The first time our launch team met we looked at this quote by Jim Wallis. It’s the basis of what we believe we’re called to as a faith community.

“The Bible is a collection of books, gathered together to tell a single story. This story is about how God created a good and perfect world, how his world self-destructively rebelled against him, and how he is now acting to rescue it from itself. It is, in the end, a story of redemption. A story of God reclaiming and renewing his world…

A Jewish man came along who also called the people of Israel back to their vocation of blessing the whole world. He announced that the light of God’s reign was breaking in, overcoming the darkness. This new kingdom was not built through war or rebellion, but by loving one’s enemies and praying for those who wish you harm. But this prophet, too, was rejected. By the end, everyone was calling for his execution. He died by the will of his people, and by the hand of his oppressors.

But the reports say that he didn’t stay dead. They say that his God vindicated him, that he was raised to life and that in sacrificing himself he defeated death. They say the new world was born…

So the invitation goes out. The kind of world the prophets dreamed about is becoming a reality through the work of Jesus the Messiah and the life-giving Spirit of God. You can join this reality, helping to bring justice, extending mercy, working to set things right. Jesus’ kingdom is something we can all be a part of – and you are called to find your place in it. God is renewing his world. You can join him.” (Amos: Hear This Word)

Last week we participated in a Wiring Assessment. This assessment is a tool intended to help us understand how God has uniquely wired us so that we can be equipped to do the work of the people (Ephesians 2:8-10). It included our personality, spiritual giftedness, passions, causes, skills and experiences.

It was – and is – exciting and inspiring to see how God has created each one of us to function as a Kingdom body, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. We desire as a faith community to operate in this God-given, God-initiated mindset of using our giftedness in ways that bless the world we live in for the sake of the kingdom. And we all have a part to play.

1 Corinthians 12 in the Message says it best:

You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

Recently our launch team has been discussing and unpacking the Greek word oikos. It means family, household and, generally speaking, your circle of influence. 

Because we see ourselves as missionaries cleverly disguised as businessmen and teachers and stay-at-home moms and bankers we’ve asked ourselves the question, “How can we be intentional with the oikos that we find ourselves in?” 

Whether it’s the board room, the class room, the living room or the play room our oikos is important, the mission field in which we have been placed. 

In fact, we’re all mapping our neighborhoods and our classrooms and our office cubicles and being intentional to build relationships and pray for those on our maps. 

So, what does it mean to be intentional in our oikos? 

Can we expand our oikos to include people that may not normally “belong”? 

How can we grow to see our oikos as our mission field throughout the week?

Tim Keller once said, “Don’t try to build a great church. Instead, build a great city, because when you build a great city you will have a great church.” 

We desire to help renew the communities where we live, work and play in holistic ways, starting with Lansdale. We know we can’t do everything, but we can do something. We’re already involved in several official and unofficial expressions of serving our communities. 

We’ve sat down with local authorities, leaders, business owners and directors of organizations and asked the questions, “How can we help? Where can we serve?”

We’ve begun to make and serve meals at Manna on Main. 

We’re caring for children who come from difficult home lives.

We’re making meals for single moms.

We’re helping to organize a farmers market and cleaning and maintaining Main Street in Lansdale.

We’re praying through the possibility of “adopting” a country (which would include seeking out opportunities to build relationships/partnerships with other churches in that country, pray specifically for the needs of that country and resource those countries in order to see the kingdom of God proclaimed and fleshed out in that culture.)

There are many different ways to get engage and get involved, both locally and globally. If you’re interested in joining us in these ways contact Bethany Paul at bethanypaul@renewcommunity.org. 

There are several ways to get connected to Renew right now, even if you are not on the launch team. Here are a few of the ways you can join us.

-Tuesday mornings 7 am: dudes get together every Tuesday and hang out over pancakes and eggs. It’s not a “bible study” (although we do study the Scriptures while we hang out and eat). It’s real laid-back and chill. Bring your Bible. Eat breakfast. Come when you feel like it. Leave whenever you need to head to work. But sorry ladies…it’s only for dudes. For more information email J.R. at jrbriggs@renewcommunity.org

-Saturday November 8: Renew is co-hosting a one-day financial seminar called Biblical Steps to Financial Freedom from 9 am to 3:30 pm. It’s open to anyone and everyone. Cost is $10 and $15/couple for pre-registration and $15 per person and $20 per couple at the door. (This includes lunch and materials). The event will be held at The Well (Feasterville, PA).  The event is open to the public. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. For more information or to pre-register log onto: http://church.thewellpa.com/news/general-updates/practical-steps-to-financial-freedom-seminar/

-Ongoing serving opportunities: There is always something we are doing to bless the neighborhood. If you’re interested in knowing these events email Bethany at bethanypaul@renewcommunity.org

-Wednesday November 26 – Thanksgiving Eve Special Gathering: No, we’re not publicly launching until early 2009, however we are having a special gathering to celebrate and focus on our gratitude for the Risen Christ. Everyone is invited to this public gathering. We’ve love for you to join us as we spend time contemplated all the ways we’ve been blessed. More information to come.

House churches at Renew are extremely significant. Smaller, decentralized, informal Jesus communities are the basis of what we desire, believing that they are the most significant meeting of the week (even more than Sunday gatherings). This is why house churches are starting first -before we publicly launch with a public Sunday gathering some time in early 2009. We strongly believe that house churches are the best way to be connected to Renew and the best way to be a fluid, missional, organic community in Lansdale and the region. 

Several people have expressed interest. Maybe you’re interested. We’ll be having an informational meeting where you can hear more about the vision and direction of house churches, meet some of the house church leaders and ask questions. That meeting will be on Sunday November 2 from 1-3 pm. For more information email Tracy Commons at (coming soon).  

Lately we’ve discussed a sociological term called “third places.” The premise is this: home is your “first place,” work is your “second place.” What is your third place – those places you go regularly and yet spontaneously to unwind and connect with friends?

Ray Oldenberg in his book The Great Good Place describes in great detail what Third Places are. Many cultures in the world have third places, he writes, but America has been lacking. Italy and France have cafes, Latin American countries have plazas, England has pubs and Germany has beer gardens. But what about America? Well, it used to be the front porch. But that is a thing of the past. Howard Schultz has worked hard to create third places. In fact, he said that he wanted to create a company that would replace the front porch in America. And he did. He created a very successful company. The company’s name? Starbucks.

Jesus hung out in Third Places (check out John 4 with the woman at the well) and we need to think strategically about third places. Read what Michael Frost writes about Christians and Third Places in his book Exiles:

“Third places are the most significant places for Christian mission to occur because in a third place people are more relaxed, less guarded, more open to meaningful conversation and interaction…it is in third places where we let our guards down… Any cursory reading of the Gospels will reveal Jesus’ interest in being in third places…Missional proximity can best be developed in bars, pubs, gyms, grocery stores, beauty parlors, community groups, and coffee shops.” (pp. 59-60)

“Whenever I speak about the need to focus our energies in third places, many well-meaning Christians can’t help but agree. It makes perfect sense that if we want to influence people in the way Jesus did, we should create proximity in the places where people relax and find meaning. But for many Christians this poses a great dilemma. Whether it’s as simple as joining the local jogging club or as complex as owning a third-place business, most Christians can’t do it because they simply don’t have the time. The reason for this is that for most Christians their church has become their third place. Their churches soak up every bit of their spare time. All their social networks revolve around church…How could they ever find the time to hang out in a third place?

…The key to missional proximity is frequency and spontaneity. By seeing people several times a week, casually and un-rushed, you usually find that after a period of time you’re invited to a party here or a barbeque there. The most important events often are the spontaneous ones that you get caught up in because you’re there. And you need to be there frequently to get caught up in such a way…

…if I’m busy several nights a week and all weekend with my church activities, how can I possibly develop a commitment to such frequent proximity? Our churches, under the guides of doing the work of Christ, are inadvertently sucking us away from the very people that Jesus would want us to hang out with… It sucks you in, demanding everything of you, leaving you completely socially disconnected from your neighbors, your community… We, having read the dangerous stories of Jesus, have decided that the best way to do the Lord’s work is to follow him out into the third places of our community.” (pp 62-63).

We’re wrestling with these questions as we process third places:

• What are some third places in our culture? in Lansdale?
• How could we engage with these third places more regularly and intentionally?
• What lifestyle changes could that require of me?
• How do we make sure we aren’t too busy for third places?
• How do we know when we are too busy?