This is the final part of six blog centered on a journey I have been going on since December 2009. This journey is taking me on a path to build an ark God had designed for me to build. The previous five posts have been about the why, today it’s a bout the what. So here it is!
Part 6
So I have a confession to make! It’s not actually an ark! Well you knew that, but here’s another confession, I’m not building it! Sorry to mislead you, but I’m just one of the construction crew, maybe you could call me the foreman or the project manager.
This thing I’m calling an ark is actually a church! Maybe doesn’t sound quite as fun does it, but when you hear church, don’t think what you think you know of church.
A group of friends and people who are passionate about God have come together all hearing and seeing the same concerns I have shared in the previous five posts. We have decided that the place where we live (Harford County) needs to be re-introduced to Jesus Christ. See your already having pre-conceived thoughts aren’t you!
We believe over the span of many many years many have a wrong view of Jesus Christ. In fact their view is probably very different from their neighbor and their neighbor from the family down the street. Over the years we tend to put God in a box, this is the box of our experiences and ideas about God. We are ready to help build a church that will blow away that box and leave you with raw Christianity in the way Christ desired it to be. Harford County does not need another church, but a community of faith who will be willing to reintroduce Christ to the thousands of people who live there.
Now you may be asking, how are you going to blow the box away? The answer, I don’t really know! We have an idea, but the amazing thing about this journey has been that each day the pieces of the puzzle become a little more clearer, I believe that is the way God likes it! You see, when we get one piece at a time we have to actually rely on God and do what he desires us to do. If we had all the pieces now, I’m afraid our ark would look very different from the one God designed, and then we would have our very own box!
However, here are just some of the things we believe needs to be in the foundation of this church:
- A community of life - Not a place that is boring or dying. Not a group of people who suck the life out of you, but a community that makes you feel alive and in return you breathe life into others. A community which searches for purpose, meaning and destiny
- A group who will know the why before we proclaim the how!
- Leaders who will not be afraid to be transparent no matter how tough that statement really is.
- A people who will seek to experience God, and won’t try to change others, but instead create an environment so that they also can experience God.
- A church where it will not be all about us, but everything will be about them who we pray will one day become us!
- A pod of like-minded friends who will not settle for comfort but chase God’s dream!
That is just a snapshot of some of the things we believe we must chase after.
So one last thing, the name of this church/ark, GENERATION CHURCH. A generation not marked by age, race or political beliefs, but a generation marked by life, purpose and destiny.
April 2nd, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Sounds great Alex. Any idea where you specifically want to hold services? Harford County has a number of great places where a new church could have an impact.
If you have any more questions about the reThink stuff, our Partner Development Director would be a great help and I’m sure she would love to talk to you. Her name is Gina Napier and her email is gnapier at rethink dot org
Have you thought about going to the Exponential Conference (largest church planting conference)? We went last year and it was really helpful and practical.
April 9th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Hey Nick,
we are looking at Joppa/Joppatowne as a place. I know Mountain are close by, which is a great church, but we are going to be a little different so I feel comfortable in knowing that is where God wants us to be. I’ll def give Gina a email and see if we can use any of their resources.
I wanted to go to Exponential but wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule, heard it’s good though!
Hey thanks for the plug about my blog in your fav five posts, much appreciated!
Alex
May 22nd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Just saw this reply. I saw your tweet (about how many days left until launch) and came to the blog to see if you had a website for the church yet. Joppa/Joppatowne would be a great place. A friend of mine mentioned a couple months ago that Abingdon might be a great place to plant a church. There aren’t nearly enough healthy churches around this area so no worries about planting near one that is.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
April 5th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Great stuff. I like this…
“A group who will know the why before we proclaim the how!”
It is in the ‘why’ part of our doing that we can find out the purpose and motives behind it. Anything that we do for Christ, specially in ministry, should have a purpose with the right motives behind it. If not, it simply becomes another thing we do to get people to join our ‘club’.
Great stuff. I’m so excited about Generation Church.
April 5th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
I live in harford county and have visited several churches and haven’t found a place like this. It’s not that the other churches are doing something that is sooooo wrong or bad. Maybe it’s just not my style, too traditional or too fake. I don’t know. But it’s made me want to give up church all together. I know, I feel bad saying it and I’m afraid that if I give church up altogether I’ll fall into the trap of giving God up altogether. When I read this, it gave me hope. I just wished you were starting your church tomorrow. I would so be there.