For the past decade, I have struggled with how to define the good news to my friends, family and neighbors in ways that make them say "hmmmmm, is there more?" Then I read a book which made the hairs on my arms stand straight up. Perhaps my trouble is that I had the wrong definition of the good news!
I have always thought that the good news was that Jesus came down from Heaven to save us. I can't do this life on my own, and I need a savior. If I just repented of my sin and accepted that Jesus was the ruler of my life, then I would be saved and counted in the Book of Life.
And this has been a fabulous transaction in my life. I have found that by turning to Jesus, my life has changed in the here and now, and not just for the eternal future. But there has been something gnawing at me ever since. Because this transaction isn't just about me and the others who have cashed in. And I'm having a hard time convincing others that they just need to "pray the prayer" and life will be there in the full. There seems to be more to the story. . .
As I read through the Gospels, one idea keeps popping up that was introduced in the book The Secret Message of Jesus: what if the good news is simply that "the Kingdom of God is at hand" in all it's fullness. What? In me? Here and now in this messed up world? No way. But what if it was true? To me, that seems like really good news that I would want to share with my friends and family! That we don't have to wait for peace, love and joy to enter into our lives and world, but that it is and can be in the present. Wouldn't that be attractive to people?
OK, you may think that this idea is completely insane. So do I. In the midst of all the wars, the fighting, the violence, the sexualization of society, the mean things we do to each other every day, how could the Kingdom of God be here right now? It seems completely impossible minus a huge ball of fire oblierating all the principalities and powers and starting afresh. But irregardless of our backgrounds, all of us have a desire inside for peace, harmony, love, unselfishness, beauty etc.
But Jesus says over and over in the gospels "the Kingdom of God is here". He also spends alot of time trying to explain what the Kingdom of God is like. So why have I ignored it? Why have I just pushed that thought towards the future hope? What if it was true and meant for us today? What if I truly believed that the impossible was possible with God?
Imagine starting conversations with people about world events and inject a little possibility into the dialogue. (For some reason I always sing John Lennon's Imagine when I do this.) Imagine having people become so intrigued with the possibility of a "heaven on earth" that they start rethinking all that they do in light of that possibility. Imagine if that rethinking actually changed how we live and see our lives and our communities. Imagine if that change led to us actually acting on living this possibility. And as one of us acted on it, perhaps others would too...and so on, and so on and so on.
So I continue to mull this over in my head and experiment a bit. There seems to be something to this rethinking of what the gospel is that resonates with me as I hang out with my friends who don't know Jesus. Especially those who don't realize that they need a savior. They certainly know that this world is a mess! But no one has told them that it doens't have to be!
I have far more questions than answers right now. As Billy Joel says "You may wrong, I may be crazy...but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for!" I would be interested in hearing other's thoughts on this topic. In fact, I would love to have people read The Secret Message of Jesus and discuss it together!
So I pose this question to the rest of you sojourners of the faith: What would you say the gospel is?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Why lifeGroup?
We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
lifeGroups are central to Christ Memorial’s mission of connecting people to life in Jesus. They can provide the atmosphere where deep, meaningful relationships are nurtured. They can provide the place where meaningful spiritual growth happens, where true transformation is unleashed. I wanted to write this article to attempt to express the reasons why we have intentionally made lifeGroups the center of our shared mission.
I am always looking for a powerful way to communicate effectively an inspiring picture of a better future. And in this case, I want to show you a breathtaking snapshot of the reason for lifeGroups! This past month I read this:
“If the leader has any hope of painting a memorable picture of the future, it will be with vivid and compelling language of metaphor-living language-that penetrates the soul as much as it illuminates the mind.
For example, consider the difference in these two sentences, both designed to motivate a person to join a lifeGroup: changed from small group in original text
Appeal number one: 'We have found that people really need and benefit from the opportunity to develop deeper relationships.'
Appeal number two: 'Have you ever considered who will be at your funeral and not looking at their watch?'
Both of these appeals use sixteen words. The first is bland and the second is a bombshell. One goes in one ear and out the other. The second lodges into the heart and delivers meaning like an IV drip over time. The first one uses descriptive words only. The second puts you somewhere…” pg. 184 “Church Unique” Will Mancini
So, I would like you to take a crack it. Pretend that you are talking to your friend, to a group of people. How would you motivate them to join a lifeGroup? What vivid and compelling language would you use to penetrate their soul?
lifeGroups are central to Christ Memorial’s mission of connecting people to life in Jesus. They can provide the atmosphere where deep, meaningful relationships are nurtured. They can provide the place where meaningful spiritual growth happens, where true transformation is unleashed. I wanted to write this article to attempt to express the reasons why we have intentionally made lifeGroups the center of our shared mission.
I am always looking for a powerful way to communicate effectively an inspiring picture of a better future. And in this case, I want to show you a breathtaking snapshot of the reason for lifeGroups! This past month I read this:
“If the leader has any hope of painting a memorable picture of the future, it will be with vivid and compelling language of metaphor-living language-that penetrates the soul as much as it illuminates the mind.
For example, consider the difference in these two sentences, both designed to motivate a person to join a lifeGroup: changed from small group in original text
Appeal number one: 'We have found that people really need and benefit from the opportunity to develop deeper relationships.'
Appeal number two: 'Have you ever considered who will be at your funeral and not looking at their watch?'
Both of these appeals use sixteen words. The first is bland and the second is a bombshell. One goes in one ear and out the other. The second lodges into the heart and delivers meaning like an IV drip over time. The first one uses descriptive words only. The second puts you somewhere…” pg. 184 “Church Unique” Will Mancini
So, I would like you to take a crack it. Pretend that you are talking to your friend, to a group of people. How would you motivate them to join a lifeGroup? What vivid and compelling language would you use to penetrate their soul?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Neighborhood Picnic - Get the word out!
The last post inspired me to share with you some more information about the neighborhood picnic! Amy Meyer and I have been delegated the task of getting the word out to the neighborhood about our picnic; inviting our neighbors to join in our celebration!
Recently, the youth participated in step 1 of our process of inviting our neighbors to the picnic. We wanted to make contact with CMLC's neighbors in a caring, face to face way before handing them invitations to the picnic. So, in early March, the youth went door to door in our neighborhood asking if they could pray for people.
So, Amy and I need your help with Step 2: Getting invitations to our neighbors. We need all life groups to help with this process! We want to be able to hand deliver invitations to our neighbors face to face. Here's the plan:
If your life group meets at a home that is within Christ Memorial's neighborhood, we would like to ask your life group to take a night to pass out invitations to the street(s) around that home.
If your life group does not meet in a home in CMLC's neighborhood, we would like your group to pick a night to come and pass out invitations in CMLC's neighborhood. We will assign your group 2-3 streets to cover.
By April 19th, please let Emily Bremer or Amy Meyer know which streets in our neighborhood your group will cover (because you already meet in a home there) or if you need to be assigned streets to cover (because your group doesn't meet in a home around the church).
We would like invitations to be passed out between May 4th and May 17th. One suggestion would be to do this on a night your life group already meets, but to use the time to prayer walk in the neighborhoods by church and pass out the invitations.
If we all pitch in, we should be able to make a lot of face to face contact with our neighborhood! I can't wait to see how God is going to bless this effort and this picnic.
Peace,
Emily Bremer
Recently, the youth participated in step 1 of our process of inviting our neighbors to the picnic. We wanted to make contact with CMLC's neighbors in a caring, face to face way before handing them invitations to the picnic. So, in early March, the youth went door to door in our neighborhood asking if they could pray for people.
So, Amy and I need your help with Step 2: Getting invitations to our neighbors. We need all life groups to help with this process! We want to be able to hand deliver invitations to our neighbors face to face. Here's the plan:
If your life group meets at a home that is within Christ Memorial's neighborhood, we would like to ask your life group to take a night to pass out invitations to the street(s) around that home.
If your life group does not meet in a home in CMLC's neighborhood, we would like your group to pick a night to come and pass out invitations in CMLC's neighborhood. We will assign your group 2-3 streets to cover.
By April 19th, please let Emily Bremer or Amy Meyer know which streets in our neighborhood your group will cover (because you already meet in a home there) or if you need to be assigned streets to cover (because your group doesn't meet in a home around the church).
We would like invitations to be passed out between May 4th and May 17th. One suggestion would be to do this on a night your life group already meets, but to use the time to prayer walk in the neighborhoods by church and pass out the invitations.
If we all pitch in, we should be able to make a lot of face to face contact with our neighborhood! I can't wait to see how God is going to bless this effort and this picnic.
Peace,
Emily Bremer
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Great to be together!
It was great to be together for training on Friday night as well as Sunday Morning! What a privilege to serve as a leader with such a great bunch of people! I'm trying this out for the very first time, not just on this blog but on any blog! Trying to get the ball rolling on this thing. We have wanted a way to share with each other and bounce ideas off each other and ask for help, well here it is!
I wanted to talk a little more about the Neighborhood Picnic we are having on Sunday, May 25th! The purpose of this event is two fold:
1. CELEBRATE what God is doing in our lifeGroup communities
2. Reach out to our neighborhood!
Your job is to tell your group about the picnic, have people get it on their calendars now. Your other job is to really try and be there. And to have your whole group bring a side dish and a dessert. Any kind of side will work, fruit salad, veggies, potato salad, slaw, chips you get the idea. No need to keep track of what sides are coming. And your other job is to PRAY that God would provide some sunshine that day and that LOTS of our neighbors would join us and we could make some connections with them!
If you haven't registered yet to be an author on this blog, go ahead and do it. It's not hard, and we want to hear from as many of you as possible to have this be effective!
"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy." Philippians 1:3,4
I wanted to talk a little more about the Neighborhood Picnic we are having on Sunday, May 25th! The purpose of this event is two fold:
1. CELEBRATE what God is doing in our lifeGroup communities
2. Reach out to our neighborhood!
Your job is to tell your group about the picnic, have people get it on their calendars now. Your other job is to really try and be there. And to have your whole group bring a side dish and a dessert. Any kind of side will work, fruit salad, veggies, potato salad, slaw, chips you get the idea. No need to keep track of what sides are coming. And your other job is to PRAY that God would provide some sunshine that day and that LOTS of our neighbors would join us and we could make some connections with them!
If you haven't registered yet to be an author on this blog, go ahead and do it. It's not hard, and we want to hear from as many of you as possible to have this be effective!
"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy." Philippians 1:3,4
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Heart of lifeGroup
Sometimes in life we get confused. We get in routines and lose sight of the purpose behind those routines. We fill our lives with so much busyness that we can’t see the forest for the trees. We keep doing something for so long that we never ask, “Why are we doing this?” Occasionally it is good for us to stop and remember why we do the things we do. So why do you do the things you do? Think about it. See what answers you come up with from this list. Why do you…
go to school?
play a sport?
raise a family?
prepare a household budget?
What’s the purpose of…
going to work?
shopping for Christmas presents?
going on vacation?
making our bed (I mean , really, your just going to mess it up in a few hours anyway!)?
cleaning our room?
serving our neighbor?
praying for our neighbors?
reading our Bibles?
In 2001, while in India, I read the book “The Second Reformation” written by William Beckham. As I read this book I was also observing the rapid spread of Christianity under great persecution. These Indian Christians were completely dedicated to sharing the Good News that they had discovered about Jesus with their friends, neighbors and family. “They could not help but speak about what they had heard and seen.” Acts 4:20 This unbelievable growth happened through the multiplication of leaders, and house churches. At the end of that trip I came home filled with a vision, a clear picture of a preferable future. Could that kind of multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches happen in Madison? I hoped so. Today I know so.
In the fall of that year we started our first lifeGroup. My family, together with the Wenger’s, Kuhnke’s and Keagy’s began exploring what it meant to live life together. Today there are some 35 lifeGroups, including 2 churches and some 365 people living life together in these authentic biblical communities. Praise God!
It’s good for us to thank God. It is also important that we ask ourselves this question: Why do we do lifeGroups? What’s the purpose of these smaller communities?
I would love to hear from you. What would your answer be? As you ponder, allow me to remind all of us that Jesus gave us ONE mission. He said to His disciples, and to all those who believe in Him throughout the ages (that’s you and me, friend), “Go, and make disciples…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. “ Matthew 28:20 Our mission is to make disciples! Earlier in His ministry Jesus gave an invitation to those who were considering following Him. He said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17 So, following Jesus results in being able to catch people for Jesus!
So, what’s the purpose of lifeGroup? What is the ultimate goal? lifeGroups exist for one purpose. We gather in these smaller communities because we believe they are the best environment for disciple-making. As we follow Jesus who is the center of our lifeGroups he will make us fishers of men. And people who are drawn to Jesus and desire to explore the truth about Him can do that most effectively in a lifeGroup. People who believe, but yearn for a deeper walk, and a deeper understanding of Jesus’ love in
their life can find that with the help of their disciple-making friends in lifeGroup.
Here are some questions to consider:
1) Is your lifeGroup actually making disciples? (more and better)
2) Are you taking enough time in your lifeGroup to follow Jesus so that He can make you a fisher of men?
3) How are you “discipling” the people in your lifeGroup? Are you praying for them? Are you supporting them and encouraging them in their journey? Are you teaching them how to read their Bible? Are you spending time with them outside of the group?
4) Have you nurtured an atmosphere in your lifeGroup that is conducive to authentic accountability to obedient living? “And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
5) Do your discussions lead to heart conversations and life transformation, or is your lifeGroup satisfied to keep things at an intellectual or social level?
As you think about such things, never forget the privilege and great responsibility we have been given to carry the Good News about Jesus wherever we go. May it be said of us as we live life together in lifeGroup, as we lead our lifeGroup, as we multiply our lifeGroup, as we start new churches, as we raise up more leaders…“They could not help but speak about what they had heard and seen.” Acts 4:20 Jesus is making us fishers of men!
Pastor Jeff
go to school?
play a sport?
raise a family?
prepare a household budget?
What’s the purpose of…
going to work?
shopping for Christmas presents?
going on vacation?
making our bed (I mean , really, your just going to mess it up in a few hours anyway!)?
cleaning our room?
serving our neighbor?
praying for our neighbors?
reading our Bibles?
In 2001, while in India, I read the book “The Second Reformation” written by William Beckham. As I read this book I was also observing the rapid spread of Christianity under great persecution. These Indian Christians were completely dedicated to sharing the Good News that they had discovered about Jesus with their friends, neighbors and family. “They could not help but speak about what they had heard and seen.” Acts 4:20 This unbelievable growth happened through the multiplication of leaders, and house churches. At the end of that trip I came home filled with a vision, a clear picture of a preferable future. Could that kind of multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches happen in Madison? I hoped so. Today I know so.
In the fall of that year we started our first lifeGroup. My family, together with the Wenger’s, Kuhnke’s and Keagy’s began exploring what it meant to live life together. Today there are some 35 lifeGroups, including 2 churches and some 365 people living life together in these authentic biblical communities. Praise God!
It’s good for us to thank God. It is also important that we ask ourselves this question: Why do we do lifeGroups? What’s the purpose of these smaller communities?
I would love to hear from you. What would your answer be? As you ponder, allow me to remind all of us that Jesus gave us ONE mission. He said to His disciples, and to all those who believe in Him throughout the ages (that’s you and me, friend), “Go, and make disciples…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. “ Matthew 28:20 Our mission is to make disciples! Earlier in His ministry Jesus gave an invitation to those who were considering following Him. He said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17 So, following Jesus results in being able to catch people for Jesus!
So, what’s the purpose of lifeGroup? What is the ultimate goal? lifeGroups exist for one purpose. We gather in these smaller communities because we believe they are the best environment for disciple-making. As we follow Jesus who is the center of our lifeGroups he will make us fishers of men. And people who are drawn to Jesus and desire to explore the truth about Him can do that most effectively in a lifeGroup. People who believe, but yearn for a deeper walk, and a deeper understanding of Jesus’ love in
their life can find that with the help of their disciple-making friends in lifeGroup.
Here are some questions to consider:
1) Is your lifeGroup actually making disciples? (more and better)
2) Are you taking enough time in your lifeGroup to follow Jesus so that He can make you a fisher of men?
3) How are you “discipling” the people in your lifeGroup? Are you praying for them? Are you supporting them and encouraging them in their journey? Are you teaching them how to read their Bible? Are you spending time with them outside of the group?
4) Have you nurtured an atmosphere in your lifeGroup that is conducive to authentic accountability to obedient living? “And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
5) Do your discussions lead to heart conversations and life transformation, or is your lifeGroup satisfied to keep things at an intellectual or social level?
As you think about such things, never forget the privilege and great responsibility we have been given to carry the Good News about Jesus wherever we go. May it be said of us as we live life together in lifeGroup, as we lead our lifeGroup, as we multiply our lifeGroup, as we start new churches, as we raise up more leaders…“They could not help but speak about what they had heard and seen.” Acts 4:20 Jesus is making us fishers of men!
Pastor Jeff
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Welcome Aboard Lifers!
Sharing our lives with one another is a blessing from God! God's redemptive work in the world is a beautiful thing to behold. And we can catch a glimpse of it when we hear the stories of people's lives as they intersect with God's activity.
For quite awhile now we have been struggling with ways to capture those stories, to seize upon those moments in time where God shows up. As lifeGroup leaders and coaches we are so encouraged and strengthened when we hear stories from one another. We are challenged to think deeper and listen more intently when we hear a brother or sister share a burden, a struggle, an obstacle, or a question.
Welcome to "livelifetogether in lifeGroup". This blog is your blog. You have been invited not only to respond to a post, but to actually be an author for this blog. It has been set up for you to share your stories, to submit your questions, to unburden your heart, to celebrate what God is up to. As you live your lives together in lifeGroup anything is fair game. This blog has been limited to just leaders and coaches. It is designed to be a safe place where this community of committed disciple-makers can celebrate God and receive encouragement.
So, do you
have a story to share?
have a question to ask?
have a concern to communicate?
have something to celebrate?
How is God showing up in your life as you live life together in lifeGroup?
Pastor Jeff and Amy
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