As many of you know I’m not a card-carrying, banner-waver for the house church movement. There are lots of reasons for that. It’s not that I don’t love relational expressions of church life, especially those that are house-sized. I love that. But I think something more foundational has to shape our hearts before any expression of the church will be life-giving with others. Until people come together to share a real, relational love of the Father we’re just going to end up holding religious services in a different venue. Thus I’m incredibly passionate about helping people live loved as the incubator for real church life to take hold.
But I have been invited this year to speak at the House Church Conference that meets during Labor Day weekend each year in Dallas, TX. While I do very little conference speaking, what intrigued me about this opportunity was the fact that they knew I was not a house church advocate and yet still wanted to dialog about the deeper issues of how the church takes expression in our lives. I am looking forward to that conversation. If you’d like to join me in Dallas that weekend, here are the details:
September 3-5, 2010
Grand Hyatt DFW • Terminal D
Grapevine, TX 76051
You can get more details about the conference and register here. The theme about infrastructure they added after inviting me to come, so it will be interesting to see how we navigate that together. Again infrastructure isn’t one of my passions, but helping people see how they can help or hinder God’s work will lead to some interesting conversations as each of us get to sort out what God is saying to his church today. I’m as much interested in listening to others as I am sharing the things God has put on my heart. I think the open and honest exchange of ideas is the kind of dialog that will help us understand more clearly what God is saying to his church.
I am looking forward to this time of sharing God’s life together with other brothers and sisters who are actively thinking and praying beyond the box.
Wayne; I will not be @ the conference in Texas, but I can’t wait to see the reaction you receive if you deliver the truth’s that have been such a blessing to me via your book’s & podcast’s!
yep – can’t wait to hear about the gathering – could be interesting
Wayne; I will not be @ the conference in Texas, but I can’t wait to see the reaction you receive if you deliver the truth’s that have been such a blessing to me via your book’s & podcast’s!
yep – can’t wait to hear about the gathering – could be interesting
I too am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and insights. As an assistant pastor in an institutional church that is trying to “get it right” and failing miserably at it, your comment, “Until people come together to share a real, relational love of the Father we’re just going to end up holding religious services in a different venue. Thus I’m incredibly passionate about helping people live loved as the incubator for real church life to take hold” makes so much sense. I’m thinking that’s probably why home groups, house churches, Sunday services, Starbucks tables, etc don’t work without the relational love and spontaneous response to the Father. I’m hoping to grow into that.
I too am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and insights. As an assistant pastor in an institutional church that is trying to “get it right” and failing miserably at it, your comment, “Until people come together to share a real, relational love of the Father we’re just going to end up holding religious services in a different venue. Thus I’m incredibly passionate about helping people live loved as the incubator for real church life to take hold” makes so much sense. I’m thinking that’s probably why home groups, house churches, Sunday services, Starbucks tables, etc don’t work without the relational love and spontaneous response to the Father. I’m hoping to grow into that.
Add me to the list of people that are looking forward to your comments. When I first left the ”church”, and before I realized He wanted me to come to know Him and His love for me on a one to one relationship, I thought about starting a house church-I am soooo thankful I didn’t, I was trying to figure out who would ”give the message” what would we do about music, etc. Thankfully Papa kept that from happening, I’m on the adventure of a life time.
Add me to the list of people that are looking forward to your comments. When I first left the ”church”, and before I realized He wanted me to come to know Him and His love for me on a one to one relationship, I thought about starting a house church-I am soooo thankful I didn’t, I was trying to figure out who would ”give the message” what would we do about music, etc. Thankfully Papa kept that from happening, I’m on the adventure of a life time.