We Might Be Crazy, But

COMMITMENT: (def.) Something that engages one to do something, a continuing obligation. ~ Webster’s Dictionary

“It is strange that sometimes the church is written off by those who know little or nothing about it. They are not involved in its process or mission. In no other field would we take the word of a bystander as a word of authority and appraisal.” ~ C. Neil Strait

“ The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I must participate.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

“We will never transform the world as individuals.” ~ Julie A. Gorman

“Since community alone will survive from this world into the next, it is ultimately the only thing God is doing today that has eternal significance.” ~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikien

“Jesus Christ, by putting us in his body, determined that we would need each other as much as we need him.” ~ Richard Halverson

“I am learning that the best cure for hypocrisy is community. Hypocrisy is not so much the result of not living what I preach but much more of not confessing my inability to fully live up to my own words.” ~ Henri Nouwen

“We have no right to ask God for more people until we see progress in those He has already given us to equip.” ~ John MacArthur, Jr.

“Because every hunger, when followed to its source, turns out to be a hunger for God, it is vital that we live in a community safe enough for us to express and explore all our desires.” ~ Dr. Larry Crabb

“It is through encounter with others that the self exists.” ~ R. S. Anderson

“The most conspicuous weakness of evangelical Protestant theology has been its lack of understanding and witness to authentic community as the fulfillment of the believer’s personal relation to God.” ~ C. N. Kraus

"Let everyone, therefore, who knows himself to be a Christian be assured of this, and apply it to himself – that we are all priests, and there is no difference between us.” ~ Martin Luther

"In our time it may well be that the greatest single bottleneck to the renewal and outreach of the church is the division of roles between clergy and laity that results in a hesitancy of the clergy to trust the laity with significant responsibility, and in turn a reluctance on the part of the laity to trust themselves as authentic ministers of Christ, either in the church or outside the church." ~ Robert Munger

“When the church becomes worldly and replaces oneness with hierarchy and sanctification with stratification, modern pagans find no reason to trade one form of hell for another.” ~ Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian

“Pastors sometimes say what the itching ears of their congregations want to hear. Prostitutes do whatever their clients desire. There really isn’t much difference.” ~ Dr. Larry Crabb, Psychologist

Welcome to The Meeting House… where you won’t get your ears scratched.

“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” ~ Romans 12:5 (TNIV)

GOSPEL = GOOD NEWS The Gospel is the Good News message that religion is no longer necessary in order to have intimacy with God.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation of everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness from God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” ~ Romans 1:16-17 (TNIV)

“We are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” ~ 2 Corinthians 6:16 (TNIV)

“As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” ~ 1 Peter 2:4-5 (TNIV)

“Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.” ~ Galatians 5:1 (CEV)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:19-20 (TNIV)

“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8 (TNIV)

“One Of These Things Just Doesn’t Belong Here” 1. Committed and involved people. 2. Spiritually seeking people (& family). 3. New and inquisitive visitors. 4. Hurting people in a process of healing. 5. Semi-regular attending inactive space-taking seat warmers. space-taking seat warmers.

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NASB)

The First Reformation… Decentralisation of KNOWLEDGE The Radical Reformation… Decentralisation of AUTHORITY The New Reformation… Decentralisation of MINISTRY

GOD’S PEOPLE… “a royal priesthood” (NIV) “a kingdom of priests” (NLT) ~ 1 Peter 2:5 & 9

IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME!… CLERGY (kleros) = municipal administrators LAITY (laos) = those people they ruled in political power

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” ~ Philippians 2:14-15 (NASB)

DON’T JUST STAND THERE – DO SOMETHING! Set up & Take Down TeamResource Centre Set up & Take Down TeamResource Centre Home Church LeadershipCafé Home Church LeadershipCafé Tape DuplicationCare Team Tape DuplicationCare Team LightingYouth LightingYouth MusicWelcome Desk MusicWelcome Desk Outreach Team Facility Maintenance Outreach Team Facility Maintenance ChildrenAudio ChildrenAudio WebsiteAssisting in Office WebsiteAssisting in Office GreetingVideo GreetingVideo Prayer TeamDrama Prayer TeamDrama UsheringYoung Adults UsheringYoung Adults

We Might Be Crazy, But