I’ve been to a lot of conferences. Enough to have developed some cynicism about their long-term impact on what I do. I can honestly say that the Verge Conference was one of the very best I’ve ever been to. Most likely it was a combination of the content presented and the questions I brought with me. I’m in a different place in my ministry than I have been in years past, so it changed the way I heard what was presented at Verge.
Overall, what I experienced at Verge affirmed the direction the Fulcrum Community is headed. It seems that more and more church leaders are moving away from “church as we know it” and looking for a more relational, sustainable, and enjoyable way of gathering a community of Christ-followers. I heard several mega-church pastors almost lamenting what they’ve helped create as they aren’t sure it’s really increasing the number of disciples in the world. It’s one thing to gather a crowd with a fancy church show and then ask people to volunteer to help keep the show rolling. It’s another thing altogether to make disciples of Christ who see themselves as missionaries with a ministry all their own.
I came away with three big nuggets that are a combination of what I heard at Verge and what we’re learning at Fulcrum. As we continue to clarify our mission and strategy, these may prove to be helpful to us. At the very least, they may help us put some flesh on the ideas of community, outreach, and discipleship.
Essentially, we can accomplish our mission by: throwing parties, doing good in the community, and taking Jesus seriously.
1. Throw Parties: Dinner parties, block parties, special event parties, birthday parties, cookouts, poker nights, and anything else we can think of. Parties create inclusive community, but only when we keep inviting our friends and neighbors to join us. When our parties cease to have outsiders present, it’s over.
2. Do Good in the Community: Beginning with our neighborhoods, we look for opportunities to serve our neighbors. We start small and close. From there, we expand our ministry throughout the city to larger and larger projects.
3. Take Jesus seriously: He’s the point of all this. We listen to him and do what he says. We read his word and let it start messing with us. We invite our friends to the same. We all learn to follow Jesus together.
What would a community of faith look like if it spent most of it’s energy on these three things?
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Yes. I would reverse the order for significance but yes. Even online it was fascinating.
Sounds like a great conference Wade. Funny, I’m part of a focus group in my area studying what a healthy community looks like. Our end goal is to try to reduce the impact of poverty in our area. Seems like if I were to boil your three points down they would be to socialize, serve, and witness. I think you’re spot on.
Wow!! Have I really found it? Have i really found that place which articulates what I’ve been trying to find for the past several weeks/months?
let me introduce myself. I’m Keith. I’ve been in the wilderness for the past several months seeking what ans why God was allowing me to go through this for. (I hope that sentence makes sense to you).
I live in the buckle of the Bible belt. I have grown up in traditional church all of my life and preached in it almost half of my life.
I have known for some time now that God is calling me into this activity of His called “community.” It is still fuzzy, but things are becoming quite clear. I have been called into this as a minister of change.
God has given me passion, desire, humility, and a real kick in the seat of the pants over the past few months. Through pain, humiliation, sin, mistakes, and hurt that I can’t describe, God has prepared me for this work.
Your three points in this blog have begun an articulation process that I can now use to flesh out this journey that has been only a dream so far.
I don’t know where this will take me and my family, but I need to contact you asap to talk about it.
We have a mutual friend in Mark Maybrey. He told me about this site and it really is a God-send for me.
You should have my email address. Please contact me where we can exchange phone numbers.