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.

its easy to talk about a salary-less church when you don’t get your salary from the church.

giving to our church has gone up as I have taken less.

In the last 1.5 months I haven’t taught at toh… and we’ve grown.

i’m pretty sure the Brethren are the authority on this, but i think what i am thinking about is a little different.

James Surowiecki – social media TED talk is very helpful on this topic. I like the term a volunteer co-operative program.

does having no paid staff mean that there are no leaders? i’ve seen the opposite.

I used to think a church would always need a paid leader. not sure anymore.

salary-less could mean community-more?

I have no idea what a salary-less church looks like… i mean didn’t Paul even get paid?

an excessive reliance on incentives (salary) demoralizes professional activity by people losing morale and activity losing morality. B.Swartz

We assume money will keep the train rolling… not necessarily. It may keep rolling, but in what direction?

less money to leaders.. less stress?

Feel free to leave some comments… here or follow me on twitter.

I wonder how much further I have truly thought about these thoughts on creating community.

One of the things that i struggle with is reviewing the past. Whether it’s reading a book I have read once before or opening some old journals to see where I have come from. This is something that I have been poor at for most of my life. Everything seems to be centred around “new” or forward for me. Even as I look at my resolution from last year (to read 4 books a month, of which I believe I am only at 22/48) I can see my desire to keep moving forward to achieve, versus reflecting and learning from my experiences.

Our church has been through 3 months of transition. One of my goals for this holiday is to think through these past 3 months and learn from it. I am having a trouble reflecting, and I am wanting to try something new and forward.

I believe my desire to always move forward if harnessed well can be effective in visioning the future, but without an understanding of the past we will continue to make the same mistakes and never truly move forward. Our forward progress will always be met with resistance and probably 3 steps back for every 2 steps forward… and yes as a former engineer that is movement backwards, not forward.

I was thinking about Jeremy Williams on the Maple Leafs today and how he has scored 5 goals in 7 games since being called up from the minors and how in the past he has been called up 2 other times and has scored in the first game of each of the those call ups, and yet the Leafs continue to send him back to the farm team despite this fact.

I wonder how important the past is to him…

3 times up to the Leafs, 3 goals in 3 first games after each call up, and possibly 3 times sent back to the minors.

Or perhaps he lives in the moment. His understanding of the past is not that he keeps getting bad breaks, but instead he remembers how awesome it was to score a NHL goal of which thousands upon thousands of players never experience.

I wonder if I was to review the past I would feel a sense of bad breaks and failure. I wonder if I looked over an old journal post I would realize all I said I would do and haven’t.

I wonder if I read that book again I would remember some greats thoughts that would have come in handy a month ago and feel like a bad leader.

I wonder…

Perhaps that’s the problem.

My assumptions are killing me.

What we talked about has some to do with my previous post. But these thoughts are more about how we can affirm those who don’t necessarily connect with a formal church body, but in fact are active as a church community with their friends around them than some churches. My last post stemmed out of the consistent profile of Vancouverites that avoid commitment, specifically Christians (in churches), due to a lack of wanting to invest in people, a community, and are effectually selfish in their activities. I would be lying if I didn’t have some of my own tendencies in this area, but I digress.

What I am seeing is that there are those who due to deep friendships and connections, gather at various times to live life, share a meal, pray for each other and teach each other toward good works that are actually done together. I think of the road to Emmaus, where Jesus encounters these two men grieving Jesus death, but upon realizing that Jesus was alive they became alive (in their own sense) and created a community around this truth/ person of Jesus.

I thought of how I might plant a church different if I was to do it again (and of course because I am such a random guy, how could I ever do it the same way twice) and I thought about connecting with a number of good missional type friends of mine (with history) and all moving to a specific area of Canada, living life and shaping church around our friendship that is not only active in growing together, but becomes such a powerful alternative community that our attractiveness in the way we live life draws people into this Jesus way of life.

This understanding of church “happening” is actually quite exciting, but my pessimism suggests that this type of planted community is actually quite rare (at least in Canada). And if it occurs, it happens in the small groups, not in the church as a whole (and I think this has problems within itself). I think of my own friends I first experienced God with and how we are all so close in friendship, and in our relationship with God, but actually live in remote places from each other (Toronto, Calgary, Australia, Vancouver) and so we end up quite spread out. We still desire community and a true connection with God, but we have to start from scratch, and establish history all over again (if that is really possible). We have to form new friendships, start or join an existing community (church or otherwise) and with that comes much more messiness and uncertainty. And this is where I find myself.

I long for church planting experience #1, but I am placed in #2. In #2 we are now spread out, in a new city, with new people, and no history (yet). I have been sent out to start a church for exiles.

I’m not sure how to define exiles, especially when you feel like one and defining yourself is one of the hardest things to do (it’s like someone asking me what it’s like to be Canadian; not sure, I just am!), but I guess I think of it like being removed from all that was comfortable to a place that is different in all possible ways.

So then, my role as a church planter is about gathering exiles. Exiled Christians that are similar to me, looking to connect and exiled non-Christians that are drawn to the hope that Jesus brings to transforming their life and the community around them. It is my hope that the Christian exiles want to connect as I have noticed many of them are quite happy with being out of the “church” community for a while. And for the exile non-church people, there are a lot more obstacles to getting connected.

So in essence, I have been asked to start a church community amongst an exiled people. Gathering people that don’t know me or the person they are sitting beside takes a lot of effort. It takes humility and effort to take the time to create a history and story together. Sometimes we won’t can’t go through the growing pains to get there.

Sometimes I think it would be easier to quit, start over and aim for church planting type #1. But that entails a whole lot of assumptions. The truth is, we are not in that place and are amongst an exiled community and I believe that type #2 church planting is going to be the true test of perseverance for those of us that call ourselves church planters (in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary or Australia), and wherever you find yourself.

You see I think what people really mean is that they really don’t want to be a part of a real messy community because of how it affects them (the negative ways of course). It is far easier to be alone, or with the people you like and who affirm you, then to put yourself in that awkward place of connecting with people you don’t necessarily know as well, who actually talk about their problems, and may actually ask you if you are doing okay. Heaven forbid that someone inquire with how I am doing. That’s personal!

Perhaps that is more of the peculiar ways we live as Christians. (I appreciate some thoughts my friend Nick posted here from Bruxy Cavey). You see we get together to not simply cause its what we do, but instead to learn from each other, to challenge each other, and celebrate how Jesus actually lives and works in our lives to lead us toward being a community of people for the whole world. It takes humility to be willing to learn from each other, and effort to teach and challenge each other. But what a great place to grow as a human.

Tonight Cato put an amazing communion/ reflective service together that really inspired me. But you know what…It was awkward, I had to do some self awareness checks, and I had to work out some of these ideas with others… But I really wouldn’t have it any other way….

There are some interesting things I am realizing about my neighbourhood. People move here to be socially active and to have more “community.” Problem is, when they move here and realize that being socially active takes time, and that true community takes effort, they end up not getting involved and realizing their closest relationship consists of the barista they order their coffee from before they go and sit on their laptop and check facebook. This burdens me.

I want the open house to be a church that sees needs in the neighbourhood and engages them and puts time into their efforts and gives resources to help them bring hope. I never want to be too busy.

I want the open house to be a church that understands that there are a lot of people who desire real community; community that is messy, yet supportive and hopeful. I never want to stop asking big questions, and being asked the big questions.

There is a lot more that I have learned about real community from being a part of the open house, but today this stays with me. You may not connect with institutions and church services, but if we really asked ourselves, we need connection with real people, asking real questions, experiencing real community.