“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

I am not sure if I find this funny because I used to help make this type of service happen or because I realize how seriously so many of us take ourselves. But this is well worth the 3 minutes of your time if you are a religious person or simply want to laugh at the modern church.

Something has happened to me over the years. I have learned a lot about myself, my motivation and my direction. But today I am a little stuck. I am in new territory. I have come through some larger issues, understandings and realizations only to find myself on the other side not knowing what’s next.

I had a great chat with another church planter friend yesterday, who more than anything else, allowed me to vocalize some of my current thoughts and stresses. It was in this time that I realized that I am officially in unchartered territory and the reason for this is that I no longer have a unifying idea of why I have done this in the first place. You see I have realized that my reason for starting this church in the first place was a “reaction” of sorts. It was a chance to start something originally canadian, and although that still may be true, the truth is I didn’t know what authentically canadian was due in part to a lack of examples and so I instead (perhaps unknowingly) decided to create something “anti” what I knew and struggled against.

I was never vicious, or blatantly against any one style, but instead found motivation from being different. And now I see all the methods, styles, types of churches, groups, gatherings very differently. I find goodness in them all, I find God in all of them and I am not sure if I know now what I am “for” after for so long being sure of what I was against. But today I am quite free from critique, but the funny thing is, this freedom has put me in a peculiar place.

In this video from CTV’s Steven Brunt he suggests that being sure of what we against as a national identity is changing.

And maybe Shane Koyczan said it best in his Opening Ceremony Poem…

“we are choices.”

And perhaps that is where I need to start;

…all over again.

Anna looked at me and in a frustrated way shared that this commercial appeared to be demeaning to women and who would buy this product? After some thought I shared that with all the marketing out there and our ability to turn off (in our minds) the commercials that “yell” at us that most companies have turned to advertising to niche groups and not to the masses and perhaps this commercial, as degrading as it was to you, was probably perfect for someone else (mainly one in that world of stay at home, make your house perfect type of lifestyle). Of course for us, spending our money on fabric softener isn’t exactly something we want to use our disposable income on, but for someone else it might be the best thing since sliced bread. That’s when it hit me that these commercials and maybe most commercials are not for me, they are for someone else competing for products in a totally different market.

I was thinking of this in light of the church and marketing and how personally I have beeen adverse to doing any sort of marketing/ awareness of our little church community. But I realized it is because most church marketing that I have seen has been to the “church” folk. People who buy fabric softener, so to speak. But there is a total group of people out there (which include the people in the open house and our friends in the neighbourhood) that would totally block out that sort of ad, because it is obviously not for them.

So I guess what I am saying is that I think a type of “new marketing” needs to take place in our faith communities that make up a minority and have their own niche. A marketing that makes people aware of faith groups that are welcoming, non-de-script in their structure, but are active in their community, participating and transforming their communities with good works.

To be honest I haven’t seen any “church” ads in the mail of late and for all I know they may have changed their “tactic,” but the truth is our model and message (Sunday gatherings for example) is an advertisement to the fullest. So how do we celebrate the good of what our churches are doing, to connect and welcome others to participate with us, without labeling the “message” as not for them or irrelevant, because whatever clever, outward message you advertise on the outside with be thwarted if it is nothing like what you are about on the inside.

So with this I am now seeing the connect. The outside and the inside need to connect if you wish to draw people in and get them excited about what you are doing. People who buy Bounce probably have a similar culture in their homes as other Bounce buyers, but how many people do you know that have different values and a different home buy Bounce and then realize that even though the advertisement was clever it really doesn’t fit with they way they run their household? I’m guessing these people never buy it again.

In and amongst this rambling and I am requesting something. Those that are familiar with the open house and what we are currently involved in, I am asking you to send me your thoughts on what a new wave of marketing might look like in a community like ours. Not just the message, but the method as well. I would like to work on some ideas toward a campaign that allows us to be true to who we are and want to be, but be able to reach out into our neighbourhood and welcome some of those that share values and want to better their neighbourhood with us. This will involve both an analysis of what we currently “do” and who we want to “become.” The mediums (like our Sunday night meal, book studies and outreaches) for sharing that hope will be critical in the process.

So share your ideas here, or email me at kyle AT theopenhouse.ca

I’m excited for your ideas.

I hear his words of participation and transformation!

Hey everyone,

We are going to do things a little differently this week and instead of our normal program, we are going to host a little BBQ and potluck at the little nest for friends of ours, people in the community and for us as well.

We are going to have a couple BBQ’s set up outside and welcome people in for a meal and a chance to get to know some of us and for us to get to know our neighbours, as well our friend Matt Mei is going to play some acoustic music for us in the cafe.

So be sure to come out, bring a friend and a dish to share this Sunday January 31 @ 5pm!

Looking forward to it.

In terms of my thoughts on becoming a church, some might say that it’s when your church has a certain number of programs, or people, or finally has a building or a regular gathering or money then you can say you are a “Church” and not just a “church plant.” Still I think there are others that hold onto the church plant posture for way too long and it’s probably some insecure way of avoiding failure. I know I have pondered this within myself. As long as I am a church plant, I can’t be expected to do “this or that.” You see what I mean?

But something deep within me has challenged my current church planting posture that involves always creating something and replaced it with a new one. So for next 3 months I am in what I might call a observing posture.

Now does an observing posture mean that we have arrived? By no means. We have not arrived as a church and I doubt we ever will and I mean this in the most encouraging way possible. Knowing that we will never arrive is actually quite comforting, but maturing on the other hand, I like to think we have at least moved in this direction.

I am sure you must be wondering what makes me believe that we have made the jump. Well it’s hard to explain. It can’t be the numbers, unless 15-20 counts. It can’t be the programs, unless one girls group or a mens time at a pub counts. It can’t be a building, unless meeting in a loud coffee shop counts, and since we give away 51% of our money we can’t really afford to look like a real church so I am not sure that counts either.

But for me it’s simple.

I am seeing connectedness. I am seeing people excited to be around each other. I am seeing people step up and try things that may or may not work. I am seeing people honestly share where they are at that might scare most church people and I keep seeing the same people show up over and over again, not just on Sunday’s, but in each others lives. I see a community planning events together and attempting to make a difference in the neighborhood. There is a community that has been created that looks out for each other and I am proud to say that to me that means we have become a church and not a group of random strangers trying to be or act like one.

Lastly, I just want to give one more reason. Of all the things that we are actively doing as a church community I am not officially leading any of them! Sure I speak once in a while on Sunday and help communicate to the group, but I have no official duty for the next 3 months. I see that as a victory and for me a great excitement as I take the next 3 months to observe and report. I’m going to Ob(serve) those actively making a difference practically in their faith and report to the whole church how the open house is for real and slowly but surely earning credibility in the community as church that gives away more than it keeps, as people continue to come and go very much like an open house.

Maybe it’s time to change the tagline. But this missional community is definitely walking in a Jesus direction.

————
Hi TOH,

Tonight, a fellow named George joined us at our meeting at the Salvation Army Church. Myself and others were able to listen to his story and I was very moved. His story didn’t include the drugs and the mental illness that affects so many in the downtown Eastside (I’m prepared of course to acknowledge that he could have lied but frankly I don’t care. I listened and my heart went out to him). George’s was noticeably shaken up from having no place to stay and had no desire to remain on the street. His youthfulness and shame for being in this situation stood out to me.

With Derek, Christine, Jem, Andrea and Kyle’s help, we booked him a stay at a hostel for two nights. I went into the hostel to pay for the accommodation. The hostel manager looked over George’s ID and said he couldn’t stay there because he was from Vancouver. The hostel was for international visitors only. He also felt it necessary to mention that people were having their stuff stolen while staying at the hostel. George’s native status, tall stature, and gay mannerism were all of sudden very hard to miss.

I spoke to the man and said that George was someone I trusted. The man didn’t budge. I asked George if he was OK with going elsewhere and he said he was fine with anywhere warm. Meanwhile, the phone rang and distracted the hostel manage. When he finally hung up, he saw us still standing there. Something made him change his mind and he said George could stay. The hostel was so cozy and warm, the thought of going to a downtown Eastside hotel felt scary and overwhelming (not to mention Kyle was on the street in our car that was about to breakdown with a baby that needed to get to bed).

George was given a towel and immediately treated like a normal guest. It was so touching to see George treated like all the other back-packers. You could immediately see that all he wanted to do was dive into a safe warm bed. I hugged him goodbye and gave him a number to call if he needs further help. I know he has family in Edmonton, so I said if you want to go see them, we could find a way to get him a bus ticket. He started to cry and didn’t know what to say. He will let me know what he decides to do on Wednesday of this week.

As I write this, I can feel myself getting pulled all over the place. I want to believe George, I want to forget about him, I want to protect myself from getting burned, and yet I want Christmas to be about the George’s of the world this year. So I can empathize with you if you have some similar emotions as you consider what you’ve just read.

YET, I noticed something different this time after I got home. I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel used or beat up. I didn’t feel jaded by “another downtown Eastside episode”. I knew that somehow all of the open house was behind me. I knew that the money spent for George’s hostel was all payed for by all of us – by project 51. I knew that offering him a bus ticket was something our church would consider using project 51 money for. So in a very profound way, we all payed for George to have a warm bed tonight, we all carried the load, and we all acted. To know and trust that as our lives intersect with real needs, we can confidently be generous and shower people with help and love (knowing project 51 is behind us) makes us a very powerful little church indeed.

love,

Anna
——-

UPDATE: George would like to go back home, so the open house is going to buy him a bus pass back to Edmonton this Wednesday. I hope he can reconnect with his family there and let’s pray for him as he enters this old familiar place.

Nothing to say.

Exhausted.

Recently our church realized something. If we are going to continue operating (budget-wise), we need tithes to increase to $4000 a month from where they are currently as of January 2010. You may ask, “I thought your church had minimal expenses?” Well, we do. The problem is that we give too much away. 51% to be exact.

All, thanks to a conversation with Nick in the Bahamas BTW.

That means our current budget is about $1900 a month. I think that’s reasonable. But you see its not reasonable anymore. We had help, funding and few blessings here and there. But as of January 2010… our outside sources are gone. So we now have to make a choice. We asked for prayer. We asked for ideas. But the truth is I knew this was coming 4 years ago.

And I never really made an effort to change this destination.

Because I knew what was right and I know what God has asked me to do.

I still want to hear the ideas from toh. I still believe God can do big things. But the truth is, He has. It’s done. And he will continue to do it and now He is bringing about a way to enable more progress with our little powerful community called the open house. He is taking our money away. Brilliant. Beautiful. And the money he has given us… we have to give it away too. Amazing.

I knew this was coming 4 years ago. And now it’s time to embrace it. The weight is beginning to lift. The sun is rising. The potential of toh has not even begun to touch the surface.

The hard answer is no we shouldn’t. At least not as much as we used to. The effort to show up to something planned for you each week due to a facebook posting, or twitter or email is not what it used to be. I believe that at one time showing up weekly was a huge endeavor, from getting there, to the extent you spent time with people that day, due to the fact that it was hard to connect during the week and there were no other options for community. But today that is not the case and it actually becomes easy to just come on Sunday’s and not really take part in other ways. One hour in and out and done. And then believing that you are a major contributor because of this “attendance.”

The complicated answer is that it is both. Our community prides itself on being able to connect outside of our Sunday night gathering. Whether it’s an organized study, dinner, a bbq or breakfast at Bons there seem to be spaces available to connect during the week. But what also seems to be the case is that many feel that if they connect with someone during the week, they have done their bit and don’t need to go to the larger gathering. And still there are a few in our community that come Sunday and have not moved into relationships outside of that and act in the same way. They feel like the church is not doing a good job connecting people, and yet they are not involved in those connecting spaces.

I am not sure where I am going with this, because I am actually writing this from a place of freedom. This isn’t a major problem, but I think I am working this out as we begin organizing ourselves for the Fall with our weekly gatherings at little nest starting on the 13th, a book study going on, girls group, and other random activities.

At the end of the day I value relationship and those who are my friends, the ones I count on the most, journey with me in all spaces, public, social, personal and intimate and avoiding one puts a stalemate in the relationship. And for me, attendance is valuable… if you are investing in the community, in all spaces.

I have been working at this alone for a while now, and I am keen that you should never do things alone. I thought that I wasn’t alone (I did have a leadership team and a network), but I didn’t have someone to bounce off ideas, share tasks and simply hang out with. For all of you who are seeking to plant a church or to start anything, I say this emphatically… put a teammate on the top of your list and I encourage that teammate to be a friend.

So the open house now has 2 staff members (both at 25% time) and I am already seeing positive repercussions. I don’t believe that a church should be lead (staff wise) by just one person, as there is so much to see that one person will miss. (Thanks Deric for pointing out things yesterday). I tried to do it alone but I was burning out and was on the verge of organizational and personal failure, but now I am alive again. Be willing to give up your sole possession of leadership for a more balanced approach… but be really considerate of who that person is.

I am reading through John as our church is going to be teaching through the book for the next (ahem) year, and I came across this great passage in John 11. Jesus is going to go back to Judea because his friend Lazarus is dead and his disciples are reminding Jesus that the Jews are trying to kill him there, but out of love Jesus says he must still go.

‘Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”‘

That is someone I want on my team.