CoreTalk

Message - The Perpetrator [adam]

2009-05-22T06:58:00.001-07:00

This was my message about Adam on Sunday, April 19. It was part one in the Profiles in Redemption Series.

If it doesn't work yet, bear with me. I'm still figuring this Podcast stuff out.

Message - test

2009-05-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Another Slideshow

2007-06-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Slideshow

2007-06-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is just an experiment I'm trying out with a slideshow program.

The Land of 10,000 Hits

2007-06-03T11:44:00.002-07:00

The Core website has now officially logged 10,000 hits! At 8:18 pm on Friday, June 1, a user with the IPN "02-064.154.popsite.net (66.19.229.64)" visited our purpose page, and rolled us over to 10,000. He or she started at the "openmic" page, most likely getting the URL off a poster downtown. He or she then proceeded in the following link-path: community, gatherings, regroup, frontporch, happenings, goodstuff, conversation, thebigidea, bios, staff, partners, story, values, beliefs, and mission before arriving at purpose.

The user in question is from Springfield, uses Windows XP and Internet Explorer. The June 1st visit was his or her first visit to The Core's website, and it lasted about 24 minutes.

I know this stuff is probably boring to you, but I thought some people might find a profile interesting of a first-time web visitor, who clearly is interested in learning more about The Core.

If you are reading this, and you are the 10,000 visitor, e-mail me (Ryan) and I'll buy you a drink of your choice at the MudHouse. Thanks for stopping in!

By the way, The Core website, and The Core Blog have been neck-and-neck for awhile, approaching 10,000. But the website won, as the blog is still 25 hits shy. Granted, these counts are not entirely accurate, but they're close enough.

UPDATE: The Core Blog received its 10,000 hit just a few days later, but at that time I wasn't in the mood to write another self-congratulatory post. Suffice it to say, it is kind of neat that they both hit 10,000 within days of each other.

Baptists' Uneasy Relationship with Tongues

2007-06-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

As a person with a Pentecostal background, I've always heard Baptists characterized as people who don't believe in speaking in tongues. Well, it turns out (according to LifeWay, a Southern Baptist research outfit,) that fully half of all Southern Baptist pastors believe that Speaking in Other Tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit still given today, even for public use!

When we were thinking about affiliating with the Southern Baptists, I was asked if I believed in Speaking in Tongues. When I said that I believe it is a gift still given today, I was viewed with a tinge of suspicion.

Can it be true that HALF of Southern Baptist pastors have a secret belief in Tongues? Surely there are some who are public about it, but there can't be very many... otherwise the Convention would move to accept Tongues as a respectable Baptist belief, or they would renounce those who hold it.

I still consider Tongues a sectarian and controversial issue, therefore I will not promote it publicly within The Core. I am not just running a non-denominational church, I consider myself to be a non-denominational Christ-follower. I believe there is good reason to show respect to those on both sides of any controversy, and that is what we will do.

Now I'd like to see LifeWay do a similar survey on Eternal Security, and whether or not the consumption of alcohol is a sin. After all, knowledge is power.

Front Porch Personnel

2007-05-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

Hey there... just some thoughts from Ryan about how the Front Porch might be run (it's coming up very soon!)

For now, I'd like to just list a few important roles (all of which are unpaid, for now anyway) that people must assume in order to keep the place running efficiently.

Manager - The first Manager of the FP will be Christina. She will coordinate volunteer schedules, cleaning, stocking, and the business of keeping the place open. You might call "Front Porch Manager" a position, instead of a role, but the rest of these in the list will be roles, to be assumed by individuals for a particular purpose at a particular time, not something you'd put on a business card.

Host - A Host is someone who has gone through Front Porch training, understands the missional-relational vision, and has some basic experience with the nuts and bolts of the place. This person would be trusted to oversee the operation of the facility during normal cafe hours, show hospitality to any guests who come in, and coordinate clean-up at the end. A host may possess a key to the building, but not necessarily.

Barista - This is a person who wants to work at the coffee bar, and serve other hospitality functions of the Front Porch, but has not had time to gain the vision or experience that a host needs to have.
Event Leader - Anytime there is an activity, event, concert, gathering, etc at the FP, a particular individual will be the designated Event Leader. This person will be responsible for everything that happens within the context of that event. This may sound obvious, but it can be easy, if we're not careful, to have a concert or something, and no one knows "who's in charge".

Helper - This is anyone who wants to volunteer to serve the needs of the Front Porch in a particular way. Some ways to be a helper include: cleaning, equipment repair, computer maintenance, soundboard or projector operation, childcare, or get your diploma! Wait... forget that last part. Anyway... this person will coordinate a time with the FP Manager to come and help out however they see fit.

At no time will the Front Porch be open without at least two people present. One of these two people must be a Host. The other person can be anyone, as long as they keep an awareness of the Host's safety, and are willing to help whenever needed. If two people are scheduled to be at the FP, and one has to cancel, the FP will remain closed until a second person is found.

Got some more stuff about FP protocol coming soon... For now, let me know your thoughts on what I've said so far.

Keep it Simple

2007-04-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, how about this:

The Core is a church.

The Core has a building downtown, under renovation, called the Front Porch.

The Core has a gathering Sunday morning called Re:Group. It hopes to add other similar small gatherings in homes, or wherever they can occur.

The Core has activities, including Open Mic Church, Missional Relationship Workshops, Leadership Meetings and Hangouts on the Square.

The Core has a strong outreach element, which enables members from other churches to get involved in meaningful ways, and results in plenty of potential uses for the Front Porch.

The Core has team members, currently they number 7. Team members are expected to be involved in a substantial way, but are not required to attend Re:Group, or abandon memberships with other churches.

The Core has overseers, currently they number 6. Overseers are expected to guide the overall vision and direction of The Core, and are expected to be committed to an effective weekly small group.

The Core has family members, including everyone we have contact with.

The Core has supporters, who see the need for what The Core is doing, and want to help.

The Core has a vision to be an example to the World of what it means to have a relationship with God, and put all your trust in Jesus. It also has a vision to be an example to the Body of Christ of what it means to BE THE CHURCH, and not simply go to church.

The Core is simple. As it grows, it may become more complex. However, there is no need to add complexity prematurely. And even as complexity comes, it must be organic, and spring from the diversity of people's gifts and callings, rather than a confounding administrative structure.

This proposed re-statement arises from a realization of mine: You have to pick your battles. We cannot re-define the entire church all at once. We have to conform to certain things in order to maintain meaningful points of contact with Christendom. My concession to call The Core "a church" would be one of them. Here is another one:

Lots of churches have a strong commitment to small groups. The church Matt & Melissa Stephens are attending in Chicago has virtual 100% involvement in weekly small groups among members. Instead of trying to start The Core from scratch, and alienate people ideologically, let's start with something everyone understands, and just make some modifications.

Almost every church has a weekly service (let's call that a "worship gathering".) And many churches, as I mentioned, have weekly small groups (let's call them "home fellowships".) I think the worship gatherings are a good thing to have regularly, but having them weekly really causes people to put too much emphasis on that type of activity.

So let's have our home fellowships weekly, and have a worship gathering monthly, so the focus is on the small events, not on the big ones. Also it will free people up to get more involved in regular community-building and outreach efforts.

Then let's give the home fellowships an extra level of autonomy, so they are not expected to do everything "through" The Core, or "in concert" with The Core. Their meeting places, discussion & teaching topics, music, fellowship and giving can happen however they see fit. Also, we can ordain their leaders to conduct baptisms, weddings, funerals and communion. The Core will maintain oversight of home fellowships in order to manage their finances, hold teachers accountable for biblical doctrine (and provide them training,) urge them to contribute to wider fellowship and outreach efforts, and help them grow without losing intimacy, splitting ineffectively, or lacking strong leadership.

This concept is not unlike the "Free Market" cell-group model that has recently been gaining popularity.

Then our monthly worship gathering could occur, let's say, the third Sunday evening of each month. We could probably even start out by holding it at the Bellwether, and then switch to the Front Porch when it's ready. It wouldn't have to be terribly different from a typical up-to-date "church service" except that it would happen less often, take place in a much more casual, stimulating atmosphere, and probably be more interactive, thoughtful and unpredictable. It could be geared toward believers (without being too intensive) and near-believers (without being too secular.) Those who are interested in a more instensive experience can join a home fellowship. Those who are interested in a more secular, open-ended experience can come to Open Mic Church.

I think that's it for now (as if that's not enough to chew on!)

Nap Time

2007-03-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an idea that my cousin Ben gave me for the Front Porch.

Nap Time! Seriously.

We could have it right after lunch and call it "Front Porch Siesta" or something like that. If lunch ends at 1:30 or so, then people could take a nap from 1:30 to 3:00. Who knows?

We could draw the blinds, turn off most of the lights, and have a sign up at the front that says "Shhh! Nap time."

Of course, we're not bringing in cots or anything... people could just sleep on the couches, the comfy chairs, or even bring in a sleeping bag if they want.

I think this could be very popular with the downtown office crowd. I've known quite a few people to take a nap on their breaks, but often they have to put three chairs together, or go out to their car or something. I'll bet an idea like this would make the 10:00 news, too.

You wouldn't have to sleep, obviously. You could sit in a chair with a lamp nearby and read, pray, or journal or something.

Naturally, this would only work if we had someone manning the Front Porch during that time who was comfortable with something like that. It might seem a little strange.

Anyway... just wanted to get the idea blogged before I forgot about it.

Peace in.

Upcoming Relationship-Building Events

2007-03-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Written by Phillip, posted by Ryan

Missional Relationship Workshop- April 10

If you’re anything like me, you were taught all your life that God wants you to “evangelize” or “witness” or something like that. You may also have learned countless tactics to make your efforts more effective. And if you’re like me, you’ve also become frustrated with this approach, always feeling like you’re trying to sell a used car.

When I finally got it through my head that evangelism is nothing more, and nothing less, than building purposeful and loving relationships, everything changed. So now we’re holding regular Missional Relationship Workshops to help each other in this journey.

Our next workshop will take place on April 9th At the Bellwether Gallery, from 7-10 pm. See the map. Coffee and refreshments will be provided. Please previous post entitled “Missional Relationships”. Although a few things have changed since it was written, this post will give you a great glimpse of how this workshop is approached. Feel free to e-mail me (Phillip) for further information.

Hanging at the Square - Saturday evenings starting April 14

That’s right, you saw the title. It isn’t an event, a workshop, or an assignment. We are just hanging out, and getting to know a wide variety of people. We are going to hang out at Park Central Square most Saturday evenings, beginning April 14th. Anyone who wants to join us should meet at 8:30 pm on the northwest corner of Boonville and Olive, one half block north of the Square. Bring some water to hand out, guitars, hand drums, or just yourself; nothing difficult about just being yourself and hanging out. Feel free to e-mail me (Phillip) for further information.

Our First Open Mic Church

2007-02-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night at the Bellwether Gallery The Core hosted its first fully-invitational event: Open Mic Church "Open Mouth, Insert Mic." (Watch the KOLR10 New Spot)

In keeping with my commitment not to count people, I did not count people. So I'm not sure how many came. But the point is that there were plenty of people to make the event a success, despite heavy snow outside and a dark, torn up street out front.

Phil kicked it off with an explanation of our reason for doing Open Mic Church. He talked about how important it was to be authentic, and really listen to, and learn from each other, now matter how different we are. Then we observed a moment of silence for the 130+ who were killed that morning in Iraq by an improvised bomb, and those who were suffering from a major series of tornadoes in central Florida. After that, I (Ryan) got up and sang a David Crowder song. Later on I performed an original song and played "Autumn Leaves" on the sax.

The performers of the evening were: Jerry, and Heather, who each recited original poetry, Joe and Skyler, who comprised a two-man rock band, Austin played and sang soulful original songs, and Bailey brought the indy-pop-rock tunes. I was supremely impressed by everyone who performed.

There was also lots of good food to snack on, and we ended up handing out zip-lock bags to each person to take some home with them.

Everyone I talked to said they are determined to come back again next month, they had such a wonderful time. One performer said that he had been to many open mic events, and this one was just so different. Probably because we were actually listening to each other, and taking a real interest in what everyone had to share.

One more thing: Joy Robertson, a highly respected reporter for KOLR10 News (CBS), took a sincere interest in what we were doing. She came 20 minutes early and interviewed me with her hand-held video camera. Then she interviewed several others, and generally soaked in the atmosphere during the first part of the evening. She seemed very intrigued by the whole thing, and told me that she would run a portrait piece about it during the 10 o'clock news on Wednesday, February 7. Here's the link again to see it online.

So if you were there, thank you! If not, the next one is March 3 at the Bellwether (600 W. College St., Suite 116) from 7 - 10 pm. Hope you can join us!

The Core Featured in News-Leader Editorial

2007-02-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Churches Break New Ground in Reaching Flock by Brian Lewis (Make sure to read the comments below the article as well. I recommend reading them in chronological order, from the bottom up.)

I suppose you eventually get used to the fact that, when talking to a reporter, you can chat on and on for 20 minutes, say some really great stuff, and end up with only one or two lame quotes in print.

This is essentially what happened with this article, but I suppose I should be glad that at least I wasn't mis-quoted, and for the most part I wasn't mis-represented.

However (let me know if you agree with this,) I think this is a pretty clunky article. The beginning doesn't match the end, and neither half matches the title. Based on our conversation, he was obviously trying to drag someone from Springfield into the alcohol controversy between the Missouri Baptist Convention, and Journey Church in St. Louis, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But the fact is that no such controversy exists in Springfield, at least not in the two churches mentioned by Brian Lewis.

But hey... we got some free publicity about the Open Mic Church tonight. Also, Joy Robertson called me and said she plans to interview me and get some video about 30 minutes before the event starts, and maybe stick around to see what happens. I sure hope something happens ;-)

Front Porch Work Day changed to February 10

2007-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hey... I just wanted to make sure no one missed this announcement. My apologies if my tinkering with the blog template has caused confusion to anyone.

Mik says...

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you this Saturday, FEB 10th (postponed from the 3rd due to weather) at 8 AM for another construction event-starting to FRAME the walls,office, and Kids Corner of the Front Porch.

There are 7 volunteers so far, BUT we need more! If you have received a phone message from me please call me back. We are planning more than just work(i.e. food and drink),and your call back is important to us.

The real dirty work is done and the fun part starts now. IF you haven't come before and this will be your first time, bring your work gloves.

Call me with questions MIK @ 417-833-6805, or e-mail mik@thecoredowntown.com.

If you would like to be part of the hospitality crew to bring food or drinks please call Christina at 832-1447 or e-mail christina@thecoredowntown.com

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

St. Louis Church Fighting Our Battles In Advance?

2007-01-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs to read this article.... Phil brought it to my attention and I think it is crucial that we're aware of the alcohol controversy.

Beer and the Bible
By Tim Townsend

In a back room at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, about 50 people gathered on a recent Wednesday night to talk rock 'n' roll.

Why are Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain considered by some to be messiahs? When did rock music lose its edge and become another product manufactured and marketed by huge conglomerates such as Viacom?

It was a conversation perfectly suited to the setting. Beer-stained wooden tables and the smell of hops complemented a free-flowing, spirited debate among hip young people in scruffy beards and T-shirts.

In 2007, this is church.

Theology at the Bottleworks is run by a wildly successful congregation of young St. Louisans called The Journey. The Schlafly program is part of the church's outreach ministry. And it works.

Every month dozens show up at the brewpub to drink beer and talk about issues ranging from racism in St. Louis to modern art controversies to the debate about embryonic stem cell research. First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have. Theology at the Bottleworks is just one of The Journey's ministries, but it has helped the church grow from 30 members in late 2002 to 1,300 today.

The Rev. Darrin Patrick, The Journey's founder and lead pastor, says its nontraditional approach is aimed at those who are not likely to attend church.

"We want to go where people are," he said. "We don't expect them to come to us."

For nearly two years, the beer ministry has brought new members to the church. Now it's being called unbiblical. The Journey defines itself as an interdenominational church, but it has a working relationship with the Missouri Baptist Convention. That confederation of Baptist churches is the state arm of the largest Protestant denomination in the country, the theologically and socially conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

In 2005, The Journey borrowed $200,000 from the Baptist organization to help buy and renovate a former Catholic church in St. Louis. In December Baptist leaders began questioning the church's methods of attracting worshippers, specifically its use of alcohol.

At last year's annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, members overwhelmingly reaffirmed their traditional stance on alcohol by passing a resolution that expressed "our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages." Baptists within the denomination who oppose such a strict view of alcohol use argue that the Southern Baptist position is based on denominational tradition, not Scripture

Read the rest...

Missional Relationships

2006-12-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have, in the past, developed curriculum for evangelism and taught on many different evangelism techniques. For the most part, I find them to be inadequate and an ineffective usage of time and resources. I don’t even like the word “evangelism”. It is our natural tendency to take things from being simplistic to complex. It makes us feel like we are doing something. We like to make up complex words to stand for simplistic ideas. From there we enjoy complex formulas. Sharing our faith, in all actuality is very simple. We are just scared to do it or have been so confused by all the mumbo jumbo talk we don’t feel adequate in doing it.

What I plan on doing is far from phenomenal; my goal is to keep it simple. The only prerequisite to sharing your faith is to have faith. So, everyone who is a member or volunteer of The Core will be sharing their faith and will in some way be a part of this team. Now some will be taking on roles that are specifically designed to go out to the masses and I will have more direct contact with those individuals. I hope to only provide tools and a support network of individuals sharing their faith.

“Designating outreach for a specific time and place can become a hindrance which, I believe, we must strive to work against. Our lives should be lived as outreach to others. At all times we are to be a witness of Christ. Working within The Core we are providing a tool, The Front Porch, for outreach.” (I love quoting myself)

The above quote is the first emphasis in our spurring of outreach. We will work to constantly remind each other in our fellowship of this simple truth, our lives are our outreach. I would prefer that at some point we sit down together with every volunteer and team member and go through the following:

1. What is your salvation? (Every individual that volunteers or joins as a member should answer this question at some point) In this part of our discussion everyone will share when they trusted in Christ and how that took place, what it meant to them.

2. What is evangelism, outreach? I think we all know the answer here but we can make it pretty complex and confusing. It is simply sharing our faith in some facet. We will discuss at this point options of evangelism, outreach: random acts of kindness, giving to the poor, relationships, etc. We would then specifically discuss how we share the message of Christ. I have my own preference but we must trust in individuals to be guided by the Spirit to decide how and in what way they will share their faith: FAITH, Romans Road, your own salvation, basic discussion of the Truth. This will also be a time when we discuss the timing of this occurrence. Again, our lives should be constantly lived as tools of outreach; hopefully the individuals we come in contact with see that in some way. The question is: when do we share our faith in words? When do we tell them the Truth of Christ? The answer is, when we are led by the Spirit to do so. We must guard against just trying to get a notch in our belts. We must truly care for people and by truly caring we desire relationships not just to throw down the word and then take off on our merry little way. People see right through that, and have probably experienced that already. We are called to give our lives to others, not a few minutes sharing the Roman’s Road. That doesn’t eliminate this from happening; we must do what we feel led by the Spirit to do. Fast Food evangelism is generally ineffective.

3. Where can we evangelize, outreach? The answer to this is obvious, everywhere, but we will work to establish specific places downtown that we can focus on as a team.

4. Where do you want to evangelize, outreach? Who knows what people will feel led to do. Some may feel led to the Square; some may feel led to our coffee bar. In our discussion we will discuss the difference between a ministry project and a relationship. We will discuss a commitment to individuals and ulterior motives. We will discuss the needs of individuals and what they are looking for.

In conclusion of this simple workshop will be an example of someone who shared his faith. I think of Paul and how we read of him spending several days inside the synagogue talking, preaching and teaching with the people (Acts 9). I think of Paul who worked as a tent-maker and spent his weekends forming relationships by sharing the love of Christ (Acts 18). Mostly I think of Paul spending time in the marketplace and the synagogue reasoning with the people there. “Day by day” forming relationships. I think of him speaking to them with his knowledge of who they were by trying to understand them. Paul did this because he truly cared for these people. God used him because he gave his life to those around him. Again, this tool does not need to be used to serve self-serving motives but is only a tool we use as part of living our purpose; giving our lives for others. This isn’t fast food evangelism; we should truly give our lives for others. We should want relationships with others. It’s simple, not easy.

Feel free to comment and tear this thing apart. You won’t hurt me as long as it is to the benefit of the Kingdom.

A couple of things I hope we can broach during the Wed. meeting:

1. When will this workshop be done? How often? With who? etc.

2. I would also like to discuss the possibilities of charity to the outside using the Front Porch and the Core network. Obviously we have a lot on our plates already but I would hope to do something to show love outside our doors. We can do something as simple as once every couple of weeks going out to pick up trash. I think handing out water on the square is wonderful but I would love to explore more options that people can feel is more up their alley. I think the workshop above will give us more views from different people on how things can be done but I believe it would be beneficial to get this conversation rolling.

See you thugs on Wed.

Longer Sorry

Letter So

Later Sloppy

The Front Porch - Calling All Volunteers!

2006-12-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

This is the post where we keep you updated on opportunities to volunteer at the Front Porch. Right now what we really need are construction workers, both experienced and otherwise. Scroll down to the comments (or click here) to see what the latest need is. Then e-mail Mik Mikulan to get involved! (We'll be trying to keep the comments section of this post clean, so that everyone can easily find the latest updates. Therefore, if you post a comment here, and we delete it, please understand that we have not done so without first taking your thoughts into account. Thanks!)

One Thing Conference, Kansas City

2006-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Thursday - Sunday, December 28-31 is the "onething" conference (promotional video - download quicktime) hosted by International House of Prayer in downtown Kansas City, MO.

My brother Brendon is going, and Christina and I are thinking about joining him. I would also like everyone else to consider going. Brendon has gone before, and he says it's an incredible experience.

On top of that, it's totally FREE!

Let me know if you'd like to go, but you can't afford accomodations or childcare. I want to make sure that everyone who wants to go, can go.

The themes of the conference are as follows: Intimacy, Prophetic Worship, Forerunners, End Times, Prophetic Ministry and Marketplace Leadership. I think the most relevant of those for our purposes will be Intimacy, Forerunners, and Marketplace Leadership.

Also, I look forward to seeing Shane & Shane live for the first time. Other musicians you might not be familiar with, but I can recommend wholeheartedly are Misty Edwards and Jason Upton.

Please let me know if you're interested!

Jesus Christ, Bill Gates and a Teeny-Tiny Camel

2006-11-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

"It's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle." How many times have we heard this statement of Jesus? Does it imply that God plays favorites for the poor and disenfranchised? Or is there some truth to the Joel Osteen message of Divine providence for every believer? Where do the politically and socially powerful fit into the kingdom of God? We'll talk this week about how Jesus REALLY feels about the priveledged of society, and how we should feel about them and treat them.

23, 24, 25! 25 Regular Attenders, Ah, Ah, Ah!

2006-11-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

Last night in our planning meeting, I said I had been having some revolutionary ideas about counting. But I timed my comment poorly, and only a few people heard me. Those few looked at me funny, but didn't get an explanation as to how counting could be so revolutionary.

I eventually got to explain myself to a few people after the meeting was over, but I'd still like to share my thoughts with the rest of the blogosphere.

When I say "counting" I am talking about counting people, and here is what I propose: DON'T.

Don't count people. I know this is a hard concept, so I'm going to provide a few sample dialogues.

"Wow, so you planted a church! How many members do you have?"
"We have just the right amount so far. They're incredible people... the fellowship is wonderful."

"I heard you guys had a concert last night. How many people came?"
"Well, there were some team members there, and some from the community. So we had lots of opportunities to get to know people."

"How many salvation decisions have occurred in The Core during the last year?"
"Well, we've witnessed some great testimonies, but since God gets the credit for each conversion, and our team members share their faith in all types of situations, we can't really say if any of them were because of The Core."

"We are the IRS. We need to know how many people are involved each week in The Core."
"150 (total guess)"

As you can see from that last one, sometimes numbers are necessary, in which case we can guesstimate. But I think that, once we start counting, it's just way too easy to measure our success by our numbers. Of course some people will think that this tactic is just a cop-out for the lack of impressive numbers. But we don't need to worry about them. (It reminds me of a line from the Jim Carrey movie "Liar, Liar." The kid says, "My teacher says that real beauty is on the inside." Then the (overly truthful) Jim Carrey says, "That's something only ugly people say.")

I know what some of you are thinking. "But how will you know if your methods are effective unless you count people?" I believe that if you've really got your head in the game... if you are really involved with the people you're ministering to, you will naturally know whether you are succeeding or failing. The question is, "Do you see God being glorified and hearts being transformed?" There are some very small churches where the answer is yes, and some very large churches where the answer is no. So why even bring in numbers to muddy the waters?

In case you were wondering, I still believe that money should be counted ;-)

"The Core" Wallpaper

2006-11-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

For the first time, we now have intriguing original photographs of Downtown Springfield that you can display on your desktop! Just choose which of the five photographs you like best, then select file that corresponds with your screen resolution. When the picture comes up, right-click on it and select "set as background." If you have a Mac, you're on your own. ;-) Have fun!

Brick Art

brick-art-800x600.jpg
brick-art-1024x768.jpg
brick-art-1152x864.jpg
brick-art-1280x960.jpg

Dairy Queen

dairy-queen-800x600.jpg
dairy-queen-1024x768.jpg
dairy-queen-1152x864.jpg
dairy-queen-1280x960.jpg

Traffic

traffic-800x600.jpg
traffic-1024x768.jpg
traffic-1152x864.jpg
traffic-1280x960.jpg

Fountain

fountain-800x600.jpg
fountain-1024x768.jpg
fountain-1152x864.jpg
fountain-1280x960.jpg

Mural

mural-800x600.jpg
mural-1024x768.jpg
mural-1152x864.jpg
mural-1280x960.jpg

Website - Your Story

2006-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

We want to get to know you better… you know, what makes you tick, or what makes you ticked off. We’ve noticed that it’s easy for Christians to act like they’ve got it all figured out, but we know that’s not true. We want to learn what you have to teach us, and maybe teach you something new as well. Or else we can just sit down with a good cup of coffee, and hang out for awhile. So what’s your story? Just add a comment to this blog... you don't have to register or anything. Comment anonymously if you like.

Front Porch Update - Nov. 5

2006-11-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

I've got an update here from Mik...

"6 guys showed up Saturday morning at 8:30... It was great. You should have seen us tear up the entire floor, concrete, beams , wire and all. It's all gone now. Daniel did a great job leading us and doing the lion's share of sledge hammer swinging.

Greg Vierkant was there and cleaned up some of the wiring stuff. He and Daniel are working it out to get temporary power to all four corners of the building."

In other news, I am trying to wrap up communications with the sewer department so we can get our permit from the city. There are no obstacles left, I just need to have a conversation with them, to make sure they have all the documents they need from us.

Keep praying for us... if your name is on the volunteer list, you'll be getting a call soon.

Uni[formi]ty

2006-11-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

For a nation called the UNITED States of America, I believe we tend to have a very thin grasp on Unity. We are a nation of rugged individualism, a humanistic state that believes that man (nay, each man.... er... each human) is the measure of all things.

Although "Unity" has a nice ring to it, we fear that the prerequisite for Unity is Uniformity. And we've been taught since birth to be "true to ourselves" and "stand up for our rights." If Unity means Uniformity, it implies re-programming, brainwashing, and unquestioned obedience to a supreme dictator.

But look at how the word Unity is used in the Bible:

"Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord." -2 Chronicles 30:12

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" -Psalm 133:1

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. " -John 17:23b

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. " -Ephesians 4:3

Unity among diverse beliefs

Let's take that last one as an example. Paul is urging the Ephesians to maintain unity within the fellowship. This implies that there is a propensity toward division, likely because of differing beliefs, or interpretations of scripture. If, on every issue, there is a clear right and a clear wrong, why would Paul not just declare a winner, and require them all to get in line? The fact is that God wrote the Bible, not the 16 Fundamental Truths, or the Baptist Faith and Message, and we have to admit that there are points of the Bible on which thoughtful, humble, intelligent Christians disagree. Seeing as how God does nothing accidentally, I believe many of the ambiguities (not to be confused with "contradictions") in the Bible are intentional, to test our love and unity as we approach issues of secondary importance.

Unity among diverse roles

Paul goes on in Ephesians 4 to say that, although we share a common Lord, faith and baptism, we have each received grace as individuals. Not only that, but we have been called to serve God in a wide variety of ways. "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers..." He makes a similar point in I Corinthians when he talks about some being called to be hands, some to be feet, some to be eyes, etc. It is our job to discover this role for our own lives, and celebrate the fact that God didn't call us all to be hands, or nostrils, or prophets, or teachers.

The Catch

Even if we, as Americans, had a proper understanding of unity (that brainwashing is not required,) many of us would still reject it. Why? Because there is only one way to acheive unity. The verse that precedes Paul's call to unity in Ephesians describes it well, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." This is the catch... the cost of unity. Jesus joins Paul in attempting to teach us this attitude - Why not rather be wronged than to jeopardize the unity of the body? Why not rather be defeated? Why not rather be disrespected or humiliated?

Increase in us, Lord, and may we decrease.

Jesus Who?

2006-10-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

What you see here is the beginning of a new approach to our Sunday Morning discussions. Posted on this blog will be a thought-provoking promo for the upcoming Sunday's topic, so you can take a few days to comment, ruminate, pray and explore the Word. Afterwards, you can come back again to share additional thoughts. This Sunday, Josh will be leading a discussion called "Jesus Who?"

-original post by Josh, aka "Discipleship Chair"-

Many modern Christians would find that very question heretical. But if the disciples had to answer it, theologians over the centuries had to answer it, and people all around the world ask it in some way, shape, or form, we need to answer it as well. Not just for all the people who ask it with their negative views about church, Christians, and religion, but for us as well. If genuine Christianity is based on a relationship with Christ and flows outward into attitudes towards people, we NEED to know--for out own benefit, as well as others--Jesus Who?Do we talk about a historical figure mentioned in various first-century texts, including the New Testament of the Bible?

Do we talk about a seemingly mythical being who came from God, allegedly died and rose again? Do we mean a man who started a new religion? Or is Jesus just a very wise, ahead-of-His-day teacher of moral and ethical principles?

And if we mean more than any of those, how do we include any of them? Where do we start? Do we start with traditions like established confessions? Do we start with a historical figure? Do we start with personal (intimate) beliefs and experiences based on faith? Where do we go? Do we look at Jesus philosophically, mystically, historically, or only through the "eyes of faith?"

Does it matter? If we want to know Him, it does. If we want to share Him, it does. If we want to obey Him, it does. And if we want to have hope--if we want to share hope with the world (or just individuals) around us--it definitely matters.

Final Blueprints Complete!

2006-09-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

View the full size JPEG

View the PDF version

The complete blueprints are now pending approval with the city of Springfield, and our first official workday is this Saturday, September 30 for some preliminary clean-up and prep work. More updates as the project develops...