Monday, November 26, 2012

untitled.

well, I'm just gonna jump right in here. I have two three year olds on nap time strike and my son has decided to do some kind of crazy craft at the table involving a lot of construction paper and so much glue. seriously, so much glue. I'm really hoping he doesn't start casting glances at the glitter because I don't know if I'm up for a glitter mess today. it sort of makes me nervous. funny thing is, this is the best time I've got to sort stuff out and jot stuff down. 

so here it is: we've been out here in colorado for about a year and a half, and we've been to church after church after church after church. and we're trying so hard (so hard!) not to nit-pick every church we go to. we've been to several very nice churches, with very nice pastors and very nice kids ministries. we've been to the "cool" churches in the city, we've been to one absolutely crazy church with a pastor who is (for real) holding "excommunication meetings." (and yes, we were unofficially excommunicated from that one- the formal "excommunication meetings" hadn't started up yet). I wish I was joking about that last part, but I'm not. 

all of that to say, we have been seriously trying to find our spot here in denver colorado and it's rough. 

if you're reading this, you probably know ricky and I and maybe you're wondering "well, why don't you guys plant a church?" and a few months ago, we started wondering the same thing, which is pretty funny because we are not your typical church-planters. there's nothing type A or detail oriented about us, we don't have money or a church sending us out, we hardly even know anyone out here. all we have is a nutty love for the people of denver and a serious desire to see people walking in victory with Jesus. 

to make things even more interesting, as we've prayed together and talked about this stuff we've discovered that God has given us some very passionate convictions regarding church, prayer and discipleship. it breaks our hearts to see so many churches doing church without having any sort of prayer meeting going on- from where we're sitting, you can have a church with a rocking worship team, dynamite teacher and amazing children's ministry, but if no one's praying what's the point? 

for real, what's the point? 

about a year ago we started really laying that question down before the LORD. and then we read some books that might be a little dangerous if these convictions are already hanging around in your head- books like Church Planter by Darrin Patrick, Whatever Happened to Worship by A.W. Tozer, and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. 

it's been a really neat season of soul-searching and hanging out with Jesus. He's saying stuff and we're pumped. 

so in january we're starting a weekly night of prayer, worship and Bible study in our house. maybe we're planting a church, maybe we're not- we don't know. but we know that Awesome Stuff happens when people get together and cry out to the LORD. Revival comes when people pray. 

Revival. 

the reason I'm typing furiously at this keyboard right now is just to ask for somebody out there to pray for us. we've been away from our church and our people for coming on two years and we so don't want to find ourselves kooked out. ricky works some pretty demanding hours, I'm homeschooling for the first year and we have three kids under four years old. but if the LORD is attracted to weakness, He's gotta be attracted to us! 

dude, we need mercy. like a heaping helping of MERCY. 

and wisdom. if you've got some, give it up! we want it. 

  



7 comments:

  1. Keri,
    There is brilliant vulnerability in this post. My family will keep you guys in prayer. Being without a church to call home is super unsettling, but you're right—without prayer and laying it all before the Father, then where does everything else get you.

    I'm going to share this my wife. I think you and Ricky and my wife and me share a lot in common.

    Though I don't know if it pertains exactly to where you're at, Psalm 4 may be a little encouraging, particularly verse 8.

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    1. this is SO funny, but psalm 4:8 has been such a tremendous blessing and comfort to us this past couple of weeks. i love that. a couple of weeks ago we were super blessed to stumble upon a new church in our area that we LOVE. and in the past few days, the LORD has brought so much clarity in His plans for us- we're excited and we're pumped and i think we've found our church and our people. :)

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  2. Well, that was us too. We did church on the couch with the kids for 3 years before we thought we should look around. That didn't go well either.

    We started a church 4 years ago here in our area. Here's my advice on how to start a church: DO NOT READ ANY CHURCH PLANTING CRAP - because it's mostly all crap. Don't copy anybody's church planting methods. don't plant a church with plans of being supported by it. Don't plant a church hoping it will grow. Don't do a "Bible study".

    Do ask the Lord what he wants to do. Ask for his unique authorship within you and your context and feel good when it's really weird and unconventional. Support yourselves with your work outside the church. The first stab to the heart of something new is the want/expectation to be financially supported. You will not give a rip about getting something from your people and can relax in giving to them. Church growth is God's responsibility so let him do what he wants to do if he wants to. People are Bible studied to death. Dig into each other's stories and find the places where they still need to reckon the gospel in their souls. This should take a very long time (we found something really good at getting to a person's soul architecture). Once your "church" begins to understand the real and actual gospel, not just for salvation but for daily living, THEN begin your Bible study.

    Our little church is filled with refugees who have been beat, abused, confused, legalized, rejected and deeply hurt by what seems to be a universally crappy understanding of the gospel story. We spent almost 2 years on the gospel of Christ before we ventured off into other studies. It was worth it. and we keep revisiting it all the time so folks don't relapse into their old and faulty gospel understanding and/or treatment.

    Man it's been fun.

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    1. I have no idea if you'll ever see this, dayn, but i just stumbled into your comment. we're at a little church plant right now and have sort of naturally found ourselves in a leadership/discipling sort of position. because (i'll be super honest) there isn't a whole lot of health- we're there because we know that we know that Jesus has called us there to exhort and support the pastor and his wife. the stuff that you say here has been the stuff that's heaviest on our hearts as we pray.... why is church culture so jacked up that we think "church" means sitting in chairs every sunday while someone teaches at us? we could go on for days. but thinking differently and sort of being those church rebels has been rough. anyhow, thank you for encouraging and nourishing that rebellious, i guess anti-lame church culture attitude in us. :) as we soak in the reality of what the gospel is, we want so much more than tired sunday morning meetings. and every time ricky and i are like "man! i'm so sick of being the church rebels!" we think of you. :) hahaha.

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  3. Oh my goodness, Keri, I don't know how I missed this! I will be praying for you, Ricky and the kidlets, as you listen to God regarding this! It is so hard to be without a church community, so I will pray that God's leading is clear to you both! I love your blog, your vulnerability and desire to be who God created you to be. You are a breath of fresh air, m'dear!

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    1. thanks, ruth! a couple of weeks ago i think we found our spot! we've started going to a church plant out here that dom had told us about and we LOVE it. we're super excited and pumped and just plain thrilled and giddy to see what Jesus does with us there. the LORD has answered so many prayers about this lately- even little, super specific things. it's crazy awesome. :)

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