Now for the final thoughts in this series...
Like I said before, we're thinking maybe "church" can happen more organically.
Scott asked me recently to think of all the people I knew at our home church in Atlanta. He questioned how those people ended up at that church. As I thought about it, I said that almost all of them had just come from another church. In fact, that's where I met Scott, and both of us had come from other churches. But where are those outside the of "the church"? Don't get me wrong, we need fellowship with believers. And we need to gather together. After all, the church is the body of believers. But are there unbelievers coming into its midst? As God's sent people, are we alerting unbelievers to the fact that God reigns, both with our actions and with our words? In our past church experiences, Scott and I know that even though we've done some good, and even great things, we know we have not been effective in reaching those who are not already in the church.
We want to take church to the people. Meet in homes. Or maybe not even in a home. Just wherever fits. We want to be a gathering of people where there is accountability. Be in each other's lives. Know each other's junk. Serve together. Love people together. As the group grows, some of its disciples can then be sent out to make more disciples in another group. Some call this "house church." Whatever name you give it, this is what we're thinking.
Yes, tithing is still something believers should do. But if a felt lined offering plate isn't passed around....it'll be ok. We can still give to the Lord. Worship is still something believers should do. But if we don't sing 5 songs in a certain order and stand up and sit down at the appropriate moments to do so....it'll be ok. We will sing our hearts out still. Getting in the Word together is still something believers should do. But if we don't all sit in a pew or a nice folding chair in a sanctuary to hear it....it'll be ok. The church building isn't God's house anyway. (I remember learning that it was God's house when I was little, but that's not what the Bible teaches.)
We want to be the church. We want to study together and actively participate instead of sitting by passively. Maybe you're thinking you already do this in a bible study or a small group. I have to say that honestly I'm still holding on strong to my desire to join a women's Bible study or something here in Augusta; those are good and have their place. We just want for all of church to be this way for all persons in the church, not just the ones who choose to go to a Bible study or small group. We want Micaiah and Caeden to grow up with intimate and deep fellowship among other people. We don't want for them to have to go to a Christian college (like both of us did) in order to find that because they (like us) never had it in church growing up and THEN, after 20 years, to finally know what true fellowship is all about. We want to be out in the community and taking Jesus to those who don't know him together. We want for these smaller fellowships to gather all together periodically to really celebrate God and how awesome He is. Because seriously, He's pretty awesome. No stiff service for us, please. If we're all excited about who God is and what he is doing, then we want it to show in our gatherings together!
If God stirs your heart towards this idea, come to Augusta and join us! Or you can search for something like it in your area here. Or you can always start one!
I just want to say again, and beat this into the ground one more time, that I don't share this to say that the traditional way of doing church is wrong, but rather to communicate what I have not been able to really communicate well to this point. It's much easier for me to get my thoughts out in writing at this point in the journey when these thoughts are still so fresh and new in my mind! So this is what we're up to in Augusta. I'm on a seriously steep learning curve. :)
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