A healthier lifecycle…

September 8, 2007

A healthier lifecycle of a follower of Jesus might look like this…

- A person is connected to a follower of Jesus in their own environment

- They are relationally engaged in spiritual dialogue and observe what the hope of Christ might look like in another person in their context

- Further Christ-centered community is offered in two possible ways

o The Christ follower can invite more friends in a similar stage to begin the early trials of a house church

o The Christ follower can invite the person to an established house church

- Values of a Christ-following community are experienced – diversity, unity, intimacy, vulnerability, struggle, journey, doubt, support, belonging, etc.

- The house church also serves as a training ground or place of experiment with what it means to become like Christ and live as Christ did

- Everyone is offered assessments on their personal profiles, strengths, gifting, and help guide them to becoming the person God created them to be

- In the larger congregational celebrations people experience how they are part of a larger movement and greater vision

- People are invited to participate in service projects, even mission trips to partner with God in tangible ways

- Through prayer, relationships, different learning communities, and the Spirit of God, a commitment to lifelong following of Christ is made

- People are invited to join the movement by living a life beyond themselves, covenant, be baptized, and are commissioned as missionaries in their contexts during congregational celebrations

- Discipleship and Mission occur simultaneously for a lifetime

o Through community in the house church and being missionaries in the local context

o Through forming new house churches

o Through establishing new regional congregations in new contexts

I’m convinced that five years in our current culture is ample time for just about anyone to be trained as a leader in some capacity. After all, Jesus trained the bumbling disciples in three years.

My hope would be that within five years every individual would be exposed to enough love and grace, teaching, leadership, and service opportunities, in a house/congregational church planting environment that they too could plant a church should they be called to.