Today heard Alan Hirsch speak of our natural desire for fellowship or communitas. It comes out of our wilderness time (liminality). So when 9-11 happened the cold New Yorkers opened up shop doors. Two years later they opened up their houses to strangers stranded in the power outage. When we go through hard times we become a band of brothers- and pull together for a common cause. Our mission and purpose come from our hard times together. Hirsch pointed out that 80% of our youth quit believing their first year of college because we have sheltered them and they have not had to test their faith. It is like putting a fish in the aquarium into the ocean and expecting them to survive. We need to allow learning by trials in order to help our young to get tough.
Kevin Graham Ford, nephew of Billy Graham and son of Leighton Ford, spoke. He talked of how he had asked for a tree house for Christmas. On Christmas day his dad took him out to the drive where he saw hammer, nails, saw and wood on the ground for them to build it together. We need to know responsibility in order to do missions. We tend to be consumers- who will never know community. It is in serving that we learn to love and become a community. We are in a consumer culture- what will I get out of this? is our question not what can I give.
Kent Carlson and MIke Leuken- co pastors of Oak Hill church in Folsom CA spoke. They had brought the church plant from 100 to 1,000 in just a few months. But were constantly trying to entertain with lights, music, seeker service. They were not making disciples. Quit being so seeker friendly and changed to try to help people be spiritually formed and lost 1,500 members in 2 years. Church is not about entertaining but serving.
Vera White spoke in a seminar on 1001 worshiping communities. There are 259 now. They are to be self governing, self propogating, and self sustaining. It is a reaction to what they were seeing happening all over- a movement of the spirit- reaching out to others- campers, neighborhoods, inter-racial communities.
Overall great day Much to think about.
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