Creating sustainable and stable communities
The recent UE associates email update included the following from the annual teams day last month
"I also wondered whether it is possible ever to create sustainable and stable communities from people who are themselves so very unstable. If we are really caring for the flotsam and jetsam of life it is unlikely that we will be able to build anything very durable from them. Perhaps we need to begin to think beyond the notion of building durable congregations and be prepared simply to bless the community."
This struck me. Can God, through the gospel, stabilise "people who are themselves so very unstable"? I think I have to believe that He can - but experience seems to suggest that He does so rarely, or perhaps we evangelize and disciple badly.
I recall a church planter on the continent saying that he wanted to focus initially on evangelising and discipling stable men, because they would be a good foundation for a church. He added that if he focussed on "the sick and the sad" any church that emerged would end up being drained of resources coping solely with - as the above contributor said - "the flotsam and jetsam of life".
What do people think - of both points?
Creating sustainable and stable communities
I know it is practical to have a number of people who are more givers than receivers - that is why UE planting teams are recruited carefully - but I would question whether it is rather patronising and limiting of God's transforming love to assume that the flotsam and jetsam of life cannot be the basis of church. After all, of Jesus' twelve disciples, Judas was the only rounded character! (All right, I know that is an exaggeration ... but not so very much of an exaggeration!). Some of the people with learning difficulties in our church in Wolverhampton are also some of the most spiritually aware. If we want to build middle class churches of nice, normal people then we should focus on the suburbs and forget about Jesus' preferential option for the poor (but having said that I know some very mixed up middle class people in positions of great influence in business, who would ultimately wreck a nice, middle class church). But we would be abandoning the gospel of the kingdom to do so. History suggests that the revivals were among the poor and disenfranchised and that the river of God flows downhill, to fill the low places. If I have a choice, I would prefer to be in the river ... even if that means a messy church of messed up people on the way to being made whole, and even if it means redefining what we mean by 'discipling' or 'whole'.
Creating sustainable and stable communities
"If we are really caring for the flotsam and jetsam of life it is unlikely that we will be able to build anything very durable from them." Is it just me or is one of the most condesending remarks ever made about Gods people?What a load of arrogant tosh .So people who have struggles in life are incapable of achieving anything?People with messy lifes cant see or hear God?People who make mistakes can never change? This guy must be reading a different bible form me.God has always chosen people based on there hearts not the fact that they had it altogether .Look at any one of a number of examples from scripture,come along to my church and you will see the real gospel. I have to say im sick of this condesending crap coming down to us flotsam and jetsam and if thats all there is to offer then then we dont want or need it. Secondly if im not mistaken Peter and his mates seemed like a good enough foundation for Jesus.So if its good enough for him its good enough for me.Let me be clear I dont know the source of these comments but as far as im concerned they come form a place that still sees Us and Them.We know how to do it and they dont we have it all together they dont have a clue.Who decided this? IM Sick AND TIRED of being told people at the so called bottom of the scale cant do anything without those in the middle telling us or showing us what to do.So maybe its time we told everybody from middle land to shuffle of back to there small minded cave and we can get on with it on our own. For years I looked to people who spouted this kind of rubbish for help .I have come to a place now where I know most of it is just chatter and I dont need that kind of help.What I need is to listen to those around "the flotsam and jetsam" of this world and hear the reason why they wouldnt go near one of our so called churchs in hundred years.After all would you go somewhere and listen to people being so rude about you every week. Lastly,maybe we are so bad at making disciples because its not disciples were trying to make.These comments tell me its not disciples these people want its clones.