an open letter and the start of something new...

dear friends,

i am writing to invite you to a "group" i am "starting". i don't exactly know what title to give it, so we can say "home group" or "cell group" or something along those lines. basically, i am hoping it will be a fairly accurate reproduction of the church in the New Testament. therefore, in reality, it is a church. but certainly not what the majority of churches in the western world looks like now.

(and i say "starting" because i think the ideas behind this group are certainly not unique to me, and therefore i consider myself more of a facilitator, not the owner of a group.)

here's some more specifics:
* i want it to be an authentic, incarnational, Christ-centered community. we are open, honest, welcoming, gentle, vulnerable, and truly LOVE one another. we are here because of Jesus and no other reason. He is the center and focus of our lives, and therefore of this group and whatever it is or does or becomes. we should approach each other with humility and teachability, willing to work things through in conflict and in our lives. we all sin and mess things up, let's have grace for each other and all learn as we go. none of us has this thing called life figured out, but we know the One who does.

* we are hospitable and open. new people (believers and non- or pre-believers) are warmly welcomed and invited into a deeper friendship. we come looking for ways to minister to one another, to meet others' needs and to be intentionally looking beyond ourselves. (yes, we will have times when we need to be the one ministered to, but in general, we shouldn't always be looking out for #1 first and foremost.)

*we are here because we love God, and we are here to love one another. but along with that is loving the community. let's find ways to really be Christ to those around us.

* this will be a place for people to use their giftings. whatever God has put in you and called you to, we want to help you grow in it, challenge you to try new things, and support you along the way. this means all of us will try new things and learn how to do this. we need to learn and practice how to give others freedom to step out where God is leading them, even when we don't understand. and we need to learn how to support them and encourage them along the way, especially when we don't understand.

* this is more than just a meeting one night a week. this is a way of life. for this to really work, to really impact us and our community, it really is a new mindset to take a hold of. i certainly don't want to force external standards on anyone, but i really really hope that we will be excited enough by this to take risks and involve ourselves more in the lives of those around us. i really hope we care enough to commit ourselves to each other, not just a meeting. one of my favorite verses:
1 Thes. 2:8 (ESV)
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
i think the NIV says "our own lives". i love this picture: love that stretches between friends and ministry that it is no longer a task to disciple one another or a requirement, but a desire that shares all of life together. and this is not only within our group, but in our jobs and other spheres of influence. we can't compartmentalize our lives.


ok, realistically, this won't be easy. and it certainly won't happen overnight. but i do think it is a worthy goal to strive for. i do know that if we don't start with the end in mind, we will certainly never get there.

another slight curveball is that i am planning to move to CA to go to grad school this fall. i am not sure yet when i will leave, but likely june or aug. so i have no idea what will happen to this group then, but it will clearly be a time to re-evaluate.

so let's realistically say that to be a part of this group, i would like you to really give it all you've got for 3 solid months (until the end of may), then if it's not working, it was a great learning experience for all of us. i know this is completely new for some of you, so i invite you to check it out, research what the church really looked like in the NT, find verses of what you think the ideal of this group might be (the "one another" verses may be one place to start), and take stock of your own life. ask me questions, pray about it, look up some of the resources, do whatever you need to do. i know this isn't for everyone (and i would be in waaaay over my head if it were), but i did want to invite you all to at least consider it.

i know, too, that most (if not all) of you are involved in your own churches and ministries. i think this group could complement those things well, at least for a season. one of my goals is to pass on some of the training i've had, and the passion for a group like this, and resources so that everyone who is a part of this can do the same thing wherever you go. some of you may want to simply take back the lessons learned and be more effective with what you're already doing. some of us will move away and do new things and maybe start another group like this. i pray all of us find something deeper in how we live as a member of the body of Christ at large.

again, this is an invitation, but if you're doing something else and don't feel like it fits, go, and really get involved in what you're doing there!

ok, some more specifics:
when: tuesday evenings
where: dianne's house (at least to start with)
who: you and anyone else this might resonate with

i know it's really late notice, but if you are free tomorrow (tues, jan 22), i'd love for you to come over at 7pm to pray and talk about this. i don't really know a lot more about what this will look like, and i want it to be worked out as a group. like i said, i'd rather be a facilitator than a leader. search out for yourself the absolute fundamentals of what "church" means, and we'll go from there.

i really don't mean to step on anyone's toes or offend in any way. and i'm sure some of you have concerns or confusions, and i'd love to talk with you about this more. PLEASE feel free to email me or call.

i love you all and want the best for you, whether that includes this thing or not. if you've read this far, thank you. (i tried to condense it, and if i've verbally processed this stuff with you already, you know that i have! so sorry to those who aren't used to it!)

for Christ and His glory,
dianne

ps. PLEASE pass this on to anyone who might be interested. it is a completely open invitation!

pps. i've attached some articles for those interested in reading/seeing more. i don't necessarily agree with all of it, nor is all of it a practical place to start, but it is certainly good food for thought!

youtube videos worth watching and considering:
(10:01) - an introduction to simple church

(1:29) - house churches around the world

attached pdfs:
"Finding Organic Church" by Frank Viola (has an awesome description of what i hope this will look like) (a link to this article was posted in a previous blog post)

"Missional Movements: Transforming the Harvest to Transform the Church", a paper by Fuller student Peter Gent - some ideas that were brand new to me and changed my perspective (if you want this article, i can send it to you)

books worth checking out:
Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Houses that Change the World by Wolfgang Simson