Church Update

(Sorry family, no pictures!)

We get questions all the time like, "So I thought you went to Augusta to plant a church. What's up with that?" On one hand I feel like an explanation/update is needed. But on the other hand I know we're not entitled to explain to anyone. But then on the other hand (if I had another one!) I know that people like to know. It's just that this is daily life for us, so I next to never think about explaining.

Originally, over a year ago, we thought we were coming to Augusta to plant a church just in the traditional sense of what you think of when you think of planting a church. Come to find out God had something else in mind. Does that mean we were wrong? Nope. We know that sometimes God can lead you in a direction that is totally the right thing at the time, but then He changes your direction. Just because you are led to go in an initial direction doesn't always mean that it will be your final destination. There are things to learn along the way.

So over a year ago we thought we were moving here to plant a church. God shifted things and took us on a journey of learning about organic church. We spent many, many, many months thinking over that idea and figuring out what it looks like and going to that training I wrote about awhile back (which by the way Scott informed me later that the title of that post sounded a tad arrogant. I in no way meant that I, Ashley and Ashley alone, am enough to be the church of Christ!). But then over the last several...many...months, things have changed again. While the principles of organic church are still very much important to us, we don't feel like God has us here strictly for organic church. And by the way, "organic church" is just a word. It basically means small churches that spring up out of life where relationships, dicipleship, and intentionality are hugely valued. I kind of feel like it's just a buzword, and I don't want to get hung up on the terminology. I just don't have anything else to call it.

Anyway, God has been honing our calling one tiny step at a time. This has been a very slow journey. That's probably another reason I don't ever think about updating about it. We've looked at how God has gifted us. We've looked at what is important in the body of Christ. We've thought about a lot of stuff! Basically we feel like God has asked Scott to "call the church to be the church." He wants to meld the organized church with organic church. I really don't know what this is going to look like. Like I said, God seems to be revealing things to us just one little thing at a time.

Upon moving to this apartment, we decided that after a year of being "unchurched," it was very important that we get back into a gathering of believers. Scott felt like we should check out the First Alliance church that is within walking distance of our apartment. I didn't go the first time because we had two sick babies. When Scott came home he said that we didn't need to go anywhere else. The church's one and only pastor of 40+ years had just retired. The church hasn't changed much in all those years since it's beginning. It's in need of a complete transformation.

Now, this wouldn't ordinarily be our first choice of a place to gather with other believers. However we feel like God has us there for a reason, and we're exploring what that might be. And the possibilities of what might be makes me like it. :) We met with the intentional interim pastor the other week and there are some big things in store for the church. That's all I can say for now. As I always say, "We'll see what God does." If there's one thing I know from this journey, like I said earlier, just because you start out in one direction doesn't mean that's your final destination. So who's to say in another year that this is still where we'll be? But it's where we're headed right now, so we'll see what God does. :)