A New Day Dawns

In the summer of 2005 my world turned upside down. I was a youth minister at a church in Dallas, only a few months away from finishing grad school at ACU and we'd just found out Rachel was pregnant with Micah (our now 5 year old). Life seemed to be progressing in fairly predictable fashion. My job seemed secure, my family was growing, we lived in a house we planned to buy in a nice but affordable Dallas neighborhood. We had some exciting things happening in the youth ministry. It wasn't all rainbows and lollipops, there were frustrations and struggles, but all in all, things were good.

Then one Tuesday I was told that the leadership of the church had decided to eliminate my position at the church. In one conversation the rug was pulled out from under us. I began looking for another job. We had grown to love Dallas and had very good friends there...but to find another ministry job would most likely mean moving. For months I searched. Time and time again we found ourselves among the final 2 applicants for a position - several of which were still in the DFW area - and every time someone from the selection committee would call to say they were very sorry but they'd decided on the other guy. In one week I got a call from one church saying they felt like they needed someone a little younger, another saying they wanted someone a little older...and another that just wanted someone else. I felt like I was the momma bear's porridge AND the daddy bear's porridge.

After 6 months, and jobs in insurance adjusting, Barnes and Noble bookshelf alphabetizing, bounce house set-upping, disaster relief child caring and even a few random jobs, we were invited to move to the New Orleans area on a one year contract where I'd work as an outreach minister in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The first year and a half were brutal. We were still wounded from our previous job loss...and in hindsight were probably not in the best state-of-mind to relocate to a disaster area. However, our one year contract became nearly three years, the outreach ministry position became the preaching ministry position and Tammany Oaks became our family.

I began spending time at local coffee shops and cafes. I met and developed friendships with people who had little or no desire to ever step foot in a "church building." It became apparent to me that in order to truly connect with such folks we'd need a very different approach than what we were used to. We began to discern a call to church planting.

So, we told Tammany Oaks what we were thinking and our desire to take up this calling in north Texas - to be sent home as missionaries. I was nervous, I'd been dropped by a church before, how would this one respond? My fears proved to be unfounded in this instance. For six months we remained at Tammany Oaks while we raised support - in the midst of church family that prayed over us and pledged a year of financial support themselves, and friends who are still very dear to us.

Four of us had left Texas in April/May 2006 and five moved back to north Texas in October of 2008 (Josiah was born in Covington, Louisiana, but still secretly on Texas soil as I'd had a bag of that beautiful sandy-loam smuggled into the delivery room...) We began working with Christ Journey, a young church plant in Burleson. I spent time developing spiritual formation and discipleship processes for a house church based ministry, got to know waitresses and strangers in the park, started new house churches and began working on a doctor of ministry in missional church studies at SMU. My school studies were helpful and have led to the development of a training resource for groups - particularly established congregations who wish to begin connecting with people like the ones I'd met in south Louisiana coffee shops...and Burleson coffee shops.

But the real learning took place in the midst of the Christ Journey community and our attempts to cultivate a missional community in the midst of Bible belt culture. I gained insight into the struggles that come with planting churches in an area that author/professor/church planter, David Fitch recently described to me as "extremely comfortable with church."

I learned about the limitations of and the need for godly leadership in young communities of faith. I learned about the inherent relational risks associated with an approach to faith that calls you to invest in one another beyond merely attending events together. I learned about the difficulty and the necessity of leading as a fellow follower, co-laborer and travel companion and the danger of abdicating that calling.

I learned the importance of serving the poor and connecting with neighbors as central elements of life as a disciple of Jesus - experiencing life as "the scattered church" ...and I developed a whole new appreciation for the value of gathering regularly for worship - life as "the gathered church."

I struggled with the role of preaching and proclamation in a culture that values dialog over monologue...and am learning how to navigate that path.

I learned to recognize the need for structures that benefit organic growth and learned how stunted that growth will be without such structures.

My learning is far from complete. But my family and I, along with a few other families have now been sent out by Christ Journey to continue the ministry of planting churches. The Gathering is already connecting with others and inviting new friends to taste and see that the Lord is good. Just as planting an apple tree means planting apple seeds, planting churches means planting not the finished fruit but rather a seed, which is the good news that Jesus himself planted - The kingdom of God is at hand!

Since we moved to Burleson we have been supported financially by a combination of raised support and part-time (and sometimes full-time) jobs. As we launch out on this new phase of our adventure, we are once again seeking others to partner with us financially. In addition to our ministry with The Gathering, I'm currently working several part-time jobs (4 to be precise, along with completing the final stages of my degree at SMU) and am in the process of starting a non-profit ministry called Intentional People, formed around Communitas, the process I've developed through SMU. Rachel currently has 3 jobs of her own (in addition to caring for the infamous Wellsbrothers).

One of our primary goals for fundraising is to be able to raise enough support to let go of a few of these other jobs in order to devote more time to church planting and Intentional People.

We have put together a newsletter which describes The Gathering and Intentional People, and provides information about how others can partner with us. If you, someone you know, your church or another group may be interested in learning more about either of these ministries, please leave a comment, email me at bret@intentionalpeople.org, or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter.

Prayer for Tuesday, June 7

Scripture for Tuesday
Acts 10:9-23

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Tuesday Prayer

The Local Community as a Harvest Field
Lord of the Harvest, we thank you that in the midst of your concern for all creation you do not forget to respond to the cries of individuals. God, we confess that the same is not true for us. We allow ourselves to be consumed with our own drama or we become enthralled with stories of more exotic places. Father, if your kingdom can break in anywhere, it can break in here. We believe, forgive our unbelief. Holy God, open our eyes to the people who live across the street or who drop their children at the same school as ours; people who we have seen but not truly seen. Lord of the Harvest, give us eyes to see as you see. We pray that your name will be proclaimed in Burleson; we pray that the hopeless will find reason to rejoice and those in darkness will see your great light.

What does the gospel have to say to your neighborhood? For 6 weeks I've been asking you to look around with intentionality. What have you seen? WHO have you seen? What is the next step that you need to take in order to engage more fully as an ambassador of a kingdom that can literally change everything for those who will embrace it? Participants in The Gathering have already invited some "dechurched" friends to share life with us (and have already seen God producing fruit from those actions) - will you pray for us to continue living with this kind of intentionality?

Prayer for Monday, June 6

Scripture for Monday

Acts 10:1-8

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

   The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Prayers for a Fruitful Church

Lord of the Harvest, we pray that your church will be fruitful. We do not want to be like the fig tree that didn’t produce. Our desire, O God, is for church to be vibrant and healthy; an organism that is growing and reproducing as you designed. Lord, as we begin the process of cultivating a new church, planting the gospel in our neighborhoods and community, we pray in faith knowing that you desire to bring about growth. We ask for the courage and faithfulness to serve as workers in your harvest field and we pray those you are even now preparing to send out as well. God, we pray that Intentional People will produce fruit for your kingdom as well. We pray for those with whom we will come into contact. We offer our lives and our efforts to your kingdom for the purpose of cultivating and equipping disciples who engage more fully in your mission. We desire, O Lord of the Harvest, to be a beneficial resource to your church. God, we offer ourselves to your service, use us as you see fit.

Our new house church met together for worship and a meal yesterday. 10 adults and 9.5 kids spent nearly 4 hours hanging out, discussing faith and what it means to be faithful, eating mountains of lasagna, studying Genesis...and going back for more lasagna. Afterwards a friend that was visiting with us made the comment, “I’ve never enjoyed being ‘in church‘ like I did today.” We made the decision to call our new church, “The Gathering.” We are harvesters and we are fruit from the harvest - God is gathering us together and we in turn are sent out to gather others in the name of Christ. Would you spend a few minutes today praying specifically for The Gathering? Pray that God will continue to produce fruit in our lives and that our growth in discipleship will be a compelling witness to our friends and neighbors.

Season of Prayer, Week 7

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 10; 14:1-7, 20-28 

Thoughts for the Week

I have heard it said that “God didn’t call us to be fruitful, only to be faithful.” I understand the sentiment behind that statement - it is easy to get caught up in a competitive game of justifying ourselves by counting “converts,” increases in giving, attendance and other numbers games. The true measure, according to those who make this statement, is whether or not we (individually or corporately) are faithful to God and the way of Jesus. We plant the seed and care for the soil, but it is God who brings the growth.

And yet, we could look back to the beginning of the Bible and notice that God’s command to the first people was, “be fruitful and multiply.” I think a case could be made that while that text is speaking about the need for Adam and Eve to have children and populate the earth, it is also a prophetic text speaking forward to the mission of God’s people (don’t be satisfied keeping the blessing of relationship with God to yourselves - invite others into this life with you).

However, if we choose to stick with the claim that we should first pursue faithfulness rather than fruitfulness, we must be careful not to create a false dichotomy. There’s no need to see these two matters in competition with one another. Indeed it is God who brings the growth, and both scripture and experience testify that God is quite interested in bringing about this growth. If we are faithful we should expect to see fruit. We’ll see it in our own lives and the lives of those with whom we come into contact - Jesus said that fruit is the evidence of a healthy organism (whether its a fig tree, a disciple or a community of disciples).

Remember Jesus’ statement in Luke 10 - the harvest is plentiful, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his field.

For the church, fruit and harvest represent BOTH continually maturing lives of discipleship among the faithful AND introducing new people to the life of faith (those whose hearts the Holy Spirit is already at work preparing). If new people are “joining” the church but discipleship isn’t taking root in their (and our) lives, this should be an enormous red flag for the community of faith. However, we should also be concerned when months and years pass while the same group of people sits around looking at each other wondering (or not even thinking about) why nobody else seems drawn the message we’re proclaiming.

This week our prayers focus on the harvest and bearing fruit. I am convinced that if we are committed to living out the matters we’ve spent the last 6 weeks praying; if we live with gratitude, wisdom, faithfulness, courage, intent on discipleship, seeking partners, focused on God’s mission, then God WILL bring about fruit and growth in our lives and in our community. If we turn our attention to these matters in the church, in our local community, in the global community, among the poor as well as in our own lives, the Holy Spirit WILL bring us into contact with people who are searching for God even if they aren’t aware of it yet.

Certainly it is possible to put the cart before the horse in regards to “growth.” That is part of the reason we saved the theme of harvest and fruit for last in this season of prayer. However, in both our church planting work and in the ministry of Intentional People, we are engaged in serving others because of the work of Christ - the work of remaking creation and inviting all people to take their place around the table with Jesus.

Prayer for Sunday - The Lord of the Harvest

Lord of the Harvest, we praise you for your concern and compassion for all people. We rejoice that you have done all these things so that people everywhere may seek you and find you, though you are not far from any one of us. Lord, we give you thanks for the ways in which you have brought about growth in our lives and in our communities. God, we pray that we will continue to live fruitful, productive lives as your disciples; that our love for one another, for you and for our neighbors will be evident to all. We desire these things, O Lord, because we have seen them first in you. You are the God of steadfast love, you are the Holy One who has not stayed far off, you are the Lord of the Harvest. Father, we pray that you will continue to work in us and conform us more fully into your image. You are the only one who is worthy of emulation and you are the only one who brings about new life.

We began this season of prayer by focusing on gratitude and joy for what God has been doing, and we begin this final week with gratitude for the fruit and harvest that God has already brought. So...where have you already seen evidence of God bringing about growth in your life?  For what do you need to express gratitude to God as we begin this week?

Prayer for Friday, June 3

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 13:1-3 (New International Version)

 ¹ Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Friday - Our Place in God’s Mission

Missionary God, your Story is majestic and captivating. We pray that you will bless us with the ability to see how our story fits into your Story. Jesus promised us life to the full and we want to claim just such a life. It is our prayer that you will reveal ways in which each of us can find meaning and fulfillment through joining in your mission of reconciliation. Father, so often we struggle to see the ways you have gifted us to serve your kingdom, and we confess that even when we do see, we are often bound by our own fear and lack of faith. May the character of our church be one of active discipleship, where we are regularly poured out for your kingdom and your mission. We pray that you will use Intentional People to open our own eyes as well as the eyes of others to the simple, tangible ways we can join you, the Missionary God, as you are remaking creation. 

The Kingdom of God is at hand and you and I (and everyone who has ears to hear) have been invited to not only live as citizens but also serve as ambassadors of this renewed community. Look around, everything you see is part of your Father’s creation - some of it has been restored, some is in the process of being restored and, sadly, much is resisting. I challenge each of us to look at the world through fresh eyes today. How would the “normal” things you encounter look differently if you viewed them as a representative of the true, loving King? Would you share one specific example?

Prayer for Thursday, June 2

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 11:19-26 (New International Version)

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
 22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Thursday - Commissioned for The Poor and Oppressed

Missionary God, by rescuing Israel out of slavery, by anointing the young shepherd David as king, by sending Jesus into the backwater neighborhood of Nazareth you have repeatedly modeled your concern and compassion for the poor, the weak, the oppressed and the marginalized. Protect us, Lord God, from the world’s tempting narrative of the “beautiful people” and the powerful. Lord, we want to love others as you’ve taught us. We pray for holy contentment with enough and a holy discontent when some go without while others have a surplus. We pray that you will teach our church to share our resources with one another and with others. We pray that you will give us the wisdom to learn from the poor, who have much to teach us about faith in your provision. Give us the courage to give freely and sacrificially when we can serve as tools of your provision. We pray that you will open doors for Intentional People to organize and collaborate with others in meeting the needs of local communities.

What does it mean to be satisfied with enough? Are there areas in your life where you need to learn to be content in God’s enough? Are there ways in which your abundance could be simplified to share with those who go without? These questions can be a mere intellectual activity...or they can lead to real, meaningful action. The choice is ours.

Prayer for Wednesday, June 1

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 9:1-22 (New International Version)

 ¹ Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

 ⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

   “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

 ⁷ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

 ¹⁰ In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

   “Yes, Lord,” he answered.

 ¹¹ The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

 ¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

 ¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

 ¹⁷ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

    Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Wednesday - Commissioned for the Global Community

Missionary God, you are worthy of all praise because you are not a regional god...you are the creator and sustainer of all people, all places and all times. As we seek to follow you into our neighborhood we pray that you will also keep us mindful of the vastness of your kingdom and the love and compassion you have for people everywhere. We pray that you will protect us from the narrow-mindedness of nationalism, tribalism and other self-serving mentalities. Missionary God, we pray that you will guide our small community into not only awareness of the struggles of those far off, but also to ways we can respond to your call regarding those places. We pray that Intentional People will have opportunities to partner with disciples and communities strategically placed by you to serve as your ambassadors to people across the globe.

We are contextual beings. We live in a particular place at a particular time in history. This is universal and inescapable. That means that, and listen carefully here, we cannot be everywhere at once. Therefore it stands to reason that we must take seriously the need for networks of local communities, each working with God in their particular location. Short term trips and other experiences can be ways for us to serve people all over, but for the long-term presence of Christian community to be felt, we must acknowledge that God’s mission is bigger than us and our church. What can you do, today, to be more intentional about connecting with, supporting, or encouraging someone who is living on mission with God “over there” somewhere?

Prayer for Tuesday, May 31

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 8:1-8 (New International Version)

 ¹ And Saul approved of their killing him.

    On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. ² Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³ But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

 ⁴ Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city.

Tuesday - A Mission to and with the Local Community

Missionary God, we pray for the wisdom to avoid the temptations to focus on grand adventures in far off lands while ignoring the realities in our own back yard. We believe life with you is possible and we believe it is possible here. Show us how to fulfill our mission and honor our commission in this neighborhood and community. God, we trust that you are already at work in Burleson - and we rejoice for the ways in which we’ve already witnessed that. Grant us eyes to see more clearly the ways that your Holy Spirit is already changing hearts and lives and allow us to join you in that ministry. We pray for those who are working to fight injustice, battle loneliness, drive out despair; for those who are intent on hope, committed to compassion and reflecting your light. We ask for the chance to join them in working with you. We pray God that Intentional People will be able to inspire and empower people to see these things in their own communities. And we pray, Missionary God, that these efforts will always bring praise and honor to your name rather than our own.

I know this is something I’ve called us to previously...it seems worthy of repeating. As you go about your normal routines today, keep your eyes open to places in your community where God is already at work around you and consider how you can join in God’s mission. Also be on the lookout for strongholds of darkness where the life, light and hope of God needs to break in...how can you be an instrument for God’s kingdom in those places? If you’ve already identified some of these places, share with us! And...what ways are you already (or planning to) joining God in those places?

Prayer for Monday, May 30

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection
Acts 6:1-10 (New International Version)

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Monday - A Commissioned Church

Missionary God, before Jesus ascended, he commissioned his church to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he had commanded. We confess that we have often left that calling unheeded. Where we have sought to build our own empires rather than serving your kingdom, forgive us. Where we have sought to find the minimum requirements for attaining salvation, rather than living full, adventurous lives on mission with you, forgive us. Wherever and however we have refused to answer your call, forgive us. We pray for the strength, as your church, to follow not only your commands, but to also follow YOU into the dark places all around us. Missionary God, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource to your church as it seeks to live more fully into your commissioning.

As a church we desire to live intentionally as a commissioned community of disciples. Will you pray for the Wells, the Stogsdills, the Myers and Rachel Elder as we seek to not only live this way but also teach our children, friends, neighbors and coworkers to live this way? Will you pray for the Perrys and Wells as we seek to cultivate Intentional People into a resource for assisting Christians and churches all over to live in this way? Finally will you also take a minute to pray for your own congregation and other churches in your community to continue moving deeper into this kind of life? (If you want, send me an email or leave a comment here with the names of churches you’re praying for and I’ll pray for them too.)

Season of Prayer, Week 6

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 6:1-10; 8:1-8; 9:1-22; 11:19-26; 13:1-3 (NIV, via biblegateway.com)

Thoughts for the Week

The good news, as Jesus declared, is that God’s Kingdom is at hand. Yes, it is still in the process of becoming fully established on earth as it is in heaven, but its here, its real, its tangible. No more anxiously awaiting the Messiah, no more wondering if God will set things right...it is happening now, as you read these words. What Jesus calls us to do is simple (which is not the same as easy): We must open our eyes, adjust our gaze and turn our attention to what God is doing...and then accept the invitation to join in. For too long we’ve understood “repent and believe” to be a primarily cognitive endeavor. We think of repenting as merely not sinning anymore...how’s that working out for us, by the way?

To repent is to change course. Again, this can be co-opted by a narrow moralism which encourages us to view ourselves (the repentant) as better than others or (perhaps more damagingly) as vile sinners...worms if you will.

In truth, the beauty of repentance, of fixing our eyes on something more trustworthy, is that it enables us to gain a more clear picture of reality. We aren’t better than others - we are all created in the image of God, we just haven’t all seen it yet. But neither are we worms - we are all created in the image of God, we just haven’t all seen it yet. You are a beloved child of God, invited to take your place as a steward of God’s creation; an ambassador of God’s kingdom tasked to serve as an agent of light, hope and life.

Jesus said, “everyone who believes in me will be saved,” but that doesn’t mean just believing God exists (remember, even the demons believe that...and they shudder at the thought). Believing in Jesus means we believe in his mission - and his mission actively involves those who believe in him. Our baptism is not just a ritual that absolves sin, it is a commissioning.

Imagine a man kneeling before a king, having a sword tapped on each shoulder. When this man rises he is a new person - Sir SoAndSo. This new person has a new identity, a new calling, a new responsibility. Can you now imagine this newly knighted SoAndSo sitting down once a week, listening to the stories of the King and tales of gallant knights...and then going back home to muddle through life as a peasant (perhaps taking an occasional bath and looking down at the “dirty” peasants) until the next week’s story telling?

We aren’t just saved from our sins, we’re saved from a pointless, meaningless life. The good news is that the kingdom of God is at hand...and you are invited in with a role to play. This has always been the way God has chosen to operate with humanity. God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and gave them work to do...even after “the fall.” God called Abraham, blessed him for the purpose of blessing the whole world, and gave him work to do. God called to Moses from the burning bush and gave him work to do. Jesus called disciples to himself, showed them the Father, and gave them work to do.

None of this has ever been mindless drudgery. This isn’t busy work. While God could have chosen to go about the mission of restoring and reconciling creation alone, for some reason, we’ve always been invited to serve as junior partners and co-creators with the Creator.

If you believe in Jesus, you are called to live as a disciple; as one who learns the ways of the master in order to do the things the master does and live the way the master lives. If you are a disciple of Jesus you have been commissioned to join the mission of God in this place. The question before each of us is, “how will we respond to our commission?”

Sunday - The Missionary God

Missionary God, we praise you because you have not stayed far off. Father, we thank you for creating the universe and we thank you for walking in the garden. Let all God’s children rejoice because our Lord has come near! God you knelt in the dirt to form the first people, you called Moses from the burning bush, you spoke with Abraham not only in visions but also as a visitor who received his hospitality! You called to young Samuel as he slept, wrestled with Jacob as he tried to do the same and it is you with whom we wrestle to this day. We worship you because not only did Jesus empty himself and become one of us, but in so doing, he stepped into the cycle of violence and defeated death. You are the Living God! We ask you to strengthen us as we seek to follow you into the neighborhoods of Burleson. We pray that your hand will guide Intentional People as we seek to equip others others to follow you into their own neighborhoods. Missionary God, we praise you because you have not stayed far off...you are the One Who Comes Near and we want to be people who reflect your image in this place.

When you peel back all the layers of motivation, the core conviction for both planting churches and starting Intentional People is the Missionary God we serve. From the very first chapter of the Bible we witness the activities of a God who has never been content to remain aloof from the lives and struggles of humanity. The Genesis story teaches us that God has not only come near (repeatedly) but has also (repeatedly) invited us to meaningful work in God’s creation and kingdom. Therefore, all our efforts grow out of our theology...rather than the other way around. In addition to our communal prayer today, will you also pray that God will lead us into contact with people whom the Spirit has been preparing to hear this amazing story of the Missionary God?

Prayer for Tuesday, May 24

Cultivating Community in the Local Community
God, Community of Love, we know that you bless us in order that we will be a blessing to others. We pray that your wisdom will guide us into the midst of our neighborhoods and communities to model and invite others into a life of community - with you and with one another. Father, teach us to see the ways in which you are already at work bringing people together and allow us to serve as your co-laborers and ambassadors. Lord, we ask that Intentional People will serve to bring people together in their local context, working alongside you in community. We pray that you will show us those you are raising up to work in your fields - we pray that your Spirit will cultivate those relationships and produce a great harvest. God, Community of Love, we pray that through our work of planting the gospel in north Burleson, we will be aware of the people you bring across our paths - give us eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may make the most of every opportunity.

Be intentional today about looking for people that God may be bringing into your life. Cultivate awareness of those around you - often the only thing that keeps us from being able to have a positive influence for the kingdom in someone else's life is that we simply aren't present in the moment. God is already at work all around us. 

Prayer for Monday, May 23

Community in the Church
God, Community of Love, we are grateful for your Church. We pray that wherever the Church meets, your spirit of community and communitas will be present. Teach us, O Lord, to lay down our selfish ambitions and in humility consider others better than ourselves. We pray that our attitude will be that of Christ Jesus, who did not consider equality with you something to be held on to, but humbled himself and took the form of a servant. We pray that our small community of faith will grow in its influence throughout our region by living openly as your humble servants in community. Let our love for one another display our identity as your disciples; let our testimony of redemption be a proclamation of hope to those we encounter. God, Community of Love, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource and encouragement to your Church. We pray that our work will be a pleasing gift to your kingdom, which we believe wholeheartedly is at hand and which we anticipate arriving in fullness in the future.


As we pray today for community in the Church, let us remember that there are local expressions of the Church, but all are connected to the One Body of Christ. We pray that Intentional People will serve to help cultivate the experience of community in local churches through the fostering the experience of communitas (community shaped and formed by shared mission or struggle). Are there ways that your local expression of the church could partner with or benefit from the work of Intentional People? Consider talking with your local leadership about this, or contact me for more information.

Season of Prayer, Week 5

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 4:32-5:42 (NIV, via biblegateway.com)

Thoughts for the Week

This week we make a shift in our prayers together. During our final three weeks of this prayer season we'll still be following the same daily outline and will continue to have an overall theme for the week (partners/community this week, then mission/commission and harvest/fruit in the final two weeks respectively). However, up to this point, our prayers each day have been somewhat general in nature, often pointing each of us to look into our own neighborhood, community or church family. 

We began this way because the goal of Intentional People and our efforts in planting churches are not merely to seek God's blessings on us here. Ours in a kingdom focus; we prayerfully seek the in-breaking of God's reign in all corners of creation. We wanted our first season of prayer to be marked by a concern beyond our own local success or failure.

My prayer is that with a month of this type of communal prayer established, we'll each continue to pray with an eye toward what's happening in our context as well as what others are experiencing as well. 

Going into these last three weeks leading up to the official fundraising launch of Intentional People and our formation of a new missional community in Burleson, I am grateful to have this community of prayer partnering with us. The prayers will focus on specifically lifting up Intentional People and our church plant with regards to the weekly and daily themes. However, I encourage you to continue in practices which lead you into similar connections in your neighborhood.

In Acts 18 there's a story that has been the inspiration for referring to bi-vocational ministry as "tent making." When Paul arrived in Corinth he met some tent makers. Since he was a tent maker also he stayed and worked with them. We get the impression from several of Paul's letters in the new testament that this was one of his common strategies. We know from other passages that his reasoning (at least, in part) for this approach was that he didn't want to give any unbelievers or new believers a reason to claim that he was only ministering to them in order to receive a paycheck - and he also didn't want to be a burden on these young communities, many of which consisted of people who were (or soon would be) struggling themselves. 

There is another common understanding about the value of this type of bi-vocational work. Those who are supported by the system can easily become co-opted by the system. (This was part of what Alan Hirsch shared with Chris and I during our podcast interview - which you can listen to at missionalmonks.com) I worked either part-time or full-time for established churches for a decade before launching into church planting, so I've seen this first-hand. There are many ministers who want to challenge unhealthy aspects of "the system" but since doing so may lead to the unemployment line, they are often pressured to hold back a necessary prophetic challenge. I think this is a valid point in the whole bi-vocational conversation.

However, we live in a broken world where wisdom is often corrupted by sin. In our desire to support ourselves financially so that we can speak truth into the lives of others we can easily begin to remove accountability and connection to others, claiming that we are only accountable to God. While this is technically true, many of us have discovered that without others to keep us focused on Him to whom we answer, we actually begin answering only to ourselves...which is dangerous at best and idolatrous at worst.

It is easy to miss the verse following the "tent making" paragraph. In 18:5 it says "When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah."

When Paul's partners arrived he apparently gave up the bi-vocational approach, at least for a time. Not only did Silas and Timothy's arrival mean friends and co-laborers, it also meant the arrival of financial support from other churches; support that would allow Paul to devote himself exclusively to preaching. Notice that Paul first preached exclusively to the Jews - and it didn't go that well...it says in verse 6, "But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Later in the chapter, Paul receives a vision where God says: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

No matter how we are supported in ministry, there will be difficulties - but there is strength, blessing, support, encouragement and protection that comes from partners in the community of God.

This week we pray for partners and community. While we desire not to be a burden on those to whom we're reaching (and we pray that Intentional People will very soon fill the bulk of our financial support needs) we do not want to operate in isolation. We are grateful for those of you who are already surrounding us with prayer and encouragement. We pray for those who have partnered with us financially over the last three years and those who will do so in the future. We pray for those who will lend their voices, hands and talents to work with Intentional People in different ways; for the partnerships we're are developing with other organizations and individuals. We are also praying for another church planting family to join us in our work in Burleson. 

We're already blessed to have friends and co-laborers in this area who are going out with us; a community of faith sharing life on mission with God. As we begin planting the gospel in new neighborhoods, we also pray that God will raise up a family trained and called to ministry that can help with teaching, community organizing, guidance and training of others in discipleship, etc.

We are also praying for the possibility of one or more partnering churches with whom we can enjoy a relationship of mutual edification and support. 

Thank you for joining with us in lifting these prayers to the Father.

Prayers for Sunday - God the Community of Love

God, Community of Love, in the beginning you created the heavens and the earth, but before the beginning, you were. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we acknowledge you, the Three-in-One as the source of our longing for community and connection to others. Holy God, as we long to understand how we are to live as the gathered church in community, we have to look no further than to your revealed nature; as we seek wisdom in living as your scattered church in the midst of the larger community, we have to look no further than to your revealed activities. Since the very beginning Lord you have sent yourself repeatedly into our midst. In the darkness you have been there with us, a guide, companion, protector and friend. Lord, we pray that you will guide the work of Intentional People as it seeks to encourage and inspire your children to live bold lives of adventure on mission with you. God, we pray that you will lead us into the neighborhoods of north Burleson and the south Fort Worth area to plant the gospel in community. We follow you with full confidence that where your seeds of hope are planted, healthy churches will grow up by your power. Bless us O God, Community of Love, for in you alone does true community find its origin.

This week our prayers are focused on partners and community - both for Intentional People and our new church planting work. In addition to the communal prayers, would you take a few moments each day to ask God to raise up partners for us? We need financial partners, prayer partners (we thank you for already serving in that capacity), and others who will serve as resources and collaborators in different ways, according to their gifts. With regards to our church planting work, we are praying for one or more partnering churches, with whom we can have a mutually edifying relationship and we are also seeking another church planting family to join us in this work.

Prayer for Friday, May 20

Discipleship and Spiritual Formation in My Life


God Who Forms, we praise you for forming us in our mothers’ wombs. We thank you for placing within us your very image and we thank you for continually forming us into the likeness of Christ. Lord God show us the paths that will lead to greater wisdom, maturity, compassion and love. Teach us the ways that we should go and encourage us as we travel those paths. You are the God Who Forms and we are the people who desire to be formed by you.

If you have never done so, I encourage you today to begin developing a Rule of Life - this is simply an intentional rhythm of spiritual disciplines and practices that you will commit to on a regular basis. It can (and probably should) involve daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and occasional elements. It can include things like prayer, scripture reading, sharing of resources and service as well as things like silence, spiritual retreats and communal meals. Remember to include both active and contemplative practices and personal as well as communal elements. If possible, consider developing a communal rule with others with whom you are sharing the life of faith.

Prayer for Thursday, May 19

Discipleship in Response to Poverty and Oppression


God Who Forms, we know that you hear the cries of the poor and oppressed. We know that you have compassion on the weak and mistreated. We trust that you care about those who have been denied justice. God we want these things to be true of us as well. If these matters are important to you Lord, they are important to us. Thank you Father. You are the God Who Forms good things. We pray for you to form, through us, communities of justice, pockets of resistance to the self-centered ways of the world and neighborhoods where no one goes without because everyone shares what they have.

It has been said that churches and individuals who focus on social justice tend to focus less on personal spiritual formation and faith and vice versa. I admit I’ve seen that played out...and I’ve also seen the two sides (action and contemplation) held together beautifully. One key to be a fully formed disciple is to recognize your natural tendencies and intentionally cultivate the other areas as well. So which are you? Is your default set toward Bible study and prayer? Or is your default set to social justice and action? Are you one of those rare people who naturally engages in both? Share your reflections and ask someone else about their own tendencies.

Prayer for Wednesday, May 18

Disciples in the Global Community


God Who Forms, you are the One in whom we live and move and have our being. You are the One who sent your disciples to proclaim the arrival of your kingdom in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And you are the One who has allowed us to live in such a time that the ends of the earth are not nearly so far away as they once seemed. God we pray that we will be formed into people who are concerned and involved in your ministry of reconciliation wherever there are signs of alienation. You are the God Who Forms and we cry out to you with an intense hunger for your kingdom to not only advance but to fill and fulfill all corners of earth.

One very simple need for discipleship across the global community is the need for Bibles in native languages. There are ministries, such as Pioneer Bible Translators (www.pioneerbible.org) which are working to get Bibles into communities who are hungry for the Word. Check out PBT’s website and consider ways that you can encourage such ministries.

Prayer for Tuesday, May 16

Discipleship in the Midst of the Local Community


God Who Forms, give us eyes to see our community the way that you see it; lead us to opportunities to display your love, grace and compassion. Lord we know that our discipleship is not for us alone, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others. God grant us, as your image bearers, the wisdom and courage to love the people you love. We believe in your ministry of reconciliation. We believe that if life with you can happen anywhere, it can happen here in our town, on our street, in our coffee shop. You are the God Who Forms and we pray that you will continue to form connections we can see and threads we can follow in order to not only display but also witness your transformation in this place.

So often the spiritual practices we engage are either private or something we pursue in a “safe” context with other Christians. But our faith is meant to be experienced in the midst of the world. What is one spiritual practice you could participate in “out there”?  If you’re interested, ask me about using Lectio with something other than Scripture.

Prayer for Monday, May 16

Discipleship and Spiritual Formation in the Church

God Who Forms, your Church and your Kingdom will not be stopped, because they are yours. We recognize this and praise you for it. And yet Father, we also confess that the temptation toward the path of least resistance is powerful. It is not easy or painless to conformed to your image, because of our desires for instant gratification and the hold that sin has on everything around us. But you are the God Who Forms! To you we turn for our salvation, our transformation. By your grace, strengthen your Church to live boldly as a community of discipleship; as those who are committed to continual spiritual formation.

Its unavoidable: anything we do as humans is going to be flawed. The Church is a partnership between God and humanity. God is no fool. If the Lord chose to invite people into the mix, flaws were always going to be part of the story. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t continue striving for perfection in the image of God (which is only achieved through authentic, full connection to and relationship with God)- what else would be a worthwhile goal? So, as you have time today, make note of practices which have benefitted your own process of discipleship and those which may have had less of an impact or were even detrimental. Please share these! FB, comments here, email messages, twitter, text, smoke signal, whatever!

Season of Prayer, Week 4

Prayers for Discipleship and Spiritual Formation

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 4:23-31 (NIV 2011, via www.biblegateway.com) 

Thoughts for the Week

If you remember our reading from last week, Peter and John were headed to the temple at the time of prayer when the encountered a lame man - whom they healed. When the people saw this and were astonished, Peter began to speak to them about the kingdom of God, drawing from both recent experience and ancient scripture.

This all upset the religious teachers and they were commanded to stop preaching and teaching about Jesus. So last week, we prayed for the faith and courage to respond as Peter and John did on that day: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

What enabled these men to speak so courageously? Well, the easy, but true nonetheless, answer is that they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. A little more specifically and challenging to us - they were empowered by the same Holy Spirit promised to EVERY believer through faith and baptism. 

But I think its also important to remember the first detail mentioned in that story was that they were headed to the temple to pray with other Jews and God-fearers (a term used to refer to Gentiles who worshipped God). 

The call to be more missional is not a call to neglect the spiritual disciplines which have proven so valuable throughout history. Jesus was pretty harsh on religion, but he and his disciples still gathered with other believers to pray and study the scriptures. 

In this week’s reading we see what happened when Peter and John were released from jail. They went back to the people (who were apparently gathered together) and told their story. What was the response of this young faith community? They began praying; praising God, quoting scripture and asking for continued boldness and miracles. It says that “after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” 

Obviously its important to again note the natural response of prayer showing a commitment to spiritual formation and relationship with God. However, I also want to comment on the mention of them being filled with the Holy Spirit. Throughout Acts, the gift of the Holy Spirit coming on those who received Jesus’ baptism - as opposed to John the Baptist’s baptism, which was a kind of preparation through repentance, waiting on the resurrection of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit was a basic, fundamental aspect of the Body of Christ - so why is it that this obviously faithful gathering includes a reference to being filled with the Spirit?

There are different reasons this could be, but it seems to me that the answer isn’t one of identity but action. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a basic part of our identity as Christians; we are being continually formed into the image of Christ, by the Spirit of God at work within us. What’s being mentioned here in Acts 4 is something different than receiving an identity. And I think it also transcends the contemporary use of the phrase that refers to the “charismatic gifts” - though that may well have been part of what happened.

No, I think what we see here is a group of people encountering an example of the Kingdom of God at work, immediately responding to God in prayer and then experiencing the natural result - encouragement and sending by the Spirit of God. This is the very purpose of discipleship. We engage in the stories and activities of Jesus because we believe that in so doing we cultivate an environment where we are more prepared to be transformed. We can’t bring about the change being described - it is in a very real sense a filling of the Holy Spirit, not ourselves - but we can make room for the Holy Spirit, we can prepare ourselves to be more receptive, we can expect the transformation promised us.

As we pray for discipleship and spiritual formation this week, this is why. We are praying, studying, sharing, serving and collaborating not as ends in themselves, but for the purpose of transformation which propels us deeper into the active life on mission with God.

Prayer for Sunday, May 15

God Who Forms, we have you to thank for our very existence and every blessing that has come after. Thank you, Almighty God, for speaking the Word that ignited the universe. Thank you, Father, for walking in the garden, kneeling in the dust and breathing life into a being created in your own image. God we pray that you will continue teaching us what it means to be created in your image. We struggle to see because our eyes have been damaged by sin. Make us new, Lord. Repair our eyes, our hearts and minds, our world, our existence. You are the God Who Forms, and to you alone do we offer our prayers for transformation.

How long has it been since you stopped to consider the wonder of creation formed by God? Spend a few minutes noticing and then thanking God for the work of creation. Today, make a note of one or two areas of your life where you need the God Who Forms to work. If you are comfortable doing so, share these with your faith community or a friend.

The New Individualism?

Isolation in Communal Clothing

The following represents my own internal struggle with experiencing community and how “church” is faithfully lived out. I am often torn between expressions of the gathered and scattered church; it is sometimes difficult to see how best to faithfully live into both sides of the coin. If you think my depiction of disciple-making in “organic” missional contexts doesn’t describe you...you’re probably right. I’m not setting out to describe you. I’m working through my own inconsistencies. However, it is my prayer that my journey is beneficial to others, if only to help you feel a little better about your own pathology! :)

A friend recently commented on how often I write about community while carrying certain burdens on my own. He’s right, I repent.

I'm sure there are a number of reasons why that is the case, but I must begin by acknowledging the most obvious - I am drawn to write about community out of my desire and longing, not the expertise of experience. And I need to continue addressing that longing in my own life.

I know community is messy and dangerous. I have seen that first-hand. And sometimes, as much as I want to enter it anyway, I’m still guilty of holding back. Whether its from fear or my introverted personality doesn't really matter. That my fears are based in real-life experience is of no consequence, I need to embrace community more fully.

I do want to say that I use the word “sometimes” intentionally. This is something I’m aware of and have tried to address. It is far from dealt with, but that doesn’t mean its being avoided.

I’ve written/said before that it seems many of us are drawn to certain things not because of gifting and success but rather because of need and failure. We may be drawn to champion and lead a program like Celebrate Recovery not because we’ve seen how well it sets people free from different addictions but because we recognize that we ourselves still struggle with addictive tendencies. We may be drawn to contemplative spiritual disciplines NOT because we are that contemplative but precisely because we are frenetic and undisciplined.

Similarly we may well be drawn to things like community and missional engagement because we are withdrawn and isolated.

When we feel a powerful draw to critique a particular vice, we should consider carefully how that vice is manifested in our lives. It is easy to see our own dysfunctions played out in others, even when we cannot see them in ourselves. So, perhaps when we can clearly see a dysfunction is someone or a group of someones, we should carefully examine how that the same dysfunction may well be plaguing our own life in some way.

So maybe, in a strange way, I am an expert on community. Not in that I have the course mapped out, but because I am acutely aware of the pain caused by its absence. First and foremost, I need to continue addressing the need for connection to others in my own life. And I will.

However, first and foremost does not mean solely and completely.

My own need for community and connection to something larger than myself - namely the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God (two separate but closely related things) - is perhaps more than just a personal deficiency. In 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us of his own experience in learning that our weaknesses are the venue for God’s power to be made known (12:9 grossly paraphrased). This means lots of things, perhaps including that through our own weaknesses, God reveals where the Spirit is at work - not only in our own lives, but in the Church and in all creation.

Those who know me well are aware that I struggle with the current tendency to reject anything that appears structured or organized. On the one hand, I agree and lend my voice to the symphony of critiques against the overly-programmed approach to church that dominates the landscape.

I agree that when we connect with a group of people, the compulsion to get them out of the place we found them and into a worship assembly can be quite destructive.

I see the wisdom of coming alongside people and helping them become devoted disciples without extracting them from the places where they already have relationships.

I agree that too often we’ve failed to help people become disciples of Jesus right where they are and instead converted them to CHURCHianity...effectively converting them to passive consumption of religious goods and services.

I get all that.

However, I fear that we (I) may run the risk of getting the emperor to run around naked in more appropriate places...while still convinced he’s wearing clothes.

Is it possible that those of us who used to function as “professional clergy” in a context where people were dependent on us for their spiritual feeding, haven’t really changed the script all that much? Could it be the case that we’re still doing the same thing when we attempt to cultivate discipleship relationships that are cut off from a body of believers? Here’s a possible test: what happens in the life of the new disciple when (not if) we drop the ball in the relationship? Even if there’s another person or two in the mix, is it the case that when it gets difficult to juggle our schedule and we miss a couple opportunities for coffee or beer that we’re still fine...but they’re not?

This, for me, is why church planting is still important (or connection to a church, new or established). It is good to talk about planting the gospel. It is good to recognize that “church” happens along the way, during the week. But, while we cannot ignore the need for the scattered church, the gathered church still has an important function and one that we should feel compelled to share with new friends as well as old.

This does not mean that everyone needs to be plugged into a traditional church, with well-funded programs and paid staff (though perhaps we shouldn’t discount the reality that some disciples may still flourish in those contexts). It does not mean that everyone we meet and develop relationship with should be coerced into gathering in one place each week.

But it does mean that part of inviting people to follow Jesus is introducing them to the Body of Christ. It is God’s design that humans experience life in community, and disciples experience the life of faith in a community of faith.

This may mean that a church is born in a local pub, or on the lake or wherever. It may mean that people you connect with do not worship with your community on Sunday.

But, it also means that they do need a worshipping community beyond your occasional contact...and for true discipleship to take place, there needs to be an expectation that they will invite others to come and see this Jesus as well.

We can bemoan the “numbers” focus all we want, but we can’t forget that those numbers represent individual people who are loved by God...people that God desires to be reconciled to, and whom the Spirit has been working in long before we came along.

So, yes, church happens “on the way,” and we are inviting people to more than an event. The kingdom of God is about more than the church, but it isn’t about less. If the worshipping community is important to us, why would it be unimportant to new disciples?