Read this ten times, and put it on your wall. I think of what we expereinced and what others have shared it is very important stuff. Take your time do not hasten it. Your own relationship with Christ is still the most important one. Love in Christ Christo --- Rick Carr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > James, I was out of town a couple of days, and am > getting caught up on e- > mail. A belated welcome to you. Brief intro: I'm > 47, married, 4 > children, 3 grandchildren. "Felt called to the > ministry" as a teen. Life > took some different turns than what I anticipated. > I'm a full time > professional photographer. Desire to just BE a > Christian right here in the > community in which God planted me. > > Re: your questions: > > what if I decide that I'm interested in > home-churching? > > Would it be alright to simply "start one up"...? > > Seek the Lord. Ask Him. Listen. Do what He says. > > Assuming you do that, there are all kinds of > different things He may show > you. There is no set way of doing HC (home church). > God will work with > you and the people you meet with and your different > personalities to reach > the people through you whom He desires to reach in > whatever unique ways He > needs to to accomplish His will. I'll throw out > some tho'ts, not presuming > to know where you're coming from, but just speaking > to how many of us have > approached and experienced "starting" an HC. > > Lee's suggestion to do it around food, is a good > one. The early church > often shared meals together. It's a good pattern to > follow. People tend > to come together easily around a meal. > > Chances are good, that if you "simply 'start one > up'" it may not turn out > at all like you expect. "If you build it they will > come" doesn't always > work. God may want to take some time to teach you > some things first. You > may not find others who are really interested. If > you do, you may discover > there is a prolonged period where the group doesn't > "do anything." (At > least not anything that looks like ministry). But > sometimes God wants to > get rid of our baggage before He ministers outwardly > through us. Some > groups take months or even a few years to build the > relationships within > the group that will let love flow between the > members in ways that "all men > will see and know you're my disciples." Sometimes, > some of the group > members have hurts that need to be healed, and the > ministry of the group is > focused "inward" for a season. > > Chances are also good, that when you start meeting > with believers who've > never known anything but the institutional church > (IC), you'll find out you > (plural) don't know *how* to just BE Christians > simply, practically, day by > day without any programs or events to engineer the > Christian life for you. > > These are common experiences among HCs. Then again, > God may have you and > the folks you meet with in just the right spot to > begin immediately seeing > lost people saved, Christians equipped to do the > work of the ministry, > etc., and see immediate growth. > > But, you see, there's the rub. Growth isn't just > about numbers. That's IC > thinking. God may not want to increase the number > of baby Christians in > your group, until He's *grown* the members who are > already there. Growth > may be "immediate," but may not be what you expect. > > Rick C. > Col.2:6 > Newcastle, OK > www.rickcarrphotography.com > > ===== Soli Deo Gloria Aan God Al Die Eer To God Be The Glory __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/
