After looking back through my iPhoto library I couldn’t help but throw together a little slide show of pics from our two year journey in Las Vegas. To those of you who came to our going away party this past Friday, thanks!
“We must stop being so worried about the “sustainability” of churches, and focus on the quality of the disciple due to their time in that community…”
A few days ago I mentioned I was going to continue with what I felt was one of the most important lessons we learned during our time in Las Vegas. To get caught up, Click Here to read the previous post…the following is among many of the things we have learned in the past two years, but something I have been thinking a lot about lately. It will shape & mold how we do things from here on out, and have a tremendous impact on how we will pursue “things” once we arrive in Austin…
Overall, I have determined that Christ is TRULY concerned with the individual Disciples who make up His body (the Church). He is concerned with the growth of those “parts”, knowing that if they are healthy then the body as a whole will be healthy. Many of us fall into the trap of caring/worrying/pursuing more about the “sustainability” of the new “church” or “community” that the health of the individual disciple can be overlooked. The fact is if the disciple is not healthy the church is not healthy. The truth is while most simple/organic churches will not (in many cases SHOULD NOT) be in existence for more than a couple of years, the quality of the disciple will live on forever no matter where they are geographically. (This has been our experience thus far)
As many of you know, at Intentional Gatherings we do like to see new faith communities birthed as a result of discipleship. However, we must constantly fight, and remind ourselves that these new faith communities are a means to an end; they are not an end in themselves. The hope is that they would produce and foster healthy, mature, and reproducible disciples. As disciples are reproduced the Body of Christ (Church) grows and is made more pure for His return. This is a beautiful thing.
I know what some of you are SCREAMING right now: “Aaron, are you saying you aren’t concerned with the actual church that is made up of those individual disciples, and are you saying Christ is not concerned with each individual church!?” I am saying that I feel Christ is extremely concerned with each individual disciple, and their obedience to whatever particular community of faith they are a part of for that time in their lives. We must remember that while there are individuals inside of different communities of faith there are also communities of faith that make up THE CHURCH. We must start with the health of the disciple. From there we will ALWAYS get a healthy community of faith (Healthy does not always mean it will “live” forever=), and thus a healthy body as a whole. If we skip the disciple and try to have a “proper” or “sustainable” faith community then we “chop the legs” out from under the Body as a Whole.
I’d rather have a church of 10-15 made up of extremely healthy kingdom-minded Jesus followers that lasts for 2-3 years than one of ANY number that lasts for decades. You see, I know that wherever those 10-15 go throughout the rest of their lives they will continue to be that disciple, or potentially start a new church of their own.
“We must stop being so worried about the “sustainability” of churches, and focus on the quality of the disciple due to their time in that community.”
May we all begin, and continue to focus on the disciple more than we do the “entity” (whether big, small, mega, or house) in which we call, “church”. As we pursue individuals gaining a deeper understanding of the Gospel, and fall more in love with their Savior, Jesus, may HE do the rest…”build HIS Church”.
A couple friends of mine, who’s names I will not mention until a later date, are writing a book together. One of them asked me to do a short write-up about our (Intentional Gatherings) time with the homeless on the streets of Ft. Worth for them to publish in the book. It was so reminiscent to think back two years ago and write out our story. Hope you enjoy…
On Becoming Homeless…
For a group of white, middle-class, suburban kids the journey we were about to embark on would prove to be quite shaping. We had been exploring what life as a follower of Christ should look like based upon what we found in scripture. It was not long after that we “broke it off” with our beloved pew, and said “goodbye” to the church as a building. While we stayed closely connected to the Body of Christ as a people we refused to allow that to hinder us from intentionally spending more time with non-Jesus followers than we did followers. From Starbucks and other “third spaces” to our neighborhoods, schools, and jobs we began exploring a life on mission outside the context of the bubble we had so unknowingly been seduced into previously.
As we devoured the scriptures communally it was not long before we noticed a theme throughout Jesus’ ministry of service to the poor and needy; not to mention His commands to us, as His Body, to take care of them. At this time in our lives ministry to the homeless was not the “hip-&-cool fad” it has become today. As we began seeking ways to live out these Gospel principles found in scripture we learned about what we would soon label the “modern-day leper colony”. About 20 minutes from our comfortable suburban homes, tucked quietly under the intersection of several major highways near the downtown area, we found what would soon become a place our souls longed to be. The majority of Ft. Worth’s homeless population called this area just off East Lancaster Boulevard “home”. For the most part they went unnoticed, and were ignored by society. Those who knew they existed steered clear of the area, or pointed down from the overpass as they attempted to teach their kids a lesson about “responsibility”.
We began taking regular trips to the streets in pursuit of being obedient to what we felt God was instructing us to do. We became students of those who had “worked” there for many years, as well as the homeless individuals we sought to “serve”. We learned very quickly how ignorant we were to the real needs of these people based upon the real reasons they were there in the first place. It did not take long to realize the abundance of tangible resources available to the homeless on East Lancaster. From churches to various non-profit, and government organizations the basic needs of the people on the street were met with excess. They did not need our Wendy’s dollar menu burgers, or our hand-me-down fashion from the closet.
A man named Michael Hatcher became our close friend and mentor. Michael had been “ministering” among these people for years, and taught us everything we know about working among the homeless in Ft. Worth. He and his family had moved into the “hood” several years before, and were dedicated to seeing lives transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus. Michael was known on the streets as “The Rev”. He was someone the people trusted, respected, and would give their lives for. Michael walked the streets during the week ministering to these people. He helped them get their ID’s, jobs, bus passes, but most importantly he gave them himself as a friend. We naturally followed in the footsteps of our mentor. We made a commitment early on: while countless others brought material goods to hand out to the people of the streets we vowed only to bring ourselves; a “hand-up” not a “hand-out” if you will. While others handed out food and clothes we sat on the curb to listen. Conversations led to prayer, topped with hugs, and a side of comfort knowing they had made a new friend. You must understand that many of these people had not engaged in conversation with another human being in years.
Things were going well, and we were seeing fruit from our labor. However, there was still something missing. While we had close relationships with our new friends on the street they knew we came from our comfy suburban homes, and would return there after our short time with them on the streets. We could not truly relate to them. Around that time several twenty-something’s from our newly formed “organic” church community felt a strange pull to move in, and “set up shop” among our new friends from the streets. We all began praying that God would provide a house for communal living among the poor…
By the grace of God our little crew of 15 broke college-aged kids began to make quite the impact on East Lancaster. We had organized the annual “Art-n-the Park” celebration, birthed the “Unity in the Community Network” of organizations who served among the homeless in Ft. Worth, and had the attention of many in the city. We still felt we had so much to learn. After all, we were in this for our new friends on the streets, and God’s ultimate glorification, not our own narcissism. Michael Hatcher decided that we needed to know what “life on the streets” was really like. He and his wife put together “Ghetto 101”, and about 10 of us agreed to a weekend we would never forget; a weekend our parents would not be happy to hear about…
We knew that we had to “be in their shoes” to really know how to best serve them. We had no idea what it meant to sleep on cold cement without a wallet full of plastic, or a cell phone to call mommy and daddy when things got rough. Our weekend began with turning in everything we had come with, a cold shower in the Day Resource Center, and a hopeless search through a box of clothes that would be our only possessions for the next two days. For those two days we were on our own in this place we had deemed the “leper colony”. Luckily, we had made many friends who “showed us the ropes” and “had our backs” if things got weird. We ate what they ate, walked where they walked, begged where they begged, slept where they slept, collected cans for money, and endured life disconnected from the rest of the world. The weekend was incredible. We learned a lot, gained the respect of our homeless friends (Who now saw that we were “for real”), and scared the mess out of our parents.
After eight months of praying God decided it was time. We found two duplex’s on the same property. Two of the four units were for rent, and they were cheap. By this point our organization, Intentional Gatherings, had gained its non-profit status, and donations were coming in from people who believed in the vision of the “I.G. House”. We moved two guys into one unit and four girls into the other. It was then that we truly began to learn the in’s and out’s of homelessness, and how to attack the problem at the root. We were in a neighborhood about a mile from the “leper colony”, which was full of the “working poor”. (Those who are not-yet-homeless, but hanging on by a thread) The primary focus shifted from the already homeless to the almost homeless; the work among the already homeless continued, and the relationships that had been made were fostered. The “I.G. House” crew grew close as they lived in tight-knit Gospel centered community, and sought to make a difference in the neighborhood in which they resided. As the crew grew they eventually took over three of the four units on the property. From weekend kickball tournaments to front porch after-school tutoring & Saturday morning breakfast in the yard this group of immigrants was serving Jesus in a way previously foreign to us all.
We had finally learned that in order to make a true impact among a people we had to “incarnate” ourselves among them. We had to put ourselves in their shoes, eat what they ate, sleep where they slept, and live life in their context. It was then that we truly gained a door into their lives. We refused to simply come from the outside bringing in the “answer” to life. We brought our lives to the inside of their lives, shared life, and discovered what the “answer” was with them. Thank you Jesus for “incarnating” yourself among us, sharing in our lives, and teaching us of yourself, the answer.
Neil Cole shares with us about mentoring and Organic Leadership at Student CPx: Concentrate is Las Vegas in 2009. Neil has been a true Spiritual Father to this movement of lay/student church planters…Enjoy.
I had the pleasure of kicking off Student CPx: Concentrate in Vegas with a bit of the history of how SCPx was birthed, and the desire to see students equipped to live out the Great Commission on their campuses & in their neighborhoods…
To see a bit more of what took place at SCPx: Concentrate in Vegas Click Here to watch some student Baptisms that took place & Click Here to hear from some students about what it means to make disciples/start new faith communities in their context.
I know what you’re thinking…”that’s way too much work, exhausting, & I never make any money.” However, after this past weekend we weren’t really concerned with making money (Although we did raise lots of money for “Stop Child Trafficking Now“!), or having to put work into it. We learned that putting together a neighborhood yard sale might just be one of the BEST ways to meet neighbors, start new relationships, & build a sense of community within your neighborhood. Yes, it was a lot of work. Yes, most people didn’t make much money. But, we all met tons of new people, and are hoping that some wonderful relationships will be the result…
The Simple/Organic Church we started here in the neighborhood came together to organize and host the yard sale. Our goal was to get people out of their houses to meet one another, get the word out about the neighborhood potluck dinner in the club house every month, and raise money/awareness for “Stop Child Trafficking Now”. All of the above were accomplished with great success!
We bought hot dogs, chips, and drinks for lunch. It was fee, but we asked for donations for “SCTNow”. Some little kids in the hood set up a lemonade stand. It was a wonderful time. My neighbor John “manned” the grill for us, and served his butt off voluntarily the entire weekend. Others learned about the child trafficking that occurs in our city, and will be joining us on Halloween to hand out little toys with “SCTNow” facts attached to them.
If you don’t know your neighbors, and the thought of taking fresh baked cookies to their front door scares the hell out of you…then organize a community wide yard sale! Watch what happens…
I will continue part 3 of the “Removing Ignorance” and “Removing [More] Ignorance” posts next week. However, for now I will be posting some video teachings from Student CPx: Concentrate in Las Vegas back in January of 2009. They are in no particular order, but I feel you will find them to be a blessing to you wherever you’re at. We’ll have teachings from Brian Orme, Erik Fish, Pam Arlund, Neil Cole, and maybe one from…me? =) This particular teaching is by my friend Brian Orme who joined us in Vegas, as well as Austin Student CPx this past August. Enjoy…
Student CPx: Concentrate – Las Vegas, NV 2009
We just arrived back from a 4 day planning trip in Pittsburgh, PA. 9 adults and 13 kids piled into one house for the weekend as we brainstormed, dreamed, and made plans for Student CPx stuff in 2010…
(Snow family, Fish family, McKoy family, Chang family, Pam Arlund)
Most of you know about the Student CPx training experiences we host along with several other partnering organizations. Five families make up the SCPx National Elder Team. We host the training experiences in various cities all over the world, with an upcoming SCPx in Costa Rica & our Student Church National Gathering in St. Louis in January. Intentional Gatherings is so blessed to a part of such an incredible team of like-minded brothers & sisters.
We had an incredible time of relationship building & planning for 2010. We have some exciting things in the works for this next year. We made plans for SCPx Training in several cities including Austin. We also developed a plan to visit 12 cities from Jan. 2010 – March 2010 for what we’re calling “iSCPx” (Intro to StudentCPx) where we will meet with students who have heard about the experience, & are interested in learning more about it. The weekend was incredibly productive & fruitful. Not to mention we got to spend some sweet time with some wonderful families who we don’t get to see very often…
View of the lake from the back porch of the house we stayed in. The leaves were changing & it was delicious.
(Olivia Fish, Eliza Snow, Hudson Fish, Graham Fish – SO Cute)
(The kitchen where food was prepped for 5 families-thanks Michelle & Jen!)
(Tried to get a shot of all the kids…apparently Hudson wasn’t in the mood for a photo shoot!=)
(Our little chunky monkey who’s 3 months old and pushin’ 20 pounds!)
We had a blast, and got a lot done. I can’t wait to reveal more details about the upcoming National Gathering, “iSCPx” 12 city plan, and the full length SCPx training experiences that will be hosted in 2010! Stay tuned…
Most of you know about the Student CPx Training Experiences that we, along with a couple other like-minded organizations, host in different parts of the world several times/year.
From the first Student CPx training we could sense God building some sort of “Spiritual Family” among students all over the country who are reaching unbelievers, and starting new faith communities in their context. We believe He is still doing so to this day.
The purpose of this gathering is to give people a chance to re-connect, share stories, & build family. In January 2010 the Student CPx National Leadership team will be hosting a Student Church Gathering. Here’s the details:
WHO SHOULD COME? Anyone who has been involved in your student church this semester at any level. It will also benefit newcomers to your church.
WHY SHOULD YOU COME? To be refreshed in the Lord, reconnect with your
brothers and sisters and be encouraged to dream big.
WHEN? Jan 1-4, 2010
WHERE? St. Louis, MO
The application deadline is December 1, 2009. A $75 deposit is due to
complete your registration. The total cost for the conference is $175
(includes breakfast, lodging and conference fee). If you register after
December 1, 2009, it will be your responsibility to find your own housing.
Your conference fee will be $75.
Click Here to register.
If you have any questions please contact Mike or Michelle Chang at
mchang@studentchurch.org
We just realized that many of you weren’t registering for Student CPx because you didn’t want to pay the full $250 to stay in someone else’s house when you have your own place right down the road. Duh. So, we decided to extend registration, and offer Austin locals who stay at their own place a discounted price of $150 for the ENTIRE 10 day training! On top of that you can receive an additional $50 off if you open your home up to house 2-5 CPx students for a total of $100. GO REGISTER NOW!
That’s $100 for a 10 day experience of a lifetime that will empower, and equip you for a lifetime of kingdom impact. Not to mention there will be some incredibly special people there spending time with us who have been such a blessing to this movement.
***Neil Cole, Brian Orme, Tony & Felicity Dale, Jack Allen, Michael Stewart, Jackie Markovich, Sam Lee, Erik Fish, Lauren Nanson, Dawn Delaney & MORE!***
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