When my son is done playing drums, I’ll listen to the Campolo clip

Jesus said in His great commission to “GO” – the more literal translation is “as you are going.” The world begins at our doorstep. How exciting that people are figuring it out – how sad that some have moved on to find another buffet table.

badguy´s last blog post…Let your light shine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWlMV-UmueM

badguy´s last blog post…Let your light shine

As a note, we have noticed much of this at Table Rock. Not as much regarding the diversity, but regarding general attendance. This is not an ad for us, but instead a picture…

Over the last 4 years or so, we as a church have been “coasting”. We realize this and have made changes personally and within the leadership to challenge it. It has brought many changes. Many, even in leadership, moving a side. We’ve also seen a large amount of our people disappear over the last year. Most specifically in the last 6 months. We have a much great internal focus on caring for each other and our local community. In doing this, it has set a side some things that others felt were more important. We don’t feel this way. People who want to be fed are leaving and people who want to feed are showing up. The interesting thing is that our numbers are down a little bit, but not much. Instead, we are seeing many new faces. And these faces are coming with stories. Neighbors are ministering to neighbors. Coworkers are caring for each other. Long time church goers(pew sitters) are plugging into food pantries and social/community work. In turn, we are seeing those people arrive Sunday AM to meet together and then they are turning around and working in the community together as they leave. It has been awesome to watch. the stories and changed lives are incredible. In the past, it was easy (sounds bad) to say someone “accepted Christ today”. But we didn’t have as many people professing a changed life. Today, that story is everywhere and it is both confirming and humbling. It encourages and challenges me in my own walk .

I heard Tony Campolo speaking ONCE about his church in Philadelphia. When he started attending he asked the Sr. Pastor how it had come to be that a predominantly black church had become more integrated and diverse (and very large too). The Sr. Pastor told him this(my paraphrase of course):

“It was the tradition of the pastors and elders to get up on Sunday, open the Bible, and let the Spirit guide them to the Scripture to be taught. One Sunday I got up, opened the Bible, and came to this verse, ‘Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all’. I felt the Spirit telling me to preach a sermon of equality and integration – so I did.”

Campolo responded, “and that’s when your congregation began to grow?”

The preacher responded, “Oh No! I preached that congregation down to FOUR!” He concluded, “But sometimes revival starts with a winnowing of the chaff.”

I think I’ll see if I can find this story online somewhere (off to youtube…)

Blessings to you and yours, my brother!

badguy´s last blog post…Let your light shine

Everything I have written in this post. The failures and fears and vision all are supported by the staff I work with. So, I don’t have any concern over what I am saying here and being told “no” by the men I work with.

If our leadership continues to lead this way, which we do now, we may lose people at the church, which mean maybe less money, which means that I may not be employed by Table Rock. So be it. I am greatly blessed to be able to be paid for what I do. If I am not. So be it. Nothing changes. As long as I am asked to lead at Table Rock, I will lead. Paycheck or not. And beyond that, I am unconcerned over what congregation I am apart of. If it’s Table Rock. Great. If it’s the church down the street. Great. If it’s in a different country under nothing that resembles an organized western church. Great. I am open and willing to wherever God leads.

I thought the post said what I am doing.

I choose to seek what God, purely and simply. In my daily life. In my leadership of others. I do not seek to please man, but only God. I will struggle and make mistakes through it, but I am purposefully seeking Him and Hi alone.

Not sure what my “employment” has to do with that. Whether employed by the church or not, I will always struggle daily with laying down myself.