STRUCTURED
A few years ago we had a good family leave the church because they were "looking for something more structured" and I could see what they meant. At that time we were renting a high school auditorium for Sunday services and got thrown out every time school was on recess or had a concert or whatever over the weekend. The result was you waited each week to hear where service would be the following Sunday - we did a lot of moving around in those days.
Interestingly after a year or two of structure, that family returned to us and have become a functioning part of Church At The Movies.
I can see why folks with a certain makeup or mindset would struggle in our church. Take our current predicament.
In weeks rather than months - we don't know when - the theater we have been renting on Sundays for almost four years is set to close.
Not only are we unaware of when this will take place, but we also have no idea of where we will be going when this happens. Sure we're talking to local theaters and are involved in detailed discussions with one, but we still don't have any firm contract yet.
So in theory I could get a call any day now saying Patchogue UA is closing at the end of June - and we have nowhere to go!
If you're the kind of person who takes the same seven days for vacation every year and goes to the same location, this is definitely going to freak you out. If you have this year's Christmas presents bought, wrapped and stored in the basement, not knowing where you'll be worshiping in a few weeks time would probably be enough to have you commited to an institution for your own safety and that of others.
Planting churches is definitely not for the faint of heart and the truth is, it's honestly not for everyone. But it isn't all to do with how we're wired. Let me explain how I'm dealing with this -
1. I recognize that this is God's church. He is the one who is building it, guiding it and has the masterplan for it. This church was his idea and he has not just been with us, but has blessed us and increased us through every turn in the road.
2. We've been here before. When we were unceremoniously thrown out of the high school because of a change in leasing policy, we moved to the Holiday Inn in Ronkonkoma and they told us we could use their facilities for eight weeks, but not long-term. At that point, having tried every other option, we had nowhere to go once our time in the hotel was up. I remember driving the streets at night, just looking to see if there was a suitable building around that I didn't know about. Then out of the blue the theater opened up to us and was our best location thus far.
3. I love the excitement of things being uncertain, unpredicatable and challenging. I live for this stuff, so it doesn't freak me out at all.
4. I know the use of one of the theaters we're looking at is just about guaranteed, so the truth is if we want it, it's virtually in the bag so this isn't the giant leap of faith it might appear to be.
But if you like everything cut and dried, I can understand you having a bad case of the shakes.
Structured we're not - changing and changeable we are and always want to be.
Interestingly after a year or two of structure, that family returned to us and have become a functioning part of Church At The Movies.
I can see why folks with a certain makeup or mindset would struggle in our church. Take our current predicament.
In weeks rather than months - we don't know when - the theater we have been renting on Sundays for almost four years is set to close.
Not only are we unaware of when this will take place, but we also have no idea of where we will be going when this happens. Sure we're talking to local theaters and are involved in detailed discussions with one, but we still don't have any firm contract yet.
So in theory I could get a call any day now saying Patchogue UA is closing at the end of June - and we have nowhere to go!
If you're the kind of person who takes the same seven days for vacation every year and goes to the same location, this is definitely going to freak you out. If you have this year's Christmas presents bought, wrapped and stored in the basement, not knowing where you'll be worshiping in a few weeks time would probably be enough to have you commited to an institution for your own safety and that of others.
Planting churches is definitely not for the faint of heart and the truth is, it's honestly not for everyone. But it isn't all to do with how we're wired. Let me explain how I'm dealing with this -
1. I recognize that this is God's church. He is the one who is building it, guiding it and has the masterplan for it. This church was his idea and he has not just been with us, but has blessed us and increased us through every turn in the road.
2. We've been here before. When we were unceremoniously thrown out of the high school because of a change in leasing policy, we moved to the Holiday Inn in Ronkonkoma and they told us we could use their facilities for eight weeks, but not long-term. At that point, having tried every other option, we had nowhere to go once our time in the hotel was up. I remember driving the streets at night, just looking to see if there was a suitable building around that I didn't know about. Then out of the blue the theater opened up to us and was our best location thus far.
3. I love the excitement of things being uncertain, unpredicatable and challenging. I live for this stuff, so it doesn't freak me out at all.
4. I know the use of one of the theaters we're looking at is just about guaranteed, so the truth is if we want it, it's virtually in the bag so this isn't the giant leap of faith it might appear to be.
But if you like everything cut and dried, I can understand you having a bad case of the shakes.
Structured we're not - changing and changeable we are and always want to be.
posted by Roger Blackmore | 11:00 AM
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