Comments on: 5 Things to do Until an Organic Church Comes to Your Town http://rawreligion.com/1212/5-things/ Finding the simplicity that is in Jesus Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:44:47 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Chad http://rawreligion.com/1212/5-things/comment-page-1/#comment-237 Chad Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:51:33 +0000 http://rawreligion.com/?p=1212#comment-237 Matthew, I have enjoyed reading your stuff man. I happened across it as I was searching for some stuff. It would literally take hours for me to tell you my journey, but let me just say I have been through it. I have been in full time ministry for almost 25 years and for the past 15 have been searching out what the church is really suppose to be. I have recently resigned from a very traditional church, where we went to "play it safe" for a while. We have been a part of very large to very small, very progressive to very traditional, Charismatic to Baptist, but all left the same question in my heart. You know that question, "What are we really accomplishing?" I even tried for years to incorporate aspects of organic church inside of the walls of the institution and though we found some would catch on, and a few cells took off, it always ended up present problems. For the past few years I could only sense God telling us to stop playing church and just learn to be the church. This has been a long journey for me, one mainly of learning to trust Papa with what HE was showing me. I have had almost no encouragement anywhere! And didn't even know there were more out there until today when I did a search on this term that had been in my heart for years "organic" church. I have been saying that is what our meetings need to be.. more organic... and then I come across this. Ok.. you can see I could go on and on here. I will stop.. but I would love to talk to you one day. The problem we have now is.. we have been meeting for some time in our home with a group of people who are loving being on this journey of intimacy and so much good stuff is happening, but now more and more people are hearing about it and there are so many hungry folks. This week we are meeting in an old coffee shop, the owner is geeked to have his building be used again especially for the kingdome, but I refuse to "start a church" and that is what some are pushing us to do. Please pray that we will have wisdom on sharing the vision of organic and that people will catch it and understand. We are simply gathering for coffee, fellowship, and whatever else breaks out. We are just going to give the body a place to be! Your article on the structure of organic church was very helpful to me. Ok... really stopping this time. Thank you so much! Jesus is so faithful and so sweet to me to bring me across all of this. I am so grateful! Chad Matthew, I have enjoyed reading your stuff man. I happened across it as I was searching for some stuff. It would literally take hours for me to tell you my journey, but let me just say I have been through it. I have been in full time ministry for almost 25 years and for the past 15 have been searching out what the church is really suppose to be. I have recently resigned from a very traditional church, where we went to “play it safe” for a while. We have been a part of very large to very small, very progressive to very traditional, Charismatic to Baptist, but all left the same question in my heart. You know that question, “What are we really accomplishing?” I even tried for years to incorporate aspects of organic church inside of the walls of the institution and though we found some would catch on, and a few cells took off, it always ended up present problems. For the past few years I could only sense God telling us to stop playing church and just learn to be the church. This has been a long journey for me, one mainly of learning to trust Papa with what HE was showing me. I have had almost no encouragement anywhere! And didn’t even know there were more out there until today when I did a search on this term that had been in my heart for years “organic” church. I have been saying that is what our meetings need to be.. more organic… and then I come across this.

Ok.. you can see I could go on and on here. I will stop.. but I would love to talk to you one day. The problem we have now is.. we have been meeting for some time in our home with a group of people who are loving being on this journey of intimacy and so much good stuff is happening, but now more and more people are hearing about it and there are so many hungry folks. This week we are meeting in an old coffee shop, the owner is geeked to have his building be used again especially for the kingdome, but I refuse to “start a church” and that is what some are pushing us to do. Please pray that we will have wisdom on sharing the vision of organic and that people will catch it and understand. We are simply gathering for coffee, fellowship, and whatever else breaks out. We are just going to give the body a place to be!

Your article on the structure of organic church was very helpful to me. Ok… really stopping this time. Thank you so much! Jesus is so faithful and so sweet to me to bring me across all of this. I am so grateful!

Chad

]]> By: Dan http://rawreligion.com/1212/5-things/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Dan Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:27:20 +0000 http://rawreligion.com/?p=1212#comment-232 Wow...I'm so glad I happened by this blog! I've seen some websites/blogs with information on the organic church, but nothing that presents the actual hope of one coming. Thank you for the great resource! Wow…I’m so glad I happened by this blog! I’ve seen some websites/blogs with information on the organic church, but nothing that presents the actual hope of one coming. Thank you for the great resource!

]]> By: Matthew Berry http://rawreligion.com/1212/5-things/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Matthew Berry Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:27:52 +0000 http://rawreligion.com/?p=1212#comment-230 John, I can relate. When we made a shift last November it resulted in some severed relationships. It was not our desire to cause waves, but for varying reasons it did occur. From our perspective, we left quietly. For the sake of unity in the Body of Jesus, we didn't discuss our differences. We simply said that the Lord was leading us in a different direction and we needed to follow Him. We affirmed our love to them all, but I believe many received our decision as an act of betrayal and abandonment. Since then, God has restored some relationships; others, we're still seeking God for 100% reconciliation. A commitment to obey Jesus at whatever cost will result in being misunderstood to some degree. It's in times like those that we become acquainted with Jesus as the "Man of all sorrows." The correct response in such situations is to keep your soul free from bitterness and offense, cultivate love for the offended brother, and ask Holy Spirit, "How can I be a peacemaker?" May the comfort of the Father be your company in this season, JohnFOM. Thanks for visiting the site. Where are you located? I'd love to talk with you on the phone sometime. John,

I can relate. When we made a shift last November it resulted in some severed relationships. It was not our desire to cause waves, but for varying reasons it did occur.

From our perspective, we left quietly. For the sake of unity in the Body of Jesus, we didn’t discuss our differences. We simply said that the Lord was leading us in a different direction and we needed to follow Him. We affirmed our love to them all, but I believe many received our decision as an act of betrayal and abandonment. Since then, God has restored some relationships; others, we’re still seeking God for 100% reconciliation.

A commitment to obey Jesus at whatever cost will result in being misunderstood to some degree. It’s in times like those that we become acquainted with Jesus as the “Man of all sorrows.” The correct response in such situations is to keep your soul free from bitterness and offense, cultivate love for the offended brother, and ask Holy Spirit, “How can I be a peacemaker?”

May the comfort of the Father be your company in this season, JohnFOM. Thanks for visiting the site. Where are you located? I’d love to talk with you on the phone sometime.

]]> By: JohnFOM http://rawreligion.com/1212/5-things/comment-page-1/#comment-229 JohnFOM Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:23:23 +0000 http://rawreligion.com/?p=1212#comment-229 Unfortunately for me this post is about 2 months too late. I walked away from my church (including a leadership position or 2) about a month ago. Great people in that church though who have chased me up to find some way we can stay connected, just in a non-membered sort of way. Here's hoping it works out. In hindsight it would have been easier and better if I hadn't severed the ties in the way I did though. Good advice. Unfortunately for me this post is about 2 months too late. I walked away from my church (including a leadership position or 2) about a month ago.

Great people in that church though who have chased me up to find some way we can stay connected, just in a non-membered sort of way. Here’s hoping it works out.

In hindsight it would have been easier and better if I hadn’t severed the ties in the way I did though.

Good advice.

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