Follow-up to Barbados Counter Culture

bajanpoet, Included are my thoughts after reading and dwelling on your thoughts from the heart. I use the term "micro" Church to reference a small group of believers such as a home Church, but is not limited to meet in a home.  I use the term church with a little "c" to talk about the institution.  If I were to reference a local body of believers with Jesus as the head, I would refer to them as the Church with a capital "C".  

bajanpoet: "They have come out of traditional forms of church, but have touched something intangible within the university context that transforms them –"  I find this interesting and if I understand you to say, students may find Christ in a secular university, that phenomenon is not repeated very often in US public institutions.  It is usually the other way round.  Students may find salvation or something thought to be salvation prior to the university level.  Then, they go to the university and apparently lose what ever it was they had previously found.  This is not always the case, but seems to be a prevalent theme.

bajanpoet: "In Acts 5 the religious leaders extended their reach and attempted to jail all the apostles (Acts 5:17-18)"  For most, it is all about money, power and control.  I am sure you have figured out it doesn't appear God is so much interested in who has the money, power or control.  He is interested in Jesus Christ and our relationship.  If God continues to work at the micro Church level, the traditional churches will feel the pinch.  As my imagination runs wild, I can see the same thing happening in the US as has happened in Europe. The government will bail out the churches and ultimately take control.  As I understand it, Constantine in about 300 AD made Christianity the state religion.  It was the beginning of the end.

bajanpoet:  "The Current Church Structure - ...  But is this God’s best?" Books have been and are currently being written on this subject.  If the falling in numbers in traditional churches is any indication, I'd have to agree the current traditional church is not God's best.  I'm speaking of all churches without consideration of religion.  The falling away from the traditional church apparently is no respecter of religion.  But just because there is an increase in number of micro Churches does not guarantee they have it right either.  There true benchmark of a church is a solid representation of Christ at the head.  Some do.  Some don't.  Some are trying...

bajanpoet: "The Early Church - True relationship was formed.." I think this is vital. Without a relationship with Christ, there is no value in anything else.  It is through this relationship with Christ that other meaningful bonds and relationships are formed based on love.  In a micro Church, the setting is proper and conducive for building relationship and establishing a transparency that encourages a growth in Christ.

bajanpoet: "Counter Culture - Now ... God is looking for a people who, having touched the living Christ cannot go back into business as usual."  The parable of the single lost sheep drives home the point that God is hypersensitive to the ones who knew His voice and have now fallen away.  I think this Godly hypersensitivity contributes to the seemingly God ordained explosion of micro Churches.  God is creating a fertile ground for Him to permanently change lives.  One will not have to ask the question, "What happens when getting saved doesn't stick?"

bajanpoet: "Counter Culture - Future... What if God wants to do something different?"  There is no doubt that God is doing something different.  It is a "Back to the Future" event in the life of the local church where small is becoming better.  I believe it will become important to realize the value of religious physical structures and they might be best utilized to promote strong growth where God is working.  The structures themselves are not bad, they just need to be used in a way that supports what you describe as "God's Best".

bajanpoet: "I have been accused of being in a cult more times than I can count because the assembly with which I gather does not meet on Sunday, has no ‘pastor’ and meets in homes!"  One has to be realistic and appreciate this phenomenon is contrary to what is the prevalent experience.  Imagine if your description became the norm instead of the abnormal?  I think we need to look at the available resources, climate, and movement of God.  At the same time, we need to figure out what God wants the church to look like and begin the process of building a bridge between the two.  

Maybe to say it another way, take what you have and figure out how it can be used to create what God wants.  

Surf to: http://www.freshc.org for a Fresh Connection...

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream