I told you a little yesterday about who some of the DeChurched are. I also mentioned that they, along with the UnChurched, are the target group of The Valley church we are planting in Vilonia.
Today I want to share this video of Matt Chandler, the lead teaching pastor at the 'mega church', The Village in Dallas, TX. I hope this explains yet another sect of the UnChurched population in America.
Many of you may be wondering where exactly we plan to "chase" this generation of Christ followers who happen to not regularly attend a Sunday service somewhere. You may be disappointed but our goal is not to chase them back into a building to take part in a boring weekend hobby. Our plan is to chase them back to the heart of Jesus.
- For some that means introducing them to the real Jesus of the bible as opposed to what some churches have portrayed Him as, a tradition or moral to uphold
- For others that may mean we provide them with a freeing space to worship together with the the family they have in Christ.
- For yet others, it may mean showing them God's heart for serving and sharing this amazing love story as it unfolds all around them.
We want to be the arms of Jesus reaching out to a group that needs solid biblical teaching, strong fellowship among other Christ-followers, an example of authentic gospel driven lifestyle to mimic. Ultimately, this model will mobilizes this generation to reach the world for the name of Jesus like we're called and long to do.
We will not be a building. We will not be a location. We will not be a service. We will not be an organization.
We will become the body of Christ in order to bring honor to His name and accomplish His will.
!["This customizable modern script wall name is popular for the mudroom, nursery, bedroom walls, and front door wreaths. The wooden wall name is precision cut with a laser for smooth edges and sanded clean before shipping. Ready to paint bedroom wall names have a dark edge that can be finished in the color of your choice. *MATERIAL: Baltic Birch Plywood *FONT: Fourth Bold *THICKNESS: 1/4\" inch *WIDTH: You choose from 12\" to 55\" inches long *Unfinished wood comes ready to paint or stain *Custom](http://i.pinimg.com/236x/ae/77/7b/ae777b6c6cd03a7f4948effe86749f77.jpg "\"This customizable modern script wall name is popular for the mudroom, nursery, bedroom walls, and front door wreaths. The wooden wall name is precision cut with a laser for smooth edges and sanded clean before shipping. Ready to paint bedroom wall names have a dark edge that can be finished in the color of your choice. *MATERIAL: Baltic Birch Plywood *FONT: Fourth Bold *THICKNESS: 1/4\\" inch *WIDTH: You choose from 12\\" to 55\\" inches long *Unfinished wood comes ready to paint or stain *Custom")
I love this. I wish I could sit and have coffee with you. I have the same heart and passion, but no idea where to go with. God has stirred my heart, but the vision has not yet fully come – just bits and pieces. You see, I am the unchurched. We’ve returned, but I’m still not into it yet. I love the people, but the institutionalization of it all still pricks at me. I love what you are doing and am praying for you. I am eagerly waiting for more!
I would LOVE to sit and chat but I like my caffeine cold ;o) We could totally find a place that had DP & Coffee! hehe Btw: what part of the states are you in? {tried to stalk your blog but couldn’t find it}
Sadly, it is really hard finding a large group of people with this same heart/passion. I feel like we are still learning how to flesh out what God is calling us to do. We don’t want to bash existing churches {which I’m some times not as guarded as I should be about doing} but help catch those they’re missing. There are lots of churches with tons of traditions who are still preaching the real gospel but enjoy the routine and meaning behind certain elements of services or how things have always been done. We’ve been in or around churches though, that are steeped in tradition and hold those higher than the souls around them. They become two different people, who they are in church an then who they are everywhere else. I believe that’s a product of religion.
Thank you so much for the prayer and I too am eagerly waiting more! It’s still shocking a lot of days that God’s allowing me to take part in such a fun adventure!!!
Sorry these responses keep getting longer and longer. I’m so excited to share with someone like-minded.