indie. says:

i think what makes cell groups work is obviously not the programme or agenda that underlines their format, but the people leading them. some small groups work where others fail, and vice versa.. when people start seeing cell groups as churches and viewing them with an equal amount of importance as their sunday morning service, then they will start to "work" with increasing frequency. though the very usage of a word "work" seems rather failing since it implies the agenda which underlines the group. the purpose of a small group is literally to love one another and meet each other's needs while also sharing in each other's struggles.. everything in america is compartmentalized and until that is broken by people merely being themselves and realizing that even watching a television programme together is spiritual, cell groups will fail because they are fueled by the wrong motives..

posted Oct 18

Jeanne says:

No, What is it about?

posted Aug 24

Pastor Chris says:

The beginning offers a lot on how God operates more evolutionary as opposed to our revolutionary (revivalist) desires. How the 'emerging church' really hasnt emerged at all but is just showing "signs of emergence" and how we must allow this new creation (the church) emerge and evolve.

Its been challenging to implement bottom up systems in a very 'modern' denomonation.

posted Aug 30

Jeanne says:

I need to read this book. In order to understand what Brewin is saying. I must say it sounds interesting.

posted Aug 30

Jeanne says:

I love all the christian music I have just noticed are here. I have a few on my profile player , stop by and listen.

posted Aug 21

Pastor Chris says:

all the good ones

posted Aug 24

Pastor Chris says:

I guess not...

posted Jul 16

Jeanne says:

I see it happening , but I have had a few run ins with people that do not want to hear about God. I accidentally got into a debate about creationism really these people kept saying God is not real . So we had a big debate and I was able to give lots of truth. It was in a comment section in some scientific web site. I did not mean to stir up such a hornets nest. I just prayed that possibly someone heard my message.

posted Aug 21

Pastor Chris says:

what would you like to discuss?

posted Jun 24

Flatline Revival says:

Currently Flatline Revival has 2 groups going and and we are adding another one next month sometime. Response has been great from the 25 to 35 year old bracket. I guess that one of my questions is, "does any body have any experience in starting up an independent small group style church that is not affiliated with any of the mainline denominations of any particular local church entity?"

posted Jun 25

Pastor Chris says:

I started a church out of Church of God denomonation. We dont resemble a typical church of God so its kind of like we started it from nothing.

posted Jun 25

mitch says:

As I messaged you starting a parachurch org is tricky. You need the support of local churches or they will gossip you right out of existence. Have a clear direction as well, uncertain people are the devils tools in this endeavor. Be careful of there being a single leader. it's awfully easy to develop a messiah complex and then your org becomes a cult.

And always wait til you have your core members in solid then you can start biting the heads off chickens. LOL

posted Jun 26

Pastor Chris says:

ditto.

Its vital to be apart of some sort of organized group. And plant with a team of leaders to avoid the 'messiah complex' as above stated. Teams bring people as well as keep you balanced.

look into church planting orgs:
*orchard group etc

posted Jun 26

Flatline Revival says:

The misuse of anything in God's creation is sin, ans misuse of of alcohal causes especially serious problems, socially, morally, and, spiritually. However consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin.

Check out http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-alcohol.html for more on this topic.

posted Jun 18

mitch says:

I'm not replying directly to flatline but I thought I should clarify what I think.

I always have to say that my approach to drinking is not that I promote it but believe the church has a hang up with drinking and I think their wrong.

If you haven't read my blog posting on this I would recommend doing so.

The issue for me came down to:

1Co 6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful.
"All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.

It is lawful to drink, but you have to constantly assess if it's helpful, or I prefer the term profitable which you'll find in some texts, or am I being enslaved by it.

Otherwise I have a drink once or at most twice a week. Typically one or two glasses, but usually one. If I'm in the presence of someone who might stumble seeing me drink then I certainly don't.

It's about proper control, I also will indulge in a cigar at most one smoke a month. I limit myself here for health reasons, I don't want to get mouth cancer.

I also think you need to take into account your witness. I'm not going to take someone in my youth ministry to a bar for their 21st birthday. I don't want to condone that type of behviour to someone impressionable, and immature in there faith.

posted Jun 20

Pastor Chris says:

but our leadership as christians in general is something that cannot be calculated. For us to say i will only say "I will only do such in such during these times" is not wise. people are watching us at all times.

I chose not to drink 1. I had difficulty with my limitations & 2. I know that there are those looking to me for what right and wrong is and I can never be too careful with peoples lives especially when dealing with substances that are potenially dangerous.

posted Jun 24

Jeanne says:

About drinking I think of this scripture
Tit 1:7
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

so maybe your not a bishop. but to me here is a really good reason to not drink. If you have children do/ will you want them to drink? Our children will do what we do. Find a great substiture. APPLE CIDER i love it. But always let the Holy Spirit be your guide. Do you feel convicted of it? If so you should quit. If you ask God He will answer.

posted Aug 20

mitch says:

I am not convicted about it at all. I have however realized that there are certain situations that I should abstain. I don't feel convicted if I'm drinking a beer at home, or enjoying one with my Dad (I am 30 yrs. old by the way). I do have a friend that was probably an alcholic before he really came to Christ, and I have discussed this issue with him and I can't and won't drink with him. I am from Wisconsin as well and you just can't eat a brat without a beer.

I'm also curious to know if we can view beer separate from hard liquor. My premise here is beer and other malt beverages are very low in alcohol (about 5%), hard liquor on the other hand can legally have an alcohol content of 50%. I often compare moderated alcohol consumption to drinking soda. This might at first seem to be a stretch, but if you consider that soda has only negative effects on the body, which God calls his temple. Beer on the other hand consumed in moderation can have positive effects on the body, just like wine beer can help to thin the blood, it also is high in protein, yes I argue that in the right dosage it's actually nutritious. Soda causes only problems from the caffeine being linked to heart disease to the high fructose corn syrup being a leading cause of diabetes. Hard liquor in my opinion is just poison.

posted Aug 20

mitch says:

I would agree, it's no longer about forcing into an experience. I always laughed at one of the churches I used to go to. The level of God's presence always seemed directly proportional to how high the air conditioning was turned up.

It's time that God is real, really real. No more playing church: worship, three points and a prayer then falling all over each other for space at the alter. If God is real then why can't He teach me? If God is real then why can't He touch me at home. I know there are reasons to attend church but why does church have to be mechanical. We are lazy, not creative and we aren't patient enough.

And frankly, many people who say they want God don't, or don't want the trials that come with it.

posted Jun 16

Flatline Revival says:

We must begin to live a life that includes God rather than the current model of checklist Christianity. The saying that God wants to be a part of your life is a misleading statement. He doesn't want to be a part of your life He wants be involved in every aspect of your life . Romans 12 verses 1-2 says "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life%u2014your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life%u2014and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (The Message) These versus clearly describe a life of constant communication with God. If we simply make God a part of our lives we miss out on so many aspects of the Christian existence.

posted Jun 18

other than says:

i am co-planting a church in the Seattle area...not for the faint of heart!

posted May 18

Rick says:

I'll be in Seattle next week 06/10 - meeting anywhere accessible Sunday nights?

posted Jun 1

Mike says:

I am from Michigan. It would be my guess based on where I see the biggest things happening (and that i know is not always the best indicatior) that the urban cultures are more responsive then the bible belt. Most bible belters in my experience have big issues with the emergent church... while urban folk are more open to the full message of chirst.

posted May 10