Art

Museums ------- we don't need no stinkin' museums.

Following Jesus

Acts 2.42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

Like many of you know ------ I have been commissioned to start a new faith community (we are calling it The Anchor) in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.  Many times I find myself in the midst of a conversation that starts with a question like: "How are things going with the new church?"  While I am in the midst of that conversation I often times find myself having to create a new paradigm of church for the person that I am talking to.  The reason for that is due to the fact that The Anchor just doesn't make sense to the large majority of Christians ------ and that is because we do not have any land, any building, any money, and we do not have a worship service.  Because of this lack of churchy type of stuff (we do not have committees either) ------ I have to explain this new paradigm of making disciples.  Recently I had a revelation in the midst of one of those explanations, and I wanted to share it with you all.

Before moving to Wilmington, I served for seven years at a local church here in North Carolina.  This is an awesome church where the people truly desire to be followers of Jesus.  While serving as the pastor, I oftentimes found myself pleading ------ even begging ------- for people to participate in some sort of Bible study.  We did really well and had about 50% of the congregation willing to participate in some sort of Bible study.  I also found myself pleading ------- even begging ------- for people to participate in some sort of mission.  That could be locally, nationally, or internationally.  We did really well and had about 30% of the congregation willing to participate in some sort of mission.  Lastly, I found myself pleading ------ even begging ------- for people to be in fellowship with one another.  To have a meal together (even with people that we do not know), spend time with one another (not just because we are family), and have fun together.  We did really well with that, and I would say around 75% participated in some sort of fellowship event.

Interestingly, as the new faith community called The Anchor ------ we have 100% participation in these three areas.  We have begun with Missional Communities and all of us study scripture together, participate in mission together, and fellowship together.  This is a radical departure from the paradigm of church that holds as the standard land, buildings, money, and committee meetings.  In many ways it reminds me of Acts 2.42.

What if the paradigm for the church was the standard of mission, study, and fellowship?  I believe we then would not have to spend as much time convincing folks to come into our air-conditioned buildings ------- because it will be natural to come together and celebrate the living God who has called us out of darkness and into his wonderful light.