This is a great question with a not so simple answer. Our process in planting a church is very different from most traditional church plants. We didn’t have plans for a building (where will you be located?) or a worship service (what kind of music will your service have?). Our simple plan was to get to know the community first.
I, Jason, placed myself at any table that would let me be present. I invited many of you to coffee, lunch, dinner, beers because I felt that it was significant that I heard the heartbeat of the community. And I hope I listened well.
Here is what I have heard time and time again that people are looking for a community of people that isn’t prescribed and packaged. They simply want a community that will accept them for who God created them to be and give them the space to lean into that beautiful reality.
People also reflected to me that they wanted to be a part of a diverse community of faith that at its cored valued relationships.
When talking about the church most people reflected that they longed for a sense of belonging and hope in a community of faith. Rarely did the conversations go to worship style, big band worship, preaching and teaching.
We began to dream of how we might begin to bring this remnant of a community together. So we created the “Gathering” (I know it sounds cultish) this is kind of like worship and creating space to get to know one another once a month.
The simple purpose was to bring about a since of community.
These past few months have been about experimenting with this time every month.
Our NEXT step on this journey is struggling with the question how we intentionally deepen our relationships with one another. We are now dreaming of community groups that will meet a couple of times a month to begin deepening community with one another.
Our FOCUS in the next few months will be on implementing these local community groups (we will be talking about this more at our March Gathering) and experimenting.
We are tabling the question for right now, “Do we need to worship every Sunday?” It is one we want to come back to after we get our community groups moving.
For us it is all about being thoughtful and listening to one another.
This is so different from traditional church plants. And for some of us we like cookie cutter church that has a clear path. We just feel that if we do what other churches are doing for sake that is what many of us are use to… we will be forsaking our vision and values.
The answer will we worship every Sunday is delayed. It is a question we will struggle with later. But for now we are so excited to see roots begin to grow in this community.