So in my last post I tried to explain a bit about what's beginning to take place in the infancy of this movement in Cleveland Heights. Before I continue (which I promise to try to do in this here entry), I want to pull back a bit and hit some higher-level stuff.
As I've mentioned before, we are starting a multiplication-minded missional community in Cleveland Heights in partnership with [RE]new Communities in Berea, OH. Renew is a group of folks starting down this same path, who have offered us all the help and support they can from 50 minutes drive away (or longer if the Bagley road construction project is in a particularly frustrating moment). Their lead pastor, and our good friend, Andy Sikora hopes that the Renewal he's plotting for Berea can take root all across Northeast Ohio, and we're determined to help see that it does.
So we love in three dimensions.
The curriculum (our Sheffield friends half-jokingly called it our catechism) we're using as tools for refining this process is called LifeShapes. And while all of them are important, almost none of them are worth just teaching to you. Without their immediate application, it's just a silly set of shapes and another hair-brained idea for doing ministry differently. We need to see them in action, and the triangle is the easiest one to see.
The triangle has three sides, representing the three ways that we as Christians must express love and orient our lives. Up-towards God, Out-towards the World, and In-towards our church community. We will argue again and again that all three are equally important, and lacking any of them is going to lead to an unhealthy church. (Just ask the country club down the street with the cross no one mentions on the roof, or the Jesus Theater next to that one with the GREAT preacher and a congregation of folks who've never met each other).
So in starting our missional community, we need to focus first on developing this rhythm of up, out, and in. Love God, Meet People, Live Life Better (as St. Thom's Sheffield-Crookes, puts it).
To that end, we're going to work with our cell group of 6-14 to start developing a rhythm of up and in. We're going to go through the Tangible Kingdom Primer together, we're going to do bible study together, and we're going to do all of the intentional fellowship we can muster together. This will get everyone involved on board with this new church culture (well, OLD... but different) and let us get to know one another.
As soon as we're comfortable with each other, and these principles, we're going to start intentionally adding the "OUT" piece and begin working to bring new people into the MC.
So what about the "out" piece while you guys are getting all chummy with one another?
We've got an answer for that, too. One of our first orders of business ASIDE from this early MC/Cell work, is going to be to gather some of our friends who've shown support or interest in what we're doing, and want to know a bit more, and going through the Alpha Course with them.
Alpha is basically a Jesus 101 course, and it's a great way to address questions and start conversations. So in the coming weeks, expect to see more on Alpha.
Up next (a post that may not be today, but hopefully will be) I want to get into our plans for after this first MC is up and running. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
What's Going On?
Hey everyone,
First and formost let me apologize for this extended period of radio silence. We've been busy, sure, but there's actually no real good excuse. On the upside, the lack of posts on the blog do not in any way reflect a lack of movement on the front of our planting/gathering process. Allow me now to explain what we're up to.
As most of you know, Melissa and I attended Pilgrimage 2011. The "visitor's week" and conference held by (and at) St. Thomas' Anglican/Baptist Church in Sheffield, England. St. Thom's is largely responsible for pioneering the "Network of Mid-Sized Missional Communities" style of church, through the hard work of their people, their staff, and their leaders past and present including Mike Breen, Mick Woodhead, Paul Maconochie and others.
I've written a lot about what a Missional Community is, and I'll surely do quite a bit more, but what's important to take away from what I've written is that we see the MC as the primary expression of church. If church is the body, then the truest way to express the body is living together as Christ lived. Christ, it should be noted, lived in more ways than simply attending temple... and so we see Sunday Gatherings (not referred to as services here, btw) as AN important element of church life, but not the only or the primary element. This is perhaps different than the more commonly recognized model of doing church in America. An hour a week, Sunday morning.
These missional communities are groups of 25-50 people held together by a unifying missional vision. You join up, you stay, and you have fellowship together because you are together acting as missionaries towards a specific people group, or geographic location. This mission is engaging, and the work is worth doing, and so even folks who don't believe in Jesus may come along side us for the sake of seeing our goals realized. Good for them, and what a great opportunity for us to talk to them about why we're doing what we're doing.
So, the first missional community in Cleveland Heights is starting... well, now! Melissa and I have been meeting with friends as often as we can manage, and we're looking to get together a base of 6-14 people who have an understanding of the gospel and want to get on board this method of doing church. We'll spend some time together in Bible study, to see how all of these principles we're using are actually found in places like Acts, and we'll work on developing a discipling culture together. As soon as we feel like we've all started to get a sense of things, though, we're throwing the doors open.
Contact me if you'd be interested in getting involved in this first cell group. In my next post I'll elaborate some on what's next.
God Bless.
First and formost let me apologize for this extended period of radio silence. We've been busy, sure, but there's actually no real good excuse. On the upside, the lack of posts on the blog do not in any way reflect a lack of movement on the front of our planting/gathering process. Allow me now to explain what we're up to.
As most of you know, Melissa and I attended Pilgrimage 2011. The "visitor's week" and conference held by (and at) St. Thomas' Anglican/Baptist Church in Sheffield, England. St. Thom's is largely responsible for pioneering the "Network of Mid-Sized Missional Communities" style of church, through the hard work of their people, their staff, and their leaders past and present including Mike Breen, Mick Woodhead, Paul Maconochie and others.
I've written a lot about what a Missional Community is, and I'll surely do quite a bit more, but what's important to take away from what I've written is that we see the MC as the primary expression of church. If church is the body, then the truest way to express the body is living together as Christ lived. Christ, it should be noted, lived in more ways than simply attending temple... and so we see Sunday Gatherings (not referred to as services here, btw) as AN important element of church life, but not the only or the primary element. This is perhaps different than the more commonly recognized model of doing church in America. An hour a week, Sunday morning.
These missional communities are groups of 25-50 people held together by a unifying missional vision. You join up, you stay, and you have fellowship together because you are together acting as missionaries towards a specific people group, or geographic location. This mission is engaging, and the work is worth doing, and so even folks who don't believe in Jesus may come along side us for the sake of seeing our goals realized. Good for them, and what a great opportunity for us to talk to them about why we're doing what we're doing.
So, the first missional community in Cleveland Heights is starting... well, now! Melissa and I have been meeting with friends as often as we can manage, and we're looking to get together a base of 6-14 people who have an understanding of the gospel and want to get on board this method of doing church. We'll spend some time together in Bible study, to see how all of these principles we're using are actually found in places like Acts, and we'll work on developing a discipling culture together. As soon as we feel like we've all started to get a sense of things, though, we're throwing the doors open.
Contact me if you'd be interested in getting involved in this first cell group. In my next post I'll elaborate some on what's next.
God Bless.
Watch This
Here's a video from Soma Communities in Tacoma, Washington. Watch this and feel free to leave me a comment about why you wouldn't like to live like this. You'd have to be crazy...
Soma Communities - Tacoma, WA from Verge Network on Vimeo.
Soma Communities - Tacoma, WA from Verge Network on Vimeo.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Defining Missional Communities
Since we've decided to officially partner with Renew Communities in the launching of our Missional Community here in Cleveland Heights, I thought it'd be a good idea to share the definition of an MC as stated on their website. If it sounds a lot like the kind of thing I've been talking about, that's because it IS the same thing.
Missional Communities:
A Missional Community consists of a committed core of believers who live out the mission of God together in a specific area or to a particular people group by demonstrating the gospel in tangible forms and declaring the gospel to others— both those who believe it and those who are being exposed to it.
To clarify, a Missional Community is NOT primarily a small group, Bible study, support group, social activist group, or weekly meeting.
Our hope is that every person who is committed to the Renew family and mission will be fully involved in a missional community and eventually the missional communities in a region will multiply and together form a new expression of Renew Communities.
Defining Characteristics of a Missional Community
- Is a group of between 10-25 people
- Is unashamed about following Christ, in values and in vision
- While you don’t have to be a Christ Follower to belong to an MC, MC’s center on Jesus, helping people become and then grow as disciples
- Has a defining focus on reaching a particular neighborhood or a particular people group
- Takes place in community and often revolves around shared times of food and fun
- Has a healthy balance of UP, IN, and OUT
- Conducts worship, prayer, and Scripture reading as core practices
- Looks outwards through a mixture of service and verbal witness.
- Has a common mission focus that is the key glue for the shared sense of togetherness
- Gathers informally throughout the week, not just at formal meetings
- Has leaders who receive ongoing help, coaching and accountability
- Has leaders who do not do everything – they facilitate and release others to serve and lead.
The Missional Church ...simple [VIDEO]
Here's a video, which was shown at the [RE]new Communities launch this morning.
It sums up a lot of what I've been talking about in 2 minutes.
It sums up a lot of what I've been talking about in 2 minutes.
What needs renewal?
This morning Melissa and I attended the Official Launch of Renew Communities down in Berea. We are going to be partnering with Renew Communities in the launching of a missional community here in Cleveland Heights.
The big question for the day was "What can you think of that is in need of renewal?"
What places, businesses, relationships, people, schools, situations, etc. are in need of renewal?
Much as Andy did in setting out to launch Renew Communities in Berea, I ran the numbers for our area:
Population
Cleveland Heights: 47,097
S. Euclid: 23,537
Lyndhurst: 15,279
University Heights: 12,571
That's 98,484 people.
60% of them, some 59,090 people, are not receptive to the current model of church.
What does it look like to bring renewal to these people? What does it look like to show the transformational power of the gospel to these nearly sixty-thousand people?
Let's work that out.
Join us this fall for the launch of our MC, and contact me IMMEDIATELY if you'd like to be involved.
The big question for the day was "What can you think of that is in need of renewal?"
What places, businesses, relationships, people, schools, situations, etc. are in need of renewal?
Much as Andy did in setting out to launch Renew Communities in Berea, I ran the numbers for our area:
Population
Cleveland Heights: 47,097
S. Euclid: 23,537
Lyndhurst: 15,279
University Heights: 12,571
That's 98,484 people.
60% of them, some 59,090 people, are not receptive to the current model of church.
What does it look like to bring renewal to these people? What does it look like to show the transformational power of the gospel to these nearly sixty-thousand people?
Let's work that out.
Join us this fall for the launch of our MC, and contact me IMMEDIATELY if you'd like to be involved.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sheffield 2011 (Boilerplate edition)
Dear Friends,
We are writing to you with near overwhelming excitement about an opportunity that we have to participate in an experience that will change our lives and help shape our approach to ministry.
Melissa and I have developed a heart for our local community of Cleveland Heights and intend to start an Christ-oriented missional community here. We hope to see God's Kingdom move in this city in new ways and touch the hearts of the many young adults we've met who may not know Christ. To this end we are looking to expand our horizons regarding what we think a church could look like in a city like ours.
We have been invited by Church Doctor Ministries to participate in the Pilgrimage Gathering at the St Thomas Church, Sheffield, UK June 1 – 9, 2011. This is an immersion experience unlike any other. It is an opportunity to encounter God, be immersed in the life of the pilgrimage center in Sheffield, evaluate the ministry taking place there, and apply the learning here in North America. The program will combine worship, teaching, processing, outreach, and practical mission application in ministry.
Participating in this experience will equip us to help other pastors, ministry leaders, and churches discover how to best live out the mission of making disciples and reaching more people for Jesus Christ. We are living in challenging times and there is not a better time than right now to equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission.
An important ministry endeavor like this is never done alone and not without the support of friends and family that share in a passion for a transformed and renewed church in America. Please consider this my personal invitation to you to join the “Heffelfinger Support Team.”
We are putting this team together to not only help with some of the costs of this immersion experience but to also become a part of a special prayer team. This prayer team will not only pray for us during the time we are traveling and attending the Pilgrimage Gathering but also pray that God, through this experience, will use us to help bring about revival and transformation in both our lives and yours, as well as those we touch.
All members of the support team will be invited over to our home for a gathering after we return from the trip so that we can share our appreciation and the experience with you. Any member wanting to receive email updates from us about the trip can provide their email address and we will add you to a mailing list for updates on how we are using this experience in our ministry work.
The costs associated with attending the Pilgrimage Gathering including, travel, lodging, and fees associated the gathering experience total around $7000 for the two of us. We are personally committing $2000. We are seeking to raise an additional $5000 to cover the remaining costs of the trip. I have made arrangements with Church Doctor Ministries for all contributions to be made directly to them so that they may be considered tax deductible. You will just need to write, “Sheffield – Heffelfinger” in the memo line of your check. Please send any contribution you feel called to give directly to Church Doctor Ministries using the donate button at either of our blogs.
In these tough economic times I know it may be difficult for you to support us financially. Please know you are invited first and foremost to join this team as a prayer partner in ministry – we know God will provide in all other ways for us.
Should you have questions or would like more information please feel free to contact us directly at adamheffelfinger@gmail.com or melissapaoloni@gmail.com .
God bless,
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