House Church Talk - Responses to Emerging Chruch Gathering posts

[jim pierceall]

Hi Bob - while I could be mis-understood, I will nevertheless address this
post with something I hold as monumentally important!

Rest assured, I am encouraged and want to join in the encouragement of those
that desire to meet in Christ Jesus in simplicity... for sur nuff do!  Thus
I wouldn't want to discourage you...  unless you and friends only have a
vision of re-packaging the IC mindsets and mentalities - and carrying them
into the home-setting under the label of Jesus' Church.

There have been and are, two basic groups of believers moving out of the IC.
Those that seem to know and understand that the IC they have been engaged
in, is NOT Jesus' church...  Their vision is limited to and based on what
the "church is NOT"...  These repeatedly think by tweaking a few wrongs -
they will have made it right...   refusing to believe history in deed
repeats itself...  They most likely will just end up w/ yet another
denomi-nation earth format...

The other's have had a vision (a revelation) of what His Church is, thus
they are repelled by remaining in IC confinements... neither do they rush
for duplications only in a home setting...  Not that errors won't occur, but
rather, that w/ the vision of the church, they have a basis for ongoing
cross of correction application....

 You wrote:  <<We are all house church planters/leaders.>>

Maybe it would be good to place a time slot on your speakers agenda there,
and include someone that could speak on the subject of "What it means to be
a hosuechurching brother/sister"...  before anyone rises up to take control,
and titles are passed out...

Leadership, Pastors, Shepherding, 5- fold tumors of the Philistines
Priesthoods, etc. - have been "hammered to death" in the USA...  Books,
tapes, more tapes and more books between articles all about Leadership...  a
subtle sell, to establish an approved and accepted hierarchal model - not
resting long enough to see the "business as usual" repeating results...
What has dreadfully been omitted by this Leadership fixation and obsessing -
is NO one seems to know how to be a simple brethren any longer...
immediately in any growth mode that happens to break out - competition for
Headships and recognizable Titles are scrambled for...  and Philadelphian
brotherhood is thrown to the way-side, in what is seen as personal
advancement...

Hasn't anyone even ever thought that if the first move is to plant Leaders -
more Leaders is what the crop would be?  Well then - what if we just died
and went into the ground as simple unadulterated brothers...  What might be
the harvest of such a radical thought?

Believe me Bob, the church doesn't need a whole new crop of Leaders!  She
already has One...  What we desperately need is brothers... just plain
simple brothers...  Not Hirelings, Not Pulpiteers, no slick semi-Pros
trampling through the vineyards, staking out boundaries of Naboth's
inheritance ...

Now I don't want to end this on a negative note...  I want you encouraged
and upbeat for His Kingdom...  What may I do to help you...?  And if you
want me to be silent, I will accommodate that too... ha!

JimP - footwasher in kentucky

PS:  I believe you asked - way over west kentucky state line (4.5 hrs from
Cincy) - any further west and we be in Misery (Missouri O;>)





Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2003 3:12 PM
Subject: House Church Talk -  Responses to Emerging Chruch Gathering posts


> Mr. Anderson.....The Gathering in Cincinnati view House Churching in a
VERY POSITIVE light.  We are all house church planters/leaders.  My wife and
I along with another couple co-lead a House Church in Fairfield,
Ohio....Come, taste and see!
>
> Bob Bowen