How freeing this is! Our God is an apostolic God. He is always in the process of birthing new "vibrant families of Jesus" before (which is the meaning of the word "prevenient") we show up. Our job is not to "make it happen" when it comes to church planting. Rather, we get to join Him in this wonderful process of new birth!
No where is more clear than in Acts 10. On one level, we could say that Peter planted a church in the home of Cornelius. However, on a deeper level, we see that God was working preveniently before Peter ever thinks about planting a church. No doubt God has been at work in the life of this military officer for some time as he is described as a "God fearer". Then, God sends an angel to tell him to send for Peter. Then, the Spirit speaks to Peter in the middle of a vision and tells him to go with the men sent from Cornelius. Talk about God taking the initiative!
So, where have you seen God's prevenience in planting churches in your region? It may not be as dramatic as with Cornelius but where are you seeing God take the initiative? Where are "divine connections" occurring? Where are you discovering "people of peace"? Where do you see God at work planting churches?
John
You already have my answer... My friend Judy has been being prepared for the past year to open her heart and home to simple church. But I didn't know it.
ReplyDeleteHe moves with such Amazing Grace. Grace is God moving first. Faith is our response to that news. And we are healed, delivered, established, provisioned, rescued by grace, thru faith. Ya gotta love it!
Carolyn S.
This may be a story of a pre-prevenience given the context of the question, but I think it applies.
ReplyDeleteAs my wife and I prepared to move from Denver to NZ to join the Father in what He's already doing here (with simple church in mind) we felt that God did not intend to send us alone. A team of wonderful people had come together around us (2 different couples) and it seemed as though God had orchestrated things quite nicely.
As time went by, however, it became clear to us and both of the couples that they weren't actually meant to come along - at least not at this point in the journey. And, thus, in a matter of a few months, we were back to being "teamless".
This was not meant to be a deterrent, we didn't sense that it was, but it definitely left us asking God why he'd given us the sense that we were not to go alone.
Skipping along.
To keep it short and sweet - we arrived in NZ in March and within 2 months God answered our questions and fulfilled His promise (about us not going alone). Through the often mind-boggling web of connections we ended up meeting a young couple (same as us) who God had brought to the exact same city as us with almost identical visions of planting house churches and joining the Father in His prevenient plans for the city.
This couple came from South Africa as "tent-making missionaries" to New Zealand, just a year and a half before we did. The "coincidences" are too many to list here - but it's obvious that God has been planning His work here in Christchurch for much longer than any of us could comprehend.
It's an absolute JOY to be on mission with the Father. I can't, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want to do it any other way. He leads and He fulfills. We just obey and watch incredible things take shape all around us.
We have seen God sending Church Planters to our area. We have been meeting for several weeks. It is obvious that He is at work in our area. We are in the listening mode at this point anxiously waiting to see what God is up to. We have some potential people of peace that have come to us via something we did called "The Gathering". It was a 6 week reprive from home church. We gathered together as a single body to refocus on God's voice for us. In the process we opened it up to any who would be interested in home church. We are praying and listening now concerning which of these are people of peace.
ReplyDeleteIt seems over the past few years I've gotten closer and closer to giving up trying to figure God out, and just enjoy His leading. Richard and I often talk about what's coming 'just around the bend', the things we can't see, but we KNOW are all known and seen by our God. We were sitting down on the river banks of the Rio Grande a few months ago, and at the time it seemed a little frightening not knowing what was 'around the bend' in the river, hearing God speak to our hearts about things that were coming, but 'not yet seen'. Now we wait with excitement and anticipation to see what God is going to be doing in our lives and the regions we serve God in. We still don't have all the answers to where He is leading, but the excitement is growing daily! We continue to run into people who love the Lord, desire to walk in truth, and we just follow Him into serving and committing our lives to Jesus and to others.
ReplyDeleteI received a call from a woman who has been in a house church setting with a few others for the past few years. Their "leader" had to move out of town, so they were wondering if there were other HCs they could 'join' to continue receiving teaching. When I shared my heart about each household becoming a 'vital family of Jesus within close access of each neighborhood', she came alive again with a refreshed hope of revitalizing her group of friends. We'll be getting together soon, and I'm sure God will do a new and refreshing work in their circle of friends. Coincidentally, my ex-husband & I attended their house church gathering about 6 years ago, and she remembers me. It will be interesting to see how God has worked in my life over the years, and to see how God has been preparing them as well.
John,
ReplyDeleteI just want to give a thanks to you for facilitating this blog. I am encouraged that you are not just 'blogging' your thoughts but stimulating us to move forward and dig deeper. You are doing a great job of keeping us on track, and inspiring us to continue to seek the Lord. Thanks for your research, information, and continued challenge in following Jesus.
This is not a story, but something the Lord has been talking to me about for a couple of weeks. God's initiative with us is about his love for us. I wrestling with the notion that the first part of planting a church is hearing God tell you and the people you are working with how much he loves you and them.
ReplyDeletePeg, Thanks for your encouragement! My desire is that we are a learning community. Your regular contributions are one of the things that makes that possible.
ReplyDelete