Shifting Community pt 2 - The challenge of growth

In my previous post I started a series of reflections on my church community, especially with regard to our evening service at Wellspring, called Resonate.

This is my second post in the series.

As a church body gets bigger, certain things are obviously going to change. It gets more difficult, at a leadership level, to enquire and address the needs of the individual churchgoer (be they Christian, or visiting), and at the other end of the spectrum, as that individual, it gets more difficult to get to know the church leaders and other members of the community that you call your local church.
Where your church used all go out and enjoy a meal together, at one or two different locations, instead there are groups that regularly meet and hang out after church together. Where feedback on the music style or choice of songs used to be simpler because everyone knew at least one of the musicians, now it's up to the leaders of music teams to be perceptive and seek out that feedback from the congregation.

The way we experience community shifts as a church grows.

I'm not saying that growth is bad, on the contrary, a growing church community can very often be a reflection of God's blessing during that season and the work that God is doing through those that are being faithful to the word and serving the church. But with that growth comes challenges. Pastoral, stylistic, financial and stewardship, preaching, training and leadership challenges. These and more are all things that Wellspring currently faces.

And we know that in order to function as a church community we need to do more than set out more seats...

Reading Carson

For quite some time, I've had intentions to read some of Don's work, and have got part way through his books before study or work or some other thing distracted me from my time for reading.

So I've resolved to start again, and blog about it.

Over the next few weeks I'll be reading:

- The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God

- How Long O Lord?

- A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and his Prayers

I don't know how the format of this blog will look like. I might just post reflections, or tell you about a chapter I like, or maybe just say something that I thought about that is pretty much abstract from the book's topic. See how we go.

Reflections on Preaching

So, I preached my first sermon last Sunday, and I thought I'd post some dot-point reflections and some things I heard and learnt preparing, and some feedback I've been given so far.

1. Preaching a whole book of a Bible is hard.

2. Yet, preaching the Psalms is a joy in the future I will always look forward to.

3. Mannerisms are welcome.. My friend Nick told me he was scared to hear the 'Preacher Alan' so when it turned out 'Preacher Alan' didn't exist, he was glad.

4. Mannerisms are not welcome.. when it is putting your hand in your pocket.

5. Preaching with Mic in hand is not ideal for me. If I don't have both hands, I can't communicate with them very well at all. Hence the hand in pocket.

6. Mikey says that newbies either tend to be over-prepared.. or under-prepared. I learned I'm one of those under-prepared sort.

7. Preparation - "Spend more time in the text!" - Thanks bro ;-)

8. Memorising, heading out for a day/half day, and meditating on the scripture you are preaching is invaluable. God taught me much when I was trying less to be intellectual and more prayerful.

9. Visuals (Powerpoint and Video) are not necessary for a sermon. Well it seemed that way.

10. "Once you've got up there you'll love it, you'll be hooked."

11. Preaching to your pastor and two of his kids in their living room seems like it could prepare you for any mid-sermon situation. (This is but a theory, I'm yet to have it tested on me)

12. Full script does in fact work for me. Eventually I suspect it will be a hybrid of full-script and dot points, but there is something real cool about expressing something with full intention.

If you're interested, the sermon can be found here - I would love any feedback (all forms of constructive feedback), you can share in the comments, or drop me an email.

If you're wondering about the 'sans-baby' comment - a mum at the church was speaking prior to me beginning, and her bub was particularly drawn to the black toy mummy seemed to be trying to eat, and wanted a try too. ;-)

Doing this first sermon was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life! It is certainly something God willing I would like to do more of, and really desire to improve at, and grow in. I was blessed to have this opportunity, thank you God, Wellspring and the Resonate team. :-)

Only a little sin

The strength of accountability..

..and the lie of the little sin.

No sin is too small to seek support from a brother/sister in Christ, as no sin is too small not to, in some way, affect the body of Christ.

Hearing a brother say to me today "I heard nothing from you about that, so I stopped praying after time" was quite profound. We need always be sharing with one another, so we can be encouraging and praying for one another.

Reflections at Christmas time

Christmas is going to become more and more important as the years go by, as the Emerging church gets more popular (Or is it dead? Sorry, just touching some nerves :P), and similar liberal view of Christian spirituality permeate our culture.
As things like the virgin birth get called into question, the deity of Christ, the authority of the Bible, the historicity of the Bible, Christmas will become a time where the two views, that of Biblical Christianity and of extreme liberal christianity, will need to ask again and again these questions.

While the whole world looks on.

It will become a time where we can speak of Christ the way the Bible speaks of Christ, and where we can share with those who think they know the Gospel the real truth and weight of what it means to believe in a humble Saviour, divine yet human, took sin for us yet exalted, gave us the gift of new life by faith yet deserves all our praise by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christ, born The King of our lives.

Some helpful things I just read:
C. J. Mahaney looks at the disturbing nature of the Birth of Christ, and why it's important to see it this way here

Albert Mohler revisits why the virgin birth is important to Christian belief here

A page a day..

I am about to embark on an adventure of writing to encourage me to look more deeply into the Scriptures.

To set aside some time in each day, maybe as little as 30 minutes, to reflect and write only a page on what I have read in God's Word, and how this can apply to my life.

I don't intend to blog these reflections, at least not in the interim, but to put pen to paper, engage the body in writing as well as the mind in thought and spirit in prayer.

The thoughts also won't be as well rounded as a blog post either, I've come to the conclusion that loose ends don't always need tying off, at least not when simply reflecting for personal reasons, as opposed to preaching or constructing a topical paper.
I'm hoping this might help me to allow scripture to speak more into those blank spots, and I get to make revisions of my writing.

In any case, I'm looking forward to it.
Any thoughts?