Saturday Reflections: A Different Kind of Progress
Saturday Reflections are an attempt to keep this blog personal, relational, and real. These posts will be thoughts, a recounting of the week, and where I see things going in the weeks to come. Join me and my family on our journey in Jesus.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that this week started out rough. For a combination of reasons, I ended up deeply questioning myself and the things that the Lord has been doing. It was a rough few days of me being locked into self pity, worry, and hurt. In the midst of these couple of days I had a couple of incredible brothers that listened, encouraged, and shared the Gospel with me again. And while that helped, I still hadn’t quite found the resolution I was looking for.
If I’m honest, this rough spot has been coming for a while, brought on by some disconnect from the Lord in an ongoing way. I just hadn’t been living connected to Jesus daily. Sometimes it’s the basics that you think you know where you are the most vulnerable. (Anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall, anyone?) And while I needed the Gospel, and I needed the listening, and I needed the encouragement, I really needed to meet with Jesus.
I can’t pinpoint an exact moment on Monday, but at some point the darkness broke. I had begun to take small steps to get reconnected with Jesus. Just doing those small thing seems to have shed so much light on all the things covered in darkness. The burnout goes away when Jesus becomes much more clear. And in His light we see more light.
Since that time a lot has gone on. We joined with believers in Cedar Rapids for a solemn assembly this week called the Response. At some point I’ll write a bit about house churches, the future of Christianity, and the place of solemn assemblies, because they really will intersect in our future, but that’s for another time. But it was good to participate with the larger body of Christ in Cedar Rapids and it’s great practice in preparation for what the Lord is going to be doing in the near future.
We also dedicated Josh and Alyssa’s new apartment to Jesus with them. It was really a blessing to be with these two. They are going to be a treasure to us as we step up the church planting going on here in our neighborhood. Thursday we got a call from some friends in our house church who stumbled on a family and was able to come alongside and provide them some substantial physical help as well as pray and minister to them. It seems like every day something new pops up that is showing us Jesus is leading and in control of this thing He started.
From my point of view I’ve noticed a couple of things. It’s important for me to stay connected in to Jesus at a significant level. I’m beginning to fight again for that in my every day life. The more I stay connected, the more I see and honestly the more whole I am. Also, Jesus is serious about us embracing an apostolic, missional lifestyle that intersects with lost people who need Him. And He is worth it. And the more we encounter the grace of Jesus and the love that He has for us, the more willing we will be to embrace this apostolic lifestyle He’s called the whole church to. It’s not external progress in numbers or conversions yet, but it’s a different kind of progress. But if we can embrace it, we will see Jesus do amazing things.
Saturday Reflections: October, November, and Now
Saturday Reflections are an attempt to keep this blog personal, relational, and real. These posts will be thoughts, a recounting of the week, and where I see things going in the weeks to come. Join me and my family on our journey in Jesus.
In my attempt to keep things up to date on the blog, I think it’s important to catch everyone up on the developments that have been going on the last several months since posting has been so sparse.
Fifth Avenue Cafe, a picture the Lord used to speak to me in Kansas City
In the early part of October we journeyed with several families from Cedar Rapids to Kansas City to be a part of Rock International’s Tribal Gathering. For those of you who don’t know, Christy and I were significantly impacted by The Rock of Kansas City during our time there, and often we journey back to Kansas City in October to reunite with old friends and catch up with what Jesus is doing with them. We had no idea what was waiting for us.
The Rock had invited Jeff Vanderstelt from Soma Communities and Acts 29 in to immerse their whole tribe in the Gospel intentionality that Soma Communities has been living out for several years. I think we were all struck by the simple but profound ways that the Gospel had shaped and compelled their communities and we all came back from Kansas City with a desire to experience and demonstrate the Gospel in a more real way. For me two things became increasingly clear: it’s time for our house church to multiply and one of those house churches (the one I’m going to be part of) needs to be intentional about reaching Wellington Heights (the neighborhood I’m part of).
So we came back to Cedar Rapids and began trying to articulate the incredible shifts in thought and practice that the Lord was speaking to us about. In the midst of all of this, I also had the awesome privilege of welcoming my buddy Josh Hulme to Cedar Rapids and helping him and his (then future) wife find work and a place to live here in Cedar Rapids. Josh, lead by Jesus, had an apartment and a job after being in Cedar Rapids for only two weeks. He returned to Kansas City to marry his fiancé, Alyssa. After getting married and honeymooning in Branson, they returned to live in four blocks from us. Josh and Alyssa also feel called to Wellington Heights, so they’re going to be a key asset in helping us plant a house church that is attempting to live out the Gospel here.
To be honest, all of this is exciting, but for me it’s been stressful as well. While some elements of this transition have been very clear, other parts of it have been very confusing. Through it all, I’ve felt pressure to know and understand what God is doing with every part of this transition, and I just don’t. I’ve been thankful through this process for the friendship of so many people who have been encouraging me to trust Jesus more than my own understanding. If you’ve read this far, pray for us. We’re attempting to balance the need of community and discipleship with the need of evangelism. Pray that we walk behind Jesus and don’t just wait until we understand everything.
One thing is clear though: God is developing our understanding of what it means to both be a spiritual family and to be on mission at the same thing. I’m learning the importance of seeding vision in people long before the need. I’m learning the need for investing in people much sooner than when I “need” to. The things we are learning now will help us in the future to multiply house churches.
Next week, I’ll try to be more specific about this coming week. For now, pray for us, that God would be glorified as we try and send out believers to plant churches all over our city. Also pray that Wellington Heights would begin to be invaded by the Glory of Jesus.
In much need of Jesus,
Travis
What I Love About My House Church (September 2011 Edition)
Our House Church at Sean's Birthday Party. Circa August 2010.
Have you ever met the guy who no matter how good things get, he always thinks they can be better? You know the guy…he’s the one on your team at work who after the project has been finished, still thinks it could be just a little bit better. Even if something’s perfect he can see the downside of the good thing. He’s the guy who’s never satisfied.
Well, that guy is me. And because that guy is me, sometimes I have to work to maintain an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation. This reality is especially important and necessary when it relates to my work with a group of people. To aid myself in that important work I submit to you, my loyal readers and to the larger interwebs, the first ten things that I love about my house church:
- My house church is generous. This is true on a corporate level as well as an individual level. Corporately almost all of our money goes to someone besides us. I’ve watched as those in our midst who steward our corporate finances have made tough, sacrificial choices about how our corporate money is spent. I’ve watched individuals in our family dig deep in their pockets for the sake of the nations, the lost, and one another. I think there is something in our sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
- My house church is discreet. This may strike you as odd, but I’ve been a part of other churches where it was okay to talk negatively about another brother or sister openly. We’ve never made a rule about not exposing each other, but somehow we’ve become a people who don’t. I had a mentor of mine who interacts with our church tell me the other day “Whenever someone from your house church talks about a problem they’re having, they are incredibly careful never to name the person they’re having a problem with.” I think our love for one another shows through in this.
- My house church hears the voice of Jesus. They really, really hear the voice of Jesus. I mean, really! I can’t tell you the number of times that someone has visited our church and has wound up weeping because Jesus is addressing the real issues of their heart through someone who is prophesying. Sometimes these people aren’t even believers! This is especially amazing to me because we didn’t have a ton of extremely prophetic people in our midst in the beginning. However that happened, it’s been because of Jesus and it’s been an organic transformation.
- My house church loves the Presence of Jesus. I’ve been a part of a lot of churches who love Jesus but hate it when He does miracles a way they don’t expect. My house church loves the presence of Jesus and isn’t offended when He does something that is outside of someone’s grid. I’m absolutely blessed that my church loves Jesus no matter how He comes to us.
- My house church isn’t bitter. I’ve met lots of people who are bitter at the institutional church. But the people who are part of our house church love the rest of the body. They attend events with other believers from other churches. They learn from the institutional church, they serve it, and they do it with a heart of gladness. And none of it (at least that I know of) is out of a desire to “convert” people to our house church. This may not seem like a big deal, but to do something different without becoming bitter is incredibly difficult in our age.
- My house church knows one another. Not much more needs to be said on this topic. We know each other. We know each other’s strengths and we know each other’s weaknesses. I’ve been in larger churches and house churches where people didn’t know each other, but somehow we’ve come to know each other and not forsake each other at the same time. This fact, as humble as it is, is still amazing to me.
- My house church is full of brothers who tell me truth about me. There is an incredible lack of truth-telling in the body of Christ currently, mostly because we lack courage and conviction. But because my house church knows me (see #6) and because they love me, the guys in my church have consistently and lovingly confronted me about issues in my own heart. They’re not always right about a topic when they confront me (but more often they are), but every time they tell me the truth, I know they love me and are sent by a Father who loves His children (Hebrews 12:5-11).
- My house church wrestles with difficult truths and their practical applications. There have been multiple times where I’ve seen our church wrestle with a difficult or controversial concept. Some of the concepts have been truth and some have been outright heresy. But in both cases, my spiritual family has dug into the Bible and wrestled with both the truth itself and the practical outworkings of believing the teaching in question. In every situation this has benefited and matured our church.
- My house church legitimately supports the life movement. But they do it in a way that is more than just lip service or a political agenda. They pray for the lives of unborn children. They reach into their pockets (see #1) and provide for children that are unwanted. One couple in our church is on the verge of our church’s first adoption and a second family in our church just got approved as a foster care couple. The folks in my house church are laying down their lives for the sake of children no one else wants and I believe they touch a part of God’s heart every time they do.
- My house church is serious about the Great Commission happening in the nations. Since the beginning we’ve always talked about how the Gospel has to go to the nations. Several years later six of us have gone as part of our church. That’s about half of our spiritual family. Other’s have given shamelessly to our cause (see #1), prayed for us while we were away, and listened to our stories when we returned. I would not be surprised if ten years down the road 75% of the people who are part of church currently have been to another nation and several of them are living in Africa, working to bring the Gospel to places it’s never been.
So, that’s my house church. I love them all as people, but these are some things I can say the Lord has done in us. Now, what about your house church? What are some of the things the Lord has done in your midst?
Photo Credit: Cedar Rapids House Church Network by Brandi Sawyer and Bryan Hamilton
Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 