3 Circles

Last week we had the privilege of helping to lead our Canadian National Baptist Convention annual conference.  It was two powerful days spent in the historic Jarvis Street Baptist Church during which we met together to share, learn, celebrate and give thanks for what God is doing across the nation.

We were very blessed to partner with the North American Mission Board who brought the Send North America Experience, including speaker David Platt and worship Leader Matt Papa, to close our convention with a powerful challenge about how we might live on mission with God.

Although I did miss some of the business portion of the convention as I was setting things up for the afternoon, I did manage to catch two portions.  

Firstly, I was there to see the vote to officially recognize The Hamilton Fellowships affiliation with the CNBC.

Secondly, I was able to catch Jeff Christopherson sharing a report about the North American Mission Board.  He finished that presentation by sharing a 3 Circles video.  If you are looking for ways to introduce the basic Christian message to people, perhaps you are just exploring that message yourself, or perhaps you want a refresher, this might be a helpful starting place.  I will leave you with the link below:

3 Circles

It was a great week to celebrate all that God is doing, and we look with anticipation to all that God will do in the days, weeks and months ahead. 

Interrupted Prayer

I got up a little later than usual, and others in the house where up a little earlier.  After spending time reading in Luke 15, I recognized the living room was getting a bit too busy for a time of prayer and meditation, so I decided to move outside to the front porch.  It was only a little less distracting out there.  A few neighbours heading off to work and a few walking kids to school made it a bit difficult to concentrate.  I did, however, manage a few minutes of reflection on the theme of seeking the lost that is so pronounced in Luke 15.  As I meditated, one more distraction walked by.  My neighbour passed by, calling back to his father two doors down.  As I decided to end my attempt at a prayer time, it dawned on me that perhaps this distraction was not a distraction, but rather an answer to prayer, a reminder and a spurring on.

A few weeks ago, this same neighbour had approached me to return a broom that I had lent him.  After some small talk about the neighbourhood and how, as a child, he used to play in what is now my home with a friend, he began to ask spiritual questions.  He is in a time of seeking and investigating spiritual matters.  At the end of the conversation he said he would definitely be in touch with more questions later.  That was a few weeks ago and he had not mentioned it since, nor had I even seen him very much.  Seeing him that morning reminded me that perhaps I need to take the initiative.

The next day, when I saw him again, I intentionally went over to say hello.  I also took with me a book that addressed many of the things he had mentioned in our last conversation.  He was genuinely appreciative and expressed that it was exactly the sort of thing he was looking for as he continues his exploration.  

So, although it was interupted and did not feel particularly satisfying, perhaps it was a fruitful time of prayer after all.  My eyes and heart were opened, an application presented itself quite clearly and I recognized an opportunity for obedience.  Is there anything more we can ask for out of a time of prayer and meditation in scripture?  

 

4 I's for Mission

Last week I had the priviledge of doing some coaching with individuals and couples applying to be Apprentices or Church planters in the region.  Part of the opportunity was to look afresh at some of the ideas and areas we were asking the candidates to consider.  One of those areas of consideration was the Four I's.  More than just for church planters, however, I found it a helpful list for anyone who seeks to be living with mission intentionality.  With that in mind I offer it here for you consideration:

Identify- Where is it that God has you?  What are the needs in the community around you.  There are physical, emotional and, importantly, spiritual needs around us.  What are the pockets where Jesus is needed?

Invest- How is it that you can spend you time, energy and resources to love and serve those around you.  How can you invest your life to engage relationally with your neighbours?  How can you pour into people's lives with genuine, authentic relationships?

Invite- What can you do to recognize where people are at and intentionally invite them to consider the next step in a spiritual journey?  Perhaps it is questions to promt spiritual exploration.  Perhaps it is an invitation to make a decision for Jesus.  Perhaps it is an invitation into a discipling relationship.  Whatever the situation, how can you invite the next step?

Increase- The heart of the Great Commission is a call to make disciples, who in turn make disciples, thus creating multiplication.  What plan do you have to walk someone down a journey of maturation, to equip, encourage and empower them towards a life of bearing fruit?  

I found this to be a great check for my life, a good framework upon which to hang specific details that I can work through for my context.  Let me encourage you to think through it for yourself.  

A special thanks to my colleagues at NAMB, Send Toronto and Send Vancouver for the refresher and the opportunity to pour into others!

10 Tips for Living on Mission

If everything worked out correctly, I am away for a short one day getaway with the love of my life.   So I thought it would be a great time to share this post that came across my twitter feed from @SendNetwork.  Below is a link to an article written by Bryan Barley that appeared at www.sendnetwork.com.  Some great, practical, simple and straight forward thoughts to get you started thinking about living missionally within your community.  Enjoy!

10 Tips for Living On Mission In Your Community

3 Books Every Canadian Church Palnter Should Read

If you are involved in church planting in any capacity, you probably have a list of books you have, or still have to read.   How to books, books of best practice, books of mission, discipleship or theology etc.  Let me take a moment, take a slightly different track, and make a plug for some fiction.  I admit, my reading of fiction is somewhat sporadic.  Between books on mission and theology, commentaries and sermons, I can go weeks or months without reading fiction.  Every time I do, however, I come away rewarded by such a rich experience.  There is something about fiction that helps us not just read about a people and culture, but somehow manages to submerge us within that culture, to see how it is lived out, and provides us with windows into different perspectives by means of thoughfully crafted characters living or experiencing a time, place, circumstance and culture.

So here is a short list of books with Canadian themes, books that will help provide insight into different aspects of Canadian culture and identity.  Three books every Canadian Church Planter should read:

1)  The Orenda by Joseph Boyden - an exploration of the time of first contact between the earliest French arrivals to Canada (specifically Jesuit missionaries) and the First Nations already inhabiting the land. 

2)  No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod - a powerful story of a proud Scottish clan who settled in Cape Breton.  This story beautifully weaves stories and recollections from generations of the clan from the 1700's up to the most recent family members who find themselves in different parts of Canada wrestling with their historic identity as Gaelic Highlander's and Cape Bretoners. 

3)  Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan - this book explores the tensions that have given rise to modern Quebec as it follows the Tallard family, a French Canadian man, his Irish wife and their son who struggles to reconcile his two different ethnic/linguistic identities.  A faciniating look at the French English tensions of Canada as well as the shift in Quebec culture, the place of the church and the rise of modern society.

Admittedly, I chose these books because I have read them more recently and they had an impact on me.  I fully recognize that it is a list that is limited in so many ways.  I would love to hear some thoughts about other great books helping to explore and understand Canadian culture.  What would you add to the list? 

Three P's of Partnership

This past weekend we had the priviledge of hosting a team of leaders from Murray Hill Baptist Church in Jacksonville Florida.  We had a great time as we served together, helped get them acquainted with the city and worshipped together.

 

This team were here not only to serve, as we did some Guerilla Gardening and community clean up, but to learn about the city and our ministry so that they may lead future teams.  

Perhaps the most exciting part of the their time with us was the opportunity to have them join one of our Fellowship groups for worship.  It was a great opportunity for our friends from Florida to meet people from literally around the globe, to hear so many different accents as they fellowshipped and to all come together in worship.  

For our people, it was a great example that although we may be small we are part of a much bigger family.  It also provides such a great example of minstry and mission that people would give of their time, energy and resourses to travel all the way here to come along side us to help us serve and minister in our community.  This is a powerful witness to a young group with seekers and many new and young believers.  

We took the time during our Fellowship meeting to not just celebrate, but to formalize this new partnership with the signing of a covenant.  In that covenant we specifically communicated and committed to the very things we exercised on this first trip:

1) Prayer-it is such an encouragement to a new church plant to know that they are being held up in prayer.  A prayer team is specifically praying for Hamilton.  Prayer is the foundation for any ministry and through it we see God work.

2) Provision- Financial provision is a very real and practical support to any church plant.  Beyond just the money, however, a financial commitment no matter the size, communicates something important about commitment.

3) People- beyond prayer and provision, having people come, whether a short term mission team or even longer term opportunities for individuals of families, is also important.  For the supporting church it helps to place names and faces, sights, sounds and smells to the prayers and support.  It becomes more personal and more important.  For the church plant, it is a shot in the arm of encouragement and importantly allows for a burst of ministry strength and energy as we try to reach a community.

We are very pleased and excited as we move forward with this new partnership.  

And for those who have partnered with us in the past, or continue to walk with us in different ways, a huge thank you for your continued support as well.  

This last photograph is of a quick caricature done of Pastor Doug Axtell of Murray Hill by Oliver Guevara of The Hamilton Fellowships at the end of our worship time.

An Answer To Prayer

I saw the red light flashing on the phone; I had voice mail.  I picked up the hand held receiver and began to scroll through the call display to see if I recognized who may have left a message, but I did not.  I asked Kim if she knew who had called and left the message, to which she replied, " Oh ya, I forgot to tell you. Have a listen, you will never guess who it was."  And she was right, I would have never guessed.    

When I checked my message it was from Tim, one of the guys from the Beer Store.  He had not been out for a few weeks so it was nice to hear from him.  As it turns out, he had not been out to Beer Store Church because he got a job at a local restaurant in the city.  

Getting a job had been Tim's prayer request since we first met him.  He had worked at getting a resume, worked to distribute it, and then waited.  It seemed that there was no one hiring for kitchen work and so he collected bottles each week, came for a sandwich and coffee and we prayed.  Finally, after months and months, someone called and he was hired.  

Tim had called and left a message to thank  us for the coffee and sandwiches which helped him get through many weeks, and to thank us for praying because "every little bit helped." 

On Wearing Pants For The First Time In Months

"I am wearing pants for the first time in months."

That was the first statement of praise this past Sunday as our Fellowship @ Locke began our time of worship.  To be exact, it was not the first time my dad had worn any pants, but the first time that he had worn anything other than elastic waist track pants since his surgery back in February.   Sure it was nice to have on jeans again, but the true celebration was what the jeans represented.  Those jeans represented increased mobility after the surgery and they also represented that all the tubes that once where hooked up have now been taken out, and that his last incision from the feeding tube is almost now healed over.  These are things truly deserving of praise!

As life goes on quickly it is sometimes easy to overlook the truly remarkable things that God does in our midst.   It would be a tragedy, however, if we do not take the time to celebrate pants.    I hope that this is a powerful moment for our Fellowship.  What began as shocking news of my dad's cancer has now become a true praise, and I will go as far a saying a miracle.  It began with a providential finding in which my dad was sent to the wrong specialist for a medical issue he wanted addressed.  This specialist, although unable to address the original concern, decided to do a scan since my dad was in his office and had never had one before.  It was this scan that revealed the cancer that otherwise may have worsened before it was ever discovered.  God was at work.  We as a church took the time to anoint my dad with oil and pray before he began 7 weeks of intense chemo and radiation which was to be followed by a very intensive and invasive surgery.  It is the chemo and radiation treatment that I look back on and say that there was a miracle.  Simply put, my dad experienced little, if any, of the affects that the doctors were concerned and warned him about.  The medical team was astounded that he came through without loosing any hair, without loosing much strength and without ever becoming nauseous or ill.  And because he came through with such good health, he was that much stronger as he entered into the massive, invasive surgery from which he has been able to make such a quick physical recovery.  

So, pants are certainly something to be thankful for.  And for our church, pants are a powerful example of answered prayer and the power of God.  So the next time you are putting on pants, you can remember this story.  Similarly, if you are putting on pants it means God had given you another day and the physical means to do so, all of which are a reason to give thanks and praise. 

Beer Store Breakthrough

What started as serving coffee slowly became coffee (hot chocolate for those who don't drink coffee), sandwiches and conversation.  From there the conversation led to collecting prayer requests, eventually praying for people on the spot and then progressed to gathering a group to pray together on the sidewalk.  Most recently, I have begun to bring a scripture, specifically words of Jesus, starting with His "I Am sayings."  I have been sharing the scripture to begin prayer and then praying that scripture and an application for our lives before praying for individual requests.  This is the shape of what is now referred to as Beer Store Church.  Like many ministries, it has ups and downs, times of prayer and times of breaking up fights, rich times and times of wondering about the point of it all.  Yesterday, however, put a smile on my face; a bit of a breakthrough even.  

We began our prayer with Jesus' words, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."  As soon as we were finished praying someone asked about people that lived before Jesus.  It provided an opportunity to talk of the Old Testament, its relation to the new, about seeing the Gospel in Old Testament texts and to give a brief survey of the Gospel story.  It also, and as importanly, gave me an opportunity to really listen to his questions and comments and better assess where he is spiritually.  

In the end I was really encouraged.  I was  encouraged because I love to talk about that kind of thing and walk with people as we discover truth.  I was encouraged because I have a clearer idea of where he is and can better move forward to meet him where he is at.  I am most encouraged because the question let me know that at least one person was actually engaged in what was going on.  

That in and of itself is reason enough to be there next week!

Three Keys to Kingdom Prayer

I heard some great news this week.  Our sending church, The Sanctuary Milton, has found a new place to hold its Sunday gatherings.  This is great news in and of itself, but it also comes with a bit of a back story which makes the story quite remarkable.

Back while I was still working at The Sanctuary Milton, the spot that we were renting let us know that they would be undergoing renovations for six months and that we would not have access to our meeting space.  We knew that we had to find a new location.  Being in Canada's fastest growing community, however, meant that there was a lot of people and groups looking to rent but few spaces available.  We looked and looked.  One of the places was a bit out of town but had some potential, and for some reason it found a place in the heart of my colleague Jim.  The management, however, had other ideas and let us know in no uncertain terms that they did not want to be bothered with hosting a church each week.  We ended up finding a great room at a great price elsewhere, but it had limited space for growth so we knew that another search could be in our future.  Over the last number of years, The Sanctuary Milton continued to meet in its new location.  More recently, the church has begun to grow a bit again, and has seen an influx of children.  They also have new folks heading up the children's ministry and are excited about what they are seeing and the possibilities.  With growth, the problem of space had reared its head again; a good problem to have but a problem none the less.  What would happen next?

Over these last few years, Jim has continued to feel a prompting to pray for that other location.  Every once in a while he would check again, but with the same management there was the same sentiment, so Jim just quietly continued to pray.  On a whim, and with a bit of desperation I am sure, when this last discussion of the need for more room arose, Jim decided to check back again.  To his great surprise, there was a new manager.  Not only was there a new manager, but he was a Christian.  Not only was he a Christian but he had come come to faith in the last city that he worked in, in a church that is connected to our denomination.  The greatest coincidence, however, is that he had come to faith in a church that was one of the first churches to partner with the Sanctuary Oakville, the first church that Jim had come to Canada to plant almost 14 years ago.  It took some time, but God was at work and we have seen an answer to Jim's persistent prayer.

When I heard this story, I was reminded of Luke chapter  11 in which Jesus teaches about prayer.  He not only teaches the Lord's prayer but He then follows it with two parables.  The first, is about a someone who has a surprise guests in the middle of the night and must go and ask a neighbour for bread in order to show hospitality to his guests.  The second, is about Father's giving good gifts to their children.  From these two parables we get three lessons about prayer, three keys to kingdom prayer that I believe Jim's prayer helps to highlight.

1)  Persistence:
The first principle is that of persistence.  When the individual in the parable first goes to their neighbour for bread they receive a negative response.  None the less, they are not deterred.  Similarly, Jim, although he received negative responses years, continued to feel prompted to pray, to trust God the Father and to hold fast to the belief that His heavenly Father could and would provide for his needs and the needs of the church. 


2)  Recognizing God's Glory:
Although some English translations put the emphasis of the first parable solely on the persistence of the one asking for bread, it is quite likely that there is something else going on as well.  Although there certainly is persistence from the one asking, seeing as he received a negative response but did not go away empty handed, the word that is translated "persistence" in verse 8 is likely better translated "shamelessness."  This being the case, it actually puts the emphasis back on the one to whom the request is being made.  It is drawing on ancient customs of hospitality which would make a failure to help his friend and neighbour a shameful act and bring dishonour.  Thus, the parable suggests that friendship alone should have been enough to want to help, but the threat of dishonour would certainly prompt a response of aid.  It is the same with God.  When we come to God with genuine petitions of need then we might expect that, as we were prompted to pray "hallowed by Your name," and "Your Kingdom come," (Luke 11:2), that God's honour and vindication of His name are of utmost importance.  We can trust God to intervene in the lives of His children as He restores honour to His name.   As one who has prayed with Jim many times over the years I know that God's glory is of utmost importance to Him.  I have heard him pray on numerous occasions for God to do something only God could do so that only God himself would receive the glory that is do.  Jim's heart for the church is that God might be glorified by a family of believers holding up the name of Jesus within the community.  Jim could trust that if a new space was a need for the church to move forward within the community, then God would hear and answer for the sake of His own glory.

3)  Recognizing God's Love:
Lastly, but certainly not least, is to recognize God's love for his children.  Jesus' teaching on prayer begins with the invitation to address God as Father, and ends with a parable about Father's giving good gifts to their children.  "If you then, being evil, now how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."  Not only will God give good gifts to His children, but He will give the best gift, that being the Holy Spirit.  Our prayer is grounded in a relationship with God as Father, the one who loves and gives good gifts, the one who promises to meet the needs of those who love him.  Jim continued to trust God the Father with his needs and the needs of the church.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are invited into relationship with God as Father, one who loves, cares for and provides for his children, providing not just good gifts to meet their needs, but the best gift, above and beyond expectations.

I mentioned earlier that this new facility was a bit out of town.  To be honest, its locations was not exactly ideal and visible.  In the six years since the first inquiry was made however, the town has continued to grow and expand at a rapid pace.  What once was outside of town is now right on the edge of the newest growth and right in the middle of some of the next biggest growth plans for the town.  So it seems that perhaps God was waiting a bit to answer this prayer.  Maybe one reason was simply that we might learn more about prayer. 

3 Keys for Fruitful Gospel Conversations

I had the most amazing conversation about Jesus the other day, and it started with an honest question.  The student was very hesitant, expressing that she was afraid that I might be offended.  I assured her that I love questions and see them as extremely important in the journey of faith.  Her question was “how do we know it is true?”  What followed was an amazing time of exploration as we delved into apologetics.

This experience helped me to recognize, and relearn, some invaluable insights about sharing the faith.  Firstly, is the importance of apologetics, secondly, the value of listening and thirdly, the importance of a safe place to ask questions.

Apologetics: Apologetics is not making an apology for the faith (although there are many who think that perhaps it should be).  Wikipedia defines it as “the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information.”  It is making a well reasoned defense, or explanation for the faith.  In a post modern culture like we have here in Canada, it is no longer sufficient to simply say “because the bible says so.”  That will merely beg the question “why should I believe the bible?”  People hold very real concerns that Jesus and scripture are not historical, not accurate and not trustworthy and this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to questions and skepticism over matters of faith and religion.  So the question is, are we prepared to engage with such questions because it is becoming an increasing necessity as we share about Jesus.

Listening: I am also reminded about the real value and necessity of good, honest questions as we discuss and wrestle with issues of faith.  Personally, I have found that it is often questions that lead to the biggest breakthroughs and growth moments in the journey of faith.  Questions also mean that we are addressing thoughts and concerns that people actually have.  In order to hear questions, however, it means that we need to develop good listening skills and along with good listening skills we might actually have to engage with someone outside of the faith community.  It is amazing the things you learn when you engage with people, and you hear what they are thinking, questioning and how they perceive the church.  It is often different from what you thought, or what someone told you people think.  We will never be able to meet people where they are, and we will always be missing the mark if we don’t engage, don’t listen and don’t welcome good, hard, honest questions.

A Safe place:  Along with good listening skills and addressing questions comes perhaps the most important factor for faith conversations, which is creating a safe environment.  Is your environment, and more specifically are you, a safe place to bring questions and have conversations about faith?  This comes down to whether we treat all people with dignity, respect and compassion and, as we seek to serve, be willing to engage with people wherever they are at.  Apologetics and questions can lead to fruitful conversations but can also very quickly degenerate into debates.  If we are interested in winning the battle, proving the faith and beating down questions then we are not creating a safe place for people to engage.   Do we present ourselves, as open, caring and safe?

I admit, I was sad to hear that my friend was hesitant to share her questions because she was afraid of offending me.  It reminded me that I have to be more diligent about  ensuring everyone around me feel comfortable to share honestly and ask questions.  I need to be better at truly listening.  In the past I have been sharing what I thought  people might benefit from knowing when I could have been addressing what they were actually struggling with.  When I did, it gave such a rich opportunity to draw on some of the apologetic  insights that others have shared with me.  When that did happen, it was a rich and fruitful conversation and I long to have more of those in the future.

If you are looking for some apologetic resources below is a short list of resources I have found helpful, some specifically apologic in nature, some not, but all useful:

Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
The Reason For God - Timothy Keller
The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel
More than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell

This is a very short limited list and I would love for you to add to the suggestion list.

How Is Your Face Today?

“I was walking to work this week,”  Emma shared, “and everyone just looked sad.  There were a lot of people out, but everyone just looked down.  Then all of a sudden this guy bounds around the corner finishing a morning jog, with such exuberance on his face and lets out  joyous exclamation of accomplishment.  I first thought ‘how could running ever produce such joy,’ but then I found myself asking, ‘I wonder what my face is expressing?’”

It was a great, and quite profound, observation that was shared at a Fellowship gathering a while back.   What do our faces express?  As the church, are we expressing joy and exuberance?  It reminded me of a passage from Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience in the same Direction in which he quotes a friend:

For if a pastor is not in touch with joy, it will be difficult to teach or preach convincingly that the news is good.  If you do not convey joy in your demeanor and gestures and speech, you will not be an authentic witness for Jesus Christ.  

I think that it is safe to say that this goes for more than just pastors, but for all who would claim to be followers of Jesus.  So how about you, how is your face today?

3 Words That Change The World

I was recently meditating on the three words “moved with compassion” that described Jesus’ response to a man with a skin disease who came for healing.  As I tried to deeply ponder these words I was struck by this thought, “what must it have been like for Jesus?”

Colossians 1:16 tells us that

...everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.

So, as Jesus encountered this ailing man he was directly confronted by the effects of the fall that had so devastatingly ravaged and perverted His beautiful creation.  This man, who was lovingly fashioned to bear His very own image, now such a distorted broken reflection.  How heartbreaking to see what had befallen that which was created with such love and attention.  But this man, though broken and distorted by sin, was an image bearer none the less, and Jesus still having a heart for His creation is moved to compassion.  In his healing, we get a glimpse of compassion that leads to justice, and a foretaste of the final restoration that is to come because of the compassion of Jesus.

3 Basics of Community Discipleship

Our goal for the Hamilton Fellowships is to grow a network of interdependent Fellowships that make disciples, in community and on mission.  As we build community we must be making disciples, that is after all, our commission from Jesus himself.  The two, however, community and discipleship, inform one another; they go together.

If you are familiar with Jeff Venderstelt and Soma, or of Neil Cole, then you will recognize some similarities with their ideas.  These are not new observations, however, some appearing in an article first published 1941 by Dr. W. Maxfield Garrott entitled How Jesus Trained Leaders.  The point being that the methods trace back to Jesus, and we can seek to incorporate them, to model our discipleship, after his.

As we learn about doing discipleship in community here are three basics ideas we have found helpful:

1)  Community with God

This might seem obvious, but it cannot be overlooked.  Consider how often Jesus withdrew by Himself to spend time in direct communion with the Father.   Call it a "Quiet Time," "Personal Devotion Time" or whatever, learning to take time alone to read scripture and pray is essential to discipleship.  And it does not have to be rocket science.  I love the acronym my colleague Paul Johnson shares on the Disciple Maker App (look for it in the App Store under Disciple Maker Stages) that he created and curates.  He offers S.O.A.P as a guide for devotional times and journaling: S-scripture, O-observation (what is the nugget of truth, or what jumps out to you), A-application (what do you need to do to make this real in your life) P-pray (use the scripture and you application as a basis for your prayer time).  Simple.  Straight forward.  I love it.

2) Community with Two or Three

Though Jesus spent much time with the twelve, there was even a smaller group with whom He shared more personal and private moments.  Consider the Transfiguration or the Garden of Gethsemane.  In each case it is Peter, James and John that accompany Jesus.  With two or three, confidentiality and accountability can be strong and there are practical considerations of flexibility for scheduling etc.  Relationally, it is far more likely to really get to know someone, to encourage and challenge each other in a smaller context.

3)  Community with 12

It is important to note that when calling His first disciples, Jesus called twelve and put them in community.  It is this group with whom He did the bulk of organized training while also living everyday life together for three years.  It was my friend Mike Hampton who first helped me see the diversity within this group.  By today's standards, and especially from a modern Western context, the group does not seem diverse at all, but when one considers that zealots and tax collectors were sharing meals together, one can only imagine how awkward those first dinners must have been!  This size of group is large enough for diversity but still small enough for intimacy and deeper relationships through which to live out together the things that are learned.  Below is a short video in which Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger share some thoughts on why groups matter.

Why Groups Matter

Whether, like for us within The Hamilton Fellowships, these groups are the larger church context, or you are a part of a much larger congregation, time in a group of about 10-20 is a very special and important investment. 

So there you have it, 3 Basics of Community Discipleship.  Who are some people in your life that you could start to gather with?

3 Keys to Build Community

There is a lot of talk and discussion about creating community these days.  I have come to appreciate Mike Breen and the folks at 3DM and there discussion of "oikos"-Family.  Similarly, I recently heard Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma ask if, when the world thought about the church, was the first metaphore that came to mind, Family.  Building community is a core principle of what we, at The Hamilton Fellowships do as well and so we were recently reflecting on what it means for our Fellowships, our Community, to be family.  After working through this idea together, here are three keys to build community family, that I came away with:

1) Eat Together
I recently received a beautiful birthday card from a group of Chinese students who have been connecting with one of our Fellowships and in it they thanked me for a number of different opportunities for community that they have experienced while hanging out with us.  In particular, they thanked us for all the different foods that they have been able to try.  I laughed.  We share a meal each week as we gather with our Fellowship, but we try to keep it fairly simple.  The point is the time together, sharing and conversations- the deep fellowship- that happens over food.  For international students I suppose it is a bit exotic, (to be honest my favourite times are when they bring the food!), but the relationships that are formed over a meal together probably contributes more than the food to their positive experiences.  Lets face it, families eat together and so if we want to be family then we need to do the same.  Keep it simple, do it potluck and have everyone help with the dishes.  It is well worth the effort.

2)  Play Together
One key difference between co-workers and family is that family are the ones that you go home to and plan your weekends or vacation.  When it comes time to play, we often play with family.  An hour or two together at an organized engagement is great, but not really enough to say that we are family.  When people are choosing to spend their down time together, then maybe we can say that we are family.  We try to create some opportunities for people to hang out together, sometimes in pace of a Fellowship, and often outside of our regular weekly meetings.  It can be as simple as a board game night where we open our home and anyone who is free brings a snack and a friend.  Even more important, however, are the times when one family is going to do something and casually invites another family or individual to join them.  These unstructured, organic connections say a lot about family.

3)  Teach One Another
Think about how much you learned, both formally and informally, from your mom or dad, grandparents or maybe a special aunt or uncle.   There is an organic discipleship that happens in family as we learn to speak, ride a bike or to cook the famous family recipe.  There are natural mentor relationships that can happen within family.  Organic and Natural, however, still require intentionality.  How are we mentoring and teaching others in our "family."  As a parent, I love the idea of my children learning by watching, engaging and spending time with other mature adults who care for them. 

How can you limit this to just three?!?  I want to add praying together (if we are talking specifically spiritual communities), and working together (Alan Hirsh has great thoughts about "Communitas" in Forgotten Ways) BUT I will hold myself back and open it up to you.  These are three keys that we identified, what others would you add to the list?

Of Subways and Sub Zeros

I currently sit in a train car returning to Hamilton from The Big Smoke, Toronto, and it has dawned on me that last month I was riding subways in both Los Angeles and New Tork City.  They were quick, short trips to help family members, but none the less that is still pretty cool!  

As we enter March, I am back here in Canada and we are experiencing one of the coldest weeks on record.  Isn't spring coming?!?  Sitting on the train this morning I realize that although this year is the coldest I can remember, for the last three years the beginning of March has greeted  us with its own kind of coldness. Two years ago my Grandmother passed away and the very next day my oldest son ended up in hospital.  The following year my son was missing when March arrived, and this year we enter March with my father in hospital.  March has been particularily dark these past few years.  Even so, there are still great moments of light and joy and it is especially important in times like these to mark them. 

My dad came through what was a very large, intrusive and challenging surgery with flying colours.  Although the recovery will be trying and lengthy, he has done amazingly well thus far and shows every indication that he should make a full return to health.  

Our Fellowship @ Locke has welcomed a few new people and I am enjoying meeting with a number of them for further discipleship.  We are currently leading the Fellowship through an annual look at our vision verse and refocusing on (or learning for the first time), our core principles.

I am also excited for our Fellowship @ Fifty in Stoney Creek as I have been working with a key leader to develop and introduce a more intentional mission strategy.  I am looking forward to Michael leading our group through the initial stages this week.  

So March has been a bit of a let down these past few years.  This year in particular it is uncomfortably freezing.  None the less, there are bright spots and moments to celebrate.  Perhaps spring is on the way, maybe just around the corner at the next subway stop.

A Cab in LA

"Thank you very much for the conversation" the cabi said, "and I will be sure to look into what you shared! Thank you again."  

We exited the cab, entered the building, headed to the third floor and took a seat in the waiting room.  We would then wait another two hours for our meeting.  It was a bit strange as our meeting had been pushed up an hour, but did not actually begin until an hour after the original scheduled time.  I think perhaps that the reason for the schedule change was actually the cab ride itself.  

I was in LA with my daughter for some meetings.  We headed to the lobby to call a cab but when we reached the lobby there was one that just happened to be waiting already, having just dropped off another guest.  We got in the cab and were greated by a very friendly cabi of South Asian descent.  We began to chat first about family, then specifically children, and seeing as my daughter was with me, about school.  I mentioned that we homeschooled which always leads to why, which leads to my son's illness in 2008 and our decision to try it for a year while we went through all the unknowns.  This of course leads to conversations about how he is now and as I was sharing the details, the difficulty or his tumour, the amazing team of surgeons etc. I felt compelled to also bear witness to how we saw God work.  I simply mentioned that there was a lot of prayer and that we are so thankful for how we saw God answer our prayers as He worked in and through the surgeons and beyond.  The cabi then asked about our religion to which I shared that we were followers of Jesus.  I asked him in return and he shared that he was Muslim.  

He shared his opinion that our two religions where the closet related out of the world religions.  It was here that I was thankful with my time spent with my friend Mike Hampton who has been a missionary to Muslim background peoples.  I was able to speak of the things that the Koran says about Jesus.  We spoke of the third Sura and the affirming of the Virgin birth amoung other things.  He shared with me that in order to be a faithful Muslim, he had to believe in Jesus but that, and I love the way he put this, we took it one step further.  What he meant, of course, is that more than just a prophet, we believe Jesus was the divine, one and only Son of God.  I imagine that we would also disagree about the details and significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  These, of course, are fundamental differences with eternal life and death significance and thus our faith systems, although having some touchpoints, are not actually the same at all.  Again, I remebered a story that my friend Mike had shared with me.  I told my new friend that I had not come to faith until I was 19, and that I don't take the teachings for granted.  I have looked at the teachings of different faiths in my searching.  I mentioned learning that the Koran refers to Jesus as the "Kalimah Allah," meaning "Word or Message of God" while calling Mohammed the "Messanger." I asked myself what was more important the message or messanger.  I came to the conclusion that the message was more important and that lead me to specifically spend time with the words of Jesus that are in the gospels.  As I shared this last thought, we arrived at our destination.

Thank you very much for the conversation" the cabi said, "and I will be sure to look into what you shared! Thank you again."  

Update Tuesday-we're gonna be on TV!!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update this week to let you know that we are going to be on TV tomorrow morning!  If you get Global Television then have a look for us on 100 Huntley Street, 9:30am EST.  We are going to be interviewed about our Beer Store Church.  Kim, T.J. and I will be doing our best to represent!  

This is actually a continuation of a story that I shared a while back that lead to a feature about us in the local paper.  A lady came by one morning while we were gathering on the street corner outside of the Beer Store to ask what we were doing.  She was so taken by the idea that, unbenounced to us,  she called the paper.  The paper came and did a story that was then seen by the folks who do 100 Huntley St. They then invited us to the show tomorrow.  

Of course, in the midst of getting ready for tomorrow, sickness has hit our house this week.  Please join us in praying for healing and for the interview, that we would make much of Jesus.  

Update Tuesday - Make A Difference

Sometimes it is about the big splash, an opportunity or event when a lot seems to be accomplished in one concentrated push.  It is easy to point to, easy to see and easy to talk about.  It makes an obvious difference.  

More often then not, however, making a difference is more about an ongoing collection of little things that, over time, add up to be an incremental but sustained push to make a difference.  It is harder to see, harder to point to, and thus often these smaller things are notas heralded and celebrated.  I like to celebrate some of the smaller things and so here are two brief stories.  

A few weeks ago, during one of our monthly street outreaches we got to visit with Jerry.  He is slow, both intelectually as well as physically-he walks at a snails pace.  The last we had seen him he was using a walker but that day he was walking to us very slowly, very unsteadily and with no walker.  When we asked him about it he told us that his walker had been stolen.  This was particularly upsetting to one of our people who had met with and talked with Jerry in the past.  The next week this member of our group was at our sending church in Milton sharing the story when a congregation member stopped him to say she had an extra walker.  We took the walker, and we brought it out to the street with us on the chance that we might see Jerry again.  It was aprovidential  encounter when we saw Jerry shuffling up to us.  We were able to bless him with the walker and to see the smile on his face.

This past Saturday was also a really encouraging time for me.  I have mentioned Roy, a chinese student who had been connected with our Wednesday fellowship since the fall.  He has become a real Person of Peace for us and a gateway.  I asked him if he would like to get together to learn more about Jesus and to practice English at the same time and he said yes.  When he came on Saturday, he brought two friends all eager to read, learn and talk about Jesus.  They have little to no experience with the gospel or any bible stories at all so it is amazing fun to share about things they are hearing for the first time.  To think that this relationship all started with one simple text.  A student in Calgary, who works with a colleague of mine, met Roy in China over the summer.  She found out I work in Hamilton and that Roy would be studying here.  She sent me a text to see if I would contact him.  One simple text and God's providence can lead to great things!!!

So, what small thing can you do today to make a difference?!

Update Tuesday-A Blessing Received

Yesterday I got a phone call.  It was unexpected, out of the blue and certainly a surprise.  When I answered the phone it was our friend Paul from our Beer Store Church.  Paul is one of the recyclers we serve each Monday morning.  After being hit by a car a few years ago, he has injuries, including a brain injury, that prevent him from working full time.  Some insurance money helps him to maintain the appartment he was living with his mother in before her passing.  He collects bottles for hours at a time, multiple days a week, walking the streets into the overnight hours to have money enough for groceries.  Yesterday, Paul called to say that he was thinking about the fact that we said our kids where all home sick.  He was so thankful for all that we do for the guys on Monday that he wanted to do something for us.  He was calling to ask if he could make us a meal.  It was a special call, and certainly a blessing received.  I am touched that he would think to serve us in this way, and to use his limited resources to reach out to us.  

Update Tuesday - Of Healings and Goodbyes

It was a quiet summer evening, or perhaps early fall, when a number of people from our Sanctuary Milton family gathered together for prayer.  The evening was dedicated to prayer for our middle son who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and whose surgery date was quickly approaching.  Under the leadership of our friend and pastor Jim Danielson, we gathered, Jim anointed our son's head with oil, we laid on hands and prayed.  What followed was a whirlwind year, but one in which we saw the global church surround us in prayer and one in which our son was restored to full health with incredible results. 

Fast forward five years and we are now in Hamilton, a move whose roots we trace back to that time in Milton, and to our son's illness and sickness.  This past fall we had another shock of bad news when my father Gerry, and member of our Wednesday Fellowship@Locke was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  Thinking back to that time in Milton, and my friend Jim's leadership to gather together, anoint with oil and pray, I gathered our Fellowship.  We gathered, we anointed with oil and we prayed.  This past Wednesday we had the opportunity to hear an update from Gerry who had just finished a very aggressive five week's of chemotherapy, and was about to finish up the coinciding radiation.  He was able to share about his appointment with his oncologist who remarked at his ongoing health and asked out loud, "How do you still have your hair?"  Gerry never lost any hair, has not really been very nauseous or ill and has had very little ill effects from the treatment.  His treatment team is absolutely amazed at how he has come through this aggressive treatment with so few affects to his overall health.  Lord knows that we, and our extended family of faith have experienced times between these two amazing events in which healing has not occurred and we have been heartbroken.  But here, with another case of good news, we pause to celebrate.  What a witness it has been, and what an amazing thing for some of our younger Fellowship members to be able to see.  We continue to pray for Gerry as he prepares for the next stage of his treatment and details for surgery are put in order.

With the celebration last week, also came a bit of sadness as we prayed for and said goodbye to our friend Hitomi.  Hitomi is a young lady from Japan who has been attending our Fellowship.  She has an amazing heart for the underprivileged in our city, often volunteering multiple evenings a week to go out into the cold and serve with street mission programs.  Hitomi is heading back to Japan because of VISA requirements but hopes to be back in a year.  She had fallen in love with Canada and its people and is a great example of a servant.

As we prayed for Hitomi asking that she would take all that she has learned here home with her,  it has given us pause to reflect on the possible impacts of our ministry here in Hamilton.  As we teach, disciple and equip people from around the world, there is a very real possibility that they will be returning home either temporarily or permanently and the implications for world missions is quite amazing.  So we head into the coming week's and months with great humility but also renewed passion and energy for what God may grow out of these small beginnings.  We thanks you for your continued spiritual, physical and financial support.     

Update Tuesday-catching up

It was New Years Eve morning when I was at a brunch hosted by our Fellowship@Fifty crew (our Thurs. night Stoney Creek Fellowship).  I am not exactly sure how the conversation started but the gentleman next to me was sharing about what he did for Christmas. It was a fascinating story for me to hear.  

On Christmas Eve, this gentleman came to visit the open house and evening service hosted by our Wed. Fellowship@Locke.  As he shared he began, albeit somewhat timidly in my presence, with a confession.  I began that service by sharing with the group that we would be reading the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, interspersed with relevant hymns and Carols.   His first response, he admited, was "thats it?!"  Having grown up in the church  he had heard this story so many times.  Where was the eloquent and deeply theological sermon?  How would he get anything out if it?  "Really, I came all the way just to hear you read the story?" he thought.  But then, something amazing happened.  As the story was being read, our friend began to look around the room.  What he saw astounded him.  He saw a room full of people who where captivated by what they were hearing, mezmerized by a story that we so often take for granted.  For many in the room that night, it was their first time ever hearing the Christmas story.  Growing up in places around the world, in other cultures, some Budhist, others atheist, they had never heard the story of the birth of Jesus.  We were priviledged to share it with them. 

As my friend recounted this story it reminded me of some lessons I have been learning lately.  These days what we do is often fairly simple.  With many people from different cultures who are just learning English, there are barriers to communication.  With so many who are just hearing of Jesus for the first time, we spend a lot of time just introducing Him and touching on the basics.  I am learning that it is not about me.  As much as I enjoy preaching, preparing and delivering a thorough and well prepared sermon, I do not do it all that often in my own church.  We must currently keep the language and content a bit simpler.  That is what is needed these days.  Secondly, I have been reminded that there is power in scripture and, in particular, the stories of Jesus.  Although simple, we have seen that when scripture is read, or stories of Jesus are told they have the power to capture hearts and minds.  

One if my prayers is that the observation  shared by that gentleman at the New Year's Eve brunch might be shared by more of us.  Can we see the opportunity and invitation to join God in His mission as we serve to help others grow in their knowledge of Jesus?  We can be challenged that it is not what we get but what we give-how we serve.  We can be encouraged that it can actually be quite simple.  

We would asked for your continued prayers as we seek to continue to introduce and teach about Jesus, and for wisdom as we seek to disciple new, young believers.  Please continue to pray that we might be able to make disciples that make disciples.