Striving to become more Jesus-ish

Sunday was an especially encouraging day with our Renew launch team. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been meeting weekly for the past eight months to plan, pray, process, discuss, learn/unlearn/relearn what it means to be the people of God guided by God’s Spirit.

 

During these eight months we’ve prayerfullly asked God two questions: “What kind of faith community do you want us to be?” and “What kind of people do you want us to become?”

 

We’ve discussed a lot of things.

Taught on many different ideas.

Planned events.

Spent time getting to know each other.

Communicated clearly our philosophy of ministry.

Unpacked the missional concept.

Delved into the understanding of what church really is.

And we still have a long way to go…

 

But during Sunday’s meeting we didn’t add more information to the mix.

We simply took a deep breath, stepped back and spent time reflecting on where we’ve come from and how we’ve grown over the past eight months. We spent a significant amount of time in silence pondering and reflecting on all the things that God has done among us.

 

During our time of silence and reflection we answered four questions.

(1) What are the top 2 or 3 things you have learned during your time on the launch team?

(2) What have you needed to unlearn?

(3) How have you been changed and formed?

(4) How have you seen Jesus show up in our church?

 

We’re far from perfect.

We haven’t “arrived.”

We’re full of sin and brokenness and insecurities and fears.

There’s plenty of room for us to change and mature and grow.

Yet despite that fact, here are the encouraging responses that members of our launch team gave regarding their own experience over the past eight months.

 

(1) What are the top 2 or 3 things you have learned during your time on the launch team?

-that there is plenty of room for people to use their gifts

-that church isn’t something to be consumed

-that ‘where there is mission there is mess’

-it’s okay to be broken with others

-Tim Keller’s quote (”Don’t try to build a great church; try to build a great city. Because when you have a great city you will have a great church.”) has been influential in helping me understand a more holistic approach to church and our role in it. 

-the more I’ve served the more I’ve realized my needs are being met.

-that vision and execution are very different in nature.

 

(2) What have you needed to unlearn?

-my laziness (in order to learn to ask the tough questions about faith and church)

-an incomplete understanding of salvation (in order to learn that its not just about eternity, but that it starts right now)

-success is different than what I’ve been told in church all my life

-’church’ doesn’t have to be in a building

-the pastor doesn’t have to do it all by himself

-church is about a show (in order to learn that the messiness and the chaos is not only okay, but it may be more natural than eliminating the distraction)

-that a corporate approach to doing church is unnatural – and not as meaningful.

-”excellence” is not the end all – availability and faithfulness to God is.

-to be distrusting of church leadership (i.e. that I truly can trust leaders in the Church again)

 

(3) How have you been changed and formed?

-the Jesus-ish concept has helped me understand spiritual formation better

-its allowed a time of great healing in the midst of a lot of hurt and betrayal

-the four personal daily rhythms of (Scripture // prayer // blessing // seeing our work as being sacred) have been helpful for my growth and maturity.

-I’ve become more disciplined in my time in the Word and my time in prayer

-I’m conscious of opportunities for ministry around me… sensitivity to the Spirit and praying for my oikos

-I’ve learned to listen more

-I’ve become more relational – sensitive to the way people think and why they think that way.

 

(4) How have you seen Jesus show up in our church? 

-the open vulnerability and our responses with compassion and grace – love has been poured out

-the stories people have shared about their lives each week – full of laughter and tears

-the flexibility and scheduling of our launch team meetings – we have put personal needs above tasks (Christ has been King, not the clock)

-the open doors with the Farmers Market

-helping and loving on two young siblings who are in a difficult home life situation

-showing and sharing love with each other evidenced in our launch team interactions

-our children – they’ve taught us a lot about Jesus.

-grace extended to one another and in the community…and to me!

-friendships that have developed

-our house church shepherds

-we’re embracing and living out the Father’s heart within Renew.