(part 5 of 5 posts on the four functions of Neighborhood Life)
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
-Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27 TNIV
Growth, according to Jesus, has 2 parts: hearing and putting into practice. This important balance between receiving and applying truth has been largely lost in the church. In most people's experience, almost everything about church is oriented around hearing. Why? I suspect it is the inevitable outcome of a church oriented around a preacher; what else would end up being the focal point of the ministry besides the preacher's high-profile gift? Or if a church's dynamic worship is the focal point of the ministry, the "hook" if you will, then what do people assume is the pinnacle of spiritual life? Singing, or listening to singing? We hope we have both dynamic teaching and great worship, but I equally hope that neither of these is the defining characteristic of the Springs. How would things change if the defining characteristic of the church was not the personalities or gifts of her leaders, but the refreshing manner in which her participants lived? People may not watch that church's services on TV, but I think they'd be seriously interested in what was happening there. We're not trying to develop professional hearers, but rather people who are living the Christ-life in a refreshing way.
This vision of church and community is driving our approach to growth. For this reason, our neighborhood groups are meeting weekly before we begin regular Sunday services, and we are not jumping into weekly Sunday services until we feel that it is important and necessary. We are attempting to re-orient our thinking about Christian life toward application. Neighborhood life at the Springs aims to push the application side of growth beyond the norm for the contemporary church. Rather than Christians being sent out to apply truth on their own, with little or no follow up, Neighborhood life gives Christians a place to live it out and a people to live it out with.
Jesus said the distinguishing characteristic of his followers would be the love they expressed to each other. For the first Christians, there was an automatic forum for applying this teaching because they shared life together. Contemporary Christians don't generally share life. Our ability to share life is usually limited by the fact that our paths don't cross unless we make an appointment to meet. Frankly, it's hard to grow by appointment. At the Springs, our groups are now meeting weekly, but meetings are not the end game; hopefully, they're a catalyst for the development of relationships that become interdependent and spontaneous. When we're borrowing tools, eating out of each other's refrigerators, and carpooling the kids we'll be a lot closer to sharing life than when we were merely "meeting." What you'll also find--and I guarantee this--is that informal conversations with Christian friends who know you on this level will help you grow more than any class you could attend or any sermon you could listen to. I had just such a conversation last night in my living room.
Neighborhood life is an attempt to recapture the first Christians' ability to live out the "one another" teachings of the Christian faith. Our teaching will come with a built-in forum to apply Christian truth, as well as a group of people who can encourage us, challenge us, and celebrate with us as we live it out. Remember that the difference between the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7 was not that one heard and the other did not. Both heard, but only one put it into practice. Real life--and real growth--is in the neighborhood.
This vision of church and community is driving our approach to growth. For this reason, our neighborhood groups are meeting weekly before we begin regular Sunday services, and we are not jumping into weekly Sunday services until we feel that it is important and necessary. We are attempting to re-orient our thinking about Christian life toward application. Neighborhood life at the Springs aims to push the application side of growth beyond the norm for the contemporary church. Rather than Christians being sent out to apply truth on their own, with little or no follow up, Neighborhood life gives Christians a place to live it out and a people to live it out with.
Jesus said the distinguishing characteristic of his followers would be the love they expressed to each other. For the first Christians, there was an automatic forum for applying this teaching because they shared life together. Contemporary Christians don't generally share life. Our ability to share life is usually limited by the fact that our paths don't cross unless we make an appointment to meet. Frankly, it's hard to grow by appointment. At the Springs, our groups are now meeting weekly, but meetings are not the end game; hopefully, they're a catalyst for the development of relationships that become interdependent and spontaneous. When we're borrowing tools, eating out of each other's refrigerators, and carpooling the kids we'll be a lot closer to sharing life than when we were merely "meeting." What you'll also find--and I guarantee this--is that informal conversations with Christian friends who know you on this level will help you grow more than any class you could attend or any sermon you could listen to. I had just such a conversation last night in my living room.
Neighborhood life is an attempt to recapture the first Christians' ability to live out the "one another" teachings of the Christian faith. Our teaching will come with a built-in forum to apply Christian truth, as well as a group of people who can encourage us, challenge us, and celebrate with us as we live it out. Remember that the difference between the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7 was not that one heard and the other did not. Both heard, but only one put it into practice. Real life--and real growth--is in the neighborhood.
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