Uncategorized Murray McLellan on 12 Aug 2008 08:17 pm
Total Church Day One
Warning …warning…circuits overloaded! Circuits overloaded! Wow, lots of great stuff! Lord willing, all the sessions will be recorded and you will all be able to catch up with Mike and Sammy and I.
Session 1 was with Steve Timmis on a community-centered gospel. This was the foundation for everything that would follow. Steve took us to Col. first of all and reminded us of the gospel and its delightful simplicity. Paul did the same for the Colossians - he commended it for what it is (the word of truth - 1:5) and for what it does (the fruit it brings forth. We don’t need some new technique or method of doing things - we need this gospel and to be convinced of its power. The gospel is a working word to a dying world about God’s glorious Son.
We know what our core beliefs are by how we behave. By looking at most Christian’s behavior, most of us believe church is an event once a week - when in reality it should only be a small part of a community relating.
The church is a glorious outpost of the kingdom of God and showing the future to the world (i.e. a foretaste of the way it will be in the resurrection when everything is brought under King Jesus!)
In Session 2, also with Steve Timmis, we looked at the church as a gospel community. There was some really great stuff in this session but I didn’t get as many quotes written down. You will have to listen to the audio!
I will give you one great quote to whet your appetite: “The gospel is not just a cheque that gets me to heaven, it is the currency of the Christian life.”
Following lunch, Sammy and I went to Steve Timmis’ breakout session, while Mike went to on living life in a missional community. (Aside: Mike and I watched sting rays swimming in the harbour at the break - really cool! Also saw a sea lion).
Session 3 was about extending the gospel through being good neighbours. We are to be the neighbours everyone wants. We do this in community - not as a bunch of individuals each doing our own mission. In the western world the nuclear family often becomes an idol. The church is to be the center of community.
Session 4 was with Tim Chester (again Mike was at a different break out session on the gospel story). He talked about going from Total church to a movement (i.e. not just planting a church).
He gave us some info about times in church history when the church really grew (i.e. early church; 20th century China etc.) “despite” persecution; a lack of buildings; a lack of “professional” clergy; and a lack of Bibles. He got us to consider if perhaps it was not “in spite” of these things, but might it be “because” of these things.
He then walked us through these aspects of a church planting movement.
1. The model of a mission is supernatural. (i.e. none of us can make a movement happen - there is no formula or manual - it is an act of God’s grace. Thus, there is a passion for prayer and an every day reliance upon God. One of the biggest problems we face is that we want to be in control.)
Well that is a few odds and ends from our day. Lord willing, more tomorrow. We may even take in a Padres baseball game in the evening - in which case the blog may not get updated until Thursday.