KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

It was a Sunday meeting last week, and we had a group visiting from Minnetonka who is also pursuing house-church networking. We also think we may have been among the first group around to have our grills fired up this "Spring". Here are some pics:

What About the Keys?

In ancient times, Jesus spoke against the "lawyers" of His day (I know, that's why He was considered so wise) and said,"Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." But today we wonder, what were those keys? Knowledge of what?

Keys speak of authority...without them, we are not "authorized" to open our car-our house-our firesafe at home. It's also pretty hard to drive a car without them. Are we missing some keys, and what is it we are prevented from doing without them? I have taken Jesus's words somewhat personally, being a lawyer myself, and it has compelled me to see about one thing: giving them back. It's the knowledge of the spiritual authority of the believer; the inheritance, the hope, and the power given to us all by grace; the tools of the Kingdom given in healing (physical and otherwise), victory in spiritual warfare and understanding gifts, and speaking our testimony - how God has reached into and transformed our lives.

This coming Saturday we are gathering again to eat, worship, and dialogue on our last two "core values", and we're getting ready to branch into three home groups - Exciting times ahead!

COMING UP

OUR NEXT GATHERING IS THIS SATURDAY MARCH 28th, 5-8 pm, AGAIN AT LORSUNGS' (Six miles East of Cambridge on 95, turn into driveway across from mailbox marked "6868") We are having BBQ pork, so bring a side or dessert to share.

DATES FOR APRIL:

SATURDAY APRIL 4th, 5-8 pm, Final weekly large group gathering (Lorsungs'). We will be finalizing our three home church groups at this gathering, and each will have break-out time together this evening. These will meet weekly in homes.

EASTER SUNDAY SUNRISE SERVICE, APRIL 12th, 6:20 a.m. at Paul's Lake Landing (Paul's Lake Road North of 313th Ave, East of Hwy 65) Bring lawn chairs. (Alternate location in case of bad weather will be posted here!)

SATURDAY APRIL 25th, 5-8 pm, First monthly "Gathering" - , location (tba) probably the Historical Society Building at the Fairgrounds.


For more info, contact Bob at nogah@izoom.net or 763 221-4760.

"GROUPING OUT"

Last Saturday the circle expanded with 22 adults and 11 kids... and started thinking about smaller, home groups. We are now getting past what even a large living room could handle. But we all learned a couple of true things, and one "fake thing", about each other. That was interesting...:)

Our break-out discussions were on our next word for RE-defining: LEADERSHIP. We batted around whether you have to be a good follower in order to lead well. We also took time to take care of each other and pray for each other - from new people to core team, it generally felt like "family". Here are some pics from the meeting:

Kids are with us most of the time, but when we go into teaching and break-outs, they have their own things to do...

You know, it was really a radical thing Jesus did when he made His cousin John baptize Him. John knew He was the Son of God, and tried to pass on the whole thing; but Jesus insisted on being a "follower" of John first, and a follower of the prophets who spoke for His Dad over the centuries. It had nothing to do with who was greater or smarter, or worthy of being followed - He came under John and the prophets so to carry the authority of John and the prophets, that the leaders who would kill Him could not rightly accuse Him of rebellion, or discounting those God had used in the past. He followed them, and then He followed His Father.

In John 5:19 Jesus says,"Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." In other words, Jesus never had an original idea - it all came from His Father as He "shadowed" Him through life. We have a hard time following - though it would be hard to argue with the idea of following God, we would have all kinds of objections to following people; whether they were prophets, pastors, teachers or whatever. We don't want to give anyone that kind of influence in our lives. Yet, as Jesus followed His Father, He also insisted on following people whom God had used to accomplish His purpose - even though they were far from perfect.

So how do we re-think personal boundaries for people and leadership: Not to give anyone too much power ("anyone who has left father or mother...), but allowing God to lead us through people at the same time? The best we have come up with so far is to follow the lead of Jesus in others. To follow each other as we follow Him. We all need God "with skin-on" in our lives, but we know that no one is perfect. So, being patient with each other, we look for God's influence in each other's lives. What an adventure.

STRINGS ATTACHED!

Last Saturday we had some fun trying to hook a weight and lift it off the ground - Sounds easy, but try it when 13 people all have a string attached to the hook - and at first without looking! Mark here had the daunting job of trying to direct the group on how to pull their strings to guide the hook to the weight. Don't feel bad, Mark, I've never seen it done that way! But once everyone could see what they were doing, the job was done in seconds!

REDEFINING "DISCIPLESHIP"

This is a scary word to a lot of people. Maybe a lot of this is because we feel awkward asking someone to 'follow' me, like Jesus did, when our own life is so wobbly. We suggested that the invitation is not really to follow me, but to come and follow Jesus with me. Most of us could do that. It's not one of us who is in the spotlight in the discipleship, it's Jesus. Something I personally could not help noticing in the last few months was that making disciples was the ONE thing Jesus told His followers to do before He left...It was His last statement in the book of Matthew. He said that He would build the Church, and that we should make disciples. I think we have some flipping around to do on this one - So we are going to give it a shot: To ask others to come with us while we follow Jesus.

We are going to be at Lorsungs' again this Saturday March 14th, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. It's about six miles East of Cambridge on Hwy 95, turn into the driveway across from the balloons on the mailbox!

Bring your favorite chicken dish and a side or desert to share! We will be talking about branching into two or three home groups for next month, and the next two core values around what 'leadership' really is at the everyday level...and of course there will be some crazy game to get things going. ;)

CHANGE IN MEETING PLACE FOR MARCH 7th!

LORSUNGS' HAS A LAKE in their driveway, and lots of mud. SO, we are back to Elliotts' place for Saturday night:

5-8 p.m. Saturday March 7th

At the home of :
Scott & Tammie Elliott
1004 Hillock St. N.W.
Isanti, MN 55040

From Hwy 5 in Isanti, is just up Whiskey Road from the Mobile station. Give a call if you need more info!

Remember to bring Italian food to share!

Making Circles

Did you ever notice that if someone asks a group to make a circle, people always face into the circle?...and if others approach the circle, people really don't even like to make room for them to get in?



Well, we experimented with that a little last Saturday night - What if we faced our neighbor so we had one hand reaching into the circle and one reaching out, and we could keep it so others always felt invited by those on the outer ring?



That is kind of the idea with a home church network: personal connections with lots of loose ends for others to grab onto. We are taking a few more weeks to get to know each other in the big group, then we will be taking "church" home with us into two or three home churches. Then we will continue gathering as a big group at the end of each month, and celebrating what God is doing among us.



OUR NEXT GATHERING TIMES:


March 7th
Saturday night 5-8 pm at Joe & Deb Lorsungs (6868 Hwy 95 NE, North Branch. It’s about 6 or 7 miles East on Hwy 95 out of Cambridge, and look for the balloons on the mail box across from the driveway). Bring Italian food to share!


March 14th
Saturday night 5-8 pm, same place (Food to be figured out)


March 22nd
Sunday night 5-8 pm, (Food and place to be figured out)


March 28th
Celebration Gathering - (tentatively at Historical Society on the Fairgrounds)



We are working through the basics of what "home church" is about and some of the "why?"s of the movement that is, trying to simplify what it means to be "church", and to walk together with Jesus Christ. We are having some great discussions!


more info: call bob at 763 221-4760, or e-mail me at nogah@izoom.net