You know how when you take a picture with a Polaroid it comes out of the camera all grey and then you have to wait on it to develop? Sometimes you blow on it, sometimes you shake it, but you always have to wait. Slowly images begin to appear and you can begin to make out what is in the photo. But, not all the images appear at the same time. You see some of the bigger things in the picture, but some of the details do not fully develop until much later. This is the best description of what this process has been for me as we ask God to show us what He wants us to do with planting this church.
For the sake of the process, I will do my best to develop the things that God has clearly began to show me, but try to keep the suspense of what has not been made clear quite yet.
When God clearly called us to plant this church we asked Him what He wanted it to look like. He told me to start with a blank slate. Well, that sounds much harder than just taking a playbook from another church plant or trying to "copy and paste" what we are doing at Heritage Park. But, I believe that God knows how to do this better than me, so I trust Him. So I started a new note in my Evernote app called "Church Planting" and, as God brought things church planting related into my head, I just typed whatever thought or phrase or picture down in that note. It didn't really make much sense at first, but I trusted the process.
Then, one day, as I was scrolling through my notes, part of the Polaroid began to develop. It was a picture of a TABLE. I began to ask God what that meant. I believe that He is still clarifying exactly what this means, but here is what I can articulate at this point on the journey:
We are living in increasingly more and more post-Christian society. Where 10 years ago people may accompany you to church if you asked them, I have seen this become less and less true and believe this to continue to be the case over the next decade. If we are going to plant a church that reaches the 300,000 people that live in the 4B area that are far from God for Christ, we have to find a way to get to know their story and introduce them to the story of God. While people may be hesitant to say yes to an invitation to church, they will most likely not turn you down if you extend an invitation to have dinner at your house.
I believe that the table will become the front door for our church. What if the churches first thought is not, "I need to invite this person to church so that they can hear from my pastor," but thought, "I should invite my neighbors over for dinner so that I can get to know their stories and they can begin to see the Gospel in me and my family"? Then, through a series of meals together, your neighbors begin to see and hear how the Gospel has shaped your life and when you invite them to meet your church family, their response is a resounding, "YES!"
What if we were able to look at the people that end up gathering together at whatever-name-church we end up being (Yes, I know that we need a name) and the first question we ask people is whose table did you come from? I don't know about you, but this excites me beyond measure. My prayer is for whoever God sends to be a part of our core team will also get excited about having people who are far from God come into their house and eat a meal with their family.
More to come on the Polaroid, but I hope God is stirring in your heart, because I have been praying for you. And I am praying that our tables will be big enough for the people God is sending our way.
For the sake of the process, I will do my best to develop the things that God has clearly began to show me, but try to keep the suspense of what has not been made clear quite yet.
When God clearly called us to plant this church we asked Him what He wanted it to look like. He told me to start with a blank slate. Well, that sounds much harder than just taking a playbook from another church plant or trying to "copy and paste" what we are doing at Heritage Park. But, I believe that God knows how to do this better than me, so I trust Him. So I started a new note in my Evernote app called "Church Planting" and, as God brought things church planting related into my head, I just typed whatever thought or phrase or picture down in that note. It didn't really make much sense at first, but I trusted the process.
Then, one day, as I was scrolling through my notes, part of the Polaroid began to develop. It was a picture of a TABLE. I began to ask God what that meant. I believe that He is still clarifying exactly what this means, but here is what I can articulate at this point on the journey:
We are living in increasingly more and more post-Christian society. Where 10 years ago people may accompany you to church if you asked them, I have seen this become less and less true and believe this to continue to be the case over the next decade. If we are going to plant a church that reaches the 300,000 people that live in the 4B area that are far from God for Christ, we have to find a way to get to know their story and introduce them to the story of God. While people may be hesitant to say yes to an invitation to church, they will most likely not turn you down if you extend an invitation to have dinner at your house.
I believe that the table will become the front door for our church. What if the churches first thought is not, "I need to invite this person to church so that they can hear from my pastor," but thought, "I should invite my neighbors over for dinner so that I can get to know their stories and they can begin to see the Gospel in me and my family"? Then, through a series of meals together, your neighbors begin to see and hear how the Gospel has shaped your life and when you invite them to meet your church family, their response is a resounding, "YES!"
What if we were able to look at the people that end up gathering together at whatever-name-church we end up being (Yes, I know that we need a name) and the first question we ask people is whose table did you come from? I don't know about you, but this excites me beyond measure. My prayer is for whoever God sends to be a part of our core team will also get excited about having people who are far from God come into their house and eat a meal with their family.
More to come on the Polaroid, but I hope God is stirring in your heart, because I have been praying for you. And I am praying that our tables will be big enough for the people God is sending our way.
Good thoughts, Kacee. I love your Polaroid thought process.
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