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From Pyramids to Fishing Nets

Post author By admin
Post date November 15, 2024
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I’ve been doing some study on fishing nets and found this very insightful article by Carol S. Wimmer. I have included some excerpts from her article below but I would suggest you read the entire article, she makes some great points. You can find the article here and you can check out other articles and her website here.

An organizational structure defines and determines how all participants will view themselves within the organization. If this belief holds any measure of truth, then the church’s structural image is as important as her purpose for existing. If the church is to succeed in her mission, then she must know what her mission is, as well as the way in which she will structure herself.

The original organization of justice-centered leadership had no physical temple or church building where people gathered, lit oil lamps, or sang songs for an hour of worship each week. Instead, worshiping God and honoring the guidelines established for good living became a way of life. This was the baby bride’s purpose-to provide a WAY of life that honored God-a way of life rooted exclusively in a just society that addresses the care of neighbor by addressing the needs of each neighbor.

The pyramidal model strokes the egos of many pharaoh-type people in this world. Powerful people love to build empires of social control more than networks of social justice. Power is an addictive type of yeast that grows inside the human ego. Through dominance and a rigid legalistic system of religious laws, the power that comes with casting out anyone who doesn’t obey the rules established by their leaders seduced Israel’s leaders. Seduction is particularly easy when the elected leaders believe they speak for God or have the authority to speak for God.

It is humanity’s desire to select our default image of the pyramid whenever we organize ourselves in camps, groups, temples, or congregations. That choice causes humankind to miss God’s way of life for our entire species. We simply cannot give up our sinful desire to be mini-gods who prefer control over neighbor, rather than care of neighbor as we care for ourselves.

When thinking about the new image of the church of tomorrow, I suggest the Bride of Christ won’t be dressing herself in a pyramidal shaped structure. Once she fully heals from her present hemorrhaging, she will begin to make, spread, and cast nets.

Thousands upon thousands of human nets cast out upon the spiritual waters of neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities and geographic regions around the world. When Christians learn the art of net making and teach the art to others who want to learn, people will live in equitable, justice-centered societies. But first, the hemorrhaging woman must finally reach out her hand and touch the fringe of Jesus cloak. Then humankind will finally realize the kingdom of heaven on the earth.

In theory, the original net-like model created peaceful, non-violent, justice-oriented, grassroots governance. Imagine people governing themselves in the absence of any authoritarian pharaohs! When implemented effectively, the result would be an equitably-balanced society-a kingdom of heaven on earth. Hence, Jesus placed an image in the minds of his followers saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like a net,” Matthew 13:47. He also called fishermen into his inner circle because they knew how to construct fishing nets. When he called his disciples, he told them they would fish for people-those who are committed to an equitable way of life.

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Perspective

A Tail of Three Dogs

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “Will my dog go to heaven?” My usual response focuses on the fact that there are horses in heaven so why not other animals, although I’m pretty sure cats will never make it. My last dog, Spencer, may have made it; he was a bit naughty but perhaps he was able to sneak in with those big eyes.

Spencer, a Yorkie, was a ball of energy. One of his naughty behaviors was that he would jump out of the bicycle basket. He loved going for car rides where he would insist on sitting on my lap but he couldn’t sit still on a bike. I thought of keeping him on a leash or restraint in the basket but had nightmares of him jumping out and strangling himself.

I do see pictures of dogs that love to sit still and go for rides on bicycles. They seem so happy, taking in fresh air, seeing sites and having full faith that they are safe and secure in their owners’ care.

We talked about dogs at our fellowship meeting last Sunday and it got me thinking. It seems Christians can be one of three types of dogs. The first type is the dog that just stays at home, maybe goes out for an occasional walk but never really goes on any adventures. When it’s time for a ride, he knows it’s to the vet so he’s not very happy. Dogs are happiest having adventures, playing with others, having fun and cuddling with their owners. May I suggest that it’s the same with all of us. When it’s time for you to go to church, do you feel like you’re going to the vet? Is your spiritual walk here on earth exciting and an adventure or are you just holding on waiting for your eternal reward?

The second type of Christian would be like my Spencer. They want to enjoy life and have adventures but don’t fully trust the Lord. They keep jumping out of the basket thinking that Christ will ask them to become a missionary in some foreign country. They are the ones that say “That’s OK Jesus, I can handle this life on my own”.

Hopefully, we all aim to become like the third type of dog. The one that completely trusts in his master. At 65 years old, I have finally come to the place where I can stay in the basket, enjoy life and believe that wherever the Lord takes me will be filled with awesomeness and wonders. So far it’s been quite a ride!

Thoughts from Others

9 Common Pitfalls

Pastor to Pioneer is an exceptional ministry providing guidance for pastors wanting to transition to more relational fellowships. This article was written by Britton Smith for pastors but it’s relevant for anyone that has or would like to transition. I encourage you to read and share. You can check out the ministry here.

We know the demand to manage the current church system often feels unfruitful and burdensome. Many pastors wrestle with the idea that what they’re doing doesn’t look like what they’re reading in the Bible. We were pastors in that system, too-frustrated by the feeling of being trapped in an institution and desiring to follow Jesus and be the church in a more simple way.

All of us on the Pastor to Pioneer team have moved from managing institutions to pioneering movements of wholehearted disciples and simple churches in our cities. We are people who seek to know Jesus, listen to what he says, and respond accordingly. We do this with others in very simple ways, often in living rooms.

The transition from being pastors to becoming pioneers was not easy for us, but it has been worth it. We are living into God’s call for us outside of manmade religion, and we’re doing so without compromising our faith. We also see God transforming our lives, our families’ lives, and the lives of those around us.

If you are considering making the journey from pastor to pioneer, we want to help you avoid some common mistakes. These are the top nine repeated mistakes we’ve seen pastors make when moving from a traditional pastoral role to that of a pioneer. While these mistakes are typical, you can avoid them.

Pitfall #1: Changing Venues But Not Values

One of the biggest mistakes pastors make when entering pioneering work is changing a model without changing the values and principles that the church should embody. If you don’t examine the Bible and adjust the principles of what the church is supposed to be and do, you will build a new model on an unstable foundation. Your actions might look different, but your spiritual DNA will remain the same.

New Values

When you pursue new values, you will embody a healthier way of interacting with Jesus and each other. Living according to biblical values will lead to more Christlike fruit. Here are three main values that we see needing emphasis:

Everyone listening and responding to Jesus.  
Everyone pursuing relationships, not programs.  
Everyone empowered to use their gifts.

If you don’t shift your values as a family and community, you will bring consumerism, competition, and celebrity culture from the prevailing model into your living room.

Different Values Will Lead to a Different Venue

Different values will inevitably lead to a different venue, but simply changing a venue doesn’t automatically shift values. Meeting from house to house is not the point. However, we have found it to be the most helpful way to walk together in relationship with Jesus and to know how he calls us to interact with each other. Meanwhile, it is challenging to live out many of the values we are pursuing in the prevailing model of the church.

Next Steps

Before jumping into the newest model, return to the New Testament. As you read, what values does the earliest church emphasize? How do the people of God interact with him and with one another?

As you do this, be humble to acknowledge where you have been misguided. God will give you the grace to see and then live differently. You must allow yourself to detox from the old ways of operating and thinking. You will bring the institution’s baggage into the living room if you don’t. You might not realize how entrenched you are in old ways of thinking until you step out of your current church context. This takes time you can’t make this shift overnight. You will find that some old ways of thinking will crop up and you will have to work through them.

Pitfall #2: Inviting People to an Event But Not a Friendship

Many pastors think the weekly service is the pinnacle of the church. They believe people will grow and connect with others if they attend a church service. When the people aren’t growing enough from a weekly service, pastors fill the church calendar with other events for them to attend.

Events Rarely Lead to Transformation

Rarely do these events translate to deep relationships or personal transformation. Even if they have some fruit, these events model a need for church staff to organize and execute programming for others to attend. Instead, when people are confident to foster friendships with each other, events will naturally flow out of those relationships based on the needs they discover.

Transformation Happens in Relationship

Transformation comes as people are in relationships, spurring each other toward Jesus, not just attending events together. Maturity comes when people feel safe sharing their weaknesses and struggles, and the group gently comes alongside them to help them grow.

Building genuine relationships can be challenging, but it is essential for creating a thriving church community that focuses on loving and serving one another.

Next Steps

Prayerfully consider the people in your life. Who are some people you can invite to a meal instead of asking them to be part of your church or network? Bring them into your life and family rather than into some manmade organization. Many often naturally become part of our church networks as the relationship grows.

Pitfall #3: Planting Churches Rather than Making Disciples

In recent years, the Western church has focused heavily on church planting. The usual pattern involves a church planter gathering a core group and starting in a living room or a small rented space. The goal is to grow as fast as possible. Those involved will consider the church plant successful when it becomes financially self-sufficient.

The Goal is Christlikeness

The goal in the New Testament never seems to be church planting. The church in the New Testament aims for the people of God to grow in maturity in Christlikeness. Some call this

discipleship. We aren’t talking about trading small groups, Bible studies, or Sunday school for new events or tools. We are talking about living our lives in deep connection to Jesus, worshiping, beholding, and responding to him together as a Jesus-centered community. He will then bear the fruit of Christlikeness in our lives (John 15).

House Churches Aren’t the Point

Many pioneers are tempted to start as many house churches as fast as possible. But when we operate in such a fury, many groups fizzle out over time. The pioneer should instead begin by pouring deeply into the few and modeling for them a life of transformation that comes from listening and responding to Jesus. You can then teach them how to gather with others in a Jesus-centered community. These small communities tend to be healthier and have greater endurance because they are built on the foundation of a relationship with Jesus and maturity in him, not just gathering in a house.

Next Steps

Start by focusing on your maturity and the transformation of your household. What does your time with Jesus look like? Are you spending time beholding him and responding to him? What changes do you need to make?

Pitfall #4: Wanting the Treasure Without the Cost

The status quo of church ministry often focuses on attendance and other metrics, as well as expectations around the quality of production for events and programs. But God is inviting you to follow him without the burden of manmade religion.

He desires you to have a life-giving relationship with him though Jesus full of joy and peace. As you grow in your relationship with him, you get to respond to his leadership and direction. You no longer have to maintain a checklist of religious duties and obligations to keep God happy. He is glad to be with you because you are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus and cleansed by his blood. Jesus has done what is required for you to have a restored relationship with the Father. He doesn’t expect us to try harder to change on our own. He has given us the Holy Spirit, who produces the fruit of Jesus in our lives.

No More Manmade Religion

This kind of life will likely demand a different church structure than you are currently experiencing. We don’t need a manmade intermediary. We have direct access to the Father through Jesus. The people of God don’t need manmade structures and programs to facilitate our relationship with God, and you don’t need to be the hired help to run them. You don’t have to be the lynchpin that keeps the whole church machine running and bear the burden of keeping it going each week. You can be part of a community where everyone hears and responds to the voice of Jesus. You don’t have to be under the pressure every Sunday of people coming to you to be fed because they don’t know how to go to Jesus and have him feed them.

This New Life Comes at a Cost

Stepping into something new requires leaving behind the old. Before there is new life, there is the death of the old. Before the Israelites could enter the Promised Land, they needed to leave Egypt.

The cost will be high for you to begin pioneering. It may mean giving up your title, financial security, and even friendships. It may mean leaving behind the familiar, the comfortable, and the stable. However, the high cost is, of course, worth it because God is the treasure.

Next Steps

Take time to reflect and allow the Lord to reveal the areas in your life that need to change or die. Title, reputation, security, and control (among other things) likely need to die before you step into pioneering. What are those things for you?

Pitfall #5: Sharing Before Doing

Pastors are notorious for passing things on to others without first living them out themselves. You have probably felt the pressure to teach something new every Sunday without having enough time to apply what you are learning first.

Live It Before You Share It

When you grow in conviction about living into different principles and values as a church, giving a sermon series on these things is tempting. But people grow by seeing and experiencing something different. Remember, you are modeling entirely different principles from those we typically practice in manmade models.

Don’t Announce a New Vision

Don’t make the same mistake many of us have by announcing a new vision of disciple-making and gathering in simple churches before you have lived it and allowed the new DNA to infuse the church relationally. Embody the culture and values you want to see replicated. Don’t start by teaching them just yet.

Next Steps

Start small. Start by listening, obeying, and sharing Jesus yourself. Start by being the church in your own home. The family is the hub of discipleship, community, and mission. You will reproduce in others what you are living and modeling. As you pour your life into the few, you will see deeper, healthier things grow and multiply. Don’t advertise it. Don’t try to start a network. Just live it out in your own life. Until you do this, you won’t have anything to pass on other than theory.

Pitfall #6: Calling Yourself Pastor

Though many consider the pastor an indispensable role in a church, the New Testament does not have a position like our modern-day pastor. Even if you intend to operate differently, the title of “pastor” comes with a lot of baggage and expectations.

If people call you pastor (or any similar title), their expectations of your behavior will reflect their understanding of what a person in that role should be. They will be tempted to have you run an organization, lead church services, or be the hired hand that keeps everything running. These things do not help the church function in an empowering, decentralized way.

Jesus Is the Only Person Given the Title “Pastor”

The term “pastor” is better translated as “shepherd” in the New Testament. A shepherd is a gift given to care for those in need within the church, listed among many other gifts (Ephesians 4:11-13). It is not elevated above other gifts. Nor are shepherds appointed as church leaders. No one in the New Testament has the title of pastor other than Jesus (John 10; 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4). Therefore, we should reconsider using this title for ourselves.

Being Called Pastor Comes with Added Burden

If you take on the title of pastor, you will be tempted to think of yourself as more central to the work than you should be. You likely will feel the burden of trying to produce and control what happens in these churches.

To avoid this problem, start by being a disciple of Jesus who makes other disciples as you operate in a spiritual family from your home. Don’t call yourself a pastor or church planter. By the grace of God, as you make a disciple, teach them to make other disciples and how to meet together in simple ways.

Elders, Not Pastors, Are Appointed

Once a church in an area grows from house to house, a group of elders will emerge from that new work. Their role is to shepherd, oversee, and serve as an example to the rest of the community. They don’t control everything but empower the church to use their gifts and listen to, obey, and share Jesus. The goal of shepherding is to teach and equip the church to be able to feed themselves rather than relying on others to do it for them. Elders functioning in these ways helps the church mature and prevents the elders from being the bottleneck as the church grows.

Next Steps

Is giving up the title of pastor (or any similar title you hold) difficult for you? Consider why this might be.

Pitfall #7: Skipping the Grieving and Focusing on Leaving

The journey towards pioneering goes beyond just acquiring new tools and methods. It’s about your own personal transformation, healing, and maturity. As you pioneer, it will come with losses. The process of grieving and letting go of your old life as a pastor is challenging and takes time. Acknowledging your feelings and allowing yourself space to process your emotions is essential.

Many pastors ignore the transformation the Lord wants to bring to their inner lives. It feels easier to focus on “doing things” for the Lord rather than allowing the Lord to address the things in their hearts.

Jesus Will Comfort Us in Our Loss

Let him minister to your heart, affirm your strengths, and encourage you through the challenges. He can provide comfort during grief and heal any wounds you may carry. This process requires vulnerability and openness that may sometimes feel uncomfortable, but it’s necessary to embrace the journey ahead fully. Remember that the Lord is with you every step of the way and wants to see you thrive in this new chapter of your life.

Don’t Grieve Alone

If you step into pioneering, you must have a support system on which you can rely. When grieving potential or actual losses, sharing your feelings with someone you trust can be helpful. The coaches on the Pastor to Pioneer team serve in this role to help pastors navigate their journey. You can also turn to your spouse for support and talk to them about the sadness and grief you’re experiencing. Pay attention to your emotions throughout the journey and try to understand why you feel these ways.

Next Step

Make a list of losses you have experienced or will experience if you transition to pioneering. How do you feel about losing these things? Who can you share these losses with?

Pitfall #8: Not Sharing with Your Spouse

As a pastor, when you start questioning the values, structures, and outcomes of the existing church model, you are essentially challenging the source of your community and financial support. If you are married, you might mistakenly try to keep these questions and thoughts to yourself so that you do not burden your spouse with concerns about losing financial stability and friendships.

The Danger of Moving Too Far Ahead of Your Spouse

Starting without your spouse may seem more straightforward at first. However, if you don’t involve your spouse in wrestling through these big questions, you may develop beliefs they do not share. Such a difference in beliefs can become a significant barrier if you desire to move away from the traditional model of the church and pioneer something new, but your spouse is not on board.

Start the Conversations Early

If you are married, we recommend you have conversations with your spouse early on in the journey to wrestle with these issues together. You don’t have to lay everything out immediately. Start small and have regular conversations about your feelings and thoughts. Open up and share the deep parts of your heart, including your fears, excitements, and questions, and then invite your spouse to do the same.

Starting Together Helps You Journey Together

The key to successful pioneering as a couple is to embark on the journey together. Although it may take longer to reach the destination, starting the journey together helps you pioneer together.

Next Steps

Allow your convictions to grow together with your spouse as the Holy Spirit reveals truth from the Word. Read through Acts together and talk about how you see the church functioning. How does it compare to your experience?

Pitfall #9: Thinking Organizationally Rather than Relationally

When you start dreaming of a simpler, more relational way of following Jesus and being the church, it’s tempting to begin branding the work. As a pastor in the prevailing model, you have been trained to establish a name, non-profit, website, etc. We encourage you to hold off before placing an order for t-shirts and mugs with the logo of your new house church network.

No Church Names

There aren’t fancy church names in the New Testament. Gatherings of believers in homes don’t seem to brand the ministry or have a church sign out front. There are very generic ways of describing different gatherings. When it is a gathering in a home, the believers refer to it as “the church in so-and-so’s house.” When someone writes a letter to a group of believers in a city, they are called “the church in __________(city).” You see examples of this throughout the New Testament, such as the church in Rome, the church in Ephesus, and the church in Corinth. They considered the believers in a city as part of the same church, and they didn’t come up with different names, brands, or structures. They understood themselves to be connected relationally rather than organizationally.

The Church Is Like a Family

In the New Testament, we see the church growing organically and relationally. The church operates like a family unit. While there is undoubtedly structure and routine that goes into keeping a household running smoothly, what truly makes a family thrive is the emphasis placed on building and nurturing strong relationships.

A Necessary Shift

Moving from an organizational to a relational mindset is a huge but necessary step when shifting toward pioneering. Keeping things relational can make growing and adapting to specific situations easier. It also empowers the people to respond to the Spirit rather than expecting the organization to do it for them. The church might add organizational structures later to help the body function well. Creating rigid structures too soon often adds complications and can hinder the work.

Next Steps

Are you tempted to brand a new work in any way? If so, why? Are you willing to let go of the need for a brand and simply adopt generic references like those in the New Testament?

Conclusion

These mistakes are common because chasing a new model is tempting. But this is a journey of transformation. It starts with personal transformation and transformation in your home, and ministry flows from there.

We invite you to embody new values and principles, not simply try a new model. We are inviting you into a life-giving relationship with Jesus and others. You can experience a life and ministry marked by joy, peace, and freedom rather than duty, exhaustion, and burden. You can be on a mission together with your family in an integrated way where they don’t get your leftovers.

It is challenging to learn a new mindset and way of operating on your own. We have found it helpful to have someone who has navigated these common pitfalls to help guide you on your journey from pastor to pioneer. If you need someone to be that guide for you, reach out to us at www.pastortopioneer.com.

Pastor to Pioneer

Many pastors are feeling burdened and trapped managing institutions that aren’t producing the fruit they desire. At Pastor to Pioneer, we help pastors live into God’s call for them without compromise by empowering them to pioneer movements of wholehearted disciples and healthy simple churches in their communities.

For more resources and to get connected, visit:

www.pastortopioneer.com

Books / Videos

The Problem of Wineskins

This book by Howard A. Snyder was written in 1975 and contains many valuable insights. The excerpt below explains sacrifice, priesthood and the tabernacle before and after the church was born. Highly recommended for those considering stepping away from institutional church.

Sacrifice, priesthood, tabernacle-all instituted through Moses in the Old Testament. Theologically, all passed away with the coming of Christ and the birth of the church. Historically, all passed away with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. They had become irrelevant, anachronistic.

And so the church was born without priesthood, sacrifice or tabernacle because the church and Christ together were all three. The church faithfully embodied this truth for more than a century, and overran the Roman Empire.

The great temptation of the organized church has been to reinstate these three elements among God’s people: to turn community into an institution. Historically, the church has at times succumbed. Returning to the spirit of the Old Testament, she has set up a professional priesthood, turned the Eucharist into a new sacrificial system and built great cathedrals. When this happens, a return to faithfulness must mean a return-in both soteriology and ecclesiology-to the profound simplicity of the New Testament. Usually, however, reformation in doctrine has not been accompanied by sufficiently radical reform in church structure.

The significance of the tabernacle must be singled out for special attention here-partly because it usually is not but primarily because it has significance for the church, for ecclesiology. Why should God be represented by a physical structure? Why a tent?

In the Mosaic covenant the tabernacle was the symbol of God’s presence. “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex. 25:8). The central idea was God’s habitation with his people. God could not actually dwell in the hearts of his people because of their sin and rebelliousness; his habitation had to be symbolic. So God ordered the tabernacle built and laid it out to Moses in extravagant detail. It was to be made according to the blueprint revealed on the mount (Ex. 26:30; Acts 7:44; Heb. 8:5).

But for the church the tabernacle is fulfilled in the body of Christ, as we have seen. So the necessity of a physical tabernacle has passed away. Why? Because now God dwells with his people in the hearts and bodies of the believing community, through the inhabiting of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit “dwells with you, and will be in you” (Jn. 14:17), Jesus said. If one loves and obeys Jesus, the Father and Son “will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn. 14:23). “I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).

Clearly, the central idea of the tabernacle is God’s habitation, but in the New Testament God dwells within the hearts of his people, not just symbolically among the people. The veil has been torn in two; the stony heart transplanted with one of flesh. So the church is “a dwelling place of God in (or through) the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22).

There will also be an eternal, eschatological fulfillment of the idea of God’s habitation. For when John sees the holy city descending from God, the first words he hears from the throne are, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3, AV; compare Ezek. 37:27-28). This is the meaning of the holy city: God’s habitation eternally, spiritually, really and perfectly, with his people. Therefore naturally there is “no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22). And has this not ever been God’s design: a city without temples because God himself is its temple? Here all limitations of time and space have evaporated. God and man are in perfect communion. Eternally, there exists the fellowship, the koinonia, of the Holy Spirit.

So we see a threefold progression. First, God symbolically dwelling among his people in a physical structure called a tabernacle. Second, God actually dwelling within the hearts of his people through the Holy Spirit. Third, God dwelling eternally with his people, in perfect spiritual communion, in the age to come. The first reality points to the second, and the second to the third.

Books / Videos

Reaching Out

In this book, Henri Nouwen compiles his thoughts into three sections: reaching out to our innermost self, reaching out to our fellow human beings and reaching out to God. In these three sections, he writes about moving from loneliness to solitude, from hostility to hospitality and from illusion to prayer. Although this book is not specifically about organic church, there are some great thoughts like the excerpt below on community.

The word “community” usually refers to a way of being together that gives us a sense of belonging. Often students complain that they do not experience much community in their school; ministers and priests wonder how they can create a better community in their parishes; and social workers, overwhelmed by the alienating influences of modern life, try hard to form communities in the neighborhood they are working in. In all these situations the word “community” points to a way of togetherness in which people can experience themselves as a meaningful part of a larger group.

Although we can say the same about the Christian community, it is important to remember that the Christian community is a waiting community, that is, a community which not only creates a sense of belonging but also a sense of estrangement. In the Christian community we say to each other, “We are together, but we cannot fulfill each other…we help each other, but we also have to remind each other that our destiny is beyond our togetherness.” The support of the Christian community is a support in common expectation. That requires a constant criticism of anyone who makes the community into a safe shelter or a cozy clique, and a constant encouragement to look forward to what is to come.

The basis of the Christian community is not the family tie, or social or economic equality, or shared oppression or complaint, or mutual attraction…but the divine call. The Christian community is not the result of human efforts. God has made us into his people by calling us out of “Egypt” to the “New Land,” out of the desert to fertile ground, out of slavery to freedom, out of our sin to salvation, out of captivity to liberation. All these words and images give expression to the fact that the initiative belongs to God and that he is the source of our new life together. By our common call to the New Jerusalem, we recognize each other on the road as brothers and sisters. Therefore, as the people of God, we are called ekklesia (from the Greek kaleo=call; and ek-out), the community called out of the old world into the new.

Since our desire to break the chains of our alienation is very strong today, it is of special importance to remind each other that, as members of the Christian community, we are not primarily for each other but for God. Our eyes should not remain fixed on each other but be directed forward to what is dawning on the horizon of our existence. We discover each other by following the same vocation and by supporting each other in the same search. Therefore, the Christian community is not a closed circle of people embracing each other, but a forward-moving group of companions bound together by the same voice asking for their attention.

It is quite understandable that in our large anonymous cities we look for people on our “wave length” to form small communities. Prayer groups, Bible-study clubs and house-churches all are ways of restoring or deepening our awareness of belonging to the people of God. But sometimes a false type of like-mindedness can narrow our sense of community. We all should have the mind of Jesus Christ, but we do not all have to have the mind of a school teacher, a carpenter, a bank director, a congressman or whatever socioeconomic or political group. There is a great wisdom hidden in the old bell tower calling people with very different backgrounds away from their homes to form one body in Jesus Christ. It is precisely by transcending the many individual differences that we can become witnesses of God who allows his light to shine upon poor and rich, healthy and sick alike. But it is also in this encounter on the way to God that we become aware of our neighbor’s needs and begin to heal each other’s wounds.

Books / Videos

The Poverty of Affluence

I have included some excerpts below from Paul L. Wachtel’s book written in 1989, The Poverty of Affluence. These excerpts were compiled by my good friend Jon Zens who introduces his thoughts on the subject in the first chapter below. The post is lengthier than usual, but I hope you take the time to read it through.

There can be little doubt that an aggressive individualism reigns in America. The “community sense” that used to be stronger here is virtually lost in the 21st century. But, does what is calling itself “church” even foster and cultivate living community, or does it contribute to the individualistic status quo? In the midst of a culture that is falling apart, the Body of Christ is to be an organic setting where the multi-faceted wisdom of God is manifested in and through the saints-a new humanity, a new community which is radically counter-cultural-a setting where the only medium of exchange is love-a family community where Christ’s shared life is lived out among the brothers and sisters as the visible Life expression of Christ in and to a needy world. Wachtel mentions “the widespread yearning for greater closeness to others.” It is clear that folks will not find this in the culture at large. Many are looking for love in all the wrong places. Will they find that “greater closeness to others” in Christ’s ekklesia? Jon Zens

Something about our commitment to (economic) growth seems akin to the phenomena observed in individual neuroses. For me the heart of the notion of neurosis is the occurrence of vicious cycles in people’s behavior in which their sense of security is undermined by the very efforts they make to bolster it. In what follows I shall examine how our quest for economic growth has been both a cause of drastic changes in the way we live, and a cornerstone of our efforts to deal with the anxiety generated by those very changes…

In explicating further, I wish to begin not with economic growth per se but with the sense of community and its decline. For most of human history people lived in tightly knit communities in which each individual had a specified place, and in which there was a strong sense of shared fate. The sense of belonging, of being part of something larger than oneself, was an important source of comfort. In the face of the dangers and the terrifying mysteries that the lonely individual encountered, this sense of connectedness-along with one’s religious faith, which often could hardly be separated from one’s membership in the community-was for most people the main way of achieving some sense of security and the courage to go on.

Over the past few hundred years, for a number of reasons, the sense of rootedness and belonging has been declining. In its place has appeared a more highly differentiated sense of individuality, implying both greater opportunity and greater separateness…

This does not mean, of course, that some sense of community, and some secure ties to others do not remain. We could not survive without such ties…While there is much truth in the common claim that individualism arose in the Renaissance, that claim must be understood as referring to individualism as a vector that began to challenge that of rootedness as the central force in society, not as a new phenomenon altogether.

The facts of our separate bodies, our separate pain, our separate deaths, as well as the differences in temperament and personality…preclude the possibility of a complete absence of individual identity and a sense of separateness…This understood, it may be stated strongly that we have witnessed a striking increase in the sense of separate, differentiated identity and a corresponding sharp decline in the sense of community and belonging.

The sense of belonging and shared fate has been further eroded by the social and geographic mobility that are far more characteristic of our society than of previous ones…One out of five of us moves each year. Today our place in the social order is less clearly demarcated and less securely held. We have no reserved seats. We must win our place.

We have friends, of course, but they are friends who have chosen us…Jeremy Seabrook refers to the “strangers who live where neighborhoods once were”…

Our enormously greater capacity to predict and control events, to alleviate pain and hunger, to provide leisure and abundance should have made us happier, Life now shouldn’t be just different, it should be better, much better…That, I think, is not the case…

Our present stress of growth and productivity is, I believe, intimately related to the decline in rootedness. Faced with loneliness and vulnerability that come with deprivation of a securely encompassing community, we have sought to quell the vulnerability through our possessions…But the comfort we achieve tends to be short-lived.

In all eras people must find means to reassure themselves in the face of their finiteness and mortality. We are all ultimately helpless to a far greater degree than we dare admit. Our fragility before the forces of nature (both those outside us and those within that cause pain, disease, and aging), as well as the certainly that death is our ultimate earthly destiny, are unbearable to face without some means of consoling ourselves, and of giving meaning and purpose to our lives.

Religion, as well as the sense of belonging to a community, once provided that means for most people. But over the years the progress of science and the development of newer, more efficient modes of production undermined religious faith, as it did the traditional ties between people that, together with religion, made life livable…The older ways did not disappear, but they ceased to exert the exclusive dominance they previously had…

The accumulation of wealth and material comforts, rather than secure rooting in a frame and context, began to form the primary basis for quelling the feelings of vulnerability that inevitably afflict us. Increasing numbers began to base their hopes and dreams on the evident progress in our ability to produce goods…

The economist Fred Hirsch noted that a decline in sociability and friendliness has been characteristic of modern economies. He noted that friendliness “is time consuming and thereby liable to be economized because of its extravagant absorption of this increasingly scarce input.” Hirsch suggested that the time needed for consumption of all that has become within economic reach may “reduce friendliness and mutual concern in society as a whole”…

If we are to fashion an alternative capable of luring us away from the attractions (and concomitant costs) of the consumer way of life, clearly restoration of the sense of community and connectedness to others must be at the heart of it…This kind of change will require considerably more attention to context, to support groups, and to the mutual sustaining of values and assumptions…

The consumer society has not left people in higher spirits. Far more than joy or contentment with their present materially comfortable status, Seabrook found disillusionment, sense of hopes betrayed. A sense on the part of parents that they had lost touch with their children; a sense on the part of the children that they had been set adrift; a fear of muggers, rapists, vandals; a diminished sense of being able to count on others for help-these were some of the things that seemed to accompany and to spoil these people’s increased affluence. The loss of community is one of the great problems we face as a society, and one of the great burdens for a very large number of individuals…

Few of us would explicitly avow that we have chosen to rely on products instead of other people, and, fortunately, the bonds of community and interdependency are too important to be severed completely. But the widespread yearning for greater closeness to others suggests that for many there is a sense of superficiality about these connections, even when things look good “from the outside”…

We are faced with having to learn again about interdependency and the need for rootedness after several centuries of having systematically – and proudly-dismantled our roots, ties, and traditions. The tallest trees need the most elaborate roots of all. To make use of our technology in a way that enhances rather than degrades our lives, we must take account of our new understanding of ecological limits and interdependence.

Books / Videos

Beneath the Graffiti

Many of us have felt discomfort in our spirits while attending institutional church. We’re not quite sure what’s wrong so we suggest tweaks to help things run smoother hoping that will fix the problem. It never does. This recent (2024) book by C J Penn reads like his personal journal as he begins to remove the graffiti from God’s masterpiece.

His honesty is refreshing and the pages are filled with scripture and quotes from others. Like the Matrix movie he takes the red pill and documents his journey out of church religiosity. Throughout the book he encourages readers to start their own journey.

The first half of the book flowed nicely but then I came to Chapter 16 entitled “Christian in Name Only” which seemed to be completely out of character. His disparaging remarks on Trump and on his Christian supporters and his remarks about the pro-life movement were concerning.

Mature Christ followers know the temptation on relying on politics to save the world. Politicians will never save the world and legislating morality doesn’t work. It’s completely legitimate to write about how Christians can get overly zealous about politics and politicians, but the writings here railed against one politician and one political party.

Honestly, I didn’t read the rest of the book. Hopefully, the author will rewrite this chapter presenting a more general view of politics and religion which I agree is well needed.

Books / Videos

The God-Evaders

This hard-hitting book was published in 1966 by Clyde Reid. The full title is The God-Evaders: How Churches & Their Members Frustrate the Genuine Experience of Christ. Many books talk about the dysfunction of the church structure but this book focuses on the mutual evasion by the clergy and the laity in experiencing the genuine Christ. If you find this online, it’s worth reading. The short excerpt below talks about “The Law of Religious Evasion”.

Churches tend to be more interested in programs and buildings and statistics than in persons. Never before has the spiritual poverty of our present religious structures been so clearly revealed. As a student put it to me so vividly one day: “The church stands in the way of Christ. You tend not to believe in God because of what you see in the church.”

To suggest that a revision of the order of worship or the liturgy will solve the problem is naïve. To rely on a new and up-to-date theological understanding is not enough. To insist on better preaching as the answer is to base our hopes on a false premise. We must look further and deeper than we have looked thus far. In this spirit I suggest the following insight as one of the dimensions of our difficulty.

We structure our churches and maintain them so as to shield us from God and to protect us from the genuine expression of Christ.

On a conscious level, we are gathered and organized in our churches for religious purposes, but on an unconscious level we have other motivations which take precedence and which contradict and nullify our spiritual intentions. Our behavior reveals all too often that unconscious resistance rather than conscious intention is determining our actions.

The church as a group tends to emasculate impulses toward Christ, corral them, then render them safe and harmless so they cannot upset the comfort level of the body.

This emasculating process is carried out in a number of subtle ways in the churches. We structure the services of worship as to prevent genuine worship. We use the clergy as buffers to protect us from the direct impact of religious influence. We invest great energy in the defense of doctrines which stand between us and God, rather than opening the way for a deeper relationship.

One of the bedrock answers that helps me to understand why we structure our churches to evade God is simply our fear of God. If we expose ourselves to His influence, we cannot be sure where it may lead us. If we follow Him, we may be led far from home. God represents the unknown, and the unknown is always frightening.

Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes – Kaua’i

In Western society it’s difficult to do life together, but it does happen, it can be sustained and it can be life-changing. I pray these stories encourage you to keep meeting, keep searching and start gathering. I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Ventura recently while I was on vacation. He tells his story here.

Hello! My Name is Stephen Ventura. I grew up on the island of Kaua’i in Hawai’i. I grew up Catholic and did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. I graduated high school in 1981 and found the Lord in 1995. I was 32 years old when God radically changed me. After a series of bad decisions I found myself at the end of my rope and called out to God. He answered me and my life has never been the same.

In 2000, I went to seminary in the San Francisco, California area. I became a youth intern for a church in California and that’s where I met my wife, Diana. We got married and had my daughter Victoria who is now 19 years old. In 2010 we were called to the associate pastor position at Waikiki Baptist church on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i. We stayed there for five years (2015) then moved back to Kaua’i as church planters. The name of our church is Kaua’i House Church Network which includes three solid house churches and one that is starting up.

I was searching for something more after my seminary schooling and fifteen years on staff at two conventional style churches. I was looking for something more organic and less institutional. I’ve sat through endless board meetings, worked through tight budgets and then there’s building maintenance and logistics all overshadowed by the need to bring in more tithing people to keep the machine running.

As a church planter I was looking for something simple and organic, something with low overhead. I found that in the house church model. None of our leaders, including me, gets paid and we don’t have a cost associated with a building. We meet in homes, on the beach or in parks. It can’t get any simpler than that and the model is easy to reproduce.

We started out with a vision of a network which would organically grow by everyone making disciples. As more disciples are made there would be a need for leadership development and then we would see a natural multiplication of groups. We started in 2015 and this initial group met for five years before expanding. In 2021 we expanded into three groups, tw of which are located on Kaua’i and one located in Oahu. In 2023, one of our families moved to Florida and started a community of believers in their home. Also in 2023 another family attending our church started their own house church which grew quickly. They decided to become their own church and actually broke away from KHCN but they had our blessing. The goal is and always has been kingdom growth, not Kaua’i House Church Network growth. Our vision is to see simple forms of organic churches rise up throughout our island and beyond.

2018 – Small beginnings – Making disciples

The challenge I would say is not everyone has the vision nor can they understand the concepts of house church, disciple making and church planting. I also believe that house church is a whole new paradigm that will take some time for people to catch on. Discipleship is another challenge. Christians are engrained with the idea that church is simply a spectator event: you attend once a week and it’s the pastor’s job to make disciples. After all, isn’t that why we pay them?

The house church structure and setting has been a great way to establish close relationships and we’ve become like family. Every week we meet and enjoy a meal together while discussing what’s going on in everyone’s life. After some time we break into a period of worship and discussion of the word. The message is shared and everyone can chime in. I usually close it with some key points, the good news and a challenge. I enjoy the intimate setting and the discussions that are initiated through the message. Others share their experiences, perspectives and things they’ve heard and learned about the particular passage we are studying. It brings a “multi-perspective” approach to preaching. I love that. Everyone is able to participate and everyone is hearing from the Spirit and speaking out. I think our quaint family style home church setting is the key to authentic biblical relationship building. We meet in our individual house church groups throughout the month and on the last Sunday of the month we all get together in one location for a big family-style potluck at the beach or a park.

For our group, the kids stay with us. We usually have something for them to color and we ask them questions and they share things as well. Two of our other groups have so many kids that they have someone lead them and they usually go outside to play while the adult group meets.

In my opinion, if a house church has all the same people meeting together after twenty years with no changes something is wrong. The goal is to make disciples that make disciples not sit, soak and get comfortable in our own little holy huddle. I challenge our people to be on mission at work, home, their communities and everywhere they go. The house church is always morphing, it’s organic, alive and takes on different shapes over time.

I think the secret, for me, is that I don’t have to build anything. I just share the gospel in a casual way with people I know and am trying to build relationships with. I disciple and teach our people to seek to make disciples and churches will eventually form. Some disciples grow faster than others and some house churches will spawn faster than others. So keep it simple and continue to preach the gospel rather than beat yourself up because you don’t see growth. Just live the gospel and the fruit of your labor will naturally develop. Jesus said, I will build my church. That’s all I need to know.

To contact Stephen and to find out more about the Kaua’i House Church Network click here.

Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes – Bauru, Brazil

Post author By admin
Post date October 21, 2024
4 Comments on Unsung Heroes – Bauru, Brazil

My name is Fernando Souza, I am 58 years old and was born and raised in the city of Bauru, Brazil. I studied Arts in college and currently I am instructor in Muay Thai. In 1997, I married my beloved wife Sheiza, with whom I have two daughters: Fernanda, who is married to João Vitor, my walking companion, and Lívia, who is 18 years old.

My experience of meeting Christ in July 2002 was impactful and transformative. It was through the lives of a couple who invited us to a church different from the ones I knew. This church had no name, building, or pastor, which initially seemed strange to me, but soon I realized the authenticity and simplicity of the faith lived there.

In August of the same year, I experienced deep repentance and decided to follow Christ wholeheartedly. I was baptized, symbolizing my new life in Christ and my commitment to Him. This experience brought spiritual renewal, peace, and purpose to my life, strengthening my journey of faith and bringing me closer to God.

Like many disciples in the Bible who had transformative encounters with Christ and were baptized as a symbol of their new faith, I also lived this significant experience in my life. The act of baptism represents death to sin and rebirth in Christ, marking the beginning of a new spiritual journey and a public commitment to the Christian faith.

My journey of transitioning from initial faith to understanding the importance of organic church and communion with disciples was marked by a deep and significant transformation. Initially, I held a superficial view of Christ and had no affinity with the disciples, even mistreating them and rejecting the idea of being part of a church.

However, God’s work was evident in my life through the loving influence of my wife and a Christian couple. The love of Christ was manifested through them, leading me to genuine conversion and baptism in a short period of time. From that point on, worshiping God became about intimacy, communion, and mutual love among the disciples.

Over the years, the church I belonged to was growing, but gradually it was losing its simplicity and initial essence. Institutionalization began to overshadow genuine communion, with the renting of a building, establishment of a clerical structure, and ritualization of services.

Faced with this scenario, there was an awakening in our group to return to the roots of faith, choosing to gather in homes, in a simple way guided by the Holy Spirit. In this setting, we rediscovered the joy of communion, sharing meals, sharing the Word, and praising the Lord in unity and simplicity.

This transition experience was crucial in realizing the importance of organic church and communion among disciples. We learned that true worship goes beyond rituals and structures, being grounded in a living relationship with God and mutual love among brothers and sisters. Thus, our journey led us to value the essence of Christian communion and to seek authentic and transformative worship.

Our journey of organic communion began this year, and we have witnessed the presence of several people participating in the meetings. During this period, we faced significant challenges, such as people missing the more spectacular format of institutional churches and their difficulty in understanding and accepting the true meaning of the church. People are so ingrained in religiosity…

It is interesting to observe that, even in the face of these obstacles, the Lord has been leading the process in a surprising way, attracting lives to join us. Amid uncertainties and questioning, our stance has been to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, fully trusting that He is in control of all things.

The key to overcoming these challenges has been to focus on loving God, loving others, and fulfilling the commandment to make disciples. This love-centered and mission-focused approach has strengthened our community and empowered us to move forward, even in the face of adversities and resistance.

Thus, we remain steadfast in the purpose of living organic communion, trusting in the Lord’s guidance and in the transformative power of love and communion among disciples. Each challenge faced has been an opportunity for growth and spiritual maturity, strengthening our faith and commitment to the Kingdom of God.

Living in authentic relationships has had a profound impact on both myself and those around me. When people witness the communion and genuine bonds of the church, they may initially feel awe or strangeness, but these feelings soon give way to other perceptions. Some are drawn to the life of Christ manifested in the community, while others may show repulsion and disdain, labeling us as a “cult.”

The greatest benefits of this experience are the true connection and mutual edification that occur in authentic relationships. The ability to share life, challenges, joys, and sorrows genuinely strengthens the bonds between disciples and fosters an environment of love and mutual care. This atmosphere of communion reflects Christ’s love and positively impacts the lives of all involved.

Regarding raising children in the organic church, I can witness firsthand the benefits of this experience. My daughters grew up attending church meetings in our home, and the result was remarkable. They have become wonderful young women who love and fear God in all areas of their lives. They were raised according to the Lord’s principles, and this is reflected in their integrity, character, and relationship with Him.

Therefore, living in authentic relationships not only transforms lives individually but also significantly impacts future generations, as in the case of children raised in the organic church. Building strong bonds and witnessing Christ’s love shape not only the present but also the future of the community of disciples, yielding lasting fruits of faith, love, and commitment to the Kingdom of God.

To encourage someone facing difficulties with a group of people and to motivate them to start a new group, it’s essential to remember that we are merely collaborators with the Lord. We must keep in mind that He is in control of all things and that our obedience to His commandments is fundamental. The main thing is to love Him above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves, following the call to build His house with living stones.

Starting a new group requires faith, perseverance, and humility. It’s important to remember that the Lord is the one who empowers and directs, and we must trust Him amid the difficulties and challenges that may arise. Encourage the person to trust in divine provision and guidance, always seeking unity, love, and truth in all interactions with the group.

Experience and faith teach us that the solid foundation for long term success lies in the constancy of faith, dedication to teaching the Word, and the practice of mutual love. Keeping a group active requires commitment, patience, and care for each member, cultivating authentic relationships and encouraging everyone’s spiritual growth.

Just as Scripture teaches us in Timothy about the importance of faithfulness, the expectation of persecutions, the need for perseverance, and the sufficiency of God’s Word, these principles are fundamental to sustaining a group over the years. The secret lies in remaining faithful to the Lord, facing adversities with courage, and building one another up in faith, always keeping the focus on the purpose and mission entrusted to us.

Dear leader, organizer, facilitator, pastor, or apostle who dedicates your time and effort to guide and care for the group, I want to share a word of encouragement based on faith and the truth of Scripture. Remember that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This is the essence of our mission and our service: to allow Christ to manifest Himself in everything we do.

To ensure the longevity and success of the group, it is essential to maintain focus on the Kingdom of God as our highest priority. When the Kingdom of God is at the center of our lives and ministry, we are strengthened and empowered to overcome challenges and grow together in fellowship and love.

Furthermore, remember to never take your eyes off the Lord, even in the face of adversities and difficulties. Trust fully in the Lord, for He is the one who sustains, empowers, and renews our strength. Keep your faith unshakeable and hope alive, knowing that the Lord is in control of all things and that He has a greater purpose in every situation.

As the group leader, be an example of humility, love, and dedication. Always be willing to listen, teach, and guide with wisdom and grace. Cultivate genuine relationships and invest in the spiritual growth of each group member, for it is in fellowship and mutual love that we find strength and encouragement to continue advancing together.

May your life and ministry be marked by the living presence of Christ, faithfulness to God’s Word, and unconditional love for others. May the Lord richly bless you and empower you to lead with wisdom, grace, and integrity, guiding the group on the path of truth and eternal life. May the peace and grace of the Lord be always with you.

Fernando can be contacted through WhatsApp +55 14 99191-9477 or email: aigrejaembauru@gmail.com.

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