Authentic

authentic | involved | eclectic | missional

Authentic [aw-then-tic]

1.	not false or copied; genuine; real

2.	having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified

3.	entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy

Source: http://www.dictionary.com/

We at The River seek to be a community of faith that is authentic. But what exactly does that mean? Isn't every church authentic? Well, maybe... and maybe not. But we're not trying to presume the motives of other groups in this discussion. We are simply asking what the shape and priorities of our church should be if we're seeking to be (as in definition number one) "genuine" followers of Jesus in this little corner of the world.

One thing that comes to mind for me is that we need to see people here as loved by God - no matter where they are in their beliefs. There is a huge population of spiritual believers and seekers in the Pacific Northwest. But - here's a shock - not all of them are looking for... or finding their answers in Christ. I don't know if that is the church's fault or not... but I do know that we have kind of settled into a polarized society here: Essentially, the Christians and the non-Christians.

We have a decent (if not statistically low) number of Bible-believing, regularly church-attending folks who make it to worship service each Sunday. And then we have a massive group of people who don't fit into that category... probably because there are so many outdoor activities in (or close to) this little valley. Why mess up a perfectly good chance to go skiing or snowmobiling by going to church?

I don't have a great answer to that last point. Sometimes I wish I could go fishing, or skiing, or hiking, or camping, or river-floating (or whatever) on a weekend without having to go to the modern version of church. But hey, that's the price you pay to be a disciple, isn't it? By now, you may be asking yourself... Does Jeff have a point to make here? Actually, I don't know for certain - but I do know I'm kind of sick of the polarity.

Perhaps it's just the nature of the beast, but why do Christians have to be so different than the rest of society? Why do we have to put up so many walls... blocking the way for people to experience what we have to offer... that is, the person of Jesus in our midst? Why have we positioned ourselves as so different from (i.e., out of touch with) our unbelieving friends and neighbors?

I understand that not everyone wants to know about Jesus... BOY do I understand that! But how many people would demonstrate more interest in the Christian faith if they encountered more authentic Christ followers in their daily lives? What if - instead of taking pride in our separation from the "sinners" among us - we took pride in our integration into the lives of pre-Christians... that is, people who don't yet know (but have a destiny with) Christ?

Okay... a controversial point perhaps... but let's say we agree that we need to be more integrated into our local community... Somehow we need to overcome our collective "holier-than-thou" reputation, and earn a new reputation as authentic, empathetic and completely trustworthy. But how do we go about it? How do we change our reputation? Is it even possible? How do we allow others to see that we're real people... with real problems and concerns? How do we live among the people and tell them the truth... the compelling story of God's relentless pursuit of our salvation... without coming across as jerks and self-seeking manipulators?

Wikipedia says that authenticity "refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions" and "a particular way of dealing with the external world." Wow... If we could stop trying to build a church... (yes, that's what I said). If we could stop trying to win more people to Jesus (don't faint... stay with me). Heck, if we could just somehow, some way resist the overwhelming sense of "us and them" syndrome for just a little while... If we could live our lives before God with "truthfulness of origins; attributions; commitments; sincerity; devotion; and intentions"...

Who knows what God could do with that kind of authenticity from His followers!

So, blog reader... what does authentic Christian discipleship mean to you? I know, I know... online comments are about as popular as a root canal... but just this once, give it a try... There is no right or wrong here (well, unless you're really off the deep end). I'm simply curious what people think when they hear the term "authentic follower of Christ." How does a little, emerging, and (hopefully) out of the box gathering of everyday people live in, and connect with folks on a deep level... and find creative new ways to "deal with the external world?"

How do we spread the good news authentically (that is... with our actions as well as our words)? How do we speak the language of "outsiders" so they hear the relevance of Christ... and positively respond to Him? Just what does it mean to be aw-then-tik?

Hmmmmmm... I'm curious to read what you think.

On This Rock I Will Build My Church

So, I was talking with a friend today (talking with friends always helps me articulate my otherwise random thoughts)... and we got into a discussion about vocational pastoral ministry.

To be honest, I'm pretty confused (but that's okay - so is my friend). On one hand, I track really well with the Emerging Church philosophy and it's desire to "emerge" or rise up out of the paradigm of modernity and it's redefinition of the historic Christian faith. So much of what the church has become in America is rooted in consumerism and individualism and reason (as opposed to communal, kingdom living and tradition). This, in my estimation, has made doing church as much a professional business as it is a lifestyle. And as any fan of Willow Creek or Saddleback can attest (by their endorsement of megachurch)... the bigger the church empire (aka, ministry), the more power and influence it has in the marketplace... and therefore, the more resources it can sell to Christians with an insatiable appetite for finding the newest, best way yet to know and follow God with as little effort as possible.

On the other hand, however, I suppose I'm about as modern as they come in terms of vocational ministry. You see, I wandered my dispassionate way through the wilderness of meaningless jobs for most of my adult life. I was always fairly good at what I did... but I never could put my heart into my job. Let's face it, it's tough to get excited about selling forklifts, or coupon advertising, or office furniture... at least it was for me. But one day, I was talking to an associate pastor (yes, at a big church - I'm full of contradictions) about my thoughts on small groups, and another associate pastor, overhearing our conversation, came up and asked me, "Jeff, do you think God might be calling you into the ministry?" 

Wow... with one simple question, that pastor changed the course of my life forever. Yes, it may have taken me until I was 35, but that day, I finally learned what I want to do with my life when (an if) I grow up! Mind you, it took me another 8 years to prepare (formally, at least) for the ministry - but nevertheless, now I can't even fathom ever doing anything but pastoring a church. I firmly believe God created me to be a pastor... that's it, end of story. (Oh, God... somebody please call a doctor... I'm obviously deranged!)

But do you see my dilemma? The modern church is the perfect environment for a lifetime vocational pastor like me... right? After all, the bigger the church, the more accolades (and book deals?) that can be negotiated, and the higher the salary that can be demanded. [WARNING: Long sentence to follow - try to maintain your train of thought the whole way through!] But these so-called emergents - those house-church kind of folks who actually think spiritual formation and Christian discipleship is more likely to take place in someone's living room or out in the public square, than in a massive auditorium with colorful banners and professional worship music - don't think money should be what drives the heartbeat of the church. In other words, I want to pastor a church that - in theory - wouldn't want to pay a pastor.

Arrrrrgggghhh! To quote the Apostle Paul... WAY out of context in Romans 7:24-25, "I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind..." 

You know, when it comes down to it, I love the idea of a smaller, organic, missional, communal kind of church... a New Testament kind of church. But there's nothing wrong with the concept of God "adding to their numbers daily" either. I think if the church I'm pastoring ever had to deal with the "problem" of exponential numerical growth... the thing I would try to remember is that we are simply called to love God, love our neighbor, and love our brother... not build a church empire. That, in essence, is His job if He so desires. However, God can move mountains with a community of people sold out to His cause, be it a community of 12 (with an unpaid lay-pastor), or a community of 1200 (with a staff of vocational ministers).

Hmmm, someday, I hope to find where I really belong along that continuum. For now though, I'm pretty content with where God has put me (lonely as it may be sometimes)... and I kind of hope He shows me what can happen here in Ellensburg when ordinary people listen and obey the One who came to redeem all of creation and share the good news. Wow, what if this church-plant rose up to one day become a spiritual oak of righteousness??? What if lives were changed... hope was given... bondage was broken... hearts were turned?

Geez... how audacious is that...? Yet, how humbling... how exciting! 

Come, Lord Jesus! We want to see your church grow (deep and wide).

The Keys to Success

Okay, okay... I cry Uncle... really I do. Recently, people have been pretty much telling me the same thing over and over again: (1) They like the way I articulate my thoughts about God and life, and (2) I don't do it very consistently at all. In fact, several times in the past few weeks, I've been encouraged (often with a fair bit of sarcasm) to update my blog more often.

And the truth is, I love to write... especially when I don't have to follow any rules or fear the editor's pen. More often than not, my grammar is likely incorrect, my punctuation is reprehensible, and my believe it or not, I've been known to say (and write) things that occasionally offend people. Yes, I know - big shock. But honestly, I'm not trying to be offensive. I'm just trying to speak my mind about the profoundly easy, and yet profoundly difficult task of following Jesus.

So, after all these weeks away from my blog... here is my incredibly deep thought for today: I am not a very important person anymore.

In the past, I have had big keychains - keys to my car, my wife's car, my house, my work, my church, and even perhaps several other important places (or things) of value and security. But these days I only carry two keys - the one to my car and the one to my rental home. That's it - two lousy keys. No enormous keychain with a dozen keys crowding their way around the metal ring... just two rather simple, rather lonely keys.

You see, as a church planter, I don't have a church door in which to place a key - which is strangely humbling and lonely. When I encounter people and tell them I moved back to Ellensburg recently to plant a new church, the first question most of them ask is, "Where is your church located?" And when I tell them our home is serving as the place for our church - at least for now, most of them get a confused look on their face and say, "Oh, that's interesting." And part of me can't really blame them. After all, a church is a building, right? You know, a steep roof line, stained glass, bad landscaping, well-lit signage, etc. Hmmmm... or is the church more than a physical building after all?

Better question? What is the church? And what are the "keys" to starting a new church (pardon the pun)? In the past, one of the top answers was always rather obvious: secure a physical space that provides adequate room in which to worship as a community of believers. Well, duh! 

But how many well-intentioned church planters have immediately implemented this traditional wisdom in their local context, only to find themselves enslaved to a building (and rent) and everything else that implies, such as preaching to no one in an empty sanctuary. How much better then, to be freed and empowered to: (1) gradually and naturally become part of their community, (2) authentically build and develop relationships with a wide range of folks, (3) show hospitality by inviting strangers into their home, and (4) find creative ways to be missional - that is, to share the love of God in Christ with those who don't yet know of His amazing grace - both individually, and as a (growing) emerging new community of disciples learning to live life together as the "church."

In other words, what if worship were more than gathering together once a week (in our Sunday finest) to sing spiritual songs and articulate pastoral prayers, and acquire sermonic, practical help on how to live our lives better as a Christian believer. Note: I'm not down on church in general... (not completely, anyway)... but I guess I'm convinced that church - according to the teachings of Jesus - was designed to be so much more than what we've reduced it to. For that matter, the divine call to live a holy life was designed to be so much more than what we've reduced it to in 21st century USAmerica... but that's another post I suppose.

Well, anyway... maybe the keys to getting back to the fundamentals of the gospel are not found in a grand new building with a killer sound system, but rather in our collective family rooms and kitchens, armed with nothing more than mutual submission, authentic desire, and a biblical discussion about life... Not by going to church once per week (dutifully), but by learning to live out church 24/7 (passionately). Not by (merely) studying Jesus, but by submitting to, communicating with, and expecting the Holy Spirit to generously incorporate the character of Jesus into our lives - powerfully, mysteriously, and supernaturally.

Ahhhh, but regardless of all that - my ego would feel a lot better if my keychain became a bit more populated! Maybe Starbucks will give a key someday to open up shop at O'Dark 30 (?) Then again, maybe I should just follow the call of Christ, be more comfortable with two keys in my pocket, and try not to worry about how people in our culture define success.

Gazelle Church

I picked up a book a while back... not a very great looking book, mind you, but hey, it was fifty cents so what do you expect? Every year, my denominational publishing house has a book sale, and every year, I buy even the dumbest looking books there is the slightest chance I might read someday, just because they are super cheap... it doesn't make any sense, really. But you'd be surprised to see how many people head to the ever-popular "dock sale" to buy books they have no real intention of ever reading... that, and ratty little stuffed animals and other assorted trinkets which didn't sell at full price either.

Anyway, this book I purchased... I kinda sorta had church planting in mind when I thumbed through it, and decided what the heck... surely it's got two quarters worth of material in it, right?

Yes, actually. Maybe even a dollar's worth! It's a big fat textbook I have no intention of reading all of it. However, I was interested in the chapters on marketing, so I decided to sit down during lunch and read the first few pages to get a taste of whether this book was super boring, or only moderately boring. But page two really got my attention. This is what I read (keep in mind, I'm thinking church-planting, not business enterprise):

"Entrepreneurs have seldom received the attention and respect shown to the executives of extremely large corporations" (see, this already parallels the church "enterprise" very nicely).

But it goes on... "Entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks have been the leaders that have produced our recent economic growth... Without the drive, energies, and dedication of entrepreneurs, new business formation would never take place... Entrepreneurs have proven over and over again to be the pioneers who convert ideas into products; dreams into reality. Entrepreneurs blend creativity, innovation, and risk taking with hard work to form and nurture new ventures."

And here is my favorite quote: "J. B. Say coined the term entrepreneur around 1800 in his discussions of the entrepreneur as a person who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower productivity and into an area of higher productivity and higher yield. He postulated that the major role of the entrepreneur was to exploit change, not by doing things better but by doing something different. He viewed the entrepreneur as someone in society who upsets and disorganizes the status quo."

Wow, change out 'entrepreneur' with 'church planter' and the productivity terms with spiritual terms... and you have a pretty good definition of the emerging church: Small, risk-taking, more flexible, willing to do things differently... shifting resources out of lower spirituality into higher spirituality, exploiting change, not by doing things better, but doing things differently! In essence, rejecting the status-quo (just because 'we've always done it that way').

Finally, the interesting, yet rather wordy intro had one more thing to say that I found very appropriate to church planting. Quoting David Birch, the author divides economic companies into three classes: Elephants, Mice and Gazelles. The Elephants are the very big, slow growth companies that are unresponsive to the economy. Mice are the small, self-employment, no-growth 'Mom and Pop' companies. And Gazelles are the new ventures that grow rapidly, tend to locate in select 'feeding places,' and are significantly innovative.

Hmmmm... I don't necessarily want to equate numerical growth of a church with financial growth of a business (though I must admit, there is an inherent connection)... but I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I want the church I serve in to be as fast and graceful in the kingdom as a gazelle in the grasslands. I want to take risks... I want to live dangerously (knowing there are predators about)... I want to analyze my new community and ask God, "What needs to happen in this place so that people who are hostile or ambivalent toward God can powerfully experience the reality of Christ?" I hope people show up in droves, of course... people hungry for something new (yet ancient), something refreshing, something, powerful, something very, very good. However, if only a handful come and want to be a part of this innovative, risk-taking, status-quo busting ministry venture in Ellensburg... then I need to be OK with that as well.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm excited... very, extremely, passionately excited to go 'home' again... take some risks, love people in ways they've perhaps not experienced by the Church before... and be a witness to what God intends to do in us and through us. Some Christians may be offended by our desire to be innovative, and some may even be inspired to join us in our spiritual adventure (which would be wonderful)... but frankly, our 'target audience' is not Christians... It's a highly eclectic mix of sinners who may have real concerns about church... but nevertheless hunger for the encouraging, forgiving and empowering love of Jesus the Christ. As my friend Jeff put it recently (since Ellensburg has a unique blend of cultures and personalities)... we should put a sign out front that reads, "Cowboys, Hippies & Co-Eds welcome!"

Amen, Jeff. That definitely sounds kind of weird, but very Gazelle-like to me!

Two Weeks

(Deep breath)...

In 13 days, we'll be heading out on the biggest journey of faith that we've ever taken before. And lately I've been reminiscing about our journey here. Looking back, I guess you could say we stepped out in faith when we sold our home, packed up our stuff and moved to Kansas City six years ago so I could attend seminary. And yes, it was a serious step of faith for us... but it didn't really seem like it at the time... we didn't know anyone in the Midwest, had no place to live, no jobs, very little money... In fact, all we had was a 26 foot U-Haul truck full of stuff and lots of faith that God had called us there.

And indeed He did call us to Kansas City. Not just for a rich, holistic, life-changing master's education and the opportunity to learn new things about God... but also for the practical life experiences and the opportunity to learn new things about ourselves! One lesson we certainly learned (sometimes the hard way) is that yes, indeed, God was there to take care of us every step of the way... even when it seemed like times were very dark and our marriage might fall apart. Things simply fell into place... and we learned to depend on each other in ways that could have not come from our own wisdom or strength... it was truly the Master's hand guiding us. Strange, interesting, and thoroughly unpredictable events unfolded right before our eyes... all in all, those first few months were hard but very special to me and my family. All doubts about whether or not God had orchestrated our move (and our calling) - not us - were erased early on. I often struggle with knowing whether I'm following God's will or Jeff's will. The latter is not pretty... and I have many years apart from God to prove it!

Then, right at twelve months into our new life in Misery... uh, that is, Missouri, after the honeymoon period had worn off a bit and the finances were getting extremely tight... one of the biggest miracles of all took place... God called us to serve in a small church in the southern part of the city. The pastor and church board were looking for a seminary student who would simply be willing to serve part-time in exchange for living in their parsonage... a parsonage mind you, with four bedrooms, a full basement, and in a wonderful older neighborhood. Duh... It took me about three seconds to ponder the benefits of that deal! So, I paid them a visit that same day!

But, here we are, five years from that point, and two weeks from moving back to Washington State... and this revelation is really hitting me hard: I'm not going to miss the house one bit (and it has been a great place to live and raise our kids). Frankly, it's the people we're sad about leaving behind, not the building. Since we have the ever-hectic VBS planned for the last week of our time in the big city, the congregation threw us a big farewell party last night and laid hands on us to carry on the Christian tradition of sending us to our next assignment. The whole night was simply wonderful... and yet, it was terrible. I cried like a baby, and my wife cried even harder... and my nine year old daughter cried even harder than that! My 13 year old son didn't cry as much, but he didn't really say much either... he was too overwhelmed and choked up to speak. Good heavens, it was like an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... I don't know about you, but I can't make it to the end of that show without tears flowing... Nor can I say goodbye to the people who have been our friends, adopted family members, and our biggest supporters without feeling like my heart is being ripped in two.

It's funny, but I've been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. I've watched many fellow students, a few fellow associate pastors as they left us for greener pastures, never to return... and oh how I longed for the day when it would be us leaving for a new ministry adventure. And now that it is literally upon us, I'm excited of course... but surprisingly I'm not joyful. There's a whole stew of emotions flooding my soul right now - sorrow about leaving some of the best people in the world behind... fear and trembling about what we're getting ourselves into in Ellensburg (more to come on that topic later)... joy that it's finally "our time" to be heading out into the wild blue yonder... and (this is a paradox)... even a bit of mourning that I'm not in school anymore. I never considered myself a natural student... I have a pastor's heart, and only came to seminary to learn how to think theologically (NOT to learn how to become a pastor)! Even though I hated reading all those books (the boring ones), and dreaded writing all those papers (the difficult ones)... I am mystified to say that there is a part of me that misses the challenge to engage my brain in the marketplace of ideas... and consider how that translates into pastoral ministry in the 21st century.

My God, I've been institutionalized! It's a good thing I'm leaving town, or I might someday get the crazy notion to work toward a D.Min. degree... Nah, I'm not that warped!

Nevertheless... God is calling us, of all things, to come home. The vision has been cast, the deal has been set, the call has been made, and plans have been executed... we are now officially past the point of no return. I know this is the right thing to do, but why doesn't He make it easier to leave one place as we prepare ourselves for whatever he has planned where we're going? Oh well... our old church will move on and we will move on... but not completely. Though time and distance may separate us... the love of God in Christ will bond us to those wonderful folks for all eternity.

Thank you for all generosity, patience, love and grace you have shown me and my family these past five years, Summit View Church of the Nazarene! We are profoundly grateful for what you've done to shape us and prepare us to serve in His kingdom.

The River

My good friend Eric laid into me the other day for not posting to my blog regularly... so I thought I'd better write something down or I'll hear from him again!

Well, it looks as though the River will be flowing very soon. I'm writing to you from a home in Spokane, where we're staying during our very short trip to Washington State to finalize the details for planting a church in my hometown of Ellensburg. We met in a downtown high rise office building this morning to discuss the financial details and philosophy for starting a brand new work in the 'Burg.' As it turns out, their proposal to us was very different than ours was to them... but in some ways it is more freeing, and certainly more balanced for all parties involved. The people who are sponsoring this new church are so wise and so positive... We were blown away by their sincere affirmation and encouraging feedback. We may be the only ones in our little town as we begin our ministry there, but we will certainly not be alone. There is a whole team of people who deeply care for us and really want to see this new church succeed.

Quite honestly, there is no specific ministry plan... at least not anything that is set in concrete. We have a lot of ideas, passion, and questions... but much of what we do depends on what and who we encounter when we arrive there. We talked it over quite extensively, and as a group, we came to this conclusion: The sooner we begin, the better! So tomorrow morning we'll fly back to Kansas City, give our notice at our respective places of employment, pack up our belongings, and prepare to leave town on June 17. I graduated from seminary on Mother's Day, so it seems very fitting to leave town on Father's Day!

I admit, I have been very negligent in posting to this site... but the past month has, without a doubt, been the longest month of my life. Waiting and praying to see if this is indeed where God is calling us to serve His kingdom. Not knowing for certain has been very frustrating to say the least. However, we left that meeting today with the full knowledge and affirmation that everything we've been sensing in our spirit over the past 12 months has been the call of God on our lives... calling us back to the very place we began our journey together 18 years ago... and of all things, to start a new church! This time around, instead of (trying to) chase girls and abusing alcohol, I'll be sharing the good news of God's grace. Instead of trying to escape my hometown, I'll be seeking to become part of the local culture... to inspire others to serve the poor... to draw near to the One who created them... to become a disciple of Jesus.

The Lord wants to redeem the years the locusts have eaten...

One other thing that became clear in the meeting this morning... we won't be able to take on this project all by ourselves. Obviously, we'll need to depend on God throughout this ministry adventure... but we'll also need a team of people around us... people with passion for Christ, and the gift of thinking through the details... especially in terms of financial stewardship.

No question... It's going to be hard, it's going to be lonely, often times we'll probably want to give up and run away... but it's also going to be wonderful! In a way I can't fully articulate, I know all the way down to the core of my being that God created me for such a time as this... that is, He created US for such a time as this! Though I could certainly do something easier than plant a church in my hometown... or something more financially rewarding... I could never do anything more right or satisfying. It is the right time... the right place... the right circumstances, and the right decision for my family... Somehow I think we'd better buckle-up and prepare for the ride of our lives, 'cause we're about to get on the biggest, fastest, most dangerous roller-coaster ever built... and it makes the adrenaline flow through my veins just thinking about it!

Yikes! Anybody want to move to Ellensburg and get on the roller-coaster with us?

I Will Build My Church

This past week, my church denomination had a big, multi-day event. Lots of activities such as trade booths, information exhibits, workshops, and worship services took place for three days and nights. Interestingly, I noticed three streams of philosophical thought (in terms of doing church) with a strong presence there: (1) Traditional, (2) Emergent, and (3) Church Growth. I believe all of the camps thoroughly love Jesus Christ and desire to serve His kingdom... but they all have have unique perspectives on just what that means in practice.

The mostly older (in my estimation) Traditional folks love and honor their rich heritage. They continue to attend and support the denomination-wide events with gusto, even as they look bewildered by all the changes in methods and philosophical shifts they encountered a wide variety of workshops and public services. Over the nearly 100 years of our church's existence, our primary doctrines have undergone some pretty severe criticism, and have been minimized (or rejected) by many of it's own churches and church members. But of the remnant that prefers a more traditional church model, they continue to powerfully influence the denomination through strong verbal and financial support, as well as a firm power base at the top levels.

Meanwhile, the Church Growth folks had a very strong presence at the conference as well, continuing a trend that has been building steam for some time now. Essentially, the philosophy of this camp is that our old fuddy-duddy churches need to get out of their traditional rut and wake up to the new methodologies that attract unchurched people and transform communities. Rather than just continue to be a small, obscure presence in our cities and towns, we need to become market savvy... we need to meet the needs and desires of young families - because if they aren't attracted to come to our churches, they won't hear the message of salvation. Therefore, Church Growth folks would have pastors learn better marketing strategies and management techniques, rearrange their worship services to be more seeker-friendly, and follow a basic business model which have proven to be effective in countless mega-churches around the world.

The Emergent crowd seeks to be more missional, more organic in it's connection to the local community, and more concerned with serving God's kingdom than with building His church. This camp - in a moment of rare agreement with the Church Growth crowd - puts less emphasis on traditional doctrines and practices that came to full development somewhere around the 1950's. Emergents simply don't believe in placing an over-emphasis on the individual. Important as that may be, the gospel speaks more of corporate sin and salvation. Therefore, a major emphasis is placed on living in authentic community together, reading the stories of God and allowing His Word to shape our character.

Why am I writing all this? Since the conference is now complete, I've heard or taken part in several conversations about how splintered things are becoming within our tradition of faith. Rather than finding a way to affirm the good in the other streams of ecclesial thought... people are choosing what "side" they're on, and criticizing the other two with a subtle (or not so subtle) air of superiority. However, call me weird, or spineless, or attracted to the squishy-middle... but I think all three camps have at least something to offer. Obviously, if you've read any of my previous posts, it's very apparent that I fit most comfortably in the Emergent camp... but not completely. I went to a Brian McClaren seminar a couple of years ago, and that was the beginning of a major paradigm shift in my Christian faith. Since then, I have read numerous books and blogs, had countless conversations with Christians from all walks of life... and wrestled with God in my continual search for authentic Christianity. The result is that my faith in Jesus Christ has been strengthened, my calling to pastoral ministry has been reinterpreted, and my faith in the future of His church has been radically restored.

But does the Emergent crowd (or any other) have a patent on Truth? Are Emergents better Christians than those from the Church Growth Movement? Are Church Growth folks closer to the kingdom of God than the more Traditional folks? Whatever your opinion of the answer to those questions... only God knows the answers for certain (and I have a feeling we're all way off base... Aren't you glad for grace?) As a potential church-planter, someone who's been a member of a whopping two churches in my 13 years as a Christ follower (a Church Growth kind of church, and a more Traditional church)... I can tell you that I have encountered Christ in both communities numerous times. I have not ever yet attended an Emergent church... but something tells me the church I will serve as pastor will reflect much of that philosophy. However, just like I never fit in to any particular social labels in high school (the jocks, stoners, and rednecks)... I don't fit exclusively into any of the three streams of thought swirling around my church denomination either.

Frankly, I want the best of all worlds... I want to find a way to honor the traditions and doctrines upon which my church denomination was built (Traditional)... I want to be a good communicator and place a premium on doing things with excellence as a church should (Church Growth)... and I want to live in authentic, missional community with my friends and neighbors (Emergent).

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17-19).