Notes from Meeting on 25 Sept.
Features of The Journey
· Expose People to the Gospel – intentionality
· Non-traditional approach
· Cultural awareness – relevant
· Community in proximity – attractive to others
· Encouragement / refocus / building each other up
· Public Visibility in our commitment to Jesus / God’s Word
· Starting with existing networks + connecting our networks
· Oriented towards serving others – through these networks
· Prayer focus a priority
· Fun factor important
The Journey
- a local expression of “church”
- where we live out and share the life of Christ in a local context
- where we share the message and invite people into a deeper relationship with Christ
Identifying the communities and networks that we’re already in ... and live out our Christian faith in these …
“An open community of people from various backgrounds and traditions who want to help and encourage each other to know and follow Jesus; loving and serving God together in our day-to-day lives, [locally and beyond] and encouraging everyone we know to share in that life..”
A verse that gave us reassurance was Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
26 September, 2005
24 September, 2005
Agenda for The Journey planning meeting - Sunday 25 September 2005
• Worship & Singing & Communion ...
• Agenda Harmony Issues - Are we on the same page? Where do our passions and desires overlap? Where is there common visionary ground?
• Mission and Vision [produce a statement for either or both of these on the day?]
• Creating an identity for The Journey. What identity do we want to create/project? Web-based, interpersonal, geographical, other?
• Practical Issues:
- What about Thursday small group and Sunday get-together? Objectives of these? Someplace for newcomers?
- Youth
- A base/office/place for CS
- Finance issues: funding / tithing / bank account
- Serving Blackrock
• Worship & Singing & Communion ...
• Agenda Harmony Issues - Are we on the same page? Where do our passions and desires overlap? Where is there common visionary ground?
• Mission and Vision [produce a statement for either or both of these on the day?]
• Creating an identity for The Journey. What identity do we want to create/project? Web-based, interpersonal, geographical, other?
• Practical Issues:
- What about Thursday small group and Sunday get-together? Objectives of these? Someplace for newcomers?
- Youth
- A base/office/place for CS
- Finance issues: funding / tithing / bank account
- Serving Blackrock
19 September, 2005
Fasting on Thursday
We have planned a day of prayer and fasting next Thursday, 22 Sept. Participation in the day is completely voluntary: please fast in whatever way is appropriate for you that day. Our small group will meet in the evening, at our place, to break our fast together (Marilyn and Karen have offered to make some soup) and share the evening. After soup, the evening's agenda will be to hear from each person regarding what God has said - or what leading He has given - during the day. It will also be a "heart-check" evening, and Cormac MacF has suggested we use the head/hands/heart pattern to give some direction to our sharing. Please give this some thought before the evening and ask yourself what is going on in your own head (thoughts and ruminations) hands (activities and doing-based) and heart (feelings, passions, desires, disappointments, etc) and how God might be involved in any of these areas.
We brainstormed a list of things last night to aid us as we go through the day of the 22nd. Print out the list, keep it near you on the day and see if any of these ideas will help you as you seek the Lord:
__________________
Be sure to spend some time listening to God - don't merely talk at Him all day! Isa 50.4, Hab 2.1
Ask God to use our Journey Day, Sunday 25 September, to direct us as a group and to give clear leading.
Spend some time worshipping the Lord for who He is ... for his character. Here are some verses or passages which may get you started as you reflect on the character of God:
I John 4.8
John 4.24
Psalm 18
Psalm 62.5-8
Psalm 63
Isaiah 45
Isaiah 53
Ask God what His plan is for the Journey, for His kingdom in the south side of Dublin,and ask Him how you can best participate in His plan [as opposed to coming up with a bunch of good ideas and asking God to bless them].
Why not spend some time praying for each individual participating in the fast, and for the children of those involved? How might God want you to bless/affirm/encourage any of these people? Pray also for a couple of people in your sphere of influence who do not yet know Christ. Ask God to work supernaturally in the hearts and lives of these people!
Expect supernatural things from God - He is the creator, the King of all supernatural things and He longs to work in and around us in a way that glorifies Himself / shows His power. Do not limit your own expectations of God! It was Hudson Taylor who said 'Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God.'
We have planned a day of prayer and fasting next Thursday, 22 Sept. Participation in the day is completely voluntary: please fast in whatever way is appropriate for you that day. Our small group will meet in the evening, at our place, to break our fast together (Marilyn and Karen have offered to make some soup) and share the evening. After soup, the evening's agenda will be to hear from each person regarding what God has said - or what leading He has given - during the day. It will also be a "heart-check" evening, and Cormac MacF has suggested we use the head/hands/heart pattern to give some direction to our sharing. Please give this some thought before the evening and ask yourself what is going on in your own head (thoughts and ruminations) hands (activities and doing-based) and heart (feelings, passions, desires, disappointments, etc) and how God might be involved in any of these areas.
We brainstormed a list of things last night to aid us as we go through the day of the 22nd. Print out the list, keep it near you on the day and see if any of these ideas will help you as you seek the Lord:
__________________
Be sure to spend some time listening to God - don't merely talk at Him all day! Isa 50.4, Hab 2.1
Ask God to use our Journey Day, Sunday 25 September, to direct us as a group and to give clear leading.
Spend some time worshipping the Lord for who He is ... for his character. Here are some verses or passages which may get you started as you reflect on the character of God:
I John 4.8
John 4.24
Psalm 18
Psalm 62.5-8
Psalm 63
Isaiah 45
Isaiah 53
Ask God what His plan is for the Journey, for His kingdom in the south side of Dublin,and ask Him how you can best participate in His plan [as opposed to coming up with a bunch of good ideas and asking God to bless them].
Why not spend some time praying for each individual participating in the fast, and for the children of those involved? How might God want you to bless/affirm/encourage any of these people? Pray also for a couple of people in your sphere of influence who do not yet know Christ. Ask God to work supernaturally in the hearts and lives of these people!
Expect supernatural things from God - He is the creator, the King of all supernatural things and He longs to work in and around us in a way that glorifies Himself / shows His power. Do not limit your own expectations of God! It was Hudson Taylor who said 'Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God.'
17 September, 2005
The Journey On-Line
Cormac and I (Matt) have been throwing around the idea of having a blog for The Journey and as you can tell from the existence of this post, we decided to go for it. But, "why bother?" you might find yourself asking. After all, it's not as if there are so many people in our community that we need a website type thing to keep in touch, right? True, but this isn't a website, it's a blog. A blog is kind of like an online journal in that it is dynamic; it is constantly updated with new posts. The posts on The Journey blog will be put there by none other than us. But again you ask why bother?
I was visiting one of my favorite blogs the other day (Tall Skinny Kiwi) and came across a post that addresses this very question. Why do we blog? Here are ten reasons to blog/have a blog for the Journey:
1. Praise - Many of us are in daily contact with each other but some of us are not. A blog gives us a place to publicly acknowledge God's grace in our lives.
2. Accountability - By posting our ideas we become accountable to each other and to the public (Eph. 5: 21 "Submit yourselves to one another").
3. Vulnerability - By blogging we are creating a community of openness, sharing what is on our hearts and asking others to engage with those ideas.
4, Giving - What we have is not ours to keep but Gods and this includes our thoughts and words of encouragement. A blog provides a place for us to give.
5. Creativity - There is a creative element in blogging.
6. Repentance - Any time we are convinced something we've posted is/was mistaken there is the ability to acknowledge this, change our mind and do so in a public manner.
7. Fellowship - It facilitates fellowship with each other, and fellowship with other churches growing in similar situations all around the world.
8. Evangelism - "Can I get a witness!?!" By blogging we are putting our stories and the story of The Journey down as a witness to God at work in Dublin, Ireland
9. Integrity - What we blog should actually match the way we live.
10. Posterity - There is a history here. In years down the road when we talk about the good old days, like meeting in Karl & Marilyn’s home, we can have a record of that.
Comment below on what you think.
Matt
Cormac and I (Matt) have been throwing around the idea of having a blog for The Journey and as you can tell from the existence of this post, we decided to go for it. But, "why bother?" you might find yourself asking. After all, it's not as if there are so many people in our community that we need a website type thing to keep in touch, right? True, but this isn't a website, it's a blog. A blog is kind of like an online journal in that it is dynamic; it is constantly updated with new posts. The posts on The Journey blog will be put there by none other than us. But again you ask why bother?
I was visiting one of my favorite blogs the other day (Tall Skinny Kiwi) and came across a post that addresses this very question. Why do we blog? Here are ten reasons to blog/have a blog for the Journey:
1. Praise - Many of us are in daily contact with each other but some of us are not. A blog gives us a place to publicly acknowledge God's grace in our lives.
2. Accountability - By posting our ideas we become accountable to each other and to the public (Eph. 5: 21 "Submit yourselves to one another").
3. Vulnerability - By blogging we are creating a community of openness, sharing what is on our hearts and asking others to engage with those ideas.
4, Giving - What we have is not ours to keep but Gods and this includes our thoughts and words of encouragement. A blog provides a place for us to give.
5. Creativity - There is a creative element in blogging.
6. Repentance - Any time we are convinced something we've posted is/was mistaken there is the ability to acknowledge this, change our mind and do so in a public manner.
7. Fellowship - It facilitates fellowship with each other, and fellowship with other churches growing in similar situations all around the world.
8. Evangelism - "Can I get a witness!?!" By blogging we are putting our stories and the story of The Journey down as a witness to God at work in Dublin, Ireland
9. Integrity - What we blog should actually match the way we live.
10. Posterity - There is a history here. In years down the road when we talk about the good old days, like meeting in Karl & Marilyn’s home, we can have a record of that.
Comment below on what you think.
Matt
16 September, 2005
12 September, 2005
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