In the weeks since our announcement I’ve had tons of questions about how we got the idea to do this. The answer is that we think it’s divinely inspired and that this inspiration has partially come through all the people who have been part of our journey.
The heart of the new start community, the cake if you will, is based on small group gatherings. We will gather each week in small groups to worship, study, pray, eat, and talk. This is born out of countless dinners with friends. So thank you to Jeff, Courtney, Dan, Angie, David, & Jen who sat around the table with us, talking about everything and anything and in the process helping us grow in spirit. It is born out of the most incredible bible study. Thank you to Sharlene, Mike, Dan, Ashley, Julie, and others who talked about the bible and everyday life each week at Shari’s. It is born out of intentional small group formation. Thank you to Kelly who helped us learn how vital small groups can be and to Cassie, Brian, Chris, Brenda, and Darlene who were part of our first group that incorporated kids as equal members (The kiddos, Camren, Brennon, Phillip, Jack, and Riley, deserve a shout out too!)
Mission Opportunities are another weekly aspect of the new start community. (The filling or perhaps another layer of cake? My metaphor may be wearing down a bit) At first there will be a few options each month, some of them family friendly. Over time those will grow to a few options each week. The first thank you here has to go out to our parents who taught us as children and youth that we could do things that would help the world and change our own hearts. My dad John especially taught me at soup kitchens and Habitat for Humanity worksites that part of faith is serving others by using my gifts (which clearly lean more to the ladling soup side than the hammering nails side- seriously I was a menace with that hammer!) We also owe a debt of gratitude to Mary who encouraged Jeff to start his service learning program LAST. (Mary actually deserves her own blog entry of thank yous!) Thank you to the hundreds of youth and adults who have come to the LAST program and shared your experiences of spiritual formation through service with us.
We will worship as a large group monthly, when we have something to celebrate as a community, or in response to those times when the darkness seems overwhelming such as in the wake of 9/11 or the Sandy Hook tragedy. Large group worship is sort of like the icing on the cake. Wonderful, needed, gorgeous, sweet, and good, but not the substance of the cake itself. Large group worship is a time to celebrate as a community. It’s a time to share together. It’s a time to respond to the darkness with a remembrance of the light. Thank you to all the churches we have been a part of, but particularly thank you to the people of the Catch the Flame worship who walked a journey with us as we created an emerging worship experience and who taught us so much about what large group worship can look like. Thank you to the CTF planning team who taught us the vitality of team leadership and how much better we are when the gifts of others are part of the mix.
Thank you also to everyone who has seen a gift in us, encouraged us and prayed for us, asked us to go to trainings, talked with us about our call, and challenged us to be better than we thought we could be. This new start is the next step in a long, holy journey filled with amazing people who have brought so much into our lives. We’re excited to try out this model you have taught us and to live into God’s vision which you have inspired us to claim. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough for all that you have brought into our lives. God is good!
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I'm so thrilled for this journey you are on!