Archive for January, 2008
Thursday, January 31st, 2008
If you don’t like “straight talk” from preacher-types you might want to tune out…
When I first started writing about “launching” actionchurch (link) I was envisioning something like the space shuttle launch… Teams of scientists in a control room somewhere, checklists checked and rechecked, all systems go, and then a glorious precisely planned launch. We’ve done the work we set out to do. We have been true to our vision. Miracles have happened. God has sent us great a great “crew”. All systems are go… But can I be brutally honest? As we get closer to our launch on 2.10.08 it feels much more like we are pushing our home made “flying machine” off the cliff to see if it will fly, than a “scientific” space shuttle launch. We have no contingency plans, no “reserves”, just a burning vision to connect with people who are somehow “left behind” by organized religion. It scares the crap out of me…yet I wouldn’t miss this exciting “ride” for anything.
Come to think of it, this may be the “perfect way” to launch a place called actionchurch. Our whole mission is to inspire and motivate people to put the teachings of Jesus into action in their lives. By it’s very nature, living a life guided by Jesus is risky business. It’s exciting, scary at times, and usually doesn’t follow “conventional wisdom”. I never want to be part of a church that urges people to “live by faith” and “trust Jesus” but only makes a move as a corporate entity after all the commitees and lawyers have “signed off”on the action. Here goes…
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Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
I get a lot of “helpful advice” about stuff we will have to “add” to actionchurch after we launch. People will say “you’ll have to add more intense Bible teaching for those who love the ‘deeper teaching’” or “you’ll need to add a longer time of worship for people who like more “worship” or “you’ll need to add membership classes to teach the doctrine of the church.” …the list goes on and on. I just got out our phonebook and there are hundreds of other churches that offer all of those things… I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant…quite the opposite is true. We are not the only or “best” church in town…if you want bible trivia training…there are lots of better educated pastors in town. If you want to sing Chris Tomlin songs for forty five minutes….your choices are many. Want to take a class and sign a “membership covenant”…take your pick.
actionchurch is unapologetic about focusing on being a “church for people who don’t like church”. We have a single objective on Sunday morning- to encourage people to put the teachings of Jesus into action in their lives in the most exciting and attractive manner possible. At some point we want to make home group environments available…but for now it’s just Sunday Mornings at Fat Daddy’s nightclub and community service events.
I know there is a lot of thought that churches should be “supermarkets of spiritual services” with “something for everyone”… that’s just not us. If we wanted to fit into “conventional” thinking we wouldn’t be a church that meets in a nightclub, has go-go cages in it’s childrens area, and a big smiling buddha statue in its auditorium (true story…it’s part of the club “decor”) Jesus quite often told people that it “wasn’t the right time” for him to do something or “he wasn’t sent to that group of people”…so I think we are in good company when we remain focused on our objectives…
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Monday, January 28th, 2008
Thanks for every one’s prayers! It’s great to have Phil (my father in law) recouping after open-heart surgery at our house. His heart is “fixed” but he has a lot of pain from the incisions, broken bones, and bruises from the surgery.
It reminds me that whether or not our hearts have been “fixed” by the forgiveness of Jesus, we all are “wounded” from life’s bruises, cuts, and breaks. I know I’m probably just “preachin” to myself here (I am suck at being sensitive…I count any day that I haven’t said something stupid and insensitive to someone a banner day!!) It’s important that we cut each other some slack and realize that all of us are in some way “playing hurt”.
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If you don’t like “straight talk” from preacher-types you might want to tune out… 
