Godgrown

Updates from January, 2012 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Mark 10:01 am on January 10, 2012 Permalink | Reply  

  The Mission of Gardening 

  One house church in the Underground Network has made it their mission to reclaim an abandoned space in a Chicago city park. This plot of land was used as a literal trash dump for anyone passing by, making the quarter-acre of land a blight on the entire neighborhood in which the house church was located. The project was started February 2011, where a few folks in one house church drew up some plans for a vegetable garden in this space – and in April they picked up the trash and filth, and built a raised-bed garden – with fresh, rich top soil.

  Their goal was to follow the spirit of 1 Cor 1: 28, 29 – “For God chose things despised by the world, things considered as nothing, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers to be important…” They invited the entire neighborhood to participate, including several gardeners, many of whom were skeptical of the project’s success. Over the year, more and more volunteers contributed their efforts. There was a good sized harvest (for first time gardeners!) and all the grown produce was enjoyed by neighbors and during the house church gatherings. It was beautiful.

  In November 2011, that house church gave birth to another house church, which brought in the neighbors who had worked on the garden – now they knew that there was a Christian church behind the garden, and they wanted to be a part of that kind of church – so this new house church is planning in 2012 to expand the veggie garden, and they are dreaming of opening up a new farmers market to invite regional farmers to sell their produce alongside this little urban garden’s yield.

  All this, from an abandoned lot.

  “God chose the things despised by the world, the things considered as nothing, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important – so no one can boast in the presence of God!”

  

  Jay Abels is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Jay Abels 12:30 pm on February 1, 2012 Permalink

    There are many ways to sow.   It is always awesome to see the harvest.

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  Mark 9:36 am on November 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

  Twins! 

  This week is an exciting one.  Our house church network here in Chicago is having “twins!”

  Over the last year a simple church has been meeting in our home for prayer, communion, fellowship and scheming up the Kingdom of God in our city.  It was born out of a desire to be the church…the church we want to see in the world.  It was nothing earth-shattering, it but it was always real.  This last year I’ve seen people in our house church grow leaps and bounds – learning to trust in God, to hear his voice, to share their true selves with brothers and sisters.  And they’ve learned to seek out their purpose and mission.

  Over the last few months, several in our group have felt the call to take a step of faith and plant a church in a new context, opening up more living room space to new faces, new hearts.

  It was not something we imposed on folks, not something we pressured people in our group to do – it was talked about and dreamed about – but these two churches seem to have been born organically – from a continual stance of listening to the Holy Spirit on the next steps for our community.

  One church had its first gathering on Monday night, the second was last night (Wednesday).  Both are beautiful, fragile, yet complete pictures of the Bride of Christ.  I am so thankful and proud to be a part of the church family emerging all the time here in Chicago.  These two new churches, like all the others in our church network, will be able to reach out to people far from God – which is what its really all about.  It reminds me of how families grow to include new people, to leave the nest and venture out into new territory!

  It is beyond any one person – it is a people movement… it is a God movement!

  
   
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  Mark 8:55 am on April 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

  What Awaits Us 

  Last Saturday several of us from our house church went on a mission trip…all the way across the street to our city park.  Our mission?  To reclaim the green space from winter!  Winter and the boundless amounts of junk and trash that collects under bushes and in the crevices of the park.  We are building relationships with people in our neighborhood, and enjoying the company of our neighbors as we work together to restore our crumbling city park.

  It is one of the oldest parks in the city, and it is located in our neighborhood, one of the most diverse neighborhoods on the West Side of Chicago.  There is a lot of work to be done.  Graffiti and all kinds of bio-hazards awaited us as we began cleaning up the park’s gardens on Saturday.  We tried to invite some of the homeless to join us in the clean-up effort…but alas, maybe next time!

  In any case, we had a fantastic time – and it is saying to our neighbors, “We love you so much that we want to share with you not only the Gospel, but our lives as well.” (1 Thess 2:8)

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  Every church, whether small group or mega-crowd, should have a mission.

  I think its more powerful if everyone in the group has the same mission, but that is not always feasible.  In fact, in our organic church network, we ask each house church NOT to begin gathering as a church family until there is a notion of what God is calling you to in his mission.  Every church must be called to mission – we are the ekklesia - the “called out” ones.

  We are the people of God on the move!

  What is your mission? Could you share it with your small group?  Could it become the raison d’être for your congregation?  There is a famous quote,

  “God’s church does not have a mission, God’s mission has a church.”

  Without it, you might say that your church has nothing to do but collectively navel gaze.  It can become pretty consuming.  Each church is called to “make disciples of all nations.”  But notice – Jesus says, “As you go…”  Your disciple-making is done “on the way.” On the way to the local park for spring cleaning, on the way to to Mexico to care for orphans, on the way to your lunch break.  Your mission quickly becomes your purpose for living – the Gospel becomes the white space between all the words you say.

  What might it look like for the mission in your heart to become the work your church focuses on each time you gather together?  Would your church become healthier if it lived with the chance they would have to give up everything they had in order to follow Jesus faithfully into that mission?

  

  Mark W, and doloris are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    doloris 5:37 pm on April 19, 2011 Permalink

    I always want to hear more on the possible relationship between the individual and her church as far as mission is concerned. Do all churches have as specific missions as all individuals do? Or is it much more complex – for example, a person may not feel pulled towards the world in a particular way, but she meets a church who does and so joins in that direction cheerfully. Or vice versa. Or a church that meets mostly to be fascinated by the varieties of ways each other is living. Or a church who does not organizationally establish a mission, but finds their individual directions quite kin (leading to encouragement, but also presumption). As multifarious as the world exists, I hope churches relate in appropriately various ways. (i also wonder if we can see such differences in structure and mission in the early churches – how does the context of mission effect our understanding of the letters written to them?)
    -jes

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    Mark W 7:22 pm on April 19, 2011 Permalink

    There is a wonderful complexity of mission, the individual, and her community. Sometimes a person with a vision helps encourage a whole group to join in the fun, whereas other times an individual finds their own purpose in the mission already owned by a congregation. Still other times a church will have multiple missions and like you said so well, “the meet mostly to be fascinated by the varieties…” Very beautiful!

    Maybe the point beneath it all is a persistent desire to be spiritually formed by the movement of mission – both in community and as an individual. VERY interesting comment Jes!