Evergreen is getting ready to take a new step as a community- starting a 3rd gathering, not in a pub space on April 5th, 2009.
I think I can truly say, in almost five years of being a community, this was a high point for me. My "favorite" worship gathering, as it were...
When I think about it, it was the effect of the total being more than the sum of its parts. My message wasn't particularly memorable, we've baptized more people at one go before... but somehow, between worship and prayer, baptism and communion, and us all being together in a different space that seems to open up different possibilities, it was as though the community came alive in a way we might struggle to other times/places. It was an amazing night...
And it was a "test drive." We're going to start a 3rd gathering there on Sunday evenings- one which I think will allow us to be both louder and quieter, more celebrative and more contemplative. We *love* our pub spaces and what they do for us in reminding us we exist as a community incarnated into this city- that we are not a world to or for ourselves, but that we exist for others (and they are right over there behind the bar preparing for lunch, or walking by the windows looking in, wondering if the Lab is open...)
We never want to give any of that up, but we also, I think, can add to it and enjoy again the pleasure of worship in a space that opens up new possibilities for us in terms of becoming silent (no ringing phones, ice machines or other misc ambient noise during the gathering) and what we can do for kids.
The whole goal, rather than getting bigger and bigger and bigger, is to get to a size where evergreen can sustainably resource and launch new church plants throughout the city, and where we will be embedded in various areas throughout the city, using our gatherings as jumping off points for various missional initiatives.
So, while I'm not putting out the call for 900 steel backed men, I will say this- if you are in the area and the idea of planting something with or out of Evergreen appeals to you, I'd love to talk to you. Whether you see yourself as someone who wants to come along in the journey, or even take a leadership role somehow (we need more worship leaders, people to lead homegroups and theology pubs, men and women to work into eldership, church planters, etc...) we need you. If you are currently embedded and part of a community here in PDX, we don't want to take you from that. But if you are newer to the area, or moving here, or for one reason or another find yourself unconnected, consider coming along with us.
It's going to be good :)
That's great Bob! My prayers are with you...
Posted by: brad andrews | February 24, 2009 at 12:50 PM
I'm excited about the direction Evergreen is going and to see where the next steps take the community!
Posted by: B.D. | February 24, 2009 at 04:13 PM
I'd love to! Only God has put us in Denver to do something similar. So we'll have a go in Denver, and you keep rockin the PDX.
Besides, Denver's got some decent microbrew houses that would make for great worship space. :)
Posted by: jason ackerman | February 24, 2009 at 05:08 PM
Where will your Sunday Evening services be?
Posted by: UncleOxidant | February 24, 2009 at 05:40 PM
Bob, from what I have been able to gather from afar over the past couple years, I love what you are doing and where you are going. You have been a mentor from afar. And we just might need to have a conversation sometime in the near future. Praying for you, evergreen, and the city of Portland.
Posted by: Aaron Loy | February 25, 2009 at 04:22 PM