Have A Seat

Sometimes I wonder why we are surprised that our society is hesitant to the gospel.  We've focused so much on the packaging that often times people miss the present wrapped inside.  We've tried every gimmick, punch line and strategy known to mankind to "hook" people into coming through our church doors.  "Anything we can do to get our name in the community" is our motto.  


The church world loves events.  Honestly, I love events.  There is a certain buzz that comes with planning an event as you work with volunteers to put your best foot forward in the community and present your church as a relevant part of people's everyday lives.  We will invite perfect strangers off the street to come to our event and brainstorm until we are blue in the face on creative ways to successfully advertise our big day.  


As church planters there is no doubt that we will plan events as we work towards launching our churches.  Our everyday vocabulary will include words like, "block parties," "windshield surveys," and "preview services."  These are all incredible tools for us as we work to become a known presence in the communities in which we are launching.  My fear, however, is that we put the cart before the horse when we fail to focus first on the relationships we must bridge in our community.   


The second week we were in Beaumont I opened my calendar and attempted to schedule our first block party (never mind the fact that we are a "parachute drop" church plant.)  I felt the pressure to schedule a block party because that's what I heard you were supposed to do when planting a church.  I quickly came to the realization that it was not a realistic goal at that particular moment (yeah, I know - obvious, right?)  I wonder how I might have felt that day had I opened my calendar and worked on scheduling specific places I was going to go the next week to make connections with the people in our community.   


God is challenging us each and every day to have a seat in our community.   He is focusing our attention on taking the time to stop and talk to people around us.  We know our neighbors names and their stories.  We know the names and stories of people who months ago were perfect strangers to us.  We get excited when someone from our community "friends" us on Facebook.  We love walking in to a restaurant and having the person behind the counter ask us how the church plant is going.  It gets us jazzed when a new friend asks if we would like to volunteer for a community event coming up.  


The church events will come and go and the day of launching our church will be here before we know it.  What I'm left wondering is whose lives are we going to touch through the process of planting our church?  Are we allowing ourselves to be transparent to those we hardly know to the extent that they can see our intentions as genuine?  


It is our deep desire that real, relevant relationships would be at the core of Northpoint Community Church and that connection would be a reality that is happening outside our church doors as much as inside our doors.  It is our prayer even now that as events take place they would serve as a catalyst for us to connect on a deeper level to people we already know in our community.   


Don't miss this simple truth.  Let's have a seat in our communities from the very beginning.  If we do not take the time right now to be in our communities and bridge the relational gap with those we meet everyday, we never will.  It doesn't get easier from here, it only gets more complicated.  One day we will be leading a staff and a church full of people.  One day we will be charging ahead with church events and ministries.  So have a seat, look around you and don't miss those God-appointed conversations waiting to happen.  


Be encouraged today!