Want to Have a Regional Gathering?

Want to do a regional gathering sometime soon? What would it look like if everyone in our region got together one day this summer for a time of worship, praise, prayer, fellowship, encouragement, and Communion?

Take a minute to click the "comments" link below and leave a message about this. Give your ideas of when and where to have it. Give your ideas in support of doing this. Once you type in your comments, make sure to click the box that asks you if you want the follow-up comments emailed to you. That way you can keep up to date on what everyone is saying about this.

Thanks,

Jason

An Open Letter to the American Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

Don't all of these "programs," "projects" and "plans" seem rather contrived? What Father has been showing me over the past few years is that His church is not in need of management of programming in order to grow and be successful. It simply requires faithful participation. The church of Jesus is an organic living thing that grows as the Head directs it.

We should be praying for growth and praying for us to see what Father is doing so we can join Him in His work, but to "program" it seems to be out of step with what Father desires. Our direct command was to make disciples. Jesus gave us the supreme example of how to do that. He didn't make up acronyms or programs to accomplish this. He simply lived His life in full obedience to Father and His direction. Jesus lived each day ready to speak Truth into the life of any person He encountered. He never encouraged any of His disciples to think up crafty ways to make disciples.

As a former paid church staffer, I fully know what happens when the church begins implementing seemingly "good" programs to accomplish biblical goals. They seem innocent and good in the beginning, but eventually they begin to be the very goal. Hence institutional church-ianity in America today.

As we together work to see Jesus be lifted up and His kingdom grow, my prayer is that we simply be open to the direction of Jesus each day, in each relationship, in each encounter without trying to affect the growth by our own efforts.

Simply,
Jason

Doing EXACTLY what Jesus would do

A man enters a store, owned by Mohammad Somial, intending to rob using a baseball bat as his weapon of choice. When the owner presented his rifle in his own defense the robber immediately
dropped his bat and dropped to knees begging for forgiveness. The store owner forgave on the spot and began to pray with the would be robber. As it turns out the robber needed food to feed his family and in an act of desperation made a bad decision. Something we've ALL done.

Mr. Somial did EXACTLY what Jesus would've done, he forgave, prayed and gave the man 40.00 dollars and a loaf of bread, and sent him on his way asking him to promise to never steal again.

What an example of Jesus on this earth. We should all take a lesson from this man, and apply it to our lives.

New Websites

I ran across a few new-to-me websites this morning and thought I'd pass along the URLs to you. I haven't read everything on all of these sites, but I thought some of it was interesting. Enjoy!

• Deacon and Usher's Weblog
• Letters from Leavers
• A Deconstructed Christian
• Lifestream