Comments on: “‘Doing Church’ like everyone else…” http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/ Building bridges, connecting community, village alchemy Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:50:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: What others are saying about doing church « Confessions of A Small-Church Pastor http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-30 What others are saying about doing church « Confessions of A Small-Church Pastor Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:34:43 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-30 [...] to Emergent Village for putting me onto Nate Bettger’s post about “‘Doing Church’ like everyone else…”  Here’s a sample: As I wrestle with accepting having 6 to 10 people at our weekly gathering, [...] [...] to Emergent Village for putting me onto Nate Bettger’s post about “‘Doing Church’ like everyone else…”  Here’s a sample: As I wrestle with accepting having 6 to 10 people at our weekly gathering, [...]

]]> By: Stephen http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-29 Stephen Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:28:17 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-29 Hey Nate, Found you through The Emergent Village blog. As I read your thoughts (and the thoughts of Cory's, too) I felt at home. Seven months ago I was a part of a group of eight people that felt like we didn't fit in the traditional churches that were visible around us. We call ourselves The Experiment, which is really short for Experiment in Ecclesia. Our whole goal is to pursue what we see as the purpose of the church, and for us, that purpose is centered around community. It's tough for those of us who have grown up in traditional churches. I know the struggles your referring to. I struggle with them every week. I get caught up in thinking that, "if we get just a little bit bigger, then we can really make a difference." Those are lies. If I can offer any encouragement I would offer this: Every day stand before GOD and ask, "What do want us to do?" and as best as you can follow that with all your heart. Don't allow someone else's vision to distort the one that GOD gave you. Blessing on your tribe, stephen. oh, yeah. if it would encourage you, check our little experiment out here: http://experimentsinecclesia.worpress.com Hey Nate,
Found you through The Emergent Village blog. As I read your thoughts (and the thoughts of Cory’s, too) I felt at home. Seven months ago I was a part of a group of eight people that felt like we didn’t fit in the traditional churches that were visible around us. We call ourselves The Experiment, which is really short for Experiment in Ecclesia. Our whole goal is to pursue what we see as the purpose of the church, and for us, that purpose is centered around community. It’s tough for those of us who have grown up in traditional churches.

I know the struggles your referring to. I struggle with them every week. I get caught up in thinking that, “if we get just a little bit bigger, then we can really make a difference.” Those are lies. If I can offer any encouragement I would offer this: Every day stand before GOD and ask, “What do want us to do?” and as best as you can follow that with all your heart. Don’t allow someone else’s vision to distort the one that GOD gave you.

Blessing on your tribe,
stephen.
oh, yeah. if it would encourage you, check our little experiment out here: http://experimentsinecclesia.worpress.com

]]> By: j http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-24 j Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:58:04 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-24 I can completely sympathize with where you are coming from. Sounds like out community (http://www.cometothewell.com) is in much the same place as yours. The hardest part for me over the years has been watching people who connected with us and "stuck" for a while (sometimes years), who then decided to move on because we couldn't provide for something they were looking for (to play in a worship band, big kids' ministry, etc.). You've nailed what we have learned about the mindset of what matters. It's just hard to remember sometimes. And very slow. But beautiful. Grace and Peace. J I can completely sympathize with where you are coming from. Sounds like out community (http://www.cometothewell.com) is in much the same place as yours.
The hardest part for me over the years has been watching people who connected with us and “stuck” for a while (sometimes years), who then decided to move on because we couldn’t provide for something they were looking for (to play in a worship band, big kids’ ministry, etc.).
You’ve nailed what we have learned about the mindset of what matters. It’s just hard to remember sometimes. And very slow. But beautiful.
Grace and Peace.
J

]]> By: Mike Croghan http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-23 Mike Croghan Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:49:33 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-23 Hi Nate, We (The Common Table - http://commontable.org - in northern Virginia, near DC) just celebrated our sixth anniversary. We are maybe 30 "core" adults plus our kids. At a Sunday worship service or weekend "service-worship" service project, average attendance is probably not quite 15 adults. After six years, it doesn't get much easier to see folks come, seem to really hit it off with us, and then just stop coming. But we are 30 people who are good friends, who in strong relationship challenge and delight each other as we try to follow Jesus together. We are 30 people who know and love and take care of each other's kids, even if we don't offer them a rockin' Sunday School program. We are 30 people who regularly make a difference together, through friendship and hospitality and service, in the lives of folks we're connected to in our wider communities who aren't "core members". And we are 30 people who have the freedom to "do church" and "be church" together as we feel called to do and be church. We are 30 people who are regularly amazed by what God seems to be doing in our midst. But after six years (I've only been around for two of them), it's still difficult not to judge ourselves by those "other" marks of success. And I have to tell you, Nate, it's not necessarily true that if we're faithful to the way we're called to do Christian community, it's just a matter of patience, and those "other" marks - a larger gathering, the resources for nifty programs and staff - will come. And I'm not sure we should want them to. But they're painfully hard to let go of! I'll be praying for your community, brother. Peace, Mike Croghan Hi Nate,

We (The Common Table – http://commontable.org – in northern Virginia, near DC) just celebrated our sixth anniversary. We are maybe 30 “core” adults plus our kids. At a Sunday worship service or weekend “service-worship” service project, average attendance is probably not quite 15 adults. After six years, it doesn’t get much easier to see folks come, seem to really hit it off with us, and then just stop coming. But we are 30 people who are good friends, who in strong relationship challenge and delight each other as we try to follow Jesus together. We are 30 people who know and love and take care of each other’s kids, even if we don’t offer them a rockin’ Sunday School program. We are 30 people who regularly make a difference together, through friendship and hospitality and service, in the lives of folks we’re connected to in our wider communities who aren’t “core members”. And we are 30 people who have the freedom to “do church” and “be church” together as we feel called to do and be church. We are 30 people who are regularly amazed by what God seems to be doing in our midst.

But after six years (I’ve only been around for two of them), it’s still difficult not to judge ourselves by those “other” marks of success. And I have to tell you, Nate, it’s not necessarily true that if we’re faithful to the way we’re called to do Christian community, it’s just a matter of patience, and those “other” marks – a larger gathering, the resources for nifty programs and staff – will come. And I’m not sure we should want them to. But they’re painfully hard to let go of!

I’ll be praying for your community, brother.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

]]> By: Jason http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-22 Jason Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:38:02 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-22 Nate, church is so hard to figure out, isn't it? I think it's because tension is so uncomfortable, and it's almost always all about tension. I mean, there are things we'd do in an attempt to make people feel more comfortable with us during a worship service that wouldn't "sacrifice the call of Jesus", you know? Meeting people where they are at and providing an environment for them to meet God is, to me, what church should try to be about. I have recently been on the other side of this arrangement, visiting churches and trying to find a home. Don't be discouraged by those that walk out -- sometimes I think that God has taken our broken splinteredness and used it, as he always does, for good by letting each church meet specific needs. Nice to "meet" you, by the way. Nate, church is so hard to figure out, isn’t it? I think it’s because tension is so uncomfortable, and it’s almost always all about tension. I mean, there are things we’d do in an attempt to make people feel more comfortable with us during a worship service that wouldn’t “sacrifice the call of Jesus”, you know?

Meeting people where they are at and providing an environment for them to meet God is, to me, what church should try to be about. I have recently been on the other side of this arrangement, visiting churches and trying to find a home. Don’t be discouraged by those that walk out — sometimes I think that God has taken our broken splinteredness and used it, as he always does, for good by letting each church meet specific needs.

Nice to “meet” you, by the way.

]]> By: Corey http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-20 Corey Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:42:33 +0000 http://natebettger.com/2007/10/24/doing-church-like-everyone-else/#comment-20 Hey Nate, Good to hear from you! I definitely wrestled with this even more when we were first starting out. Those days when we had ten people showing up were brutal. Every family that came for a while and left again felt like a personal attack. I'll be praying for you in these early days of the journey! Corey Hey Nate,
Good to hear from you! I definitely wrestled with this even more when we were first starting out. Those days when we had ten people showing up were brutal. Every family that came for a while and left again felt like a personal attack. I’ll be praying for you in these early days of the journey!
Corey

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