Today was our first real attempt to explore emerging churches. They are sometimes hard to find and I'm not sure we really found one today. The church had been around for about 9 years. They are very casual, meet in a warehouse, have some really great music, love each other and love Christ. What more could you ask for?
It is obvious they value relationships. They list the starting time as 10:30 but that is when they gather to hang out, drink coffee and get ready. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes later they start to sing. After 5 or 10 minutes they greeted each other. But, it was different. The music stopped. The musicians came down and talked to people and all over they actually had conversations. We learned about the nurse behind us, the social worker who played the bass, and a few others. Their Mission Statement is: The Well, a community of people who seek to be formed around the scriptures and prayer... They seem to be that.
They read scripture several times, discussed it sort of back and forth for 10 minutes - they call it reading scriptures as a community. Then a visiting friend from Regent Seminary, he came home due to lack of funds, gave one of the best sermons I have heard in a long time. His name is Jason Ostrander, remember it, the Lord is going to use him in interesting ways down the road.
I am going to start another thread this week on "The Emerging Church", but one of the important things I have read and observed about this movement or trend is that they value authenticity. The Well, exhibited that today.
Interesting too that the pastor, Todd Hiestand, is also a student at Biblical. Probably in some classes with last week's pastor. I wasn't looking for Biblical grads or students but seem to keep bumping into them.
PS They served communion, again in intincture (947 style). Only this time you served yourself at the table and there was a loaf of French bread you took and tore off a piece before dipping it in the cup.
About Me
- Pastor Bob
- I am the senior pastor of Calvary Bible Fellowship Church in Sinking Spring, PA.
Number
Journey to the Promised Land
6 comments:
Glad you enjoyed the church, Pastor. I have often wondered about the 'meet the people around you' phase of the service and thought that could be done a lot better - and without taking too much time away from other things. In a church our size that could be a key thing for initiating more community after the service (since you've already started a conversation with someone).
Yeah, well you'd better teach weirdos like me how to engage in small talk. I've actually prayed that the greeting time wouldn't happen on certain under-the-weather Sundays. Pathetic? (Rhetorical question. Don't answer).
I imagine in the future, at Rissmiller family functions, taking great delight in my children and their children and maybe even great-grandchildren having a good time interacting with one another, I therefore believe that God takes great joy in seeing us do it as His family as well. The 20 plus minutes of Sunday morning greeting and fellowship sounds more authentic.
A question is, What are we calling "fellowship"? A great deal of what I encounter, engage in and often do nothing to move beyond (confession) is the same thing that happens at our local bars, minus the tattoos, swearing and beer (not a confession)--friendliness. Scripture would seem to encourage us to go beyond friendliness with exhortation and sharing our faith walk on deeper levels. Is this going on in the emergent church? Is it driven by deeper biblical convictions, or are we merely witnessing the craving that young evangelicals have for community dressed up in a Christian suit. Another way to ask, Is the love for "other" driven by an overarching love for Jesus and His dominion in all our lives, or is it merely love of being loved? You might say, Well, how do you answer that in the context of an entire church or church movement? I would start with 1) the importance placed on the Word (Jesus in print) and therefore doctrine and 2) how well it's lived out.
My fear is that we "older" evangelicals have done a great job with the first and missed the boat on the second. How's the emergent church doing?
All true Nan. My first impression last week was that of feeling very uncomfortable as a visitor. Only one gal made any initial effort to talk to us. Most of them, like all churches I guess, were busy talking to their friends.
This church, while probably only being somewhat emergent gave very much emphasis to the Word and to living it out in mission. They took it very seriously. There is no question they and perhaps this generation highly values community probaby a lot more than they value accomplishments. Whether it is motivated by the love of Christ is hard to say but it does look a lot like the life Christ lived with His disciples.
Hi Pastor,
Really enjoy reading about your travels. Reminded me that I have a blog on this same site and had forgotten about it. I had the blog bug back a few years ago and may be inspired to write in it again. Meanwhile we will stay up-to-date with your observations on your blogsite. Enjoy.
Hey, are you getting any golf in this summer? Hope to run into somewhere this summer. You're in our prayers.
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