I saw God today...

I saw God today…

Your mission, should you decide to accept it… What t.v. show or movie? If you don’t know then I’m too old. Mission Impossible, kids. The word mission has always been intriguing to me. When I think of the word it reminds me of adventure, a purpose, or goal to achieve. Sometimes it is mysterious and top secret like in espionage films or Navy Seal operations. Many companies have what are called mission statements. A statement to remind folks of what they are doing and to always keep focused on that. When checking out Merriam-Webster.com here is a quick paste of part of what I found:

Definition of MISSION

1. obsolete : the act or an instance of sending : a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work b : assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise c (1) : a mission establishment (2) : a local church or parish dependent on a larger religious organization for direction or financial support d plural : organized missionary work e : a course of sermons and services given to convert the unchurched or quicken Christian faith

? Sort of confused by this online version, I grabbed my old Webster’s dictionary from 1970 and it states:

1. A sending out or being sent out to perform a special duty.

2. A) a group of missionaries.

B) it’s headquarters.

3. A diplomatic delegation.

4. The special duty on which one is sent.

5. The special task for which one seems destined in life; calling ( J )

Still confused? No worries. Your mission should you decide to accept it: The Great Commission.

11 disciples go to a mountain in Galilee, where they were told to go. Jesus then tells them and you:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28 : 18-20

Threshold church. A missional church. A place of worship and prayer in Toledo, Ohio. A church recently placed by God on the University of Toledo campus, to make disciples. To hear of this story of how we got here is nothing short of a miracle. What is really exciting now is going back to the mission aspect. We know now what our mission is. We know now what our mission field is. Now it is time to go out and let God work through us to do his will. Exciting times are in front of us. An adventurous time. A roller coaster? Clink.. Clink.. A God adventure is the best and only ride, especially one filled with faith. (Heb 11:1) One that we are ready to go on. Ready to hop on?

After having a fantastic lunch and inspirational conversation with PT at Ferdos, I felt led to do something. With today being the first day of classes at the University, I wanted to go walk and pray on our new mission field. My sole purpose was to just walk and talk with God. To walk around campus, silently pray “I love you. God Bless you,” to the students I walked past. And also, re familiarize myself with campus, buildings and where things are. As I started my walk, it started bringing back many memories from when I was a student there. Almost 20 years ago. YIKES!

The sounds of flip flops and laughter filled the air on this warm but breezy August Monday. It was funny while walking past kids. Many were talking or texting on cell phones. Some you could tell were excited to be back living life as a student while heading to their next new class. You could also spot the nervous freshman a mile a way. Afraid to make eye contact and looking straight at the ground. Another dude wore baggy jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. His face showed all seriousness. I wondered if he was in ROTC. I told him silently to “Rock on, God Bless you brother.” As I walked further in to campus, I started to feel a peace. Something just felt right. I headed through campus, found the student union, the library and various buildings. I then walked across the bridge towards the athletic complex and found the outdoor track. Here I walked a mile and came to a realization that Threshold is at the start of a new adventure. We have been given our mission. I then prayed that we do His will on this campus and then said the Lord’s prayer. After that I just tried to be quiet and enjoy the sun popping through the clouds. On my way back into campus is when it happened. I saw God today.

The next half an hour was intense. I guess in my own ignorance I had just thought everyone around me were atheist kids and organizations. Wondering and praying HOW we are going to connect with these students. According to Barna research, 18-25-year olds are the least likely age group to attend church. Another piece of research shows, The national average of Christians on university campuses is less than 5 percent. You read quotes like this and hear people say them and in a weird way you already feel defeated. It feels like we have already lost the fight. Wrong! What happened to me next changed my attitude and approach to these kids. God is everywhere. He is all over the University. I just had to open my eyes. The first was getting out of my comfort zone of just walking and to start talking. To connect with some people. Then a feeling of peace overcame me again and then it felt like a monkey was soon to jump off my back.

While walking back to the campus I glanced over to the Glass Bowl. Crews were working on the scoreboard and I was hoping that the team was going to be good this year. I then crossed the street and walked up to information booth. Set up on the first day of classes to help guide students and give out information. Deep down I was just hoping to score a football schedule but was given a directory of student organizations magazine, a student day runner and a pen. I thanked the guy and opened up the day runner. It listed the academic calendar, important numbers, and the Rocket football schedule. Kewl. I then walked back across the bridge and saw another table set up. It was quite simple. A stack of index cards, pieces of candy and two dudes standing there smiling.

“What’s up fellas?”, I asked. “ Would you like to fill out one of our cards?” I picked up a card and read the top: 60 Second Spiritual Perspective Questionnaire. I chuckeld and then had a great five minute conversation with these impressive young warriors. They were with an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ. I got their contact info and shared with them Threshold. If they were in need of a house of prayer or worship that our doors are open and all are welcome. I walked away feeling that peace again. Knowing that we as a body of Christ are going to partner and work with them in the near future. I headed into the main campus and found a bench. Sitting underneath the shade of a small tree I took a glance around the buildings, feeling once again like a college kid. I then glanced to my left hand and opened my student organization magazine. I opened it right to a page that sort of took my breath away. What I was staring at was almost shocking.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. Holy Toledo. I then counted over 24 different organizations. 22 of them dealing with Christ. I then glanced up into the quad. Watching all of the students. It hit me that we are all God’s children. Christians are everywhere. We are all brothers and sisters. We can all work together to fulfill the mission. I then said a prayer of thanks. Thanks for allowing me to see what I didn’t know. All I had to do was open my eyes and more importantly my heart.

As I continued my walk back to Threshold something caught my eye. I was on the corner of Campus road and Scott Hall. Looking down on the steps of the hall, I saw some chalk art. At this moment, I nervously laughed and looked at the sky. “Ok, I get it,” I told the Lord. Looking down on the steps in different colors of chalk it read: GOD IS LOVE.

As I turned right onto Campus road I then heard something loud. It startled me at first but then is was music to me ears, literally. It was just a car coming up from behind me. The stereo was beyond loud. I laughed out loud, thinking I used to do the same thing when I got done from a busy day of classes. I rolled my windows down and then cranked the stereo on 11. As the car passed me I quickly looked at the student. I could not see him but could hear the music. It was a song called Monster. A hit from one the biggest Christian hard rock bands of our time, Skillet. “Rock on. God Bless you brother.”

If you have read this far, I thank you. I have one request for you. If you are member of Threshold, a supporter of Threshold, or just finding out about Threshold, please pray. That is it. Pray for our new mission field. Every person on our campus. The University President, faculty, staff and of course all of the students. Our new mission field has over 20,000+ people. God has put us here for a reason. Pretty awesome yet very humbling to say the least. As we are ready to enter into this exciting new season, please join us in this mission. That His will be done. YOU can be with us. This is going to be an amazing adventure. One that is part of a gigantic God movement happening all over the world. Now is the time. You don’t want to miss this revival. Exciting times are happening now.

From Jaeson Ma’s exciting book , The Blue Print, I will close with this: “Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, always said, Win the campus today and change the world tomorrow! He understood that reaching college students for Christ is the key to transforming society. His vision to change the campus in order to reach the world has impacted countless millions with the gospel. We must establish God’s kingdom, His Church, on every college and university campus in this generation because this is where reformation begins. The campus is the greatest mission field in our world today.”

Your mission should you choose to accept it..

Searching for Kairos

Morn' mates. Wow, what a weekend we just had. We have been going non stop and I have had no time to blog if anyone is checking. I have been journaling and taking notes (already 20 pages) and have learned so much already and the convention starts today. I just want to say real quick that Threshold is doing a great job. We ARE so on track and have the working dna of this movement. Thank God we are an organic church. Trust me when I say the word movement. It is happening and going explode all over the world. How exciting that we are part of this amazing history of the church.

Kent Hunter said it might take up to 6months to a year, maybe longer to process everything we are seeing and doing. I think there is some truth in that. Since, I am so pressed for time right now, just want u to know we are seeing amazing things. These folks are the true living body, meaning they are living their walk on a daily basis as disciple. Not just on Sun. or once a month in a cluster (callout) I feel we have much more to do in this area. We are not lazy Americans. We just have to simply start just living more for Jesus and then everything else will fall in place. Sorry if that sounds confusing. On a quick side note, it is true about teeth. The would enjoy that dry english humour. lol.

Couple quick things. The are living in a biblical community. They really and truly go out and establish relationships with the world. They LIVE while all doing lifeshapes and being in discipleship programs. The culture has been fun and interesting. The people of England are real nice are going crazy in regards to the world cup. The food is been funny. I have tried to be adventurous and try new things. Bangers and Mash anyone? Bajed beans for breakfast? Also tried Marmade. uggh You put it on toast. Nasty. Yesterday was awesome. Went to 3 worship services. That made a huge impact on us and to sum up in one word: AUTHENTIC. So real. We went to a cluster event too. Have to hop in shower. More to come. Thanks for prayer and talk soon. Cheers, j and s

Getting ready to fly across the pond. I will do my best to blog if time allows. We are heading to St. Thomas church in Sheffield, UK. Only 300 people from around the world are invited to attend what is called pilgrimage week. After looking up the word pilgrimage in Websters it states- a journey made by a pilgrim, esp. to a holy place. That made the hair on my arms stand up. My center of focus upon arriving is to empty my cup and absorb and learn everything the Holy Spirit will allow me to. I am so interested in how this church started and what amazing things they are doing. Specifically in the area of what scripture this ministry is based on. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. I want to learn and experience how they use these different gifts for a biblical basis for ministry in person. Also, super excited to learn about Form, see their clusters (callouts), and experience authentic worship and hopefully some prophecy. I hope to meet Mike Breen, have a few pints in a real pub, witness the country side and all the history of the country, especially the churches and further my study on Life Shapes. Anyhoo, gotta run. Thank you to all who supported Sam and I. We love you and thank you. Talk to you soon and please keep us in prayer. Peace, j

Friday’s Walk

by Josh Humberger

On Friday April 2^nd, 2010 we glorified Jesus. I did this with an amazing team of people, which started with a very simple idea. An idea over two years in the making. An idea that I knew I had to try and live out, but was not sure how or when to do it. After attending STORY Chicago last year, this idea was confirmed. So, after hours of thinking and praying about this simple idea, I told a few people about it. The reaction was mixed. Here is what I said: "On Good Friday I am going to dress as Jesus and carry a cross in three major downtown cities. By doing this, people will see this and they will think of Jesus and that it is Good Friday. Then they will think of their relationship or lack of one with Him and think of what He did for us" Period.

Although a simple idea or plan of action, it took a tremendous amount of time and preparation to do this. For starters, not getting a hair cut. I wanted to look as best and authentic as I could. So for 15 months I let the hair ride. A big thanks to my wife for her patience in this matter. Next, was getting in shape. It was going to be a physically grueling day to pull this off. To get in shape and get strong enough, I started and completed an extreme physical fitness program called P90X. 6 days a week for 12 weeks. The beginning was rough but I stuck it out and it worked. Towards the end, I was able to do over 40 pull ups in a workout. Next, came all the planning of my routes and what cities. Location scouting. Putting together a team that would be with me. Growing a beard, finding a costume. Going on 5 mile walks in the park with weights. Daily bible study. Watching and studying Jesus films. Going to the tanning booth. Mapping out and driving the routes and having the closest hospitals marked. Designing and building an authentic 8 ft cross. Prayer, then more prayer. Catering, transportation, the list goes on and on and then came the attacks…

Two week prior to the walk, crazy things started to happen. Scary things. During this time I kept going to scripture. I kept going to 3 key verses. Reading and meditating on them over and over. Ephesians 6:13 Joshua 1:9 and Hebrews 11:1. I can truly say that it felt like many times, something was trying to stop me. For example, two weeks before the big day I had a freak accident. I heard something pop in my lower back. For over two days, if I even lifted a coffee mug, I would catch my breath. The week of the walk I awoke in the middle of the night after a terrifying nightmare, in which I was attacked and stabbed in my leg. I laid there on a sidewalk and watched myself die. I had a few people say to my face that "I could get shot and die doing this." I had people willing to help with this project then back away. My jeep broke down and I had no wheels to get things done three days before Friday. So many things were coming at me that at times I really doubted if I was going to pull this off.

Two years of thinking and planning, came down to one day. Was it going to be raining and 34 degrees? Were any of us going to get sick that week? Was I going to get arrested? If I got attacked will the team remain in safety? Will I martyr myself doing this? I was filled with so much anxiety the week of, that I had some serious trouble sleeping. I would just lay there in bed and be thinking about that cross. In building it with my dad, I wanted it to really look big and real. After it was completed and stained, I had one reoccurring thought. This thing is HEAVY. Was I really going to be able to drag it as far as I wanted to. Crazy questions mixed with anxious fear. Deep down though, I found strength. It was the reason I was doing this. JESUS

Good Friday Morning I awoke at 5 a.m. My first thought was, "Well. Here we are. Today is the day. Tomorrow morning, if I am still here, I will never have to feel this much anticipation ever again." As the team arrived, we had breakfast and prayer. We reviewed and double checked everything. Loaded the truck and then headed to the east side of downtown Toledo. Although the butterflies were dancing, I was really more excited and just ready to GO OUT and do this. I will state this now. If I would have tried to do this alone, it would not have happened. Thank you to my team: Sam, George, Tom, Justin, and Mike, and then all of the love and support of my family, friends and relatives and my church Threshold. THANK YOU for the prayer support. I could truly feel you with me out there. It was amazing. And what happened on this day was one of the most exciting, adventurous, and fulfilling days I have ever had in my life as a Christ follower. Thank you all.

Toledo -Detroit - Cleveland. 3 Cities in 1 day. The 40 pound cross was carried over 5 miles. When the day was finished we had traveled over 410 miles and completed it in about 15 hours. What happened was truly amazing. First off, nothing bad happened. It turned into a day of prayer, worship, and a very positive experience. For us and for those who saw this. I could write for hours on all the different life experiences but I will share just a couple highlights of each town.

Toledo: Our hometown. Television crews and the Toledo Blade followed us the whole 2 mile route. It was beyond exciting walking across the Cherry St Bridge while looking at downtown Toledo as the sun rose upon the buildings. Although it was not really busy this time of the morning, I had plenty of cars driving by honking their horns at me. I had one lady who just had to talk to me and say "God Bless you for doing this." It was also really neat walking across 5/3^rd Field and through downtown and it's historic buildings. I also saw the impact it was having as I made eye contact with folks. We ended by doing a lap around the Lucas County Court House. At the conclusion of this walk I stopped at the 10 Commandments statue. I then did something that no one noticed. I laid the cross down in front and across it. We then went into St. Paul's church across the street to rest and pray. While inside, I gave my mom a quick call to update her and tell her everything was alright. She said my dad went to the park and went for a walk and to pray at the exact time I was walking. I heard that and started bawling.

We then hopped on 75N to Detroit Rock City. I was feeling super happy and wanted to jam some heavy music. I was getting more pumped up because I knew that I was going to physically be able to drag that cross. My only issue was the top of my shoulders. They were getting tender and sore. One thing I never prepared for or expected was that on the side walk, every five feet is a gap. Every time the bottom of the cross hit a gap it dug down on my shoulder. I knew that I was going to be in some pain but I also knew that what I felt wasn't .00005% of what He went through for us.

Detroit: The city I was most concerned about for obvious reasons. The Lord gave us a really nice and warm day. The temperature during this time really started to climb around 11:00a.m. A big highlight is the visual of this walk. We went to a very popular blvd. The starting spot was Hockey Town and then we began the walk going past Comerica Park (go Tiga's) and into downtown. It was pretty busy with street traffic and I also knew there had to be thousands looking out the windows of their buildings while at work. In the beginning of this walk I received a few negative looks and vibes. One guy yelled at me that I looked liked Eddie Vedder from the band Pearl Jam. Right after that guy, I had a man who was hunched over walk in front of me. Believe me or not but his face changed/morphed into something beyond scary or evil. If you have seen the Passion, then you may remember the scene with Judas and the kids and their faces morphing. That is what I saw and all I will say about this. As we got about half way, I felt someone on my back while stopped at a traffic light. He was very close to me and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Then he starts yelling. He starts street preaching while I start walking. At first I was like "oh nooo," but then what I was hearing him yell at the top of his lungs I could not dispute. He was preaching the word and attracting a ton of people to look at me. After a little while longer we stopped again at a light. He was staring at me so intently. So I reached out and gave him a hug and said "God bless you brother." He thought I WAS Jesus. He shared with me his feelings on the End of Days and that he thought Jesus really had come back. We continued for another mile to the walks conclusion with him preaching and me carrying that cross. A few days before, I was ripping on street preachers and the negative effect they have on people, usually because of the condemnation in their message, but this brother was different. I felt safe with him on my side. It was like I had a brother, a warrior if you will with me. It was an amazing experience and when we got done he shared a Power Ade with us and talked. Very kewl.

After Detroit, we hopped back down to the Buckeye state and headed east. I called my sister and she said that it was already on the noon news. 2 down 1 to go. Cleveland was next. While on the turnpike we stopped at a rest area and had a picnic. It was really starting to get warm as temps climbed into the 80's. Once we got to downtown Cleveland we drove our route and then parked behind Browns stadium. Although the team didn't know, I was not feeling hot. I think it was the warm weather and I was just mentally exhausted. All of that changed though once we started this walk. The city had an amazing energy. It was packed with people and while walking here I knew we were having a big impact. I would see business men walk pass and not look me in the eye. Other folks were taking my picture or shooting video from their phone and smiling. I would have some stopping their cars and staring. Some people were like a deer in head lights and staring with disbelief and yet others did not care. We ended this walk by walking down to Lake Erie and the Rock and Roll hall of Fame with the final stop being at Browns stadium. I saw a car do a u turn and then pull up to me. I looked over and it was an Asian couple. I said "God Bless you" and then he said with a nervous and shaky voice, "Ah.. are you.. hot?" He was so nervous in wanting to just speak to me that this was all he could spit out. Again, I really think they thought I was Jesus. I told him I was warm and to have a happy Easter. With a couple hundred yards left to the stadium I was tired and drained. I just stopped. I felt overwhelmed by emotion. I didn't want this to end. I wanted to walk more and go to more cities. I was sad it was over. I then got up to the stadium and set the cross down and said a quick prayer "that people's hearts be touched by what they saw and that they think of you Jesus. Thank you for what you did for us 2000 years ago. In your name, amen."

We then went out for a celebration meal. We found Great Lakes Brewery and had a couple cold beverages and great food. George and I both ordered a burger served on a hot pretzel bun. On the top of both buns was a cross. What a day. There are so many more stories to share and stories that I have heard that have been mind blowing. We were put on the front page of the Toledo Blade, covered all weekend on all three t.v. news station broadcasts, and aired also on a Cleveland station. 10's of 1000's of people saw this. This is not to toot my own horn. This was not about me. This was about Jesus and what we did with a simple idea. I am calling this visual evangelism. We took the visual of Jesus and without even talking made people think of Him. A friend of mine who works at a hospital said that she saw a lady running an AA group and the leader took out a copy of the Blade and asked the group to meditate on the picture. Another woman was having a rough week. On her way to work she was praying and asked Jesus for a sign. Minutes later she saw me and the cross on the bridge. She started crying. What happened next was incredible. She went into work, sharing with people with what she saw. This lady worked with my wife. We then took her out to eat the next week. For over three hours in BW3's we ate wings and talked about Jesus, church, and how screwed up religion is. So many people letting us know that they were touched by this. All praise and glory goes to HIM.

In closing, thank you for reading this. Tom asked me to write an update on Friday's Walk for the May newsletter. Just a paragraph. Sorry this turned into a blog. If you have read this far, thank you. What I am really excited about with this project is that it has been documented. I am currently working on making this into a documentary film and I am excited to announce I have an awesome Los Angeles film maker and company on board to help me edit and share this story. I hope that it will inspire folks to LIVE THEIR FAITH and show that when Jesus is 1^st place in your heart, that anything is possible. My goal is to have this completed and have a premier on Good Friday 2011. Please pray for this project. Thank you.

May you go out into the world and take your idea and make it a better place. It may be a difficult thing to pull off but with the spirit of adventure, especially with Jesus, it will be a journey you can't even imagine. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24.

Peace,

josh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer for Pioneering Ministry

We need disciples, we need churches that will dare to risk their very existence for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ. Join me in praying this prayer (Thanks to Brian Anderson for sharing it).

"Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly , to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love." Attributed to Sir Francis Drake 1577

Our moment in history

So what makes this current age so special within Church history? I ask this question, because many seem to indicate or outright say that we live in epochal times. Some believe that this age is unlike others before it in the history of the Church. While there may always be some truth to such a statement, I am reticent to make such a proclamation myself. Why? I think there is always a temptation to be somewhat self-aggrandizing when considering our place in history. This is particularly true if you happen to find yourself a participant in a new movement within the Church.

Currently, I am pastor of a new church plant utilizing a model of ministry that focuses on discipleship and the development of missional communities. A lot of the latest buzz words seem to pertain to our ministry—emerging (not so new), organic, missional. I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but they seem to be the biggies. Let me say, I am in love with this ministry that God has called me to. I am passionate about the vision and the importance of missional models of ministry to reach an increasingly secular society. This is change. Big change. NEEDED change within the Church. We have for too long sequestered ourselves behind the walls of buildings and legalistic, man-made categories of belonging. The Church needs to break free from its mausoleums of dead mortar and membership and engage a world in desperate need of the Gospel.

However, I do not believe this is THE moment in history. I do believe this is a moment in history and, more importantly, OUR moment in history. This is the moment, the time, the Kairos of the Kingdom that God has entrusted to us. Will we, the Church, be obedient and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us what God will? Will we take our part in God's ongoing revival, His ongoing plan of redemption, of death and rebirth? To paraphrase Jesus (always a dangerous thing, I know, but entertain me), "Do not worry about what they will think of us tomorrow. They'll have enough to think about." Instead, "Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness." I'm pretty sure that last part is a direct quote.

Missional Communities

Threshold Church was planted in April 2009 with a missional model of ministry utilizing "clusters" or what we call "Call-outs". Call-outs are mid-sized missional communities whose purpose is focused outward. They are the front lines of evangelism in our church. Planting a church with this model was the result of much prayer and much preparation by the Holy Spirit, that paralleled a trip to St. Thomas Church in Sheffield, UK almost three years ago.

More and more people are realizing the value and necessity of this or a similar model of ministry. About a year ago, Geoff Surratt of Seacoast Church in South Carolina heard about missional communities while in Europe. Now, in a blog entitled "Why small groups don't work" you can read his thoughts on what I believe to be one of the key components to revival in the U. S.

Read Geoff's thoughts here: Why small groups don't work, part 5

You never know where God will show up

I found this completely awe inspiring and wanted to share it in as many ways as I can. Another example of how God's Kingdom breaks through into our lives in the most unexpected places and ways.

Ecclesia vs Church Part 2: The historical roots of the Ecclesia

Read part 1: Ecclesia vs Church

This is my ongoing look at Emil Brunner's prophetic discussion of ecclesiology in his little classic entitled The Misunderstanding of the Church. In this blog, we will look at chapter 2 entitled The Historical Origin of the Ecclesia.

Brunner's principle thesis is that the Ecclesia of the New Testament is something other than and has little in common with the institution of the Church that has emerged out of it. To more fully appreciate that, we need to better understand the historical foundations of the Ecclesia. The first step is to look at its relationship to and distinction from God's people as revealed in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God chooses a people to act as the supporting character in His divine drama of redemption. They become known as Israel. In short, Israel is "the covenant-people of the covenant-God." This, too, can be said of the Ecclesia. Brunner writes:

It would seem, therefore, that according to the purpose of God the Ecclesia was to be identified with the elect people of the Old Covenant. And yet the fellowship founded by Jesus realized that it was something wholly new, namely, the fellowship of those who through Jesus Christ share in the New Covenant and the new aeon. . . through the present fulfillment of what had been previously merely promised, not simply a new [mode of dispensation] but an utterly new dimension of salvation has been vouchsafed, namely, life in the Holy Spirit, concerning which the Gospel of St. John roundly declares "for the Holy Spirit was not yet given". When Paul affirms: "if any man is in Christ he is a new creature" he is alluding to a new mode of existence not yet known to the believers of the old covenant.

This new existence, Brunner observes, leads to three observable facts in the New Testament Ecclesia.

1. The ceremonial and cultic laws of Judaism are no longer valid for the Ecclesia. This becomes particularly important in regard to the issue of circumcision as Christianity spreads among the Gentiles.
   
2. There is clear distinction between membership of a nation or race and membership of a community of believers. The newly baptized Gentiles are as fully citizens of the Kingdom of God as are those who were circumcised.
   
3. The Ecclesia no longer stands under the jurisdiction of or subordinate to a theocratic government. The Ecclesia renounces "the fusion of Christ's rule with the law of the state."
   

This last point is particularly interesting as we consider the current state of the Church within our culture. Especially, within the United States, Christianity is straining under the weight of the accumulated negative perception of society gathered over years of misguided efforts to establish a modern day theocracy. The Kingdom of God will never be equated with a secular government. The Ecclesia understood this and it informed how it related with the world around it.

I believe the emerging church movement is, in part, contributable to a renewed awareness of this life in the Holy Spirit and a reformation of the role of the Church as a delivery agent for the Kingdom of God in contradistinction to the laws-based pursuit of a Christian society. What do you think?

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• One (Growing) Perspective on Evangelicalism and Politics (gatheringinlight.com)

Timeless Wisdom has Timely Significance

Image via Wikipedia

I am a regular reader of JD Greear's blog. He had a link  to a letter in a recent post. The letter was written by John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace. In this letter to a church leader who is about to criticize another church leader, Newton offers some profound and grace-filled incites. Many denominations are in the throws of great conflict around the issues of orthodoxy, my own included. Additionally, I see much rancor between the many factions and movements within the Church. May we all heed Newton's words. The letter is entitled, "On Controversy" and can be read here.

Related post:  Godly unity in the midst of human division

Sustainable and Reproducible Discipleship

Recently, there has been a lot of talk around the blogosphere about multi-site ministry and its effectiveness or lack thereof. Neil Cole, author of Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, among others, has a running series on the issue. I've already commented on one of Cole's posts over at his site. Today, I'm going to add my own thoughts to Cole's 4^th installment in his series, The Multi-Site Church Model.

Cole, as well as most others I'm reading, is not fond of the multi-site model. In his 4^th installment, Cole tackles the issues of whether a church is self-perpetuating and self-propagating. In short, is the church able to support its own ministry and is it able to reproduce groups that will plant, grow, and do the same. Cole, based on these criteria, links the success or failure of the church site to how independent the church is of external resources for its survival. The more dependent it is, the less likely it is to ever be self-perpetuating and self-propagating. Check out Cole's site for the full read as well as his other insights on multi-site churches.

As the pastor of a church plant that began as a multi-site, I feel as though I can bring a rather unique perspective to this discussion. Rather than self-perpetuating and self-propagating, within Threshold Church, we talk about these issues in terms of being sustainable and reproducible. Our categories are similar to Cole's, but there are important differences. First, being sustainable and reproducible is an attribute of discipleship rather than the viability or health of the church. Of course, the two are closely connected, inseparable. But, by making it an issue of discipleship, we are bringing the battle to the least common denominator within the church, i.e. the disciple.

Consequently, sustainability, as opposed to self-perpetuation, is concerned with the health of the disciple rather than the health of the church. Again, the two are inextricably connected, but the starting point is important. The Church is the fellowship of Jesus Christ. It is the community of disciples. To be sure, I am not recommending a focus on the individual. Rather, it is a focus on the person in the midst of community and how, together, we foster a model of faith that is sustainable. That faith is sustained by living in connection with the Vine, by living in Christ.

A branch that abides in the Vine, quite naturally produces fruit. So, will the disciple be reproducible. Every disciple should be following someone a little further along the journey then they while leading some that are behind him, this while we all are following Jesus Christ. When such a culture is built within a church it will quite naturally become self-perpetuating and self-propagating.

I don't believe Cole would disagree with any of this. In fact, he may see these as two separate conversations- the health of the multi-site church movement vs. the health of discipleship within a church. However, having been involved in both, I see it related in this way. When I was operating within a multi-site model, I could see over time that our ministry was neither self-perpetuating nor self-propagating, to use Cole's terms. However, I truly feel as though it had less to do with dependence on resources as it did to a lack of missional identity unique to our community. Our community failed to take ownership of our mission as a church. With that came laissez-faire and a lack of responsibility for the mission of the Church. It was not so much that we were dependent on resources, but that we were dependent on the "main campus" for our vision and values. Yes, resources and programs were handed down to the site, but more importantly the site's identity was dictated to it by the main campus. This was not a heavy-handed thing in any way. Rather, it's the nature of multi-site, i.e. one church, multiple locations. It sounds good and biblical. In principle it is. However, the practice often leads to impotent children of an otherwise potent mother church.

The decision by a majority within that site, with the blessing of the mother church, to re-locate and plant itself as a church with its unique calling within the context of the larger Church, breathed life into the ministry. More than no longer relying on others for our resources (largely, in fact, we still do), we could no longer rely on the mother church to tell us who we are or what we are to do. We needed to take ownership and responsibility for our vision and values. The biggest result of that has been a commitment to building a sustainable and reproducible culture of discipleship. Such a commitment will lead to health among the parts as well as the whole, providing fertile ground for the growth and multiplication of the Church and the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

Do you have any experiences of multi-site ministry? What do you think its merits are? What about its shortcomings? What do you think of Neil Cole's and my critique? Agree or disagree.

7 Tips for Joining the Emerging Church Movement

The title is, of course, tongue-in-cheek. Most emerging churches are zealous in their defense of the organic development of their ministries. The notion that there are seven easy steps to anything is a decidedly modern, non-emerging way of thinking about things. Additionally, emerging churches are exceptionally diverse in their praxis. However, in my own journey, I have identified some common marks within the movement. Some are generally accepted, others are my contribution to the conversation. So here they are, my 7 tips for joining the emerging church movement: 

1. Be missional

"Missional" has become nearly synonymous with "emerging." To be missional as a church means to understand that the culture is increasingly distancing itself from the Church. Therefore, churches must move from an attractional model that expects those outside to come in, to a dispersed model where churches go to the world. In this way, they embrace the root meaning of the word "mission" which is "to send," as they proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the world through both words and actions. Thus, they reclaim the essential nature of the church as a movement, not an institution. 

2. Build an environment of low control/high accountability

While Robert may have been a Christian, his "rules" are not canon. Yet, most churches are organizationally top heavy with structures based on corporate business models, not biblical principles. The result is an organization that operates with a high control/low accountability mentality. Consider the typical church structure. It consists of committees (sometimes we rename them teams to make ourselves feel better) that typically do little ministry, yet they often exert significant control over what ministries get done. It is high control. This might be palatable if we could be confident that the people making these decisions were disciples committed to growing in their faith. But, too often the people that make up these committees are warm bodies. Their qualifications were that they had the time and they were willing. That's low accountability.

Emerging Churches try to build structures that serve the organism rather than the organization. That means that out of a commitment to mission, the church tries to build structures wholly committed to that goal. A greater emphasis is placed on releasing and mobilizing the church, God's people, to do ministry. Low control is exercised. However, because of an equally great emphasis on discipleship, those doing the ministry are kept accountable for their walk with God. The desired result is a restoration of the priesthood of all believers with a very flat structure of government. This is low control/high accountability 

3. Create ministries that are light weight/low maintenance

Because of the emerging church's desire to put ministry back into the hands of the people, it is important to emphasize the development of ministries that are light weight and low maintenance. Our culture, including our church culture, has typically engrained in our minds that bigger is better. More is better. So, in the church, we often talk about "the value of excellence" which is, frequently, the codename for bigger and more. However, in a priesthood of all believers, low control/high accountability environment, this model of ministry is often not sustainable, nor, in the end, desirable. These churches keep the values of simplicity and authenticity in the context of discipleship at the forefront of all their ministries. 

4. Throw out the programs

Emerging churches embrace the process rather than programs. Though programs may be used within the emerging church, they are always subjugated to the larger vision of what it means to be the Church. Many emerging churches are non-programmatic. Sometimes this is a conscious decision to avoid feeding into the provider-consumer mentality that permeates much of Christian programming. Instead, there is an emphasis placed on community, generosity, and spiritual discipline. 

5. Emphasize transformation

In the emerging church, discipleship is a matter of death and life. The disciple dies to the Old Adam and becomes a new creature by the grace of God and through faith in his Son Jesus Christ. There is an emphasis on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit within the life of the Christ follower. Moreover, that transformation is manifested within the entire Body of Christ. Thereby, the Church becomes an agent for transformation within the culture as it proclaims the good news of the Kingdom of God and brings that Kingdom to bear on the world. Thus, the emerging church is action oriented and believes it has a calling to be involved in matters of ecology, economy, and justice. 

6. Embrace interdependence

The loss of community is one of the greatest wounds in the post-modern world. Whereas, independence was a hallmark of the modern world, interdependence is the same for the post-modern. This is to be celebrated. But the interdependence of post-modernity is a relative interdependence that is shaped by needs and circumstances. In this way it is still a shadow of truly interdependent community. Without question, the very nature of community is being reshaped by social networking and globalization. But in the midst of this societal upheaval, the emerging church offers the experience of biblical community built on vulnerability, accountability, and love. Throughout the emerging church you see this in the development of house churches, clusters, sacramental communities and the rekindled interest in monastic rules and the lives of the saints. 

7. Focus on relational discipleship

Within the emerging church you see models of discipleship that are more akin to the ancient catechumenate than purpose-driven, modern models. Apprenticeship and mentoring are central within the context of couplets, triads and groups where relationships of encouragement and accountability are built. Within the safety of these relationships, individuals can ask questions and risk answers that advance honesty and vulnerability. This focus on relational discipleship is committed to a longer view on progress that diminishes the likelihood of rapid growth within the church. Even Pentecost was preceded by three years of discipleship under Jesus Christ. However, this approach has its eye on producing a church with sustainable and reproducible discipleship that leads to depth in our relationship with Christ and exponential growth for the Kingdom.

My 7 tips for joining the emerging church movement. These are some of the identifying marks of the movement that I have observed. So, what do you think? Do you disagree with any of these? What would you add to the list?

Ecclesia vs Church

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No ministry I know that is labeled as postmodern or emerging seems to welcome the categorization. I believe that is due, in part, to the immense diversity that exists within these labels. Churches given the same moniker can be vastly different in terms of theology, structure, and practice. Nevertheless, there are some marks that are more commonly shared among these churches than others.

One of these defining marks that I have identified is a reformation of our understanding of the Church. Again, it takes many forms, but churches living firmly in the ethos of postmodern thought embrace a struggle to more authentically resemble the Ecclesia of the New Testament. For many, this results in a heightened missional passion and practice. There is often an emphasis on the Church's role in bringing the Kingdom of God to the world, rather than expecting the world to come to "church." For others, there is a great desire to recapture the place of the gathered body of believers as the central expression of what it means to be Church.

Threshold Church shares this struggle with many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It was this welcome agitation that attracted me to a small, old book by theologian Emil Brunner. The book was mentioned in the midst of another I was reading and piqued my interest. The name of the book is The Misunderstanding of the Church. Having read the book, I would like to propose that it is required reading for every church leader struggling to understand the Church in the midst of the Postmodern milieu. In an effort to pique your interest, I am going to share some brief musings on each chapter over the course of the next several weeks.

Chapter one of Brunner's book is entitled The Supernatural Christian Community and the Problem of the Church. There he sets out the problem that confronts us.

"The Ecclesia of the New Testament, the fellowship of Christian believers, is precisely not that which every 'church' is at least in part—and institution, a something. The Body of Christ is nothing other than a fellowship of persons. It is 'the fellowship of Jesus Christ' or 'fellowship of the Holy Ghost', where fellowship or koinonia signifies a common participation, a togetherness, a community life. The faithful are bound to each other through their common sharing in Christ and in the Holy Ghost, but that which they have in common is precisely no 'thing', no 'it', but a 'he', Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is just in this that resides the miraculous, the unique, the once-for-all nature of the Church: that as the Body of Christ it has nothing to do with an organization and has nothing of the character of the institutional about it. This is precisely what it has in mind when it describes itself as the Body of Christ."

For Brunner, this reality of the New Testament Ecclesia is what makes it impossible to equate it with the present expression of the Church. As Brunner will lay out in the chapters ahead, the Church has so far departed from the original expression of the Ecclesia as to be unidentifiable with it. Here at the outset, he begins to establish why. The Church, as history has delivered it to us, is inseparable from its institutional standpoint. This "institutional distortion" of the Ecclesia has led to two erroneous views of the Church. In the first, we see "the replacement of a communion of persons by the legal administrative institution." Within this understanding of the Church we see dogma and government completely obscuring the movement of the Ecclesia "which is a pure communion of persons without institutional character." The equally erroneous opposing response to this, made by the protestant reformers, is the concept of the ecclesia invisibilis, the Invisible Church. At its most basic level, the doctrine of the Invisible Church declares that the true Church is defined by the sum of true believers which remains hidden amidst the world and the institution called the Church. Therefore, the ecclesia invisibilis exists as a group of individuals relationally disconnected. The problem is that this, too, robs the Ecclesia of its fundamentally indentifying mark which is fellowship.

The nature of the Ecclesia, explains Brunner, is the combining of the vertical with the horizontal, divine with human communion in an utterly unparalleled life that is unintelligible apart from its supernatural and miraculous character as the "fellowship of Christ" and the "fellowship one with the other." Next time, The Historical Origin of the Ecclesia.

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Godly unity in the midst of human division

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made a decision at its churchwide assembly that will likely leave this denomination greatly divided. When we decided to launch Threshold Church as a mission congregation of the ELCA, we resolved to remain within this church body regardless of what decision was made. I felt this struggle was an important one for us to remain in dialogue over, to do so in a manner of love and humility, and not to run and hide from this difficult issue. I am conflicted over the decision of the ELCA, yet my immediate concern is for our unity in Christ and our witness to the world. The Kingdom of God is not served by anger, hatred, and division. So, I pray for our unity in Christ, who is the great equalizer. When we are in Him, in covenant we the Holy One of God, we find that we are all broken, all sinners and, yet, all loved, all forgiven.

I met Nadia Bolz-Weber, pastor of the Church for All Sinners and Saints, in Denver. Though our ministries and our orthopraxi are very different, I hold a respect for Nadia as she and her church struggle to live out their identity in Christ. As we struggle for healing in the midst of our brokenness, I find the words of reconciliation shared by my sister in Christ from "across the aisle" to be the words of reconciliation that I, too, hope fills the ears of all.

http://sarcasticlutheran.typepad.com/sarcastic_lutheran/2009/08/a-sermon-following-the-elca-church-wide-assembly.html

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Churchwide Approval! But . . .

First, here is the good news. I met with Ruben Duran today. He is the head of EOCM; long name, suffice it to say it is the branch of the national church that votes on mission churches. We discussed Threshold and he informed me of the current state of affairs. He spoke with Marc Miller, Director for Missions, and told Marc that the synod would need to come up with an additional $15,000 a year. Marc will be working on this as soon as he gets back from vacation. Additionally, the ELCA would pledge support of $35,000. But, and this is a big "but", they have no money. None. Consequently, they are prioritizing the new church starts and will give the money, based on priority, as the finances come in.

I'm meeting tomorrow one on one with Ruben to further discuss Threshold. I hope to gain some additional information and understanding of what this development means practically for Threshold. Furthermore, I intend, by the grace of God, to impress on him the import of this mission for Toledo, the Synod, and the ELCA. Please pray for me as I share this vision with Ruben. We are meeting over lunch and we are two hours behind Toledo.

There is still so much to do, but there is much to celebrate. God has opened many doors and smoothed many obstacles already for His mission through Threshold. There are many more roadblocks ahead, but our God is exceedingly powerful and amazingly faithful. Without Him we should not wish to do anything. With Him, we can do all things!

Churchwide vote to support Threshold Church

Most who read this blog are aware that Threshold Church is seeking churchwide approval as a Mission Church of the ELCA. We have already received approval from the NW Ohio Synod of the ELCA. I've received the necessary approval to be the mission developer for Threshold. The last hurdle is the ELCA Churchwide approval and the accompanying financial support.

That decision was to be made last week. However, the vote was postponed for all new starts (not just Threshold) until the week of July 19. The information I have indicates that the committee is impressed and intrigued by our "application" and the description of our structure and vision as a church. Though we place no label on ourselves, the substance and style of our ministry tends to place us into the category of an emerging church ministry. This label is the cause of some concern on the part of the committee. Most emerging church ministries struggle financially. Consequently, one concern of those considering support of our ministry is the long-term fiscal feasibility for sustaining the ministry.

This concern is reasonable, because their assessment of emerging church ministries is largely accurate. However, it is not my vision and I do not believe it is God's vision for our ministry to be the recipient of the committed support of those who love God's mission for any more than six years. In fact, I believe we can be self-supporting in five years. Indeed, more than self-supporting, I believe we can be about the task of planting a mission of our own within that time.

For this to happen, we all need to die to self and live for Christ. Our financial giving will have to far exceed that of the average church. But God has not called us to be average. He has called all of us to be "ambassadors for Christ", bringing the Kingdom of God to a world in need. For that to happen, we will need to lay down our lives for God's greater purposes. It will take sacrifice. It will take great faith. It will take courage. Financially, we will all need to take seriously God's standard of sacrificial giving- the tithe or 10% of our income.

The vision for Threshold does not include it being an unsustainable taker of resources for the Kingdom. We are called to be a giving church. I believe that in so many ways. As God blesses our ministry, we will give back to the Church as we are graced with the privilege of teaching other churches how to be missional. We will give back to the Church, by becoming a training ground and launching pad for missionaries who will take the Good News of the Kingdom of God throughout Toledo, Ohio, and beyond. We will give back to the Church by being faithful in our giving and exemplary in our commitment to supporting ministries beyond our own.

This will not be the typical pattern of emerging churches. But it will be our pattern. It will be our pattern or we will fall short of the calling that God has given us. As I considered planting Threshold, God NEVER told me it would be easy. He did assure me that it would be vastly rewarding. I must tell you that same thing. Much will be demanded from us in the days that lie ahead. You will be asked to stretch yourself and risk as perhaps never before in your life. But I can assure you, it will be rewarding. It will be an adventure. Being an ambassador for Christ will give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose for your life like nothing else can. I am willing to do all this. I ask you to join me. More importantly, I believe God is calling us all to do this important work for the Kingdom. May God bless you all!