The Lifestyle of the Body of Christ
Clear Your Calendar, Seek Life
Lifestyle vs. That "1 More Thing"
In a neutral setting, we partake in community in the following ways:
Monday
Meal - Prayer - Worship - CommunionWednesday
Vision/Strategy - Teaching - Book Study
Friday/Saturday Night
We go a-searchin' for the "unchurched," the "dechurched," and by-golly the ones that are in need of love and poor in spirit, ready for the Lord's touch to heal them and reconcile them to Himself.
*Note: As a community, we often may "spontaneously" check on each other, conversing anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how the conversation goes. We love big, serve each other, rejoice together, worship, cry, pray, and whatever else comes, we do together.
The goal is for this Community in Christ to become our life. We choose to love one another, to forgive one another, and to walk in unity with our brethren. Division is the enemy, lukewarmness is out of our comfort zone, and programs have run their course. Everyone has a voice, everyone has a relationship with the Lord, everyone participates their gifts, everyone adds to the body, exhibiting Christ as Lord. We seek to show the world Jesus, not just tell them about Him.
Recreating the Wheel, When There's Nothing New Under the Sun
Until the Garden is Restored
Fitted Together as Living Stones
Contrasting Church Methodology
- All the churches in the Bible met in a home and functioned like a small spiritual family. The current institutional church, by contrast, spends a great deal of energy and money getting and maintaining a church building.
- The churches in the Bible were simple. We describe "simple church" as a way of being/doing church where any believer could say, "I could do that!". ("they were astonished that Peter and John were unschooled, ordinary men" (Acts 4:13).) The institutional church, by contrast, requires highly educated, highly school (seminary, etc.) highly creative people to be successful.
- In the New Testament (NT) churches, everyone used their gifts. In institutional church, only a few, highly gifted people (worship leaders, preachers, etc.) use their gifts.
- In NT church, Jesus brought the agenda for the meetings. In institutional churches, a few, very smart people design the worship experiences.
- In the NT, churches were started in a few hours or a few days. Institutional churches require a great deal of planning and resources and take months or years to start.
*Shared from http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/53478-where-are-people-leaving-the-church-going