We had our Core meeting last Wednesday evening. This meeting is open to everyone that buys into the mission of our church and demonstrates that commitment with an investment of his or her time, energy and money.

We call them the “Core” because they are the foundation of our church community. Twice a year they’re invited to share a meal and to hear reports on church business as well as help brainstorm issues that our leadership is grappling with. The following is the vision talk pastor Mike gave to the group that evening…

Something precious

I want to remind us all of the preciousness of what God has given us as a community that we’ve found worth committing to and sacrificing for. We have something wonderful that shouldn’t be taken for granted because unfortunately it’s in short supply in many Christian circles today. When I think of it I’m reminded of a story found in the gospels…

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?”

Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.” (Matthew 9:10-13, The Message)

A community gift

God’s made us “connectors”. We connect well with one another and with outsiders – those that are far away from mainstream Christian religion. For whatever reason we don’t scare away people that have written-off Christianity or who themselves have been written-off by the church. People that are far away or have been wounded by the Church. That’s what I see in Jesus in this passage I just read. He went after and connected well with outsiders. In fact some of you here tonight were outsiders at one time and if it weren’t for our church community you wouldn’t be following Jesus like you are today.
I believe God has given us a gift that helps us connect well with outsiders by simply building relationships and including them in our community. We’re good at making people feel at home and at making friends.  God has helped us create a safe and welcoming environment where people can come just as they are and move towards Jesus at their own speed without fear of rejection because they don’t measure up or toe the religion line.

I look around this room and I see individuals that are uniquely fit to exercise this gift and connect with outsiders because many of you have been outsiders yourselves (maybe still are). You know what its like. You know how it feels. And you know how wonderful it is to be welcomed home.

And because of this gift it’s not unusual to find individuals among us who belong before they actually believe. Jesus was like that… We might take this for granted because we’ve gotten used to it but sad to say, this is not something that goes on in every church. This is a gift that, can I dare say, is unique and that the Lord wants us to be good stewards of… he wants us to cherish it, nourish it as well as celebrate it.

A prophetic word

Years ago, a prophet spoke over Char and I and said in essence that we would lead a community of believers “out of the box and off the map” – away from the mainstream of Christian religion, beyond the borders of the traditional church, going against the current of pop Christian culture, in uncomfortable, unsafe territory, outside the camp where the outsiders are. Like Jesus did at Matthew’s party. I believe that we are that community, this is the time and this is the place for this prophecy to be fulfilled.

There is something challenging and exciting about being an ‘out of the box and off the map community’. It’s very appealing and  invigorating. But it comes at a price. The very unique nature of how we connect and who we connect with, makes this hard – spiritually hard, emotionally hard, logistically hard, communally hard, financially hard – Hard but not impossible or harmful. Actually I think it’s spiritually beneficial. However it does require unusual commitment, dedication and conviction. And I have seen that commitment, dedication and conviction it in you here tonight. That’s why you’re here.

Just what we need

There’s something precious and special about our church community but at the moment it’s very fragile and at risk… What can we do? In order to climb out of this we need to strengthen our Core – thefoundation of our community. We need to attract and develop more people like you. People willing to buy in and take ownership of this special mission we have. People willing to become partners in this endeavor: committing to showing up regularly not just occasionally, willing to give generously and at times sacrificially because they believe what we’re doing is God’s business, and who will help shoulder the responsibility to lead and to serve faithfully despite their own busyness and inconvenience. More people like you.

You’ve found what we share together here in the NBV so important and valuable that you’ve made an investment of your time, energy and money. Thank you. You represent the cream of the crop. We need more people like you. Now how do we get them?