the common man/woman

God is calling the common man/woman off the bench to plant simple church expressions. They are emerging from all walks of live. I am a real estate appraiser and Suzy is a home maker (a waitress when I first met her). As I am typing this post in my office, Suzy is gathering with a group in the "upper room" of a local coffee shop. We have no formal training. We have never been to seminary or a bible college. Yet, the Voice of God is unmistakable in His pursuit of us for this journey.

I want to make 2 observations about the current climate of leadership change.

1) Many professionally trained leaders are being required (by God) to learn how to be "common" again (I want to be clear that I HONOR those coming from this perspective). Many are exiting paid positions, reintegrating into workplace routines, and working thru paradigm shifts.

2) Many common believers are being required to step into arenas they were formally not welcome in (or comfortable with).

Each is being called out of their comfort zone and into an environment where God MUST be in charge for the work to move forward. Since I am not a trained professional I will defer discussion about the complexities of that journey to those working thru it. I can (and will) speak from the common man/woman perspective.

When Suzy & I first made this transition, God clearly gave us a “word”. As I cried out to Him concerning our newly developing role, He gave us a two word phrase - “grant permission”. Most believers have been trained to sit and observe. They know the stirrings of destiny in their hearts and are aware of their “bents” but are reluctant to “step out of their place”. The restraining power of 700 years of church culture is a strong gravity to escape. It is in this context that Suzy & I find the opportunity to “grant permission” to common, every day believers whom God is “ekballowing” into this stream of simple church planting. As these untrained leaders hear stories about others of similar background they are often brought to tears. It is as if a mountain of weight is lifted from them as they realize they are not alone and God is using other like them to build His Kingdom.

In global context there are stories like Debra Xu, a simple untrained woman who has planted thousands of churches through out China. Upon meeting Debra we were blown away (humbled) by her simple childlike faith and expression. She reminds me of a statement Jesus made at the home of Mary & Martha, “only a few things are necessary, really only One”. Felicity Dales book, “An Army of Ordinary People” is both prophetic and a present reality. Ordinary people and simple practices are building blocks the Lord is using to build His church! Come on! Get off the couch and follow that leading that God birthed in you! You have permission....

mickey mooney

Seder

This past weekend we celebrated a somewhat "regional" Passover Seder. We enjoyed visiting with friends from various locations and hopefully some new relationships were born. I always enjoy the symbolism of passover. We all have our own "Egypts" we have been delivered from. Jesus chose the Passover setting to reveal His reality of being the Lamb of God slain for our redemption. He used the elements of Passover to explain his mission.

Some of the participants spent the night at our cabin where we enjoyed a campfire that lasted until 1:00am. Sitting around a campfire is a great venue to learn details of other believers journey. I love to hear stories of how God is turning lives upside down as we all attempt to follow His lead!

Later a few of us took a bike ride, crossing 2 ferrys and navigating miles of crooked roads. Some curves were so severe that I think I may have seen my own tail lights a time or two!

network (noun) vs. networking (verb)

We started here, at the local level, with the vision of a "Network" of simple churches. This seemed to communicate the concept of incorporating simple church expressions into "something larger” than the entities that comprise it. We have adjusted our thinking on this issue. We now endeavor to encourage relationships at the local, regional, national, & international levels. “Networking” (as a verb) becomes simply the act of relating to others of like DNA while protecting the autonomy of each individual expression.

We see the benefit of networking daily at the regional level. A fellow church planter, Bob, recently emailed a urgent prayer request. It happened that one of our house church leaders was at my office at the time. Four of us joined hands and immediately prayed for the need Bob had communicated by email. Bob lives about 200 miles from us, yet thru communication, we are “networking” as necessary. I received a email from a friend, Jason. He is bringing a group over to a joint Passover Seder April 19th . Their community, The Way, is located about 130 miles from us. Other expressions will be represented as well. We have no “official” network (noun) yet the concept of networking is alive and well. This week Suzy & I had dinner with a couple we recently met from a neighboring county who are Luke 10 answers and are on the road to planting a work in their home (I’m sure). The relationship is forming before our eyes.

The point? We can all work to encourage what God is doing in the simple church arena while being careful to protect the autonomy of the individual expressions He is raising up. We are not here to incorporate anyone into our “thing” but to encourage, support, and link together the diversity of what God is building.

How? An email, phone calls, visits, dinners, human interaction…. All of these build relationships that will be of value when need arises. Please consider the value of thinking outside of your immediate surroundings and increase your sphere of relationships.

mickey
www.networkvine.org

resignation

Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray God there will be not one but many) he will stand in flat contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom. Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the one and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that breathes with mortal breath.
A.W. Tozer - (1897 - 1963)

Letter of Resignation

Today, I was officially labeled a "heretic". I have known for sometime I did not fit well into cultural Christianity. I have always been a square peg in a round hole (so to speak). Yet, I have endeavored to be at peace with my more traditional brethren. I have taken the approach ...."each to his own". The golden rule "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" has slowly become "you leave me alone and I will leave you alone..." (stolen from a dear friend...)

Today I witnessed (what another friend referred to as) spiritual abuse. A dear loving couple, seeking to follow the leadership of God in their lives, are enduring assault by a leadership team at odds with their decision to exit a congregation. The tentacles holding them to the "system" are strong. The system will not relinquish its hold without a fight. I am angry at the system. I am angry at the system that held me in check for sooooo many years. I am angry at the system that oppresses the unsuspecting. I am angry at the system that imposes its Godless framework cloaked as Christianity. I am angry that many men & women of God, in response to a call on their lives, are forced to toil in a system they did not create (like making bricks in Egypt).

Please consider this as my resignation from the Christian politically correct club.

mickey