Church Planting Expectations

David Fitch, hits the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned:

TEN THINGS ANYONE WHO JOINS IN A TWENTY FIRST CENTURY MISSIONAL CHURCH PLANT SHOULD NOT EXPECT:

1.) Should not expect to regularly come to church for just one hour, get what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kid’s needs, and then leave til next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life. Expect however a richer life than you could have ever imagined.

2.) Should not expect that Jesus will fit in with every consumerist capitalist assumption, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement you may have adopted before coming here. Expect to be freed from a lot of crap you will find out you never needed.

3.) Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or be able to disappear in this church Body. Expect to be known and loved, supported in a glorious journey.

4.) Should not expect production style excellence all the time on Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple and authentic beauty.

5.) Should not expect a raucous "light out" youth program that entertains the teenagers, puts on a show that gets the kids "pumped up," all without parental involvement. Instead as the years go by, with our children as part of our life, worship and mission (and when the light shows dim and the cool youth pastor with the spiked hair burns out) expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God thru Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journey with God.

6.) Should not expect to always "feel good,"or ecstatic on Sunday mornings. Expect that there will ALSO be times of confession, lament, self-examination and just plain silence.

7.) Should not expect a lot of sermons that promise you God will prosper you with "the life you've always wanted" if you’ll just believe Him and step out on faith and give some more money for a bigger sanctuary. Expect sustenance for the journey.

8.) Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to a thousand in three years. Expect slower organic inefficient growth that engages people’s lives where they are at and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.

9.) Should not expect all the meetings to happen in a church building. Expect a lot of the gatherings will be in homes, or sites of mission.

10.) Should not expect arguments over style of music, color of carpet, or even doctrinal outlier issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive the conversation.O AND BY THE WAY… Should not expect that community comes to you… I am sorry but true community in Christ will take some "effort"and a reshuffling of priorities for both you and your kids. Yes I know you want people to come to you and reach out to you and you’re hurting and busy. But assuming you are a follower of Christ (this message is not for strangers to the gospel) you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" in Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing and praying together.

So it's been a while again...

Ya, so.... huh.... We've been doing a lot of praying about how to go about our ministry lately... SO many things have changed... We are looking for a NEW core team... and we are going to take things pretty slowly... What is a core team you ask? Well it is a group of people who will support our ministry with their time, talents, their hearts and who will do this because of their passion for Christ and not for popularity or to simply make us happy... We are in the process of getting our charitable status (man it's a long process) and we need to submit our new plan before September. This means that we will need to spend a lot of time praying and seeking God's plan for The Lion's Den... I do believe that God wants us to keep it small (we aren't trying to be a mega church by any means...) We were a successful house church for about two years... but it's funny (not really) how people just didn't consider us a church because firstly we were located in our home.... (no pews, pulpit, etc) and secondly, we were only a group of 10-15 people (sometimes more... man was that ever squishy! lol) Success of a church should never be measured by numbers but by the accomplishing of God's will for that ministry. Are we living up to our/God's vision for the church?

Please pray for The Lion's Den, that we can find the appropriate leaders, those with a true passion for the furtherance of God's Kingdom... People who truly want to love others... People who have the desire to be a part of a strong community for Christ... People who are not judgemental... People who are striving to be Chritlike and not striving to be "Christian".... People who understand that regardless of how long you've been a Christian, no one is perfect... People who are willing to embrace our differences and see that we are all a part of the body of Christ and that we were made differently, to serve....to serve a purpose together for God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Remember the Great Commission... when Jesus said:

Matt 28:19-2019 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." NIV

Are you one of these people? Have tou prayed about what you can offer to God with your gifts, talents and passion? Email us if you feel that you might want to be a part of the Lion's Den team. Pray about it. God knows who is supposed to join our team and he will impress those feelings on your heart... So far we can see those that God is moving...


GOD IS GOOD!

We're Back!!!!

Ok so... This is the new look (for now)... Comment, say hi or whatever so that we know that you are gonna take part in this... Any thoughts on raising funds for LaTienda? Yay! Glad to be back!!! YAAAHHHOOOOOOOIIIIIIIII!!!!!

Fellowship and Confession

Fellowship: Synergy in Community

Fellowship is a word that has a secret identity these days. We mistake it as the mild-mannered potluck luncheon or picnic, when it is really the super-powered reality of the life of the Church.
Jesus said, "where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" (Matthew 18:20). There is a sense that Christ is most present in the community of His people. In the Church, God is here with hands and feet. When we look into one another's eyes, we can see the eyes of Christ looking on us. Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:20). And in a very real sense, we do. It is not simply "imagining" that Christ is there and we are serving him, he says that in some real way we truly are serving him.

Confession: Freedom in Transparency

There is no stronger sin than sin that remains hidden. Secret sins are the most destructive force in the spiritual life. They chain us into a life of duplicity and spiritual mediocrity, if not spiritual bankruptcy. However, when we practice confession, our sin is no longer hidden. Such transparency brings an incredible freedom. What were once iron chains of bondage fall off as if they were made of paper.
If confession is so powerful for the spiritual life, why do so few of us practice it? We could identify many excuses, but the central reason is pride. We are afraid that someone will think less of us. We believe that our present "image" will be permanently defaced. But what good is an "image" if it masks inner decay?
Some of the most public examples of fallen Christian leaders revealed that the reason for their collapse was that they had no accountability. They had no one to whom they could confess. No one who could help them find freedom from their secret sins.
James 5:16 says, "confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another…."

REMEMBER!!!!

Potluck this Saturday and our THIRD attempt at watching that movie! Let us know what you're bringing.

Spiritual Disciplines - Service and Submission

As with most, if not all, of the spiritual practices, service and submission go very much against the grain of our culture. However, when we make them a part of our life, we find incredible freedom from a life of duplicity, manipulation, arrogance, and resentment.

Service: Downward Mobility in an Upwardly Mobile World

Jesus taught that the way up is to go down. He taught his first disciples that the secret to becoming great is to become the servant of all. He illustrated his teaching by putting on the dress of a lowly house servant, and washed the grimy feet of his students.

Submission: Freedom from the Need to "Have It Your Way"

Perhaps one of the most difficult spiritual practices is the discipline of submission. It is completely counter-cultural. We want things to go "our way." We do not want to answer to anyone. We do not particularly care to have someone tell us how to live our lives. However, we need the freedom that comes in living life in complete honesty, transparency, and openness to correction and discipline.


We are meeting at 7pm and are ACTUALLY having out movie night this week... Be there... Bring snacks...

spiritualdisciplineslesson5 : prayerandstudy

"Those who live prayerfully are constantly ready to receive the breath of God, and to let their lives be renewed and expanded."-Henri J. M. Nouwen, "With Open Hands"

"All good meditative prayer is a conversion of our entire self to God."-Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Keep your soul free. What matters most in life is not knowledge, but character.-A. G. Sertillanges, "The Intellectual Life"

"Many people have chosen to seek knowledge rather than to live well, and they are often let astray and their lives come to very little--or nothing at all."-Thomas a Kempis, "The Imitation of Christ"

Prayer...

Sam closed his eyes as the elder began his prayer. Sam was with him for the first ten seconds, then he remembered that he needed to pick up some super-glue so he could fix that coffee cup he chipped that morning…which reminded him of breakfast…which reminded him of lunch…which reminded him that he also needed to get the grill's propane tank filled soon…which reminded him that the gas bills were finally coming down with the warmer weather…gee it's a beautiful day…kind of like those days he flew kites as a kid…nice breeze…warm sun on your face…Then the elder said, "Amen."

Study...

When Jamie's mother walked in her room, Jamie was laying on her back with her feet at the head of her bed. She had headphones covering her ears which blasted out music at a seemingly deafening volume. The television blared out some commercial about fast food. Jamie was holding a book up in the air two feet from her face."What are you doing?" her mother yelled."Studying."

Prayer and study are the two practices that are the most talked about, and perhaps the most commonly practiced-although not as commonly as we would like to imagine. Prayer and study are often either avoided or misapplied. However, they are two disciplines that act as catalysts for transformation in both the heart and mind

spiritual discipline part 4 : secrecy and sacrifice

Secrecy and Sacrifice.

These are two more spiritual practices that are not made easy by our culture. However, they are two spiritual practices that will produce incredible freedom from the chains of emotional, spiritual, and material insecurity

"Don't do your good deeds publicly so that you will be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1).

Do we do the things we do in order that we will be admired, respected, applauded? Are we caught up in the approval game?How do you know if you are caught up in the approval game?

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I ever feel disappointed when nobody notices my efforts?

Do I ever get upset when someone else gets the credit for my idea?

Do I ever find myself doing something so someone will think I am smart

?Do I ever sulk when my past achievements are forgotten or ignored?

Do I ever get upset when no one says, "Thank you?"

Heb 13:15-16

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

NIV

This week at The Lion's Den...Spiritual Disciplines part 3

spiritual disciplines part3 : fasting and frugality

Once two brethren came to a certain elder whose custom it was not to eat every day. But when he saw the brethren he invited them with joy to dine with him saying: Fasting has its reward, but he who eats out of charity fulfils two commandments, for he sets aside his own will and he refreshes his hungry brethren.-from"Wisdom of the Desert: Translations from the 'Verba Seniorum,'" by Thomas Merton.

"Stop trying to impress people with your clothes and impress them with your life."-Richard Foster, "Freedom of Simplicity"

Abbot Agatho frequently admonished his disciple, saying: Never acquire for yourself anything that you might hesitate to give to your brother if he asked you for it, for thus you would be found a transgressor of God's command. If anyone asks, give it to him, and if anyone wants to borrow form you, do not turn away from him.-from"Wisdom of the Desert: Translations from the 'Verba Seniorum,'" by Thomas Merton

Two Stories of Spiritual Foundering (basically they didn't learn anything!)...

Joe had almost done it. It was 11:51pm and he had gone the whole day without eating. It was his first attempt at fasting, but at that moment all that was on his mind was: "Should I wait until after midnight to order the pizza or can I order it now-since it wouldn't be ready until after midnight anyway?"
To this day, Joe doesn't remember what he decided to do, but he does remember that the pizza was delicious!

Lenny had just come back from hearing the missionary speak of the horrible poverty where he served. The pictures of the children with torn, worn, and re-worn clothes had made an impact on him. In fact is such that when he opened his closet and saw his piles and piles of clothes-many of which he rarely wore-he decided to give his excess away to Goodwill.
The next morning Lenny woke up and set himself to the task of dividing up his laundry between the essentials and the excess. After going through his piles of clothes, he had decided that he would give up all the clothes he did not wear every week. The pile was substantial. Later, Lenny congratulated himself on his sacrifice as he dropped off the bags to Goodwill.
On the way home, Lenny saw a sale sign at his favorite clothing store.Lenny walked in the door of his home with two pair of new blue jeans, three shirts, six pair of socks (they were 3 for $8!), and a new pair of shoes.

Fasting and frugality are two spiritual disciplines that our culture will not make easy for us. In fact, the messages of almost every commercial urge us to eat more, buy more, eat more, buy more…
In this weeks study we will look at the why and the how of fasting and frugality-two practices that will bring us incredible freedom and open our lives to God's great work of making us more like Jesus.

Wayne's Birthday!

So we're going to meet at 4pm and have a potluck. Let us know what you're bringing. We are making a chili! We could use some salad, some buns or garlic bread... something to drink...pop, juice, whatever.... We always have coffee! Um... what about some munchies!!! Ok but you need to let us know so that we don't have a disorganized potluck... the last thing we want to have happen is to have no food at all! I know how hungry yall are all the time! Can't wait to hear from yall! There's 3 days left all! YEEEEEHHHHAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!

A post from a friend... So moving!

in honour of you…Tita
By Administrator on meaningful monday's
“It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him (her) for what he (she) is.” Hermann Hesse (parentheses mine)
(photo credit: LaTienda)
Tita is an artist. She makes anklets dripping with glass beads and hand crafted copper accents.
Tita is 22, or perhaps 25. The interesting thing about the Haitians of this village is that the majority of them don’t have a quantitative grasp on time, but rather a qualitative one. This person is old, this one young. That time was bad this time good. I once heard a story of a Haitian lady, when asked how long she had been pregnant answered,” about 8 years”. This was not an error in translation but rather the response from a woman with a mind that processes time measurement different then the west.
So as best as Tita can guess she was raped when she was about 16. She found out she was pregnant and immediately became a prostitute.
This puts a bleak picture in my mind but Tita narrates with stoicism. She became a prostitute to save up some money to buy a home. She did save up her earnings and did purchase a home in order to raise her son.
Tita mentioned recently that it wasn’t until she was promised a Job in the art co-op (called La Tienda de Raquel by the villagers) that she was able to stop living as a prostitute.
It was a beautiful transformation that happened in Tita over the last year and a half. She went from being very cool and uninviting to warm and full of life.
When you teach someone how to create with their hands, it brings them to life with a sense of purpose and self worth. Tita has a skill. Not only does she now create and learn and grow, she makes things that others want to buy. Not just anyone either. THE RICH. All those rich Gringos with clean hair and access to an excess of goods. The rich who eat three meals a day and have bathrooms in every house and a bed for every person; They actually WANT what SHE makes. This is big.
Now Tita and her young son Frankie (or Tee-pa-pa) can eat every day as opposed to every other day. But more importantly, she has a job with dignity. You won’t find her walking the streets at night.
You will however find her in the Co-op the moment the doors are unlocked until the sun goes down. She loves to be there.
http://www.latienda.moonfruit.com/ (the women)
Dear Tita,
Your story forever changed my life. When I first heard your story and then saw the home you created for yourself and your son (and a bed made of sticks), I knew I must live my life in such a way that I would never take for granted the struggle and reality of how most people on planet earth live. I committed to helping LaTienda in any way possible knowing there were women like you in need of food, shelter, and dignified ways to make money.
Today, upon learning of your passing, I will celebrate your life. I will honour you. What you gave to this great earth, to your son, to the women of the Tienda, to our dear friend Rachel, and to me - so far way and yet somehow connected, will forever be remembered.
If, if I can muster any of your strength, any of your courage, any of your kind of determination I will be better for it.
I had hoped to one day look you in the eyes and somehow share with you through human connection just how much your life has affected mine. Now, I must wait until our freed spirits meet, but oh how I long for you to know that your precious life will NEVER be forgotten.
You will be missed!
‘Till we meet,
Katherine

January 13th Meeting at the Den

Here's a sneak peek of what we will be studying this week... Spiritual Disciplines (and for a few weeks after that too...This should be really interesting) This is a clip from some Randy guy at "the Reading Room @ the Waters Edge" Cool stuff... Enjoy....

"Superficiality is the curse of our age…. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people."-Richard Foster, "Celebration of Discipline"

"The spiritual life is first of all a life.It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived."-Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

"Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself."--Leo Tolstoy


Once upon a time, a group of men from Chicago left their jobs in the high-rise office buildings, moved to the prairie, and bought some farmland. "We're farmers!" They all declared to each other. And all summer long they would go to the field to watch their crop grow up. However, when September rolled in, their fields were filled with goldenrod and all kinds of wildflowers and weeds.

"Where's the corn?" they asked each other. And they wondered what they could have possibly done wrong.

Growing up in the church, I have often noted the fact that so few "long-time church members" experience the significant life-change expected from many years as students of Jesus. Like those city boys, they purchase the land, but do nothing to cultivate a field in which growth could take place.

Why do so many of us feel like we just have not grown very much in the likeness of our Master? Are we just spiritually "thick-headed?" Are we just not "built" to be spiritual giants? Or have we simply not been taught what it means to be a student of Jesus?
Perhaps we as the church have placed so much emphasis on making converts that we have neglected to make disciples. We work hard to help people come to faith--to become a "Christian"-but can you identify any intentional efforts to help people become more like our Teacher?

Perhaps we have emphasized a wrong teaching about faith and its relationship to good deeds. Works has gotten a bad rap, while workless faith has grown more appealing-"cheap grace" as Bonhoeffer stated it.

Maybe both are involved. Maybe something else. In any case, we must realize that something is wrong, and we must take steps-even "radical" steps-to "strengthen what remains and is about to die" (Revelation 3:2).

Hangin' out at the Den...

Hey guys,

We're meeting at 7pm this week... Really hope we can see you there. Especially because Jay and I won't be at Rymal on Sunday... We're studying "love" or "loving others". We've just posted a new website for the Lion's Den at www.intothelionsden.org you've probably already received the email. We've posted daily devotionals on the site and will be posting our studies and stuff on there too. So far in the weekly sermons and studies we have the notes for this Saturday. Feel free to peruse before you come. I already have copies if for yall here. Looking forward to hangin out!

Check yall later!