It was a random tweet on a random Wednesday night...
RT @aldisal How do u measure a successful church bedsides counting who's in the pews and who's on the bank statement?
Some of the feedback that I received was...
People being discipled
People looking after each other
People growing in Christ.
Yeah, about that, people growing in Christ what does that look like anyways?
From what I've seen people growing in Christ is...
Automatic withdraw (Still trying to process that one)
Having your best life now (Im sure that would make a good book title)
Making sure people don't watch bad movies (Why do blue people always get a bad rap, remember the smurfs)
I want to be careful because I believe these are all well intentioned men, trying to do what they think is right. I get that. Im not here to criticize their convictions.
My question...
Is there more.?
Is there less?
What is church really all about or supposed to be all about?
Maybe Francois Fenelon was on to something when he said...
"To read the bible, attend church, and avoid Big Sins- is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?"
Going back to my tweetversation (is that even a word), and waited for some more responses, I re-tweeted a comment that I didn't even think was connected until another friend (tweep) asked if it was.
RT @Gesese Yo...I just helped this homeless guy out and led him to Christ. You don't even know how good that felt.
It was not a tweet from a famous pastor, it wasn't from a pastor at all (not yet anyways).
It was a comment from a former student of mine who is in 11th grade.
It was inspiring on many levels.
This was a student that always had my attention. He is good at basketball and loves Kobe. Needless to say, lots of good sports discussion to be had. Plus he has cool hair. He is a leader.
The knowledge of the bible that this student has would rival many of the adults in the church (and mine), he always kept me on my biblical toes. (I love that about him.)
He wouldn't wear his bible on his sleeve, not an easy thing for a student who goes to Christian School. Yes, it may sound like an oxymoron but if you ever attended a Christian school you would know what I am talking about.
However, this student nailed it. (think thats punny?)
What makes the church great is not what happens on a sunday. It is what happens on Monday to Friday (and sometimes on Saturday depending on your Sabbath and what BCS team is playing. Boise St Rocks!)
Let me put it this way, what happens on sunday is like practice. Yes, Im talkin Bout Practice.
Church is practice and Chrisitians unlike Alan Iverson love practice.
It's safe.
It's controlled.
It's predictable.
Christians, when did we become so scared.
What happened to trusting Holy Spirit to speak a well timed word at the water cooler or praying for a stranger.
Christians, when did we have to control everything from movies to politics.
What happened to finding truth in everyday life, what happened to the power of the parable.
Christians when did two fast songs transitioned by a key change into three slow songs become a good worship service.
What happened to creating an atmosphere of worship not a formula for worship.
This student wasn't on a church sanctioned outreach event.
This student wasn't passing out tracts, (because everyone loves tracts right.)
This student wasn't in church.
He was at the supermarket.
He was in the Game.
This week I have been processing what our church plant is going to be all about.
What we believe.
What core values to well, value.
What makes church.
I do not have everything figured out, especially church.
Quite frankly I mess things up more often than I get things right.
But I want to get it right.
Be careful! If you plant a church that ends up thinking this way it runs the risk of changing its city/country/world.
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