Potluck with Blowtorch
We held our Tuesday night potluck last night, complete with Creme Brulee and blowtorches. That’s what happens when a chef from Philly (who lives in Lancaster City) joins your church! Thank you, Mark! You are awesome, bro.
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Inner Metro Green Gets Art Direction
Justin Carroll, of 3Circle Studio, has not only joined Inner Metro Green (a church plant in Lancaster City, PA), but also is unleashing his God-given gifts and talents in seriously edifying fashion. He is blessing - and continuously blessing - the art direction of Inner Metro Green in way that has been so desperately needed! Inner Metro Green’s art direction was virtually non-existent, but now there is a conceptual theme developing - as we speak - that will be uniformly expressed through the official logo, business cards, letterheads, envelopes and an upcoming new web site. The whole package naturally complements the color/image/symbol concept driving the church’s moniker. It’s what was needed! Read More »
Prioritizing, Leading, Following, and Blogging
Ministry happenings and responsibilities are once again chipping away at my blog time! That’s OK. The more real-time ministry I engage, the more I’d rather be doing that! Blogging is great and all, but it pales in comparison to seeing real change in real time and getting involved with it. A blog, at least for me, should simply be an extension of real-time ministry, at least for the Christian. A blog should be a simple record of what’s going on in the real life of a believer; a blog should never BE or BECOME your life. That’s putting the proverbial cart before the horse, IMHO. A blog also should be, IMO, a way to share resources and ideas implemented and tested in real-time. If it becomes anymore or anything other than that, I think priorities were twisted somewhere along the line. I’d stop and check myself. So, though my blogging is slowing a bit, my ministry is ramping up. That’s a good thing. Read More »
An Emerging Church in Lancaster City
We are planning to hold a few sacred worship services and observances for Holy Week 2008 in Lancaster City. As most of my readers know, I’m part of a young church planting team in Lancaster, PA. The plant is called Inner Metro Green. Ours is an emerging church, absolutely dedicated to simplicity and missional living in our context. We are equally focused upon Sunday morning and incarnational house churches. We are dedicated to our city and her transformation. Everyone - and we do mean everyone - is welcome to join us as we all journey and grow spiritually together. So, if you are in Lancaster, and are looking for an emerging-missional church community with whom you can share Holy Week celebrations, you are welcome to share it with us! Read More »
Big Meeting for Inner Metro Green
Our church plant in Lancaster City is having a big day tomorrow. Our IMG Executive Team Leader and I are meeting with the Atlantic Conference Advisory Board assigned to oversee and guide us in our efforts. This board is composed of the Bishop, pastoral and executive team members from Manor Church, the conference church planting coach, and conference planters. They are all awesome and more supportive than I ever thought possible. This is a pretty big deal. Our forming IMG core group’s mission and official launch in ‘08 will be totally informed by this meeting. So, of course, I can’t sleep. Updates will follow the meeting.
On Being and Living Like Generic Christians
Our first five months of church planting in Lancaster City have been incredible. The Spirit has brought together a group of people who are like-minded but staunchly individual. No, individualism is not a bad thing! In fact, I think it is often reduced to a sad position somewhere close to the receiving end of a desperate reaction resulting from a failure in authentic inter-personal community. Yes, community still works in settings wherein different ideas, concepts, and beliefs exist. In other words, community and diversity play well together, if leaders choose to celebrate the larger aspects of life that unite. We are doing this in the city. Why? Because the Kingdom Jesus pointed towards is a community of individuals. The individual aspect of this radical way of being community should never be sacrificed for the sake of “being community.” In fact, when this happens, the community becomes something other than the one pointed to by Jesus.
We also have boundaries. The aforementioned community characteristic (individual diversity + dedicated like-mindedness = community) is only as viable as the ethos of the community itself. This communal ethos is a direct byproduct of a diverse group of individuals working together to find that place that represents something much larger than themselves around which they can authentically unite. This ethos requires conversation and development. It also requires care once it is located and agreed upon by individuals. All of this requires real boundaries. An ethos lacking boundaries is not an ethos at all! Identity is immutably rooted in ethos and vice-versa. Things like this require conversation, development, nurture, care, and time. Read More »
A Deep Thank You to the IMG Team
I am, as a pastor/church planter, so proud of the men and women involved with and leading our church plant in Lancaster City. We are forming a healthy, open, and dialog centered culture from which all of us are striving towards an authentic expression of kingdom values and living. Our team is wrestling with a very serious topic and they have proven themselves to be people dedicated first and foremost to the values of Jesus’ kingdom. You all are tops in my book. Tops! Thank you!
A Slow Blog Rising
Blogging is slow. We’ve been very, very busy completing the shared remodeling project for Inner Metro Green and The Infantree. Our gathering place is looking great! It’s a lot of work, but we are almost finished! Pictures of our space will follow soon! You can see it live for yourself this Sunday morn at 10:30 AM!
Our Emerging IMG Leadership Team
Joining the Holy Spirit in an Apostolic Journey
I’ve taken a few days to pray, pursue, and ponder. Especially on my mind was/is Inner Metro Green, our church plant in Lancaster City. I have been interacting with many, many un-churched people in the city for nearly 3.5 months now. My conclusion? Revival. Read More »
