The Freeway Is Becoming Institution-y
Monday, March 19, 2007
I am becoming more and more aware [and concerned] that our community has to work really hard to be missional and not just become institution-y these days.
What I mean is, when we first began it was much easier to remain organic, non-hierarchical, Kingdom-focused, big on community, and natural. But it becomes increasingly difficult the longer we've been around, the more people we gain, and the more projects we undertake.
Some observations about what I see as signs that we may be losing a bit of our loose, organic, movement vibe:
What I mean is, when we first began it was much easier to remain organic, non-hierarchical, Kingdom-focused, big on community, and natural. But it becomes increasingly difficult the longer we've been around, the more people we gain, and the more projects we undertake.
Some observations about what I see as signs that we may be losing a bit of our loose, organic, movement vibe:
- Cliques - They have existed within the community for some time, but they are becoming increasingly divided. There are pockets of friendships... which is great... but there is also dividing lines drawn as to who is "in" and who isn't. We will need to make conscious, intentional moves to embrace more people into our networks / friendships if The Freeway is to remain a missional presence in this neck of the woods. Suggestions: 1) Hang out with and be generously hospitable to those on the fringe of the community, and those who you wouldn't normally associate with. It takes a big effort, but it is super-duper-important. There are lonely people in our community who need to be embraced. 2) Be present more. And I am not talking about church services here either. I am talking about making more of an effort to be involved in people's lives. Pick up the phone. Drop by. Send an e-mail. Hang out at the coffee house... whatever it takes, but be involved. 3) Consider being involved in our guiding / coaching / mentoring initiative... or adding another person to your network if you are already involved. Intentionally investing in someone as a spiritual friend will change you... and us as a community. I can't say it any stronger: if you're not involved at present, you should seriously consider being involved. 4) Move. Live closer. You will be part of deeper community partially by proximity. Seriously, if you could walk to someone's house, you would see them far more and be able to inspire each other to live the lives that God intends for us. It's really not rocket science. If we are serious about this community, this neighbourhood, then more of us need to live here.
- Strategy - We are beginning to have to be more strategic in our planning and development as a community. We can "fly by the seat of our pants" less and less. That sucks. It sucks because that's where we have pretty much always existed as a community... not planning months and months ahead, just living and going with the flow as we follow Jesus. And while I do think we do need to formulate some ways of reaching community goals and continuing to foster a learning environment that will work better for us as a community at this point, I am concerned that we don't lose our "fly by the seat of our pants" way of life. We will need to remind each other of this along the way. We will need to stop along the path we are journeying on and smell the flowers, watch the sunset, and have play fights and parties now and then.
- Complacency - We don't seem to have the same passion for Jesus or each other that we once had. It seems like we are often "getting by". Not cool. The Freeway was a community built on the idea that we didn't want to sit around and consume Christianity anymore. We wanted to do something. We wanted to get involved. We wanted to shake things up. We wanted to be part of the revolution of the Kingdom. We can't become complacent. We can't sit around on our arse's getting fat on our cozy leather couches. We can't "attend church" week after week and leave the same. We have to be about the Kingdom... and we have to inspire each other in the same.
Labels: community, leadership, the freeway, writing
11:15 AM
My church went through something of an identity crisis two years ago. Ten years ago it was packed twice on Sundays. But as the Dutch people left the city the crowds thinned to the point where our sanctuary which seats about 700 had about 200 on Sunday mornings and even less during the evenings.
The church is located in Rexdale, which is hardly the Dutch Ghetto it was 50 years ago. Most of the people surrounding the church are Carribean, African and East Indian. Needless to say the church felt inadaquate to reach out to the people of our community and didn't know where to start. Everyone knew that statistically speaking churches like ours just don't grow these days. Nonetheless we decided to change nothing about how do do things in church. Nothing except hospitality. We decided to open our homes to newcomers and to each other. We told the theology geeks (myself included) to stop quizzing guests concerning their knowledge of and adhereance to the Reformed Confessions. We asked our members to ask people they've never met if they'd like to join them in their homes for lunch.
The church as a result is growing. While people aren't busting down the door to get in it seems like almost everyone who comes, comes again and again until they join and stay. However when asked why the people join our church they did so they say it was because of the Christ centredness of the church in the preaching and how the people speak so highly of him. Interesting how Jesus takes the effort of His church and turns them around for His glory.
Tom Skerritt