You have them. I have them. My guess is that each of us has expectations we are unaware of for Hope Community. Part of my role as pastor will be to help this early group of pioneers manage expectations as we do something that most of us have never done before.For example, each day I am asked about where our church building is and what it looks like. This not a bad question, but in some ways it is like talking about curtains and paint before you have discussed what the foundation of your house will be like.
As the early adopters of Hope Community we can and will build the best foundation we know how to build and this has almost nothing to do with an actual facility at this point. Similar to the very first church, we need to be together, eat together, pray together, learn together, worship together, dream together and serve
together. If we start doing this…we will be the church regardless of where we meet.
Our Sunday evening meetings will not look like a typical worship service for at least 4 months or so. As we gather, I will teach from scripture and host an open dialogue about the text and how it will shape us as a community. It is important that we continue to pray as a community and I find it important that we eat as a community as well! (FYI- food is a reoccurring topic with me.)
In short, being part of a church plant and switching from one established church to another are very different things. I can promise you that starting a church will be faith stretching, exciting andrisky. My good friend Jim always says that some Christians simply like to sit, soak and sour. Like a sponge, we have a tendency to soak in all the good information but are hesitant about being wrung out for the sake of Christ. Our prayer and hope is that we are constantly soaking in the truth of Jesus Christ and being wrung out for his glory in our community, homes and places of work. Amen?
Can’t wait to be with you all soon!
Nate
