As God continues to develop and refine the vision that He has for us and the Hamilton Fellowships we recognize that we cannot do it on our own. The Hamilton Fellowships has always been intentionally plural as we see our task as catalyzing a network of interdependent fellowships. Lately we have begun to think in terms of a fellowship within walking distance of everyone in the city. Hamilton, however, is geographically diverse, encompassing more than just the downtown core and thus the outlying regions are on our heart as well. There are suburbs and even rural outlying regions.
I am also frequently asked by friends, neighbours, colleagues, churches and individuals across North America about how to be involved and how to help. What follows is an attempt at more fully answering that question, a list of ways that one might consider becoming involved. It differs in degree and commitment so please read through and prayerfully consider if God may have a place for you within the Hamilton Fellowships.
1) Apprentice Church Planter
In order to be able to have an impact of the outlying regions, we will need individuals who are committed to overseeing new works in those areas. Apprenticing with us allows one to both see, experience and learn what we are doing while at the same time exploring the particulars of a region of Hamilton in preparation for penetrating a new area.
2) Move In
Consider moving into a part of the city with the intention of hosting and or leading a future Fellowship. Plug into an existing Fellowship to experience and learn what we are doing in preparation for being a part of a new work.
3) Join a Fellowship
Are you already in the city? Consider joining an existing Fellowship and plug into the life of one of these spiritual communities.
4) Advocates
We will continue to be looking for partners to join us as we seek to provide for all the needs (spiritual, financial and physical) of continuing a movement of new works. As the work here grows it becomes more difficult to both be on the ground serving as well as out raising partners. There is a great need for individuals and churches to advocate amongst colleagues, friends, associations and conventions, sharing what they have seen God doing and inviting and encouraging others to consider being involved.
5) Partners
We are in need of more great partners, individuals, groups and churches willing to be involved in helping us provide the spiritual, financial and physical needs of a growing number of Fellowships. By developing partner relationships with a longer term commitment in mind (3, 5 or more years) we can begin to see the Hamilton Fellowships live out the vision of being a plurality that extends across our region and beyond.
If you are interested, have questions or even see yourself as being involved in one of these ways then please send me an e-mail to jason@jasonmcgibbonproject.com I would love to chat!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Missional Monday-Actions Count
It was a little bit last minute, rather unplanned and spontaneous but one of the things from this past week I will most remember. We were hosting a mission team and serving in the community. Having some extra time I asked the team if we could walk down the street with some gardening tools and weed an overgrown lot around a vacant building. It has been vacant for some time, is unkept and, frankly, has become an eyesore. As we weeded we had numerous visits from neighbours and shop owners from the area who, while surprised, all expressed their thanks.
This one act of service provided numerous opportunities to share who we were and why we were there. We also had many requests from people asking to participate in any future things we do in the neighborhood. Our reputation, in an area with great distrust for the church, was very positively affected. And, of course, our neighbourhood now looks a little bit neater.
This one act of service provided numerous opportunities to share who we were and why we were there. We also had many requests from people asking to participate in any future things we do in the neighborhood. Our reputation, in an area with great distrust for the church, was very positively affected. And, of course, our neighbourhood now looks a little bit neater.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Kingdom Matrix
The Kingdom Matrix
(read about it or purchase it here)
It has certainly been a different experience these past few weeks as I have made my way through The Kingdom Matrix by Jeff Christopherson. Reading through a book in which you know many of the individuals mentioned, remember many of the stories that are recounted and, in fact, lived through a number of them, provides a unique reading experience for sure. It is a bit hard to distance an objective reading of the points being delivered from my nostalgic memories of being a part of much of it. I have also had the advanced drafts, so to speak, as many of the ideas from this book were being developed, introduced and lived out in the churches that where a part of the Sanctuary movement. Looking back, I remember the amazing things we have seen God do, I remember hard times when we didn't get it right or when God may have been pruning and refining, and in all I am overwhelmed by who God is, what He has done and all that I have learned these past eleven years.
I say this is simply to point out that anything I say about the book is not unbiased. Having said that, however, there is some thinking in this book that could be very important for the church. I have probably come to take for granted much of what I have learned over the years and the culture in which I have been blessed to be a part. If, however, concepts such as "giving yourself away," "community transformation," "church planting," "reproduction," or "radical self sacrifice" are not a common part of your church context then this book may be a significant part of challenging you and your church for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
(read about it or purchase it here)
It has certainly been a different experience these past few weeks as I have made my way through The Kingdom Matrix by Jeff Christopherson. Reading through a book in which you know many of the individuals mentioned, remember many of the stories that are recounted and, in fact, lived through a number of them, provides a unique reading experience for sure. It is a bit hard to distance an objective reading of the points being delivered from my nostalgic memories of being a part of much of it. I have also had the advanced drafts, so to speak, as many of the ideas from this book were being developed, introduced and lived out in the churches that where a part of the Sanctuary movement. Looking back, I remember the amazing things we have seen God do, I remember hard times when we didn't get it right or when God may have been pruning and refining, and in all I am overwhelmed by who God is, what He has done and all that I have learned these past eleven years.
I say this is simply to point out that anything I say about the book is not unbiased. Having said that, however, there is some thinking in this book that could be very important for the church. I have probably come to take for granted much of what I have learned over the years and the culture in which I have been blessed to be a part. If, however, concepts such as "giving yourself away," "community transformation," "church planting," "reproduction," or "radical self sacrifice" are not a common part of your church context then this book may be a significant part of challenging you and your church for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Question About Spiritual Gifts
Ask anyone who knows me and, depending on their definition of Spiritual Gift, you are likely to hear something about music and worship or preaching and teaching. If I were to take a spiritual gift inventory it would likely say the same. The thing is, if I had ever done an inventory before I was a Christian and before being indwelt by the Spirit that inventory would likely have come out the same. Even before becoming a Christian I could do music well, was a good performer, was comfortable before large groups was a decent public speaker and was a teacher. So what does that say about my Spiritual Gifting? I wonder how often we confuse Spiritual Gifting with natural ability. But should not our Spiritual Gifting be different? Could it be that we should see God working in us to do something we would not naturally expect to find success with? When the Apostles spoke in tongues, speaking in a language they had never learned or spoken previously, that must have seemed rather drastic and immediate-no doubt about it, a gift of the Spirit.
Only time will tell I suppose, but I wonder if what I am doing right now is evidence of Spiritual gifting, as it is really out if my comfort zone, my natural defaults and at times seems crazy. We are trying to start fellowships with a very real sense of community, reaching out primarily through relationships. Although I can stand in front of a large group and perform, I am very introverted and shy. And yet, I am passionate about what we are doing, and we think we are starting to see some amazing fruit.
Not only are we starting our fellowship, but God has been stirring in us a vision to catalyze a whole network throughout the city and the region. This is going to require a lot that is out of my comfort zone again-networking, finding leaders, developing leaders, developing partnership and developing systems. This is a lot to think about for a drummer. And again it will require a lot of relational energy, not my natural default.
But as I look at this, as I look at the developing vision I wonder if perhaps what I am seeing is a vision to be what is described in scripture as an "apostle." If this be the case, then perhaps I am not just crazy and insane as we move toward this vision. Although on paper I might say that I am not the man for the job, maybe the reality is that God is equipping me through His Spirit for a task that He has laid on my heart. It may use my natural gifting, but needs His Spiritual Gifting even more.
Only time will tell I suppose, but I wonder if what I am doing right now is evidence of Spiritual gifting, as it is really out if my comfort zone, my natural defaults and at times seems crazy. We are trying to start fellowships with a very real sense of community, reaching out primarily through relationships. Although I can stand in front of a large group and perform, I am very introverted and shy. And yet, I am passionate about what we are doing, and we think we are starting to see some amazing fruit.
Not only are we starting our fellowship, but God has been stirring in us a vision to catalyze a whole network throughout the city and the region. This is going to require a lot that is out of my comfort zone again-networking, finding leaders, developing leaders, developing partnership and developing systems. This is a lot to think about for a drummer. And again it will require a lot of relational energy, not my natural default.
But as I look at this, as I look at the developing vision I wonder if perhaps what I am seeing is a vision to be what is described in scripture as an "apostle." If this be the case, then perhaps I am not just crazy and insane as we move toward this vision. Although on paper I might say that I am not the man for the job, maybe the reality is that God is equipping me through His Spirit for a task that He has laid on my heart. It may use my natural gifting, but needs His Spiritual Gifting even more.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Update Tuesday
We are having a great time with our friends from Mt. Yonah Baptist Church in Cleveland, Georgia serving our community. We had some time last night to prayer walk a school here in Hamilton. As I was walking the perimeter of the school yard I came across a patch of thistle whose dried white seeds had begun to be scattered by the wind. I was reminded about a similar image of a dandelion that our National Ministry Leader, Gerry Taillon has shared, and I began to think about how this thistle represents the vision that God has been growing for our work here in Hamilton.
The main purpose of the thistle is not to grow one big, beautiful, healthy plant. Rather, the thistle best lives out its purpose when that beautiful flower dries and dies and the pocket of white seeds is dispersed. It lives out its purpose by dying to self, and giving itself away so as many small seeds as possible are dispersed, seeping out and covering the area around that first thistle. This is how I see my church, existing to die unto ourself and give ourself away to see many more small works begin to pop up across our city and multiply to seep across our region.
My vision is starting to become clearer and a thought is beginning to form of a fellowship within walking distance of everyone in the city.
This vision could only be a work of God, and such works only come to fruition when they are given by God through prayer and enacted through prayer. We have been praying a lot this week with our visiting friends. It is amazing to see that during these two days of mostly prayer how often our phone has been ringing. There have been friends trying to connect other friends who live in Hamilton to our group (one friend from as far away as Tennessee!) and students planning their return to the city wanting to plug in with us.
We keep praying and dreaming. We appreciate all those of you who faithfully pray for the ministry here in Hamilton.
The main purpose of the thistle is not to grow one big, beautiful, healthy plant. Rather, the thistle best lives out its purpose when that beautiful flower dries and dies and the pocket of white seeds is dispersed. It lives out its purpose by dying to self, and giving itself away so as many small seeds as possible are dispersed, seeping out and covering the area around that first thistle. This is how I see my church, existing to die unto ourself and give ourself away to see many more small works begin to pop up across our city and multiply to seep across our region.
My vision is starting to become clearer and a thought is beginning to form of a fellowship within walking distance of everyone in the city.
This vision could only be a work of God, and such works only come to fruition when they are given by God through prayer and enacted through prayer. We have been praying a lot this week with our visiting friends. It is amazing to see that during these two days of mostly prayer how often our phone has been ringing. There have been friends trying to connect other friends who live in Hamilton to our group (one friend from as far away as Tennessee!) and students planning their return to the city wanting to plug in with us.
We keep praying and dreaming. We appreciate all those of you who faithfully pray for the ministry here in Hamilton.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Missional Monday-assuming
You've probably seen them before, a bracelet with coloured beads meant to be prompts to help us share the gospel story; black-sin, red-Jesus' blood, blue-baptism, yellow-streets of Gold representing heaven, and any number of other variations.
My youngest daughter recently made one of these bracelets and the first thing she wanted to do when she got home was share it with her friend on the street. Her friend does not know Jesus and my daughter has begun to share with her a little. My daughter did a great job sharing what she had learned using the bracelet, she wasn't however, expecting as many questions in response.
Her friend, having no exposure to biblical themes had questions as basic and fundamental as:
Who is God?
What is Sin?
What is Baptism?
Who is Jesus?
What is heaven and why are there streets of Gold?
As she struggled to understand these basic building blocks, many of the more abstract concepts such as separation from God remained...well, abstract.
I have been reminded again that as we seek to share with others around us, in an increasingly secular and multi-cultural context we cannot assume anything. Not only should we not assume any basic understanding of the biblical story, we must also be very conscious about the language that we use, recognizing that many of the themes, terms, concepts and words we take for granted really are foreign to the culture around us.
So we take a few steps back, begin at the beginning, recognize that sometimes it is a slower process but continue to faithfully share.
My youngest daughter recently made one of these bracelets and the first thing she wanted to do when she got home was share it with her friend on the street. Her friend does not know Jesus and my daughter has begun to share with her a little. My daughter did a great job sharing what she had learned using the bracelet, she wasn't however, expecting as many questions in response.
Her friend, having no exposure to biblical themes had questions as basic and fundamental as:
Who is God?
What is Sin?
What is Baptism?
Who is Jesus?
What is heaven and why are there streets of Gold?
As she struggled to understand these basic building blocks, many of the more abstract concepts such as separation from God remained...well, abstract.
I have been reminded again that as we seek to share with others around us, in an increasingly secular and multi-cultural context we cannot assume anything. Not only should we not assume any basic understanding of the biblical story, we must also be very conscious about the language that we use, recognizing that many of the themes, terms, concepts and words we take for granted really are foreign to the culture around us.
So we take a few steps back, begin at the beginning, recognize that sometimes it is a slower process but continue to faithfully share.
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