oasisCHURCH

Revisiting House Church

Just some reminders of what home church meetings are orchestrated to accomplish...

It’s a meeting where everyone contributes for the purpose of mutual edification. It is the house church meeting where each one has a “song, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation” (1 Corinthians 14:26). In these meetings the agenda is not individuals leading and others listening, but rather each contributing, and sharing what he/she brings to the meeting.

House churches are intentionally smaller groups of diverse, intergenerational people, where we share our lives on a regular basis, make our needs known to each other, and bear each other’s burdens. This tends to happen best through a weekly meeting in homes throughout the area where the church exists, around the joy of a shared common meal and the restored richness of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:46).

These small gatherings of house churches are like a family, while the large gathering on the weekend is like the family reunion. As important and fun as real life family reunions can be, they are not even possible or practical without first having the family relationship that precedes the reunion. The house church is where you can get to know people, get questions answered, grow spiritually, serve alongside others, share meals, eating with each other and with God, and express your faith face to face, in real time, with actual people. It’s hands-on church, where everybody gets to play.

Because our lives are different, our gifts are unique and our personalities are diverse, when we spend time together in the house church, it becomes very quickly a comprehensive way of being the church. When house churches meet, they’re not together just to have a Bible Study. Nor are they together as a social group just to eat and hang out. They don’t come together simply to take care of one another’s needs. And they’re not together just to do some task beyond themselves, like helping the poor. In other words a house church is not a specialty group.

It’s more than a Bible study, a worship group, a social group, a care group, a prayer group, or a special task group. It’s a hybrid of all these things because all of them are features of the church. When the church gathers, people worship, study Scripture, pray for one another, take care of needs, eat together, reach out to others together. Not all of these things have to happen in the same meeting or in every meeting, but all of them are regular features of house church gatherings over time because of the comprehensive nature of the church.

a vacation blog

Just thought I'd take a little time to blog from our trip. We are now in St. Louis hanging out with our friends' Jamie and Wendy Lankford. The kids are having a great time with Mason, Isaac, and Caleb. In just a few minutes we will be going to visit some more friends, the Herbergers. Today we went to the Zoo. We love the St. Louis Zoo because admission is FREE. It's a great zoo. The kids had a blast. Tomorrow morning we will arise very early and drive to the Holiday Inn Downtown Chicago, where we will take the train to Wrigley Field and watch the Cubs versus the Cardinals in a big divisional game. We plan to return to southeastern Ohio sometime on Wednesday evening.

To all of our Oasis friends and house church mates... we love you, we are praying for you and thinking about you, and we hope you are havign a great week being the church and edifying one another.

God bless you.

a mixed drink

Alcohol and the church... are they a good mix? This morning in our study of the themes from Proverbs we examined what scripture has to say regarding alcohol. The ethical question we intended to answer was this: Does the Bible allow for a righteous consumption of alcoholic beverages? The fundamental question is ethical and Biblical in nature, not cultural or demographical; which means it requires an answer from a Biblical, not an emotional base. Our challenge is to set aside our own personal historical influences and cultural biases and approach the question as humbly searching for Biblical truth rather than searching for support for our own position or personal desires.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue, Jesus is still Lord. We are still family. Enjoy the teaching. May it bring lots of tension and growth to your spiritual muscles.

Alcohol & Church MP3

an airport blog

At the time of writing this I am sitting in Moe's Bar and Grill in the Cincy airport waiting for the last leg of my flight back home. This was the second of my four trips to the CIY (Christ In Youth) summer conference to lead a class discussion with students, youth sponsors, pastors, and college students on church planting. I get excited every time I present the material. There is always lively discussion and plenty of questions. Pretty much all I am doing is telling our story... the story of Oasis as it exists in southeastern Ohio. I love telling that story. I love seeing the looks on people's faces when I explain that church life can be as simple as that... LIFE. I love telling them about how I need not be a "super-pastor" in Oasis because Oasis is a family of people who all recognize their role of service and calling to discover and use the gift God has given them to build up the body of Christ and extend the Kingdom of God. I love seeing the nods of their heads in agreement and the almost looks of envy when I describe church life as a family. I see their hunger for the same thing... and my encouragement to them is that they CAN have the same thing. Much of BEING the church is a simple change of mindset and theology (or ecclesiology)... from there life flows from many models and forms.

But as much as I love going to these conferences and meeting new people and sharing the life of Oasis with brothers and sisters from other parts of the country... there is still nothing like being home. There is nothing like being there, LIVING that life that I have just talked about. As I sit here I recognize that this is the major difference between me and the people I just spoke to. Many of them want it, but to them it is still a dream. They are still longing for the day when church will be not a place they go or a slick program they create... but a life they live in their neighborhoods and families. At least now they know they can begin to make it a reality instead of just dreaming for the day. But what I recognize in this moment, as I sit here in this bar, is that what they dream for... we HAVE. We have the church life that I once dreamed about having. And my heart is full of praise to God for that. I am overwhelmed at the love and relationship we share together. Whenever I go to these places and speak as a "guest" I am confronted with how different things are for many people. And I am reminded to be so very thankful for where I am, and for what I have.

Is Oasis perfect? LOL... of course not. But that's what I love about it. We look around and we know we are a bunch of screwed up people who love Jesus and do our best to honor Him, recognizing that it is not about how good we try to be, or how well we present ourselves, or how spotless our lives appear... it is all about Jesus. And the funny thing is, the closer we get to Jesus, the more spotless we become. It happens. There's nothing we can do about it. It's just something Jesus does. You can try to be perfect, and you will fail. You will never come close. Or... you can draw closer and closer to Jesus, open yourself up to Him more and more... and you never know. You'll still probably be a long way from perfection, but you will be much closer to it than if you tried to attain it on your own.

Jesus always does a much better job than us. Lets be all about Jesus. Let's be all for Jesus. Is Jesus in the center of your life this week? If not, I'm guessing you have recognized it. It's always noticeable when He is there... and when He is not.

Give your all to Jesus.

more on church planting...

This post will continue the notes from my CIY church planting class...

The Oasis Story
The Oasis story began with a vision to plant a church in Athens, with a particular focus on the campus of Ohio University. However, some circumstances of life kept my famiy from getting to Athens right away. For over a year we lived 30 miles south of Athens in Meigs County. Because the calling of God to make disciples was on our lives regardless of where we lived, we began to do just that. Within a matter of months a fellowship had begun among people in Meigs County. While continuing to do our best to be faithful in God’s purpose in the world, we began to allow our theology of “church” to be rearranged, and our concept of church planting became much simpler than we had ever realized.

Today we are in our second year of living in Athens. I am currently acting as pastor of a church in Meigs County while also pursuing relationships and vision for a church in Athens. In addition, during the last two years I have been sort of like a consultant and distant "pastor" of a church in Waverly, OH (about 60 miles west of Athens), visiting these brothers and sisters on a once-a-month basis. This extensive involvement with multiple churches would not be possible with a traditional church planting philosophy. But with simple, kingdom-minded church philosophy, everyone recognizes their call to serve, to bring something to the community (1 Corinthians 14:26). They recognize the different ways God has gifted each member (Ephesians 4:11-13). They recognize that being the church is much more than gathering together for teaching and worship. This allows a person who is gifted to pioneer new churches and help multiple congregations to function effectively in that gift.

We have to ask ourselves… how would an average person in the church define the word “church”? This question deals not with styles or methods. It goes deeper, to the heart of who the church is. I will give two possible definitions people may give, and then elaborate just briefly.
· Definition #1: I come to church to be fed, to have my needs met through quality programs, and to have leaders teach me and my children about God. Church, in this definition is seen as a dispenser of goods and services… this is called “going to church”. In this definition a person will describe to someone else about the church to which they “GO”.
· Definition #2: I see church as a body of people sent on a mission given by Jesus, and who gather in community for worship, encouragement, and teaching from the Word of God, which supplements how I am feeding myself throughout the week. In this definition a person will describe to someone else the church to which they “BELONG”. Church, by this definition, functions much like a good family.

The issue is more often the mindset, not the model. When the mindset of every believer is consumed with a missional vision (definition #2) for the church to which they belong rather than a consumer vision (definition #1), then the model will really not make a difference. God will use the large church, the house church, the simple church, the complex church, the urban church, and the rural church. It just depends on which one fits best for your community.

This is why we have two very different looking Oasis Fellowships in southeastern Ohio. Meigs County is a very different community and culture from Athens. In Meigs we have established some stability, with growing and multiplying house churches, and a regular Sunday gathering in an established neutral location. In Athens I am currently meeting with people in a variety of settings as we explore some different possibilities for the growth of the kingdom in that culture. Please join me in praying for the campus of Ohio University. Much of our efforts and ideas are focused toward penetrating the campus of Ohio University with the Gospel in a way that has never been done. We continually need God’s grace and wisdom as we develop this vision.

<< More on this "OU vision" real soon!!! >>

Here are a few quotes about church planting that I included in my CIY notes.

“Church planting hurts. Scott Peck wrote, ‘The definition of mental illness is the avoidance of pain.’ Most often planting a church reveals to the church planter and team members many of the personal weaknesses they would prefer not to see.”

“A church that does not do outreach is a waste of time.”

“There is nothing sacred in this process except the forward progress of the Kingdom of God.”

“The power of God’s love is what brings people to Christ—not slick programs, not telling people how bad they are, not evangelism and not theology.”

“You must respect and honor everyone’s tradition. God has brought the gospel to you through the hands of others and by their hard work. But if honoring them requires you to ignore the current calling of Christ in your life, you must choose the way of Christ That sort of concern will handcuff you and keep you from church-planting effectiveness.”

“You must communicate that the aim of your church is to produce disciples who do stuff, not disciples who only know stuff.”

“What do you dream about? Is it a big church… or changed people?”

Your thoughts???

A Blog from Tennessee

At the time of writing this blog I am sitting alone in the room where I will speak to several students and adult youth sponsors who are attending the Christ In Youth (CIY) Summer Conference. My topic is “The Ledge” (a discussion on church planting). The title gives a good visual. Standing on the ledge of a tall building… lots of security in the building behind you… a good job in the building behind you… lots of good friends in the building behind you… but you stand on the ledge, about to step out into nothing… because God told you to. He gave the invitation, “Step out here. See what I can do with you in this new world.” I am confident He is just getting started. There is so much more to come.

I thought many of you who read my blog might appreciate some of the things I included in my notes for this CIY class… therefore I will post portions of them in the next few days.

A Personal Introduction
The conception of Oasis Christian Fellowship (southeast Ohio) began in January of 1999. Although I was not thinking specifically about where I would go at that point in time, this is when God began planting the seed of church planting in the hearts of my wife and me. At the time we were living in St. Louis, MO working as a Youth Pastor for growing church, and it was there that God began developing in us a passion for doing church in a different way. “Different” not meaning “better”… but recognizing the rapidly changing culture and the need to contextualize the Gospel. As preparation for the churches we would eventually plant in southeast Ohio, my wife and I moved to Northwest Ohio to work on staff with, then 5-year old church, Oasis Christian Fellowship in Wauseon, OH. While living in Wauseon we had many opportunities to listen to stories about church planting, read and study about church planting, attend church planting conferences, etc… all efforts to prepare us for what was to come. After exactly 2 years, we moved from Wauseon to Athens, OH… and the adventure began!!!

Understanding Principles & Methods
In scripture there are two things we must recognize if we hope to understand it and carry out the mission God has set us on. We must understand the difference between “principle” and “method.” For instance, one general principle of scripture is for every disciple of Jesus to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God and the message of the Gospel everywhere we happen to be. The “method” for carrying out that principle will vary from culture to culture. One of our goals in church planting is to determine the best possible method for carrying out the Gospel commission. One philosophy we have lived by is this: “Go to the people. Live among them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have.” (Lau Tsu)

Methods are like flavors of ice cream, and the Gospel is like ice cream. All ice cream is GOOD. Few would disagree. However, you may prefer a certain type of ice cream over another. In fact, our tastes may be much different from one another. From culture to culture, city to city, there will always be a great diversity of people, and needs for many different flavors of “ice cream”… AKA “church.”

The Luke 10 Philosophy of Church Planting
Jesus sent out his disciples for the purpose of spreading the good news about the kingdom of God. He gave them some instructions about how and where they should meet when they proclaimed this good news.
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. (Luke 10:2-7)

If your “house” is a place where people naturally enjoy visiting, gathering, dropping in, etc… then your house is a potential host for a church gathering. Churches most naturally begin in the simplest of circumstances (Acts 16:6-15). What Jesus sent the disciples to do is the very same thing he has commissioned all of us to do. Therefore it is my conviction that every disciple of Jesus has been called to participate in “church planting” in some way. We just have to be renewed in our understanding of church.

“I hope that the church can raise the level of her faith in the power of the Gospel and lower the level of qualifications needed to be a servant of Jesus in this world.” - Neil Cole, “Cultivating a Life For God”

Imagine you are a farmer who has just been given a piece of land to farm. How would you go about beginning to work this land? How would you cultivate the soil in order to see a great harvest? What would be your first priority? To build a barn? Perhaps you would find a great location on the land to put the barn, and begin developing your plans to build it. Or maybe there would already be an existing barn on the land that you could use. If you just had a great barn then the harvest would come to it. Right???

A farmer must begin with SEED, not a barn. He prepares the land, gaining the best understanding possible about his soil. Then he works the land... turning the soil, cultivating it, preparing it for the seed. Then he plants the seed. But how does the growth of the seed take place? How does he make the seed grow?

Very simple. He can’t. All he can do is introduce the elements to release growth (Mark 4:26-29).

How does the church grow? We must back up and begin much, much smaller... with seed.

Five years ago I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that God was calling me to church planting. It’s my passion. However, as I began to look in scripture for advice about how to plant a church I found not one single verse in the Bible commanding us to plant or multiply churches. There is no precedent for planting churches. The command that God gave us is to make and multiply disciples, not churches (or even small groups). Now obviously the Bible speaks of the church, and God does want to build His kingdom through church planting and multiplication... but His plan is to do so by multiplying disciples. It starts here... at the most basic unit of the church... then it spreads through every pore in the body of Christ.

Any comments? Thoughts you’d like to add so far?