Churchless Christian

Many of you will have seen the pictures of Mark Inglis and his frost bitten fingers after he climbed Mt Everest last week. It was a shock to see his hands looking fine but the tops of his fingers being competly black (and needing to be amputated).
As followers of Christ meeting in more organic ways we need to guard against winding up like those black finger tips cut off from the blood flow that course through the body of Christ and indeed through the whole Kingdom of God. I was reminded of this last week, when I met with a group of people I did not usually gather with. I was blessed to be prayed for and had prophetic and encouraging words spoken over me. I realised that it had been a couple of years since 'outsiders' had spoken into my life. Untill they prayed I never realised how dry I had become and how limited my thinking had became. As organic believers we often react from the excesses of normal church where we can go up for an alter call and hear a different speaker every Sunday plus a conference every week turning one into a bit of a fat cat. But at the same time to cut one self off from outside input turns the fat cat into a skeliton which is not great either. The key is balance.
In the world wide study of churches for Natural Church development. Schultz found that the two key factors to keeping believers and churches healthy was small groups (surprise surprise!) and lots of external input from those outside the local gathering. The brutal fact is that if we are not welcoming or even pursueing outside input it is likely what we are doing is going to get sick and possibly die or even worse become dangerous. Remember cults avoid outside input.
The neat thing is that as many of you are experianceing, the Holy Spirit is miraculously connecting people and gatherings together in his way and his time. If this is happening, fantastic. At the same time if it's not I personally believe (and am doing) that we should purposely seek out interconnection if it is not happening naturally.
The last two years have not been easy for the gatherings I have been connected with in regards to getting outside input. Now that we are outside the mainstream so to speak, its important that connection happens with gifts that are likeminded and are basically on the same page, which limits the connection one can find. At the same time because I have put the effort in to reach out and find out who else is around, I can confidantly say that within my area there is people outside my gathering who are basically on the same page and have the gifts mentioned in the New testement.

One of the things I have been wondering about lately is what the organic house church can be modelled on. I have found it to be helpful as regards starting to think outside the square so to speak.

The two models that come to mind for the Institutional church is "Government' and "Business" I now look upon the institutional church as a tool for governing people's spiritual life and the resources they bring, namely their money and time. A pretty fundamental heart change which makes it difficult to re-enter the institutional doorway!

In the case of the house church and models that might help us understand the form of the house church, the two that come to mind are opposites to the institutional models, "Servanthood" and what I call "the village".

When I think about the village (The house church)i realise that it is dynamic and consistently changing. (A round stone) The village grows through people moving into the area, through births and declines through people moving out and dying. Friendships within the village are multi-dimentional and regualrly changing. Some are strong friendships, some are not. And so on.. Hopefully you get the idea.

One of the key things I have been thinking about is the walls we have around the village. Most villages don't have a wall but identify with a geographical region. I wonder whether one of the key challenges for the house church is to make sure we don't build walls and if we have, that we break them down. As I write this I realise that the Institutional church has many many walls which make it un-inviting to enter, and that keep those that have entered under control. Just wondering
(one of the comments in our yahoo discussion site. to join click buttern below)

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more and more is that our move from the institutional setting and into homes is about SO much more than location and small group dynamics. The way we are walking is not about trying something different to be more 'effective', or that homes are the 'right' way. It really is about things that have happened in my heart/spirit, that have caused me to believe differently than before ("rend your heart, not your garment" in Joel 2:13). There are many many areas of 'church' life that now seem to differ quite markedly from my
Institutional Church peers; the way we meet/ don't meet, the meaning/ style of worship, faith sharing/'salvation', tithing/giving, thinking about it, even the way I relate to my friends (both beleivers/non believers) seems different to me. There is alot more depth to these things which would take too long to write about at present, but I will comment on one other thing, just because it happens to be what I am reading at the moment. I've just been mulling over passages in Galatians again, and I am still amazed that
I somehow couldn't see before, what I see now. Paul emphatically states that he received his message and calling from God and God alone: from 'no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ'. And also " When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was." (Galatians 1) It appears to me that Paul's 'lone ranger' type approach to leadership is incongruant with
the usual practices of leadership appointment in most I C's. I would find it extremely difficult to fit in with a church that has leadership 'criteria' that now seems unecessary, even un biblical in its nature to me. Also in reading through Galatians, I recognise that Paul spends several chapters strongly urging these followers NOT to add or go back to laws that Christ has set them free from, I think that somewhere along the line our present Institutional Church Culture has created laws that now deem us as christian, or not ('born again' or 'not' perhaps?)
Must stop now, look forward to more discussion,
Kim
Read more of these posts and join in the discussion at

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It's interesting thinking about wearing masks at church and how inherent that is to being 'normal church' members. Kim and I were talking about this last night. We came to the realisation that this may be the very heart of the change we are trying to make. We had to admit that in our relationships with alot of people, things were kept very shallow, and massive masks were worn by everyone. Yet we were quite a relaxed and
informal church where you would think this happaned the least. The reason we were talking about this last night, was that we were remarking that if you looked from an objective point of view, it seems church can be very distructive to long term relationships. Or is this because we were long term Ministers?
The average Kiwi Christian moves Churches about twice a decade (not often connected with geographivcal movement).
Often when someone 'left' the church all connection was broken (or at least decreased considerably). I think this happens for three reasons. The friends left behind in the old church feel rejected deep down by the person moving, having less in common, and the person leaving being caught up in the busyness of church. I confess that i was the worst at this, which is most probably why I can look back at dozens of relationships that were terminated by people moving churches.
In living in this new (old) way I really am committed to making sure this does not continue on. A rule of thumb for me, is that if someone leaves something like a gathering I am involved with and I feel rejected or hurt that it is a warning sign that what I am doing is getting to organised. Organisation should never get in the way of
relationships.

I have started a discussion group for Christians outside the Institutional Church Framework discussing the 'heart changes' they have experianced since making the change. if that sounds like you and are interested click below to join in the discussion

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Philip and Kim and family wake on Sunday morning. They snooze for a while and read the Sunday paper. Their three boys aged 9, 6 and 4 are playing together in the lounge. At about 8:30am they eat breakfast together and Mum quickly whips up some muffins to take for lunch at church. At just before 10:30 am the family jumps in the car and drives over to their friends the Jackson’s who are hosting and coordinating the meeting that week. When they arrive the kids run outside to play and the adults stand around and enjoy a nice brewed coffee.
For a while people hang around catching up and talking about how things are going. After a while the kids are called in and the adults and kids sit around the edge of the lounge (there is 18 people their today). Without opening his Bible, John begins to tell a story of the Prodigal son. After he finishes he asks every person what thing spoke to them the most out of the story. The kids share first because they can’t wait to tell, when they tell their truth he asks how they will apply that truth to their lives that week and who will they share the truth with. As the adults tackle their truths also the kids run off again.
When people have finished applying the prodigal son to their lives, Jane flicks on a song on the CD player and the adults enter into a time of worship and prayer, prophecy and intercession, words are brought, challenges and body ministry to one another. Jack then brings out some bread and a glass of wine, as the kids come back in and challenges people to not take it if they are not in unity with anyone else in the room. In the period of silence some begin to weep, God is doing something. People quietly walk up and take communion as they are ready. The smell of fresh bread wafts in to remind people that the pot luck lunch is ready. As music plays, people, eat, laugh, share and encourage one another. Someone asks about what’s happening to the money that’s being given. Someone reminds the church of a single mother whose father has just died. Over lunch everyone agrees to give her $500.00 out of the giving to help her fly to the funeral, several of the church gift another $200.00 to help her get there. Someone else enquires about how the support for the missionary in China is going and hears that the group is on target to raise $10 000 for that family in 12 months. As people start to head off, a person admits as he heads off that he is really struggling at the moment. Everyone stops tidying up and gathers around him, the Holy Spirit comes, powerful prayer, prophetic guidance and much love is shown. Finally Philip and Kin gather up the boys who don’t want to leave their friends. They arrive home at 2pm, but with lunch out of the way it’s time for a siesta on the Sabbath. A day for spiritually recharging the batteries and resting the body, that’s a perfect Sabbath day!

Is that we are beginning to see believers in Christ truly becoming new wine, and because of this the old wine skins are being broken. After a time of chaos new wine skins that we cannot even comprehend will emerge. I believe we have already entered a time of massive upheaval in the church as we know it, and that God will use it to build his church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

House Church = Food

MONEY MONEY MONEY (quotes fromThomas Hohstadt (www.futurechurch.org)

The best scholars repeatedly prove that tithing is not a New testement command, that tithing has no place in the New testement church. There are no reports of tithing, no admonitions to tithe, nor any rebukes for not tithing.

The world is looking for integrity, and integrity is looking for the church. It's the currency of the future - the price of survival.

These new leader are the spiritually yearning, spiritually - led trailblazers, self-starters, entrepreneurs. Usually, they are institutionally alienated, and many have already left the church.

THEY NO LONGER GIVE THEMSELVES (OR THEIR MONEY) TO INSIDERS CLUBS, COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS OR EMPTY EDIFICES. AND JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS SO - THEY NO LONGER CONTRIBUTE BLINDLY TO "BOTTOM LINES", SKY - HIGH OVERHEADS

This is me looking down on Auckland from Mt Rangitoto(yes I need to return to the gym)

MORE MEGASHIFT QUOTES
the year 1999 - 2000, the number of donors to U.S churches fell 14% and the average donation fell by 19%."

"In the last decade, the churches spent in the U.S $500 Billion on domestic expences - with no growth to show for it."

Last night I went to a gathering in Mt Eden. I did not know most of the people but it was an awesome night. People really shared there hearts, prayed, prophisied, words of knowledge. Just great stuff. It went to about midnight but was great.
There is nothing like when people pray incisively pray into your life. Its like a spiritual shift happens in your life and nothing is the same again. We all need this.

INTERESTING FACTOIDS FROM MEGASHIFT

*Reverend mean 'he who should be revered'
*70% of U.S Pastors say they have no friends.
*37% of U.S Pastors say they struggle with internet porn

It was an awesome break to have with the boys. No power but lots of possoms. We climbed the volcano on the Wednesday, it was a fantastic view back to Auckland.

The fact is that we are not produceing saints. We are making converts to an effete type of Christianity that bears little resemblence to that of the New testement. The average so-called Bible Christian in ouur times is but a wretched parody of true sainthood. Yet we put millions of dollors behind movements to perpetuate this degenerate form of religion and attack the man who dares to challange the wisdom of it. (A W Tozier quoted in the book Megashift)

The above quote sums up for me two heart changes that I have experianced. The first is that I may have been a Minister but I was a cardboard cut out Christian with little fruit. I believe if I continued to do and believe as I had then I would not have a chance to become as Tozier puts it a real saint. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that I am being more effective now (though I'm certainly no worse) but I feel that making a change, breaking free, stopping and hearing God for a momment gives me a greatter chance to become a true Saint instead of a convert.

The other point as you may have guessed is the heart change (or heart cry) to publicaly stand up and question the wisdom (or folly) of what mainlineline Christians do and believe. (sorry about spelling)

At a gathering yesterday, a friend said to me, "If we are still doing this in a years time, it will be because we have missed something of God". I agree with him. Friends I believe we are beginning to move into a season of change whether we are ready or not.
For us, this last two years have not been about doing house church, but detoxing ourselves from being Institutional Christian 'bricks', and discovering how to be Christ's living stones. However, this has just been a step along the path God is taking us.

On a simple practical level, small groups such as house churches usually have a short lifespan before they morph into other things. Most of the gatherings and house churches we are involved with are now up to 2 years old, which is a long time in organic church. So reality tells us that changes may happen. I am not only talking about on the gathering level, but on the relationship level, the family level, the finance level and even the geographical level. Change, movement and momentum are part of Gods great plan.

While I was away on Rangitoto last week, a scripture (totally out of context!) jumped out at me "These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and cracked. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our long hard trip." Joshua 9:13 As I read that scripture I instantly gained a picture of us. We have been given a new wine skin but along this journey they have become dry and cracked. Then I saw God reach down and begin to rub the leather of the wineskins with wax; softening them, restoring them, and returning them to suppleness. The funny thing is that on Saturday when I returned home I visited the Albany Farmers Market. Right out the front was an american man demonstrating a special beeswax that would restore and soften old leather. I believe that God wants to do this for us. To reach down as we reach up, and to bring suppleness and softness to our wineskins. "Repent then,and turn to God, so that your sins mat be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord," (Acts 3:19).

So its time to start preparing ourselves for the next chapter, what ever that may be. As I said in my previous letter, we need to shut doors before new doors will open or we will just be left in limbo neither going forward or back. If I was asked to give three suggestions at this time they would be
1. Don't put your head in the sand.
2. Begin to pray concerning the future in regards to everything you are involved with.
3. Be obedient to what the spirit says.

I believe that there is an open heaven over us at this time. If we humble ourselves and pray, God will show himself clearly. Remember there is no such thing as a silly idea. Inspiration and creativity are keys to the next chapter.

GOD IS CHALLENGING YOU TO CHANGE YOUR OUTLOOK AND YOUR VALUES. IF YOU ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE, YOU'LL FIND YOUR-SELF DOING THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD DO BEFORE (MEGASHIFT)

organisation is not a sin but overorganisation is

Welcome to team Christianity. People with ears to hear, working in teams, will sooner or later outnumber those sitting in Pews (Megashift)

It was great to get away at Rangitoto last week. It was great to be in the shadow of the volcano and live with the lava flows surrounding us. It reminded me of Gods power and his regeneration. Though I must confess it was a struggle with no electricity for us techno people.
I spent a fair time praying through things and reflecting on shutting a few of the doors that have been left open 2 long in my life.
I am more convinced that if we are still doing what we are doing in the next year I think we will have missed the boat in regards to where God is going. This last couple of years has been about detoxing in regards to unlearning to be a Christian brick and discovering how to be a living stone. But that season is rapidly coming to an end yet I have not finished alot of what I felt meant to. Three of these things are getting a website up and running, printing off a one off magazine for the organic church in NZ and trying to get a retreat together for those who have a heart to see NZ reached but who are outside the institutionalised frame work.
These are three fdoors I want shut. This coming week I want to get number 1 (website) ticked off. I finely have found the finance to do it, and am believing that as I am obediant in this the other things will role together.

Apologies; I have been away on Rangatoto with my 2 oldest boys for the week doing some male bonding. See photo below of the little bach we stayed in. I will update during the week with other photos and things God spoke to me about during this time away.