I wrote about this awhile ago, and perhaps I was in a better place, because that entry took a decided turn for the better...
This one? We'll see, I guess...
Brian Goff has this great analogy for the psychic space that evergreen occupies in the church world. If you imagine all the christian churches of the 21st century American landscape, we occupy the space right next to the door.
It's an interesting spot to be in...
It means we get people who are either just coming back (a big, big chunk of evergreen are people who walked away from church at one point or another and are now just dipping toes back in), are stepping in for the first time... or who are on their way out.
It's the first two groups that excite me the most- and that last group that makes me really feel the weight of this thing...
Some folks have been on a slide, maybe away from God, but maybe just away from church for a long, long time. They've passed through the church of their youth... they've passed through the church that seems like it might be a little more up to date than the church of their youth that they tried out of some sense of church guilt... and now, the little church in a bar that is trying to do things differently, kind of talks about things differently, might just be different...
I've had numerous people tell me in in various ways that evergreen is something of a last hope for church.
And some have slipped away...
I feel as though we are in this really awkward stage- this in between place. Too large for some things, not quit large enough for other things... we're gangly and a bit messy right now and people are falling through the cracks...
The beautiful thing is that people continue to stick their heads in the door, their toes in the water... this community continues to provide a place for people to come and rest, to come and question, to come and find answers...
I think it's time like this, 3:30 am in the frickin' morning when I get to worrying about offerings and how we're going to take care of Rich and Chris, and who's taking care of the people who are falling through the cracks and who will start things and do things and run things...
that I remember that Jesus said "I will build my Church..."
Kyrie eleison...
This one? We'll see, I guess...
Brian Goff has this great analogy for the psychic space that evergreen occupies in the church world. If you imagine all the christian churches of the 21st century American landscape, we occupy the space right next to the door.
It's an interesting spot to be in...
It means we get people who are either just coming back (a big, big chunk of evergreen are people who walked away from church at one point or another and are now just dipping toes back in), are stepping in for the first time... or who are on their way out.
It's the first two groups that excite me the most- and that last group that makes me really feel the weight of this thing...
Some folks have been on a slide, maybe away from God, but maybe just away from church for a long, long time. They've passed through the church of their youth... they've passed through the church that seems like it might be a little more up to date than the church of their youth that they tried out of some sense of church guilt... and now, the little church in a bar that is trying to do things differently, kind of talks about things differently, might just be different...
I've had numerous people tell me in in various ways that evergreen is something of a last hope for church.
And some have slipped away...
I feel as though we are in this really awkward stage- this in between place. Too large for some things, not quit large enough for other things... we're gangly and a bit messy right now and people are falling through the cracks...
The beautiful thing is that people continue to stick their heads in the door, their toes in the water... this community continues to provide a place for people to come and rest, to come and question, to come and find answers...
I think it's time like this, 3:30 am in the frickin' morning when I get to worrying about offerings and how we're going to take care of Rich and Chris, and who's taking care of the people who are falling through the cracks and who will start things and do things and run things...
that I remember that Jesus said "I will build my Church..."
Kyrie eleison...
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