This is written to some friends of mine who want to start a college/career group. So figured I'd copy and paste the email on here. to share some thoughts. So just ignore it if your not interested.
What does God want to do, what our our motives of us or from God?
-We need to honestly examine our motives
-is this a God idea or is it from our own nature?
-some ideas may be very good, but if they are not of God and God is not behind them they will ultimately fail
-don’t just think that jus b/c it is ministry related and church related that it is necessarly from God, it may not be. So recognize if this is a God idea or not
-how to determine, pray, what our your passions?
-why do u want to do this? Just something to do or to know Jesus more and share him with others?
Who will do it with me?
-donzel, grantley, kyleigh,
-brent? Phil Malone? Marynissi? Chris D?
-to be sponsored by calvary or not??
-weigh pros and cons
-pros and cons of being sponsored >> support (financial, building space, base of people to start with) connections through AG
-pros and cons of not being sponsored >> no enigma of a church and presuppositions, no building to use at first, no connections or umbrella grouping for support through AG
Mission Statement and vision and goals
-hope for people who have given up on church or have negative presuppositions of church
-need to ReJesus and re-imagine church
-starty everything over upon basics of following Jesus
-use intentional language around Jesus
- focus on essential issues, not non-essential
- embody the kingdom of God here on earth
-Highly relation focused
-through small groups
- and ministry to unbelievers
- comteporary/ connects with culture
-open to outsiders, can talk about issues of Bible in language so non-church people can understand
- focused on social justice issues and the poor and disenfranchised
What it will look like
-weekly service >> Sunday afternoons?
- worship, short dialogue (not sermon), break into groups maybe to discuss or just discuss as whole group. – meet in round, not everyone facing stage, in round
-have people involved (priesthood of the believer), have many people involved, even unsaved people in worship, helping out with various things
-not focusing on just core leaders (which there will be) but getting everyone involved, taking ownership
-add weekly small groups in peoples houses as well, as we progress
-have monthly meetings in public settings so unbelievers feel at home and open to ask questions on their on ground
Ex) spiritual shots http://www.spiritualshots.com/
- meeting in a coffee shop, bookstore, bar whatever venue may be and let play some music, have food, and then let outsiders ask spiritual questions and attempt to answer them
-goal to build relationships with those outside the church and talk about spiritual issues, on their terms not ours
-week or bi-weekly ministry to homeless
- make sandwiches and food and go and just hang out with homeless people w/ no agenda of trying to intentionally witness but just hang out with them and share lives together b/c that is what ministry is
Please prayerfully consider the first part of this and if God is behind this. If He is not I don’t want to do it, and I myself am prayerfully considering it. This must be our first and foremost thing to do. Secondly if you feel God is leading you to do this, who else do you think could assist us with this. They don’t have to be people that you would normally think of that would be helping in a church. IF you know someone that can play and instrument that may be neceassarily be a christian, that’s ok. If someone is good with media and all and not a christian that’s ok. But also we do not people who care about truly following Jesus and helping others know Him. People who are good with people and relationships. And also share your heart and God’s heart for this plan with people who might want to attend Christian and nonchristian. But don’t forget people who may have grown up in church or youth group, but now are not wanting anything to do with God. We want to break down peoples presuppositions about what church is about. I feel at least personally that is what our mission statement should be to reach people who have given up on church. Feel free to share this email or word document with anyone you may feel God leading you to. Thank you for your time. Reply with any thoughts, comments, concerns, ideas. Grace and Peace
Andrew Lemon ajlemon123@gmail.com
215 301 2916 ajlemon.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
the message were presenting
So over the past weekend I went to my 7th PennDel youth convention in a row with my home church b/c they needed an extra chaperone. So this convention was a little better than the ones in the past. But still I question the way they do things with the Penndel youth, especially conventions.
But besides complaining about another convention I just wanted to write about a thought that sparked my imagination from convention. On the last night's service the speaker proceeded to tell a story about a kid who went to a secular universtiy and was taking a world religions class. And the professor kept saying how ridiculous Christianity is and how the Bible is a bunch of made up stories and all. And then the kid finally got up enough courage to stand up in class and ask the professor to stop talking about Christians and stated his beliefs. So then another kid stood up and said the same things, he was a Christian and all, and then another and another. And then some kid gets up and says he is not a Christian but would like to learn how to become one. The story is inspirational and all and everyone cheers at the end of the service. And everyone is encouraged to take a stand for their beleifs and all. And we need to reach people by taking a stand and all. While the story is inspirational and all. It just seems to me that we are always triumphing the ideas of telling other people of what we believe in standing up and stating our beliefs. But we never emphasize simply just living them out and acting upon them, following through on our beliefs. We emphasize telling other people that they are going to to hell, if they don't believe what we believe. We focus on taking a stand by just simply what we say and state. Taking a stand for Christ as we present to students is just simply telling other students that Jesus loves them and that we don't agree with what their doing and we won;t do it. We just encourage the attitude of presenting Christians as people who are better than other people, b/c they won't do certain things. But these ideas just encourage unbelievers to view Christians as judgmental and to be just moral people who think they are better than others.
But this is not at all what Jesus did, Jesus loved people through his actions and simply. Jesus gave ther sermon on the mount as an example of how the Kingdom of God is supposed to be lived out on earth. Blessing those who persecute us, praying for our neighboors, giving more to those who take from us. Being humble in spirit, being peacemakers, the beattitudes. Therse were all examples of how the kingdom of God was to be lived out. The Kingdom of God lived out is to be radically counter-cultural. Its not easy at all and we can't do it alone, we must realy on the spirit of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirt. But why don't we emphasize this the actual sayings of Jesus. Instead of encouraging kids to take a stand through simply stating their beliefs, while there is nothing wrong with it, it must be embodied it must be lived out in our lives. Most people in a world religions class aren't going to want to be a follower of Jesus simply becuase you stand up and say you believe in Jesus and all and how He has change your life. But if you demonstrated how He has changed your life, they might. Live and embody Christianity. In the words of St.Francis of Assisi said "preach often, when necessary use words." Love Jesus, Love people. Grace and Peace
Andrew Lemon
But besides complaining about another convention I just wanted to write about a thought that sparked my imagination from convention. On the last night's service the speaker proceeded to tell a story about a kid who went to a secular universtiy and was taking a world religions class. And the professor kept saying how ridiculous Christianity is and how the Bible is a bunch of made up stories and all. And then the kid finally got up enough courage to stand up in class and ask the professor to stop talking about Christians and stated his beliefs. So then another kid stood up and said the same things, he was a Christian and all, and then another and another. And then some kid gets up and says he is not a Christian but would like to learn how to become one. The story is inspirational and all and everyone cheers at the end of the service. And everyone is encouraged to take a stand for their beleifs and all. And we need to reach people by taking a stand and all. While the story is inspirational and all. It just seems to me that we are always triumphing the ideas of telling other people of what we believe in standing up and stating our beliefs. But we never emphasize simply just living them out and acting upon them, following through on our beliefs. We emphasize telling other people that they are going to to hell, if they don't believe what we believe. We focus on taking a stand by just simply what we say and state. Taking a stand for Christ as we present to students is just simply telling other students that Jesus loves them and that we don't agree with what their doing and we won;t do it. We just encourage the attitude of presenting Christians as people who are better than other people, b/c they won't do certain things. But these ideas just encourage unbelievers to view Christians as judgmental and to be just moral people who think they are better than others.
But this is not at all what Jesus did, Jesus loved people through his actions and simply. Jesus gave ther sermon on the mount as an example of how the Kingdom of God is supposed to be lived out on earth. Blessing those who persecute us, praying for our neighboors, giving more to those who take from us. Being humble in spirit, being peacemakers, the beattitudes. Therse were all examples of how the kingdom of God was to be lived out. The Kingdom of God lived out is to be radically counter-cultural. Its not easy at all and we can't do it alone, we must realy on the spirit of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirt. But why don't we emphasize this the actual sayings of Jesus. Instead of encouraging kids to take a stand through simply stating their beliefs, while there is nothing wrong with it, it must be embodied it must be lived out in our lives. Most people in a world religions class aren't going to want to be a follower of Jesus simply becuase you stand up and say you believe in Jesus and all and how He has change your life. But if you demonstrated how He has changed your life, they might. Live and embody Christianity. In the words of St.Francis of Assisi said "preach often, when necessary use words." Love Jesus, Love people. Grace and Peace
Andrew Lemon
Sunday, April 5, 2009
ramblings of an almost Bible college graduate who wants to plant a church in philly
So I want to plant a church in Philadelphia. I have thought over many different models of how church is done, who to reach people who don't like church and have been very critical of other methods that seem to me ineffective. Well I have been coming to notice that there are a lot of different ways and methods to reach people. The key is having them centered around Jesus, without Jesus being the center and focus all methods of doing church are useless and ponitless, even my ideas which I often think are best.
But recently I have been noticing I am so focused on the ideas of how to follow Jesus and they plans to show other people how to follow Jesus, I often forget to follow Him and really listen to Him. I was just reading this book Victorious Christian Service by Redpath about Nehemiah. And I was talking about how we often need to weep over the city and the ruins before we can do anything. We need to have a heart for the city and the ruins that is in and the people who live there. And I have been noticing that I need to take the time to rely upon God and take time in prayer to ask God what He would have me to do, what I can do for Him. How often I want to go ahead and do things for God, but without first taking the time in prayer to see what God really wants me to do. We have no reliance upon God. We need to recognize that "unless God builds the house, the laborers build in vain." God needs to establish His plans through us. Too often we seek to do something for God and then ask Him to bless it.
I have plans and ideas of how I can change Philadelphia through the message of Jesus. But the problem is I am relying too much upon myself. God break me and my heart, so that I may rely fully upon you.
But recently I have been noticing I am so focused on the ideas of how to follow Jesus and they plans to show other people how to follow Jesus, I often forget to follow Him and really listen to Him. I was just reading this book Victorious Christian Service by Redpath about Nehemiah. And I was talking about how we often need to weep over the city and the ruins before we can do anything. We need to have a heart for the city and the ruins that is in and the people who live there. And I have been noticing that I need to take the time to rely upon God and take time in prayer to ask God what He would have me to do, what I can do for Him. How often I want to go ahead and do things for God, but without first taking the time in prayer to see what God really wants me to do. We have no reliance upon God. We need to recognize that "unless God builds the house, the laborers build in vain." God needs to establish His plans through us. Too often we seek to do something for God and then ask Him to bless it.
I have plans and ideas of how I can change Philadelphia through the message of Jesus. But the problem is I am relying too much upon myself. God break me and my heart, so that I may rely fully upon you.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
frustrations of an almost graduate of a Bible college
So originally this blog was for a class I was in at Valley Forge Christian College. We were supposed to blog about the people who came and spoke in classes and all and our thoughts about them and the ministries that they are doing. So thats kinda cool if you wanna check that out.
But now I have decided to start using this blog again to put down my thoughts and ideas that I feel about life and ministry and Jesus and all. Nothing mind-blowing just thoughts as I process life.
Today I was jus thinking about how I am so worried about graduation and starting in ministry and what is the right fit for me and all. And what I will be doing with my life and all. But I have been realizing lately life is just meant to be lived. We focus so much on "getting our lives together and figured" whatever that means. Especially when graduating from a Bible college. But life isn't so cookie cutter. We focus so much on the titles of what your job will be, if your married, if you have money, what your major was, what your job is. We let this determine who we are and we focus on trying to figure these things out. But I feel more and more lately life is just meant to be lived. To rely on Jesus and just do things that He has asked us to do, like the sermon on the mount. The sermon on the mount was supposed to be theorized about and thought about 2,000 years later. I was meant to be lived out. We focus so much on figuring life out before we live it. I think sometimes we just need to live it. Just love Jesus and love people.
Lord, let my goal in life be to know you and to make you known to people. Whatever it looks like, help me to live out and embody the Kingdom of God on earth. Let me truly represent you through my life.
Signed, a confused, frustrated about to be college graduate of a Bible college, who is feeling the pressures of having to have my life all figured in the next 5 weeks of school.
But now I have decided to start using this blog again to put down my thoughts and ideas that I feel about life and ministry and Jesus and all. Nothing mind-blowing just thoughts as I process life.
Today I was jus thinking about how I am so worried about graduation and starting in ministry and what is the right fit for me and all. And what I will be doing with my life and all. But I have been realizing lately life is just meant to be lived. We focus so much on "getting our lives together and figured" whatever that means. Especially when graduating from a Bible college. But life isn't so cookie cutter. We focus so much on the titles of what your job will be, if your married, if you have money, what your major was, what your job is. We let this determine who we are and we focus on trying to figure these things out. But I feel more and more lately life is just meant to be lived. To rely on Jesus and just do things that He has asked us to do, like the sermon on the mount. The sermon on the mount was supposed to be theorized about and thought about 2,000 years later. I was meant to be lived out. We focus so much on figuring life out before we live it. I think sometimes we just need to live it. Just love Jesus and love people.
Lord, let my goal in life be to know you and to make you known to people. Whatever it looks like, help me to live out and embody the Kingdom of God on earth. Let me truly represent you through my life.
Signed, a confused, frustrated about to be college graduate of a Bible college, who is feeling the pressures of having to have my life all figured in the next 5 weeks of school.
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