Beware of the Trap

We’ve been going through the beatitudes and sharing some rich discussions. And yet we’ve been sensing that something is missing regarding missional engagement with our community. It’s not for lack of effort—we’ve contacted the Salvation Army weekly trying to pursue that opportunity, but we’ve had several setbacks there. We’re now asking what I see as some very important questions: Do we keep pursing that possibility with the Salvation Army or do we look elsewhere? Or, do we even create our own opportunities for service within our neighborhoods?


That last question brings up all kinds of “what ifs.” What if my wife and I were to pass out invitations to our neighbors to come by for root beer floats in the front yard one evening? We’ve been having a heat wave. Would people come? If they did come, then what?


What we’re running into right now has been the ruin of many well-intentioned house churches: the holy huddle. It’s one of the biggest traps we could run into. What if we still have no new disciples participating in our community six months from now? We’ve never wanted to be all about us. We’ve wanted to be a church that raises leaders from the harvest for the harvest. So pray with us over these questions: God, how then do you want us to serve? Where can we serve? Who? In what capacity? We need to be taken beyond ourselves. And we need God’s leading to know where the next step lies.


As we move forward, we want to do so with wisdom and sensitivity. Many people are coming in with hurts and we desire to be a healing community as well as a missional community. We believe God can make us both.