by Nathan Dennis on February 5, 2010
Shift: From “a” happening to happening
Ok so this might seem like an odd shift, but think about it for a minute ..
I grew up in pentecostal/charismatic church environments. I’m proud of the heritage that I have and the things I was taught and experienced. But one of the things that we were always doing was waiting for something to “happen”.
A great service, a great message, a great move of the Holy Spirit, etc .. something to “happen”. We prayed for a happening, we looked for a happening, we sang about happenings, and sometimes we even tried to help a happening ..
The point is this .. after Acts 2 we don’t see the early church looking for “a happening” instead we see them “happening”. Their expectation was not in something showing up or happening .. THEY were the ones showing up and happening ..
Too often we are looking for something to “tip us off” that it’s ok to move forward … that’s the timing is right .. that it’s our moment …
In light of everything the New Testament teaches us about believers and the church .. we really aren’t supposed to be looking for anything to happen other than the coming of Christ .. rather we are supposed to be looking for a place to “happen”.
The Gospel of Mark tells us that “signs and wonders” follow believers .. not the other way around. Yet today we still see believers chasing down “movements and ministries” to see what is “happening”.
What I believe needs to “happen” is individual believers getting motivated to “Go into all the World!” and “happen”
Where is the church? You are the Church … We are the Church!
uChurch: out of the building, into the world!
by Nathan Dennis on February 4, 2010
Shift: to change the place,
position, or direction of
Shift: From the Building to Being
Too often when we think “church” we think about a gathering of people or more specifically the building where we gather. I’m sure that most of us would agree that “the building is not the church” ..
Yet I am amazed out how “stuck” in the building our ministries continue to be. The vast majority of our “programs” and “efforts” continues to be centered around a building or a gathering ..
One of the biggest shifts we need to make is in regards to this “building” mentality. We need to shift from “building” to “being”.
Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own – 1 Cor. 6:18 (Amplified)
The mission of the church would be more effectively accomplished if we started to think of us “being” the church! As a young boy growing up in a pentecostal church it was common to use phrases like, “We sure had church today!”, “That was good church”, and my favorite “Get up kids today is church”.
Maybe we are still too busy going to church and having church rather just “being” the church! The scope of what God desires to do can never be contained in a single building .. no matter how big, how beautiful, how expansive that building might be ..
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all‑surpassing power is from God and not from us. – 2 Cor. 4:7
Where is the church? You are the Church! We are the Church!
uChurch: out of the building .. into the world!