Is God Crazy? Dispelling the fears!

So I left off chatting about including the children during the entire morning.  What do you think is one of the biggest fears people have when it comes to including kids with the adults?  I think there are a number of fears but here are a few; they will be a distraction, they wont understand what we are talking about, and parents wont be completely authentic with how they are really doing.  For this post I'm just going to address those three questions.  (No expert here, just learning as we go.  I am just trying to be open, flexible and figure out how families can worship together)

1.  They will be a distraction - This has everything to do with perspective.  Kids make noise, the younger ones especially, but that's what kids do.  Who cares?  Let it go.  Be flexible.  I told everyone in the beginning that as we walk together as families, its going to take patience but if we believe that we should celebrate together, then let's celebrate together.  Much of this has to do with how the leader facilitates the discussion.  This takes added effort to ask questions to the kids as well, and perhaps adding in an object lesson.  This is all new to me so I need to be reminded over and over again to try the object lessons...but once we get the kids involved, asking them questions, doing a object lesson or showing a quick 1 min video, you've got their attention.  

Let's flip it around.  Talking about distractions from kids...how about distractions from adults when "we're" preaching?  Oh man!  You wouldn't believe how distracting it can be when you've put in hours of work, studying, praying, dialoging with the Lord and others in prepping a sermon, and then when you deliver it, you see people, sleeping, or on their cell phones, or get up frequently to "go to the bathroom...." I would rather have the joyful noises of the children then look up and see people sleeping or texting their friend for the score in the hockey game!!!  Interesting...  So kids aren't distractions! That is just how they are, some more active than others but that's where it flexibility comes in...eg.  If I am asking a general question about something and a child just blurts out an answer or has a question from 5 min earlier, I welcome the question.  I don't always do this, but I need to remind myself (be flexible).  Cater to the children!  What can we learn from them?

2.  They won't understand what we are talking about - um, seriously???  Us adults don't give kids nearly enough credit.  They actually believe a lot quicker than us over sophisticated, over-thinking adults.  Here's the thing.  The question isn't, what can the kids learn from the adults, though that is part of it, but what can the adults learn from the kids.  There is no dumbing down of the Word or questions needed.  The simpler the question, the easier it is for everybody (kid AND adults) to answer.  Just yesterday, one of the kids was answering a question, and another child, who was colouring and even talking with another child, blurted out a comment that had everything to do with what the girl was answering.  A quick reminder that kids listen are very attentive and can multitask doing it.  I'm jealous!  One more thought here.  Children adapt VERY easily and usually quite quickly.  I have found that the ones who have a harder time adapting to change are the adults.  Something to think about.

3.  Parents/others wont be completely authentic with kids around - Parents and others wont be completely authentic WITHOUT children around either!  However, adults can go to certain levels of authenticity in regard to daily struggles and regular battles that we have in life.  What does this do?  It gives our children a great example of what humility looks like in community.  It's one thing to be open in your home with your own family but to be open (to certain levels) in community is something else.  It shows our children the need that we have for community and that we can't do it on our own.  Something else it will show our kids is how consistent we are in living.  Is who we are on a Sunday morning the same person during the week?  Excellent question.  We can be great examples to our children in how humble we are toward one another in a home group setting.  

Saludos

n8

Is God Crazy...?

So is there a rule out there that says how often you should blog? I can tell you right now that I will probably be the most inconsistent out of all of them, oh well.  So where did I leave off last night.  Just a minute...sorry, I had to go back and check.  So is it true?  Is God really crazy?  Now before some of you get all hung up on the word crazy, relax!  I'm not bidding for us to really think that He is actually a few bricks short but more about our reaction to some of the things that He asks us to do.

You know, I think a lot of the time we think He's crazy in what He is asking because what He is asking for is going to cost us something.  Whether it be getting rid of our pride, or taking us out of our comfort zones, or maybe, just maybe he is asking us to reach out to that person we see everyday but we don't do anything about it.  We sense that we should give him/her a blanket, or shovel their driveway or invite them over for dinner, or just say hello and take 5 minutes out of our soooo busy schedules (input sarcasm) to ask how they are doing, or give the person on the corner whatever is in your pocket, but we don't do anything, that's crazy! we think.  They're just going to waste their money or sell their blanket or whatever, or think, they won't wanna talk with me....Hey, here's a though, how do we know what they want?  I can just hear Jesus saying, Nate, I don't care what he or she does with it, don't assume what you think they are going to say, I care whether or not you listen to me and do what I am asking you to do.  Hmmm....I digress.

So we're on a journey.  I can't really see the massive mountain ahead of me, maybe its a meadow, I really don't know.  I suppose if I knew, I wouldn't really have to trust God for what's next right?!  So some of the things we identified (Mexican friends) in what was our current reality in "doing" church, was actually quite alarming.  They said, and I quote, "We say we are a family, but we don't act like one. We don't experience authentic community and yet that is what we want.  We are quite comfortable, and that's not a good thing. We are not attracting any 'not-yet' followers of Christ, we are not being faithful with the little that we have been given, we really aren't committed, kinda half-committed..." The list went on but I'll save that.  What was impressive to me was that they were NOT satisfied with what was going on!  They wanted something different, not just to be different or do something different but because what we were doing was not working and felt as well that God was calling us from mediocrity to something more committed.

And so we began to meet in a home.  What do you think happened as a result of this?  Yes, we lost some people.  Thankfully they are followers of Jesus and they can find another community to go to.  I'm ok with that!

So what were some of the challenges in meeting in a home?  Well, the catch all phrase I have heard millions of times, but what do we do with the kids? You sense a little panic in that question?  I wasn't panicked but the question was asked.  You know what?  Again, I had another growing conviction about something.  Why can't the kids be WITH  the whole time?  Think about this for a minute:  The Latin culture is very family oriented, broken yes-but that is not a Latin thing nor Mexican but across all cultures.  They take their kids everywhere; parties, movies, restaurants, peoples homes, parties, other parties, soccer games, whatever, kids go where the parents go.  Then it donned on me, why is it that one of the only places where "we" segregate kids in this culture is at CHURCH???? Its true.  Scenario 1. Families come, families sing, families sit and pray then the kids are shuffled off OR Scenario 2. Families come and the "church" takes their kids away to some other place.  Yes, yes, yes, I get it.  I'm not lambasting the "system" in the Evangelical church worldwide for this style of segregated family worship...or am I???  But I've read, and studied and still studying the NT church and see many places where whole families worshipped together, they prayed together, the learned together, they sang together, they dialogued together.

Before you say anything, I'll tell you that I have never done this before ok.  I have never "found" a different way in the way we "do" church in Canada.  Though I don't think I spent too much time thinking about worshipping differently. So I said to our people, This is what I see in the Early Church, I believe God calls families together to worship, learn, listen, pray, sing, hear the Word.....together, so that is what we are going to try!  I received a (surprisingly) resounding YES!!!  How awesome is that.  So Sunday number one came, January something, we had families worshipping together in a home.  How sweet does that sound?  It was very sweet, but let's remember that we have never done this before, parents and singles aren't used to "having kids around" and oh ya, Kids make noise! I chuckle....do you think its possible that us adults can learn from children??  I end this blog with many stories pending on how this has gone, and with something I remember Jesus saying once...."Let the little children come and don't hinder them, don't stop them, and stop keeping them away, and don't forbid them..." ~ you pick the translation.  I like them all.

Saludos

n8

Is God Crazy? The Journey into the Unknown

Nathan here! I'm not a poet. I'm not an eloquent writer (you'll find that out soon enough), I don't find nice beautiful pictures or paintings to post on whatever I'm thinking about...I'll leave that for Sandra...she's so good at that stuff and whatever she writes is so meaningful.

Anyway, I'm going to try something new.  I'm going to actually try and blog what is going on down here in Mexico City.  I haven't really done this before but I think its a good idea and besides, Sandra has been on my case for years asking me to at least do one entry.  So it got me thinking, why not share with the world, or at least those select few who are following us, what on earth is going on down here.  If you are looking for regular updates on what really is happening week in and week out, you may be disappointed with this blog.  For that, I refer to you out Mexican Monday Moments, kliewers@gmail.com.  There you will find a picture and a precise statement or two about something specific you can pray in regard to our ministry here.

I'm taking on this new endeavour but this is going to be more like a journal or something of the like.  It has everything to do with what my/our ministry is up to here but I'll give a more personal take on it.

So let's get started.  I've called this post, and those that follow this, Is God Crazy?  The Journey into the Unknown, because sometimes that's how I feel.  Sometimes I sit back and wonder to myself, what on earth is He up to and why on earth do I trust someone who calls us do the the seemingly illogical stuff... and yet I still keep following Him.  You ever wonder to yourself, "what am I really dissatisfied about?" What have you done about it?  If you are a leader, whether in the church or in a business or some other non-profit, have you ever wondered to yourself, "Is what we are doing setting ourselves up for success?" First, you need to ask that question, then if there is a sense of dissatisfaction, change whatever it is you are doing, cause whatever you are doing isn't working.  This is what I've have been walking through for the past year or so.

A while back I began asking the question, "Is what we are doing in Mexico City in our little church plant, working?"  "Are we setting up our friends for success?" In other words, Are we planting a church that will be easily reproducible, that can easily multiply, that will be sustainable, and all those other catch phrases we in the Church planting world use in regard to handing the baton over to the nationals with whom we are working with.  You know what?  I had a growing concern and conviction that we were NOT heading in the right direction.  A growing sense of fear began sink in as I asked myself, "how the heck would we ever change major direction in the church plant in Mexico (I was in Canada as I thought about this).  The "machine" was already in motion, the "Flywheel" (concept taken from Good to Great, Jim Collins, I highly recommend the book), was moving.  But I wasn't satisfied.  Then it hit me, "GOD YOU'RE CRAZY!  How on earth would this ever come to be?

I would love to write about the 8 months that took place between those initial thoughts and how we got to where we are now as a church, but I don't think blogs are supposed to be long drawn out books.  If you want more, take me out for coffee and I'd love to share the journey with you.

Let's jump to this side now.  The church has gone from the comfortable to the uncomfortable, from the known to the unknown, from the traditional building, central location model to the living room model (House church), from doing church to being church....Yup, God has shaken up our world of everything I have ever known to a way of life I have never experienced before as a community of believers.  We are in our 7th week of meeting in a home.  Where are we going?  I think ultimately God only knows, though I believe He has given me some points of direction.  I am learning to hold everything that I have with my hands open and palms up.  I get into trouble if I hold on to anything too tightly, I don't recommend it.

You know as a Pastor, we are supposed to guide and protect and nurture and listen and know what's best for the people we are shepherding.  We are supposed to listen to the Chief Shepherd, the Good Pastor, to know what the true needs of our community are.  Sometimes that's really hard to do.  It's hard because when we believe God is guiding His community in a certain way, we need to follow and guide the others to follow that way as well.  What happens when there are some who don't like where "God" wants to go?  You really begin to see who is really committed, not to the Pastor, or to a certain model, but to Jesus and to the community.  But its hard to find the balance between being sensitive to people's feelings and habits of thinking and doing church, and challenging them to start growing and moving them from living a "comfortable" Christ-following lifestyle, and start being the church.  That's hard.  And that is where we are now.

Stay tuned for the next, Is God Crazy? thought. Not sure when, hopefully soon.  If I'm saying yes to journeying in this blog, I'm saying "no" to something else....hopefully that "no" isn't you!

Saludos

n8 (Nate)

Tilling The Soil

Well this has been a week with many answers to prayer.  We have seen a friend who we have known since 2009 choose to follow Christ.  We have seen someone with a real life struggle make great progress! and We have seen God leading people and giving them a great concern for the lost.  My prayer at the beginning of this week was, Lord we need some encouragement! I was struck by Psalm 25:10 this am, that says, all of God's paths are loving and faithful, for those who follow him.  This was definitely a confirmation of our week in seeing fruit as it is slowly revealed.  Our job is just to keep faithful to keeping our gaze straight ahead and not getting distracted by anything else.  Slowly and in God's timing will we see the fruit of all the seeds that have been planted and watered.  He is the only one who can produce authentic fruit! That will not be destroyed or change like shifting shadows.

All Things New

Well our first Sunday in 2013 we will meeting in a home. It is a rebirthing of La Conexion, our original church plant here in Mexico City.  After searching and listening to God and having a great discontent on our part for the results of the model we have been using, we feel God calling us to a different model that will promote and nourish families to grow deeply together and reach their own communities. So with almost all of our families excited to continue down the journey we have been placed on we are starting to meet in a home this week.  With a focus on the true cost of discipleship, what does it look like to be a disciple of Christ? We are convinced as a community that we are each called to be lanterns in our communities, so this is our goal not to be inward focused and so grow lethargic in our desire to grow and reach the lost.  But we want to be a community where our own spiritual growth is our commitment and our desire together, where we are open to accountability and long for spiritual renewal in our own lives.  Then we will be seen by those who live around us as a light that is shining in the darkness, that others will be drawn to looking for truth in a dark and broken world.  This is a very intentional time with a specific time period of 9-10 months of praying for the lost in our areas of influence and creating a deeper foundation for our own lives, through disciplines in our daily lives.  Then in however it plays out we will seek to become these strong lanterns in our different communities with a presence that will last bearing imperishable fruit.

Dying to live

John 12:24   Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 

This passage has becoming new to me again in the situation we are going through with our church plant La Conexion.  We are seeing a sort of change that looks from the outside as if something is dying.  I have decided that it is fruitless to look back and try to anylize all of the what if´s..it is a fruitless waste of time to which I need to practice taking every thought captive (2 Cor 12:5) and practice allowing his presence to mould my thoughts even towards the future.  Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  I think this is an image for us at this present time, we are being asked to die to an image that we take comfort in (our present expression of church community) and being asked to allow it to be reborn 1Peter 1:23 says For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. So that we can become something that will be lasting that will endure and in the spiritual realm will multiply imperishable.  This is a journey that requires the type of faith that Hebrews 10 that encourages us to preserve and not to shrink back in times when we walking by faith and not by sight. But to see what is in front of us as an incredible opportunity for growth! To allow ourselves to be broken so that what is put back together is immovable and imperishable!

Nadie se lo imagino Jesus Adrian Romero.wmv