The Unusual Growth of a Church
It has been awhile since there has been an entry here. Ever since the first "core" meeting, I have had to figure out a few things and realize this is, indeed, God’s will. That meeting and what has followed has been an amazing journey to where I am now.
Typical church formation involves assembling a small group of people in a room on a regular basis in what is essentially a small group until we hit critical mass and we then go into the goal of a Sunday service and awanas and small groups and retreats. Not with this vision. Not with these people.
Since that first meeting I have had more coffee meets and more lunches than I can shake a stick at. After talking to some people I decided that where we were was exactly where we are supposed to be. So for now I am meeting people where they live and at their comfort level.
I have called this the hometown pastor since Bolingbrook is where I live and where I grew up mostly. Something wondrous has happened. Over the last few weeks I have been meeting with people I have not seen in 14-20 years. Some have some deep wounds and they are telling me about them. Still some of those have captured this idea and want to be a part of it. We have not had that small gathering in a livingroom. Frankly, I do not see that happening. What I do have is an amazing group of real people I meeting with and sharing life with and getting to know who want to be a part of this.
A church is not a Sunday service, a building, a small group, or any of that. All of those things can be a part of the church. But the church is you and me and them. A church is all of us trying to figure out life together. I have a bunch of people in my world who are trying to do just that. Now I have to introduce them all to each other. Now, they have to help me figure out OUR next step. Will it be a sunday service? A helping hand for single moms? Some Bible study? I do not know. I do know WE need to figure this out.
From this point forward I am going to start trying to write daily. I am not sure how that will go, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit weeks into an entry. There is so much more I want to say about the last few weeks, but no idea where to begin.
Next step starts soon. Not sure what that will look like, but we have a church, now we just have to figure out what to do with it.
