Churchless Christian

During the difficult days when Kim and I decided to walk away from the denomination we were part of and resign our credentials as Ministers, a friend who had previously gone through the same process suggested I read and meditate on the book of Galatians. He said it was of great benefit to him during that process. I did what he suggested, and even two years on this one book still impacts me about how I had once thought and believed the truth in one way (about covering, accountability and freedom especially), only to see in black and white the Apostle Paul skiting about doing the very opposite of what I had believed. Reading Galatians helped release me from my guilt of stepping free from constraints and gave me a different Biblical framework from that which I had previously used.

But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11, 12)
This really hit me, because Paul publically declares that what he preaches comes from no man and has NOT been taught to him by man but by God. Imagine a person saying that in church today or in Bible College! I remember realising that my ministry had primarily been built on what I had picked up through being with other believers and interpreting the Bible and the world through other men and church culture. I realised that I had been lazy, and built my faith on hundreds of assumptions built one upon another, but untested by going to the true source. All I wanted God to do was answer my prayers and back up my plans and assumptions, I did not really seek true revelation. 95% of my faith was the family culture I was raised in and the churches I had been immersed in, with a smidgion of flavour from the ministry books I read and the sermons I heard. This scripture pulls us straight into one central truth, each human being must have a living two way relationship with their creator, everything else is an absulote minor.

I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. (Gal 1:16)This is the bit that I had never noticed before. Did Paul when he feels 'the call' go and check with the leaders of the church? Did he do the accountability thing? Did he make sure that he was under the covering of the Apostles? The brutal fact is he does not. And he does not excuse himself, instead, again and again in the next verses he reemphasises that he did not hook in with the Apostles for three years and even when he did he came as an equal. Later on he points out:

But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn't show partiality to man)--they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me. (Gal 2:6)

These passages are just a snippet of what impacted me. I encourage you to sit down and read the book from end to end in one go. Read it in its original context. For me the biggest thing that grabbed me was that Paul acted out and boasted about doing the opposite of everything I had been taught, trained, and believed was appropriate Christian leadership behaviour. It was this initial step that began the journey for me to start looking at all my "Christian Assumptions" to find out what was truth and what were just great ideas from men.

I realise that we all read the Bible in different ways and carry different convictions, these are simply mine. I am not here to argue if you see differently

On the way to a gathering this morning, Kim pointed out to me that it has now been two years since we made the move out of living as Institutional Christians and began a journey focused more on trying to be the church in action instead of defining our lives by church affiliation and attendence. I thought I would write some random thoughts I am thinking two years into this 'thing'.

1. Without doubt more fellow believers are starting to live in a more unstructured way (faith wise) around N.Z than when we started out 2 years ago.

2. The internet has become a powerful tool in connecting invisable organic believers. Where several years ago people would not have known others who were thinking as they do, or were unable to share their stories and experiences, now they have a voice and an ability to establish a matrix of organic connections around the country and around the world.

3. Nearly every person I have been in relationship with who has held to and practiced that the organic church and the Institutionalised church could work hand in hand has either left the organic church and rejoined the institutionalised church, or after much struggle has seperated from the institutionalised church.

4. I personally have not met any denominations / institutionalised churches who have successfully established organic groups alongside their traditional structures, though I have been told of them second hand.

5. Organic believers in N.Z are still very suspicous and segmented off from one another. Organic groups and followers often seem to define themselves by how long they have been on the journey and their personal convictions. This has tended to create a flavour of exclusivisim. There is no unified voice or conviction flowing through the country of what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do.

6. There is a clear tension between those whose organic faith stems from a sense of conviction regarding what they see as the corruption and unbiblical basis of the institutionalised church, and those who are being organic in the hope that it will be more evenagelisticly effective than the former model.

7. I believe that we are in a period of stillness, the calm before the storm. There is not alot of activity but the air is pregnent with expectation. Something is about to happen but we are unsure what it will be.

8. I personally have not been inside a church building for 2 years. During these 2 years I have read my Bible and prayed more than in any other year in which I was a pastor. I have sensed the presence of God in my daily life more than any other period in my life. I have experianced the most miracles during this time. I have met more believers from other parts of the Christian landscape than I did as a Pastor and I have spent more time living with those who would not consider themselves followers of Jesus Christ. I have been in more gatherings / meetings where I have heard God clearly speak to the group than in my years in ministry. The reality is that I have been more fruitful and more Biblical in these last two years though many of clergy peers would now consider me either a heritic or a backslider.

9. 2 years on I am asking more questions and seeking more answers than I was when I started out. I certainly have not arrived at the end of this journey.

10. 85 percent of churches in the United States have plateaued or declining attendance. That's approximately 340,000 churches in need of a change. The same percentages would hold true for N.Z. A better sound system, flasher music and a better youth group will not change these facts. It's time for a change.

85 percent of churches in the United States have plateaued or declining attendance. That's approximately 340,000 churches in need of a turnaround. How can they do it? And what skills are required?

Millions of believers have stopped going to church...and chosen to be the church instead.
Research by renowned pollster George Barna points to a hidden Revolution—one that will impact every Christian believer in America. Millions of committed Christ-followers, dissatisfied with the church experience, have stopped attending on Sunday mornings. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the church?

In this groundbreaking book, Barna examines the state of the church today—and compares it to the biblical picture of the church as God intended it to be. He documents how and why a new brand of devout “Revolutionaries” is abandoning the local church building while attempting to become the church that Christ commissioned us to be.

This Revolution will challenge you with

the straightforward biblical guidelines for the church
7 core passions of a Revolutionary
a daring redefinition of the church as we know it.
Maybe you’re afraid of the changes to come. Maybe you’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive. Either way, the Revolution is here.

rev-o-lu-tion \rev-e-lü–shen\ n—repudiating tepid systems and practices of the Christian faith and introducing a wholesale shift in how faith is understood, integrated and influencing the world A Revolution is a fundamental change. A paradigm shift in the way a person views and interacts with his or her world. According to years’ worth of data collected by George Barna, the church is about to see the biggest Revolution of our time.

For thousands of years, Christians have been inventing church, but neglecting to be the church Christ commissioned. Droves of committed believers are foregoing Sunday mornings to live a 24/7 faith unfettered by the clutter and bureaucracy within the church walls.

In stark contrast to both the stuffy, formulaic religiosity sometimes found in the established church and the feel-good, invent-your-own spirituality, the Revolution is casting off anything that hinders a full, vibrant life of discipleship to Christ.

We have just got back from the beach, fantastic hot days with lots of sunburn, snorkelling, surfing the waves and snoozeing, back to reality now!