Thank you to those who made the meeting last night, we have some serious things to put on the table. We have had several impartial visitors that have expressed how the packed feeling leaves them feeling uncomfortable. I know how exciting it is for me and for you, but for a new person it is something that can be quite intimidating.
When we moved into the community center we knew 2 services was going to be in our future, and maybe we should have just gone to two services to start with. I have noticed that we are not keeping our visitors, and I feel that the limited space has a lot to do with that. 2 services is definitely in our future, the question is when do we decide to make the switch.
We need to keep in mind our mission of Reaching, multiplying, and sending. What we are doing now is no longer reaching. If my first church experience consisted of a complete stronger sitting right next to me I probably wouldn't go back regardless of how much I liked the service. As a church person I could go into any church and this would not hinder me, but as an unbeliever searching, it could possibly stop my search.
I feel we need to put structure to this if we want to keep the unity we have recently found. As ministry leaders I want you to look at what this looks like for you. You are going to have to lead and structure your ministry so this works for you. This means using anyone who has offered to be used. We have to get better at delegating and multiplying ourselves.
I want to have a leadership meeting to hear from you as to when and how we need to make this move. I as much as anyone would love to keep it one service, but realize that is not an option anymore if we want to be a church that is bringing in the lost. At this meeting I don't want to here why or why not we should or shouldn't go to 2 services, I want to here what you and your team have structured and looked at in the case that we do. The last thing we need is disunity. I know the strain it causes, but we are here on earth to reach as many as we can with what we have been given, and that needs to be the focus of this meeting. I am not saying that it is something that will happen right away, but as leader of your ministry what would that look like if it did.
This is a core leadership meeting not a leaders meeting so please keep it as quite as possible so we don't hurt others feelings.
I'm thinking 6:30 at our house. Feel free to respond to me directly with your thoughts, but always keep the mission of this church primary. We are reaching people for His glory, and His alone.
I also will be talking this Sunday about community. I want to see some structure with connect groups that keep us all unified and on the same page. I would connect groups to start out with prayer, then discussion of message, then a time of application preferably in smaller groups possibly, but not limited to men and women. then close with a time of prayer as well. Sunday morning needs to be feeding the connect groups so we are all pushing in the same direction as a church.
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Then my initial response:
When we moved into the community center we knew 2 services was going to be in our future, and maybe we should have just gone to two services to start with. I have noticed that we are not keeping our visitors, and I feel that the limited space has a lot to do with that. 2 services is definitely in our future, the question is when do we decide to make the switch.
We need to keep in mind our mission of Reaching, multiplying, and sending. What we are doing now is no longer reaching. If my first church experience consisted of a complete stronger sitting right next to me I probably wouldn't go back regardless of how much I liked the service. As a church person I could go into any church and this would not hinder me, but as an unbeliever searching, it could possibly stop my search.
I feel we need to put structure to this if we want to keep the unity we have recently found. As ministry leaders I want you to look at what this looks like for you. You are going to have to lead and structure your ministry so this works for you. This means using anyone who has offered to be used. We have to get better at delegating and multiplying ourselves.
I want to have a leadership meeting to hear from you as to when and how we need to make this move. I as much as anyone would love to keep it one service, but realize that is not an option anymore if we want to be a church that is bringing in the lost. At this meeting I don't want to here why or why not we should or shouldn't go to 2 services, I want to here what you and your team have structured and looked at in the case that we do. The last thing we need is disunity. I know the strain it causes, but we are here on earth to reach as many as we can with what we have been given, and that needs to be the focus of this meeting. I am not saying that it is something that will happen right away, but as leader of your ministry what would that look like if it did.
This is a core leadership meeting not a leaders meeting so please keep it as quite as possible so we don't hurt others feelings.
I'm thinking 6:30 at our house. Feel free to respond to me directly with your thoughts, but always keep the mission of this church primary. We are reaching people for His glory, and His alone.
I also will be talking this Sunday about community. I want to see some structure with connect groups that keep us all unified and on the same page. I would connect groups to start out with prayer, then discussion of message, then a time of application preferably in smaller groups possibly, but not limited to men and women. then close with a time of prayer as well. Sunday morning needs to be feeding the connect groups so we are all pushing in the same direction as a church.
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Then my initial response:
Please allow me to be direct. Your letter comes off as hostile. I apologize if you're offended at that.
You bring up many things, some of which greatly concern me. I will not attempt to discuss them here, however.
In actual fact, I am not sure how I want to proceed. I believe I will need to commit the issues to further prayer.
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You bring up many things, some of which greatly concern me. I will not attempt to discuss them here, however.
In actual fact, I am not sure how I want to proceed. I believe I will need to commit the issues to further prayer.
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Then my followup:
I've had some time to consider what I perceive to be the issues. Please note that none of this is intended as accusation.
The meeting you couldn't attend turned out to have spiritual import. It was a good discussion about real issues, honestly presented and carefully considered. I would say we gained some ground in the Spirit. Afterwards, there were people praying together and ministering to each other.
I was encouraged, not because we had developed some sort of action plan or made any decisions. That did not happen. What we did was something I've been hoping to see ever since I've been here: People were considering the spiritual implications of the matters, perhaps having been previously unaware of them, and then realizing in some cases that they had not committed them to prayer.
These people are good people. They are learning the ways of the Kingdom, perhaps in a way they haven't considered before. They started to realize that the problem wasn't the problem. They began to understand the spirit behind the issues. This is, for lack of a better word, something I would deem a breakthrough.
I've harped on some of this before, and I apologize for repeating myself: It's all about what the Spirit is saying and doing. We can still do all the right things, but without the Spirit, we "fight like a man beating the air." (1 Cor 9:26)
So that's why I responded to you the way I did. Hostile was a strong word, and in retrospect, and unfortunate choice. My reaction to your email was, I'm afraid, a little too visceral.
So anyway. This is the statement of concern: "At this meeting I don't want to here why or why not we should or shouldn't go to 2 services, I want to here what you and your team have structured and looked at in the case that we do." The fact of the matter is, there are good, solid people in leadership who have an opinion about this, and they deserve due honor. The idea that they should not speak about their discomfort is a shut door in the Spirit.
May I say, it felt like what was done at the meeting, the progress that was made, well, it seemed like it was undone. If people are going to take the risk and start walking in the Spirit, their baby steps need to be encouraged, not cut off. Your statement felt very unilateral, very cut-and-dried.
This church is at a crossroads. It's a good thing. Will it be a church that moves in the Spirit, or will it be a church that does the things that churches have always done? The reason I'm at this church is to help do the former. Like a gardener, I see the little bud of a flower and want to protect it and nurture it.
I'm not sure I've made any sense. I do hope I've conveyed that this is not about how many services we have. Frankly, I just don't care if people feel uncomfortable by sitting next to a stranger. The only thing I care about is the Presence of the Holy Spirit, His work in us, His plan for us, His anointing and power working through us. If the Holy Spirit is there, the people who show up won't care how many people are in the room.
Sorry for the long reply.
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The meeting you couldn't attend turned out to have spiritual import. It was a good discussion about real issues, honestly presented and carefully considered. I would say we gained some ground in the Spirit. Afterwards, there were people praying together and ministering to each other.
I was encouraged, not because we had developed some sort of action plan or made any decisions. That did not happen. What we did was something I've been hoping to see ever since I've been here: People were considering the spiritual implications of the matters, perhaps having been previously unaware of them, and then realizing in some cases that they had not committed them to prayer.
These people are good people. They are learning the ways of the Kingdom, perhaps in a way they haven't considered before. They started to realize that the problem wasn't the problem. They began to understand the spirit behind the issues. This is, for lack of a better word, something I would deem a breakthrough.
I've harped on some of this before, and I apologize for repeating myself: It's all about what the Spirit is saying and doing. We can still do all the right things, but without the Spirit, we "fight like a man beating the air." (1 Cor 9:26)
So that's why I responded to you the way I did. Hostile was a strong word, and in retrospect, and unfortunate choice. My reaction to your email was, I'm afraid, a little too visceral.
So anyway. This is the statement of concern: "At this meeting I don't want to here why or why not we should or shouldn't go to 2 services, I want to here what you and your team have structured and looked at in the case that we do." The fact of the matter is, there are good, solid people in leadership who have an opinion about this, and they deserve due honor. The idea that they should not speak about their discomfort is a shut door in the Spirit.
May I say, it felt like what was done at the meeting, the progress that was made, well, it seemed like it was undone. If people are going to take the risk and start walking in the Spirit, their baby steps need to be encouraged, not cut off. Your statement felt very unilateral, very cut-and-dried.
This church is at a crossroads. It's a good thing. Will it be a church that moves in the Spirit, or will it be a church that does the things that churches have always done? The reason I'm at this church is to help do the former. Like a gardener, I see the little bud of a flower and want to protect it and nurture it.
I'm not sure I've made any sense. I do hope I've conveyed that this is not about how many services we have. Frankly, I just don't care if people feel uncomfortable by sitting next to a stranger. The only thing I care about is the Presence of the Holy Spirit, His work in us, His plan for us, His anointing and power working through us. If the Holy Spirit is there, the people who show up won't care how many people are in the room.
Sorry for the long reply.
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Then his reply:
Rich, in regards to my email, I had heard the meeting was great. The only reason I noted that at the meeting we don't discuss the when part of when we go to two services is that I want to see what this looks like from a practical standpoint before we just jump in and do it. After looking at the practicals we can then discuss what the Spirit wants to do. I do plan on this team giving their input in the discussion and in no way am trying to shut the door on the Spirit.
As to the meeting I wasn't there along with many on this team, and I was just trying to fill people in as to what I had given David to discuss. I don't want to let the disagreements on when and how we do this cause division and want to look at the practicals, and let the Holy Spirit lead us from there.
I in no way was offended by your email, and gladly accept your input. I too feel that we are at a crossroads, and am excited to see God move.
Rich, in regards to my email, I had heard the meeting was great. The only reason I noted that at the meeting we don't discuss the when part of when we go to two services is that I want to see what this looks like from a practical standpoint before we just jump in and do it. After looking at the practicals we can then discuss what the Spirit wants to do. I do plan on this team giving their input in the discussion and in no way am trying to shut the door on the Spirit.
As to the meeting I wasn't there along with many on this team, and I was just trying to fill people in as to what I had given David to discuss. I don't want to let the disagreements on when and how we do this cause division and want to look at the practicals, and let the Holy Spirit lead us from there.
I in no way was offended by your email, and gladly accept your input. I too feel that we are at a crossroads, and am excited to see God move.
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