There are so many opportunities to be part of an actiongroup this summer. (and even more groups are in the works.) Drop by the actiongroups table or click the actiongroups tab for more information.
Category Archives: actiongroups
Systems upgrade
Several years ago, while we were still meeting at Club 19, I built the “FoodDOMINATOR2000” as a sermon illustration. I can’t remember exactly what I was trying to illustrate (which means it wasn’t nearly as memorable as I hoped …since even I don’t even remember ), but I do remember the process of building it. I remember thrashing it together in 20 minutes before people showed up at the club that morning. I still remember the look on the face of the cashier at the salvation army thrift store, as I purchased an entire cartload of busted up small appliances…and then donated them all back to the store the following Monday. The entire “FoodDominator” system was nothing but a bunch of different appliances held together with duct tape and actionchurch stickers.
In many ways, that’s the story of actionchurch. We’ve got a bunch of different systems mostly held together with duct tape and actionchurch stickers. :-) Over the years we have upgraded many of our main systems as the church’s needs grew and changed. Some have been updated and changed multiple times. We are so blessed to have just celebrated four incredible, improbable, unpredictable years together as a church. We are also blessed to be growing in numbers each week. Our actionkidz area has nearly doubled this year. New opportunities are also opening up for us to serve our community every week. We have more resources…and more needs. All of those factors are leading us once again upgrade many of our systems. Stuff that worked in the past just isn’t adequate for our needs now. We’re not going to let ANY of our many systems slow us down from Loving God, Loving People, and Taking Action together. 2012 is shaping up to be the year of the systems upgrade.
I’m sure many of you are wondering, how will that change actionchurch? What can I do to help? How can I purchase a FoodDOMINATOR2000? I’m glad you asked. Some changes will be really obvious. (We’re working on a new way to check in your kids into actionkidz that should be really sweet). Some changes won’t be so noticeable…but will make HUGE difference in how we operate as a church. Some of you can help by being patient with as we change and upgrade each week. I will be asking some of you to be part of a new system…or in upgrading one of our older ones. In almost every area we are in need of new crew members as we expand and upgrade. EVERYONE can pray for wisdom and strength for all of our actionchurch crew each week. They are doing amazing work.
And, sorry to say, the FoodDOMINATOR2000 is not available for civilian use. Something about national security that I’d really rather not talk about…
Sunday @ actionchurch
You are not going to want to miss the next five weeks at actionchurch if you’ve ever watched the news, or a youtube video, or even people on the street and asked yourself this question: What is wrong with people!? (C’mon, I know you have…we have ALL asked that question!) :-) During our new series “The Antidote”, we’ll not just be discussing “what’s wrong with people” (including you and me), we’ll find the solution…the antidote…in a tiny little letter found near the end of the Bible- the “Book of James”. We’re inviting everyone to read the first Chapter of the book of James before Sunday.
available here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james%201&version=NLT It will take three minutes of your time, and you will find it unmistakebly practical and powerful.
This week we’ll be featuring Calling out Closer as our musical guest, and the actionkidz area is cranked up and ready to provide your kids with a great hour packed with fun and easy to understand learning about Jesus. It all starts at 10:30 am at Frank Theaters Queensgate (Directions). Come early to enjoy a Coffee, Maple Donuts, bagels, and Muffins with the friendly folks of actionchurch.
“Meshing”
Meshing– (Machinery). to become or be engaged, as the teeth of one gear with those of another.
It’s probably not something you think of often, but this morning as you head to work in your car, truck, or SUV, you are experiencing the power of gears meshing. (And, for those of you who have experienced a transmission failure, you can testify that if the gears DON’T mesh…your vehicle will NOT move. No matter how much you rev the engine).
The idea of gears meshing…engaging with each other and transferring power…was a large part of why we chose a cog to be the logo for actionchurch. I believe the God’s plan for churches is just that: to transfer his power and love to people when they engage or “mesh” with him and others.
Over the past three years we have seen that principle (if you’ll pardon my pun) in action. We’ve seen how lives can be changed when ordinary people “mesh” with God and others. We’ve seen amazing examples of how God’s power can be transferred in very practical ways to very difficult situations through ordinary people. The “big Cog” of actionchurch has grown bigger and is spinning faster. But that’s just part of the plan…
As actiongroups launch (starting Oct. 2nd) many other smaller “cogs” will begin engaging and “meshing” with God, actionchurch, and their respective communities. More small groups of ordinary people will do extraordinary things. More power will be “transferred”. More of the movement that has begun will gain even more momentum. Together we’ll create a more powerful example of what God for people to experience as they live in community as individual followers devoted to him. It has happened before…
(and yes…If you attended Sunday…I still think this is the “sexiest” passage in the Bible-with or without the Barry White.) :-)
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47 NLT)
Opportunities-not Guarantees.
Sunday I shared one of the most compelling reasons I have for wanting everyone to live in community with other followers of Jesus as part of an actiongroup: being a member of the actionchurch crew over the last three years. I never thought that being part of planting a church would change my mind about what it means to be part of a “small group”…but it did…completely.
From the very beginning, forming actiongroups was part of the “plan”. What we did not plan, was that for the first 18 months actionchurch was an “actiongroup”… a small group focused on praying for and working on a place called actionchurch where we could comfortably invite our friends who were not “church people” to come to church. As planning and prayer moved into action (which by the way-it ALWAYS should) We launched our first services at Fat Daddys Nightclub and more people gathered with us to make music, create art, teach children, carry heavy things, provide funding, clean bathrooms, make coffee…whatever it took to make our dream of actionchurch come to life.
Somewhere along the way to becoming the well-oiled machine that is the actionchurch crew (It is simply amazing to think about all they accomplish each week) true “Christian Community” happened. It happened over coffee, donuts…and a LOT of cigarettes. :-) It happened as heavy items were carried, and sometimes dropped. It happened over spontaneous lunches and planned celebrations. It happened at weddings and parties. It happened during conversations and fervent prayers for mutual and personal disasters. It happened through laughter, sarcasm, and occasional tears…but one thing is sure…it happened.
I shared Sunday that there have been weeks where the ONLY reason I had the courage and the strength to show up and attempt to do my part on Sunday mornings, was because of my friends and fellow crew members. (Most of whom I had never met before launching actionchurch) Without their help, encouragement, sarcastic comments, determination, and support, actionchurch would have ceased to exist years ago. (And we would have all missed out on all of the wonderful things that God is doing each week now!)
That’s my story. I’ve already deleted half of it and it’s still too long for a blog post, but it’s the reason that I am so convinced that the VERY BEST PART of actionchurch is NOT just coming to Frank Theaters on Sunday mornings and sitting in a comfy red leather seat. The best part of church happens before and after the music starts and the final prayer. I want EVERYONE to experience that kind of community each week.
Here’s the thing though, as I was thinking back over the last three years of being part of the crew, I realized that there were many people who were part of the crew for short periods of time. People who came and went. People who started with great enthusiasm and then drifted away for various reasons. I realized as I thought of them that they would NOT have the same feeling of community and “belonging” as I do from being part of the actionchurch crew…the original “actiongroup”. Somehow…some way…for a variety of very good and legitimate reasons I am sure…they missed being part of it.
I realize this morning that the very best we can hope to offer as we launch actiongroups is opportunities to form community…opportunities to be part of groups that will change your life and create memories and friendships that will last forever. Each group formed will be an opportunity to use talents you never knew you had…opportunities to develop skills that no one else had noticed…opportunities to be encouraged and pushed to live a life that is somehow “More” than you had imagined-just as I have experienced as part of the actionchurch crew. The rest is up to you. The rest depends on signing up, showing up, and opening up. So many opportunities…no guarantees.