scared of what God is doing. I ask for prayers that my family and I will be willing to do what he desires in the days ahead. But, mostly, I am just excited. Excited to see where this organic church is going.
Afterall, it’s organic. It can grow. It has feelings. It has a message to share. It loves.
