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Monday
Notes from the Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004
Download:
Notes from the Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004.pdf
Notes from the Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004.doc
Read:
Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004
Regarding the St Elizabeth Church Building
We began with remarks from Dave Nixon. He mentioned Luke 6, the passage where our Lord spends the night in prayer before choosing his Apostles. Here are some thoughts from this passage and on preparing to pray:
Who God wants
Discernment
Listening for God’s voice
We are not planning here, we are opening ourselves for the Spirit
Because this kind of Prayer/Opening isn’t always part of our week, it can be awkward
It’s ok to be silent
We may think others hear God, but not us
Don’t discount anything, images, urge to seek certain scriptures, etc. It may be God tapping you on the shoulder
A recap of the building situation was asked for and offered:
The building is not “falling down around us”.
There is water damage in the crawl space. The building inspector is concerned about fans falling down.
There is roof, gutter and plaster damage.
A structural engineer is assessing the building and preliminarily finds the following:
He is not seeing lots of cracks around the foundation.
Most of the problem is in the damaged gutters.
There is nothing that alarms him.
If we are led to do repairs, we do not want slip-shod work.
We are thinking long-term.
Actual figures will be in the final report from the structural engineer.
We begin to open ourselves in prayer. All impressions, statements, songs, scriptures will be noted below:
Jeremiah 18:3 The idea of clay not conforming to the potter’s wishes and being re-formed
Ezekiel 11:17-18 Take away your idols. Flatten them to the ground.
Jeremiah 4:4
Praise the name of Jesus (song)
Isaiah 10:11 I will destroy Jerusalem with it’s idols just as I did Samaria
Revelation “behold the temple of God is within”
From Answering God by Eugene Peterson: We get ourselves ready to pray by looking at a tree.
Exodus 40: Guidelines for how to set u the Tabernacle
Revelation: Being shown Jerusalem
144,000
Exodus 35: Building the place of Worship, Offerings
Haggai 2:3 “Who of you is left who saw this house in it’s former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
Impressions of Kings, Nations bringing wealth to the City. Wealth belonging to God.
Does God bring monies to restoration by secular means?
Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-This is your spiritual act of worship.
Aaron sensed a transition into a different phase at this point-exploring
He invited us to speak out what we thought God was saying
Verbalize our discernment
Those verbalizations/impressions included:
Obedience
Transformation
Tribes
The start of our House Church model was in the condemnation of the Community Center building. Now this period is ending, but the House Church model has stuck.
There is a really powerful story in the building
Thoughts went back to the way the purchase of the St. Elizabeth property developed: 24 hour prayer group, Catholic diocese resisting price, ending up with the property in the end- Did God say to us “ you keep my promises”?
“If you don’t’ keep my promises, I’ll do ________”?
What was our covenant with God in the beginning of Vineyard Central?
Have we lived up to it?
Have we strayed so far away from what He wanted us to do with the building for His glory?
Idols: Are there idols here we need to get rid of?
Is the building an idol?
What idols are stopping the flow between us and Jesus?
Is the building an idol preventing God from doing what he wants with us?
Blockage
Hindrance
Be careful not to allow the building to become an idol. If it has it needs to be demoted in our minds.
God wants us to ask Him about what to do with the building.
Reflecting on idolatry: realizing God wants us to knock this down in our minds.
The next question is “What are we going to use the building for?”
This night’s prayer is leading us to this question.
More images and impressions followed:
The roof collapsed and a tree growing in the center (Came with an eerie feeling of the building collapsing)
At the last corporate meeting an image was received of a building of windows
Did He bring us here to see if we were brave enough to tear it down?
“Beautiful Albatross”
“Ailing Queen”
Warehouse vs. the very symbol of the institutionalized church
Prove to me, now that you have this beautiful place, this museum, that you can still follow me.
Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
Are we brave enough to tear it down?
Is it the church as the clay or is it us?
Jeremiah 18:3-4 “ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed in into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Is the transition a formal recognition of what is already happening?
Two thoughts: the shaping of the pot, the tree in the middle
Place of rest
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
It’s about the business of dying --------------------------------
Notes from the Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004.pdf
Notes from the Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004.doc
Read:
Prayer Meeting 3 June 2004
Regarding the St Elizabeth Church Building
We began with remarks from Dave Nixon. He mentioned Luke 6, the passage where our Lord spends the night in prayer before choosing his Apostles. Here are some thoughts from this passage and on preparing to pray:
Who God wants
Discernment
Listening for God’s voice
We are not planning here, we are opening ourselves for the Spirit
Because this kind of Prayer/Opening isn’t always part of our week, it can be awkward
It’s ok to be silent
We may think others hear God, but not us
Don’t discount anything, images, urge to seek certain scriptures, etc. It may be God tapping you on the shoulder
A recap of the building situation was asked for and offered:
The building is not “falling down around us”.
There is water damage in the crawl space. The building inspector is concerned about fans falling down.
There is roof, gutter and plaster damage.
A structural engineer is assessing the building and preliminarily finds the following:
He is not seeing lots of cracks around the foundation.
Most of the problem is in the damaged gutters.
There is nothing that alarms him.
If we are led to do repairs, we do not want slip-shod work.
We are thinking long-term.
Actual figures will be in the final report from the structural engineer.
We begin to open ourselves in prayer. All impressions, statements, songs, scriptures will be noted below:
Jeremiah 18:3 The idea of clay not conforming to the potter’s wishes and being re-formed
Ezekiel 11:17-18 Take away your idols. Flatten them to the ground.
Jeremiah 4:4
Praise the name of Jesus (song)
Isaiah 10:11 I will destroy Jerusalem with it’s idols just as I did Samaria
Revelation “behold the temple of God is within”
From Answering God by Eugene Peterson: We get ourselves ready to pray by looking at a tree.
Exodus 40: Guidelines for how to set u the Tabernacle
Revelation: Being shown Jerusalem
144,000
Exodus 35: Building the place of Worship, Offerings
Haggai 2:3 “Who of you is left who saw this house in it’s former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
Impressions of Kings, Nations bringing wealth to the City. Wealth belonging to God.
Does God bring monies to restoration by secular means?
Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-This is your spiritual act of worship.
Aaron sensed a transition into a different phase at this point-exploring
He invited us to speak out what we thought God was saying
Verbalize our discernment
Those verbalizations/impressions included:
Obedience
Transformation
Tribes
The start of our House Church model was in the condemnation of the Community Center building. Now this period is ending, but the House Church model has stuck.
There is a really powerful story in the building
Thoughts went back to the way the purchase of the St. Elizabeth property developed: 24 hour prayer group, Catholic diocese resisting price, ending up with the property in the end- Did God say to us “ you keep my promises”?
“If you don’t’ keep my promises, I’ll do ________”?
What was our covenant with God in the beginning of Vineyard Central?
Have we lived up to it?
Have we strayed so far away from what He wanted us to do with the building for His glory?
Idols: Are there idols here we need to get rid of?
Is the building an idol?
What idols are stopping the flow between us and Jesus?
Is the building an idol preventing God from doing what he wants with us?
Blockage
Hindrance
Be careful not to allow the building to become an idol. If it has it needs to be demoted in our minds.
God wants us to ask Him about what to do with the building.
Reflecting on idolatry: realizing God wants us to knock this down in our minds.
The next question is “What are we going to use the building for?”
This night’s prayer is leading us to this question.
More images and impressions followed:
The roof collapsed and a tree growing in the center (Came with an eerie feeling of the building collapsing)
At the last corporate meeting an image was received of a building of windows
Did He bring us here to see if we were brave enough to tear it down?
“Beautiful Albatross”
“Ailing Queen”
Warehouse vs. the very symbol of the institutionalized church
Prove to me, now that you have this beautiful place, this museum, that you can still follow me.
Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
Are we brave enough to tear it down?
Is it the church as the clay or is it us?
Jeremiah 18:3-4 “ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed in into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Is the transition a formal recognition of what is already happening?
Two thoughts: the shaping of the pot, the tree in the middle
Place of rest
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
It’s about the business of dying --------------------------------
Leaders should be servants
There seems to be, perhaps, something for VC here. This article talks about institutions as servants. Here's a sampling:
"The primary responsibility of leaders -- both people and institutions -- is to dream. Dreams are what pull us into the future and draw us together. 'Nothing much happens without a dream,' Greenleaf wrote 'And for something great to happen, there must be a great dream than a dreamer is required to bring it to reality; but the dream must be there first.'"
--------------------------------
"The primary responsibility of leaders -- both people and institutions -- is to dream. Dreams are what pull us into the future and draw us together. 'Nothing much happens without a dream,' Greenleaf wrote 'And for something great to happen, there must be a great dream than a dreamer is required to bring it to reality; but the dream must be there first.'"
--------------------------------
Wednesday
Kevin's E-pistle | May 2004
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” T.S. Eliot
To my beloved, VC friends and family,
One of the things I’ve always loved about VC is our ability to take risks, to press the envelope, to find out how far things can really go. Over the last few years we’ve really risked going too far in the arena of decentralization. We’ve survived with no staff, a handful of AllGroups, the barest bones of a budget, and recently the building was condemned. Just imagine what would happen to most churches if the staff, building and budget were removed. Sometimes I’m amazed we’ve made it this far. I think we’ve gone as far as we needed to go. I think it’s time the pendulum started to swing back a bit. As a network we’re starting to lose sight of our identity and destiny. We’re becoming frayed on the edges, a bit too boundary-less and we’re at risk of losing the richness that comes with being in this thing together. Here are some of the things we’ve grown into that we need to hold on to as we begin to consider what’s next for us as a network:
>> The house churches are and will always be autonomous though inter-connected churches, not merely small groups dependant on a larger entity.
>> We will always be led by people who earn their living from outside the network. This does not mean we won’t ever pay people to do things for the network. We might even have a small staff again someday. But the pastoral council should always be predominantly made up of those earning their living outside of the network.
>> The vast majority of the financial resources and decision making regarding those resources need to remain in the home churches not a central office.
>> We can survive and even thrive without a church building. Since we’re not chained to the building for weekly gatherings, we can dream of new and creative uses of that space. Along with most of you I’ve loved all the art events we’ve hosted in that space and I’m looking forward to many more (there are still lots of barren walls in the Brownhouse calling out for art…). Via Crucis was another beautiful, deeply moving and creative use of the space. But we’ve only scratched the surface of possibilities. I’m convinced the years ahead will tell an amazing story of restored beauty and purpose in that place…
So what does it mean for the pendulum to swing back a bit?
How can we as a network of home churches re-gain our focus as a whole while at the same time hold on to the gains of the past few years?
>> more communication on the needs, desires and direction of VC as a whole. As I see it one of the key tasks of leadership in a network like ours is to help orient us toward what God has called us to be (identity) and what he is calling us to become (destiny). For now this communication will mostly come from e-pistles like this and our ongoing weblog (aka HouseTalk) at http://www.vineyardcentral.com/blog
>> defining what it means to be a part of the network… what are the rights and responsibilities of the churches related to VC? What can your home church expect from the network and what can the network expect from your home church? What are the boundaries of being a part of VC? These are the kind of questions that we need to gain clarity on in the months ahead.
>> re-organizing and expanding the Pastoral Council (more on this soon)
>> Having some times together for corporate guidance. Our next AllGroup on June 26th will be one such opportunity. This will look unlike any AllGroup to date. It will likely have less of a regional presence (although anyone is more than welcome to come) as we’ll be focusing on worship and listening to God for what he wants to say to us as a gathered congregation of home churches. There will be worship in song, times for silence and storytelling all to the end of discerning what God is saying to us. A Fall leadership retreat for those leading home churches or ministries (or planning to start one in the next six months) will be another opportunity for corporate guidance among the leadership community.
I’m very optimistic right now about the future of VC. I believe we are only beginning to live into the dreams and purposes God has planned for us and through us to our city. For many the building being condemned was a frustrating and disappointing reality. It doesn’t need to be though when set in the context of our shared history. Remember what happened the last time VC faced having our building condemned? It set us on the current course we’re still on! Perhaps this is God’s way of preparing us for another exciting chapter in our story. He has a way of turning apparent defeat into something wonderful and good and life giving. Remember the cross. Remember the resurrection. Repeat.
Peace to you as our story continues to unfold,
Kevin
PS: I co-wrote a little article with my friend Alan Creech for Next-Wave’s April online magazine. Check it out here if you’re interested… http://www.the-next-wave.org/stories/storyReader$273
*********************************** --------------------------------
To my beloved, VC friends and family,
One of the things I’ve always loved about VC is our ability to take risks, to press the envelope, to find out how far things can really go. Over the last few years we’ve really risked going too far in the arena of decentralization. We’ve survived with no staff, a handful of AllGroups, the barest bones of a budget, and recently the building was condemned. Just imagine what would happen to most churches if the staff, building and budget were removed. Sometimes I’m amazed we’ve made it this far. I think we’ve gone as far as we needed to go. I think it’s time the pendulum started to swing back a bit. As a network we’re starting to lose sight of our identity and destiny. We’re becoming frayed on the edges, a bit too boundary-less and we’re at risk of losing the richness that comes with being in this thing together. Here are some of the things we’ve grown into that we need to hold on to as we begin to consider what’s next for us as a network:
>> The house churches are and will always be autonomous though inter-connected churches, not merely small groups dependant on a larger entity.
>> We will always be led by people who earn their living from outside the network. This does not mean we won’t ever pay people to do things for the network. We might even have a small staff again someday. But the pastoral council should always be predominantly made up of those earning their living outside of the network.
>> The vast majority of the financial resources and decision making regarding those resources need to remain in the home churches not a central office.
>> We can survive and even thrive without a church building. Since we’re not chained to the building for weekly gatherings, we can dream of new and creative uses of that space. Along with most of you I’ve loved all the art events we’ve hosted in that space and I’m looking forward to many more (there are still lots of barren walls in the Brownhouse calling out for art…). Via Crucis was another beautiful, deeply moving and creative use of the space. But we’ve only scratched the surface of possibilities. I’m convinced the years ahead will tell an amazing story of restored beauty and purpose in that place…
So what does it mean for the pendulum to swing back a bit?
How can we as a network of home churches re-gain our focus as a whole while at the same time hold on to the gains of the past few years?
>> more communication on the needs, desires and direction of VC as a whole. As I see it one of the key tasks of leadership in a network like ours is to help orient us toward what God has called us to be (identity) and what he is calling us to become (destiny). For now this communication will mostly come from e-pistles like this and our ongoing weblog (aka HouseTalk) at http://www.vineyardcentral.com/blog
>> defining what it means to be a part of the network… what are the rights and responsibilities of the churches related to VC? What can your home church expect from the network and what can the network expect from your home church? What are the boundaries of being a part of VC? These are the kind of questions that we need to gain clarity on in the months ahead.
>> re-organizing and expanding the Pastoral Council (more on this soon)
>> Having some times together for corporate guidance. Our next AllGroup on June 26th will be one such opportunity. This will look unlike any AllGroup to date. It will likely have less of a regional presence (although anyone is more than welcome to come) as we’ll be focusing on worship and listening to God for what he wants to say to us as a gathered congregation of home churches. There will be worship in song, times for silence and storytelling all to the end of discerning what God is saying to us. A Fall leadership retreat for those leading home churches or ministries (or planning to start one in the next six months) will be another opportunity for corporate guidance among the leadership community.
I’m very optimistic right now about the future of VC. I believe we are only beginning to live into the dreams and purposes God has planned for us and through us to our city. For many the building being condemned was a frustrating and disappointing reality. It doesn’t need to be though when set in the context of our shared history. Remember what happened the last time VC faced having our building condemned? It set us on the current course we’re still on! Perhaps this is God’s way of preparing us for another exciting chapter in our story. He has a way of turning apparent defeat into something wonderful and good and life giving. Remember the cross. Remember the resurrection. Repeat.
Peace to you as our story continues to unfold,
Kevin
PS: I co-wrote a little article with my friend Alan Creech for Next-Wave’s April online magazine. Check it out here if you’re interested… http://www.the-next-wave.org/stories/storyReader$273
*********************************** --------------------------------
Sunday
Check out some good conversation
It's happening over on my blog (in the comments). Go there now. Or read the article that caused the buzz.
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Friday
Leadership Questions
1. Define Leadership…
Leadership is……..
2. What are the characteristics of good leadership?
3. How do you measure leadership effectiveness?
4. What should a leader’s vision be? (Write a vision statement for your ideal leader)
5. Would you prefer a servant who leads or a leader who serves? Why?
6. Do you consider yourself a leader? Why or why not?
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Leadership is……..
2. What are the characteristics of good leadership?
3. How do you measure leadership effectiveness?
4. What should a leader’s vision be? (Write a vision statement for your ideal leader)
5. Would you prefer a servant who leads or a leader who serves? Why?
6. Do you consider yourself a leader? Why or why not?
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Tuesday
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