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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

This Sunday, October 4th, 2009 is our first group get together! 9am at the Conference Center in the Econolodge in North Menomonie. The coffee will be on and we will begin our unofficial gatherings as Branches Church.

We've been putting together our By-Laws, finances, leadership, and legal paperwork. We've heard from ARC and Robin and I will be attending a church planters basic training and assessment ASAP.

Going through the book 'No Perfect people Allowed' is stretching some of us, but it's up to us to create the DNA of our church culture from the start. If we leave out the intentionality of creating a come as you are culture, the way we do church will fall into what we are all used to - and we'll end up just like everyone else. We want to offer the gospel of Jesus to people right where people are at in life. Everyone has a story, you and I included, and we need to let those stories unfold and identify strategic mile markers where God has been at work in the midst of our daily lives!

So, see you all on Sunday!

Mike

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Growing up Healthy

I was remembering that Jesus taught that unless we become like little children we will not see the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul said, "When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways." So I began pondering the difference between child-like and childish.

To me, child-like holds a connotation to pure, simple, trusting, healthy, whole, safe, ever wondering, ever learning, in awe, protected, inquisitive, relational, and growing. But, childish conjures images of temper tantrums, selfishness, anger, envy, it's all about me, immature, inappropriate, and unhealthy.

I see there are two ways in which we can live for and represent Jesus to those around us - childish or child-like. And everyday each one of us determines which way that flows. We have that same choice to make everyday over and over, every conversation, every disappointment, every phone call, every time we're faced with uncertainty, every time we're cut off on the freeway, every time we're feeling overwhelmed, every time we get it right and every time we get it wrong. I believe the key is to realize we have no more use for childish ways as we intentionally set our life toward growth and maturity in relationship to Christ Himself and His purposes for our lives. But growth and maturity doesn't come easy. There are a lot of life's lessons to be learned out there.

I don't believe we can grow our spiritual lives in a healthy, child-like manner if we are banking on the 'things we do' to get us closer to God. Things like going to church, doing good deeds, holding on to traditions, or our family's heritage. Healthy growth, whether you're a child in a family or a follower of Jesus, comes from whose we are and how we are provided for and the opportunities that are set before us to stimulate and challenge us mentally, physically, and spiritually.

So at Branches Church, we will intentionally set our activities and relationships toward healthy growth. Not from the things we do or how nice we can be, but in realizing who we belong to and that He is for us..." I am sure that God, who began this work in you, will carry it on until it is finished..." - Philippians 1:6. That sounds like maturity to me; where God does the growing in me. I know I can't get over the 'childishness' sometimes and need His guidance and reassurance that I'm on track. His grace and love are sufficient!

Mike

Friday, September 11, 2009

On your mark, get set...

This being the first of many blogs for Branches Church, I have to remember that although we are excited about the vision and plans for the future of our church, we are still lining up to the starting mark. We have much work to do in the next three months. We are praying, talking together, recruiting workers, asking a lot of questions, looking for space to meet and how to use it to our best advantage. We've been working with people who have done this kind of thing before and getting their advice as well as rounding up resources. God bless us, everyone!

The most important thing we can do right now is to immerse ourselves into community with each other and continually reinforce the "come as you are" culture we want to create. As we've discovered, people are keeping church, religion, and ultimately Jesus at arms length, so we want to be prepared to meet them as they are, which can be hard for many of us. We're used to people trying to clean up their act before they come to church. We're used to putting on a "happy face" before we "do" Sunday morning with others. We cannot be offended or afraid of holding each other to the task of being accepting, loving, and nurturing. Jesus spent most of his time with people on the streets (in real life) and He championed them and their desire to be redeemed, made whole, fed, and have their questions answered. We will hold to this same mind that was in Christ.

We've been asking, "Why can't church be different?" It can if we do it like Jesus did. We must be willing to defend the vision for Branches "come as you are" culture with everything we've got. Not just "doing church", but "being the church" is the ultimate expression of Christ in the real world today.

Let's go!
Mike