Comments on: Blueprint Church

By: Building a blueprint for church at Jason Clark

Building a blueprint for church at Jason Clark — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:24:21 +0000

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By: Natalia

Natalia — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:12:18 +0000

I understand that there is no such thing as the “perfect church” here on earth but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t divide over certain issues. Like 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 it says: “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world,or the greedy and swindlers,or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? It is not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.” To read about false teachers I suggest the book of Jude. Which is also a reason to divide over. I also noticed on some of the comments a negative outlook on theology. Theology is the study of God and its awesome! Doxology is praise from what you learned from Theology (see Ephesians). It gets you closer to God which makes you happy and glorifies Him (“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”John Piper).Then obidence comes out of your joy for Him and not of your flesh. So you see how important Theology is now and its not just something for old people, I’m a 23yr old wife and mother. Hardley conventional for me to know this but God is so gracious to His children!!! Anyways I’d better go I’ll be praying for ya’ll! Love your sister in Christ,
Natalia

By: Bryan Riley

Bryan Riley — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:19:09 +0000

I think we often think and even act but it is too often done rationally and based on human wisdom rather than taking the steps of faith God calls us to. We don’t lay our lives down and sacrifice everything for the sake of the call as the Word, Jesus, showed us to do. Until we do we will always be limited to our human ability.

By: James Prescott

James Prescott — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:02:18 +0000

Aren’t thoughts useless without action? So many people have great ideas. I hear people say things like “Why don’t we do this?”, “This would be a great thing for church to do” and then they expect the leadership team/pastor of the church to do it all for them, instead of doing themselves. We just need to lose our fear and step out and take action, rather than waiting for someone else to do it. I once heard Brother Andrew say that one of the reasons he still does what he does is that maybe God asked someone else, but he or she refused or ignored the call. If we think something should be done, we should step out in faith and do it. If it fails, then at least we know we tried and God will at some stage honour that step of faith. Don’t be afraid to fail.

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:03:56 +0000

So…I take it, this is one of those instances where it’s not the thought that counts?

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:03:29 +0000

Jason, as always, I look forward to hearing from you on this.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:55:07 +0000

That’s my plan Tom,I’m going to be blogging on aspects relating to this for the next few weeks and will draw on my church context.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:50:31 +0000

Jason, are these going to be observations taken directly out of your experience at Vineyard Sutton? As a pastor/planter/practitioner, I’m hungry for situation-specific suggestions. I’ve been mulling over ecclesiastical theory and ideals for at least a decade, and I think my church has suffered as a result.

By: James Prescott

James Prescott — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:55:29 +0000

Maybe we need to look at church the way it was orginially intended. A body of many parts, all of which have their role to play in the life of that church. Church is the life of the community of Christians that we live inside and we play an active role in that. We are all ‘the church’ and ‘church leaders’ in that sense. The real essence of church is not committees, not legalism or docterine – although that can define the direction of the church – but the life, activities and witness of the Christians living and worshipping and hopefully participating, playing their role in the life of the church and in serving it. This is handicapped by people who sit on their bums and consume church, who go to see their friends, enjoy the service and the things the church offers and then go home and forget about it. God calls us all to serve, we all have roles to play in one way or another. If we’re all doing our job and putting God first and have good teaching and a good support network backing it up, through house groups, prayer groups etc then we have a church which is alive, in touch with God and doing its job. You hit the nail on the head last sunday with your talk about consumer society and consumer church. It really rang true with me and frankly I’m sick of consumer Christians and with being an occasional consumer Christian. The Lord wants us to be consumed by Him, not be consumers of Him. Our lives should be all about Jesus and as you’ve said Jason be willing to change our diaries and fit them around God, not the other way round. Then we can start to ‘do’ church properly.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:52:22 +0000

I am a Pilgrim heart, I am a Pilgrim heart
a stranger in this place called home
an alien in a foreign land

a stranger to what this world calls success
the silver gold and all the fame
a stranger to what this world would call love
the passing moment of a kiss
and yet I feel so strangely at home here
the comfort, ease I call my own
and if you looked to closely, could you see
a difference in my life oh Lord

I need a Pilgrim Heart, I need a Pilgrim Heart
to leave behind what ties me down
to walk with you to your throne, Lord

Could agree more with what you say about being a Pilgrim. Strategy is the worlds foolish idea that we can work out where we’re going. Pilgrimage is the the Christian’s submission to wander at God’s leading.

(the wonderful thing being, that since we have all eternity to wander with God, we can afford a few diversions! :-)