 |
Welcome |
 |
More about us |
 |
Diary & Information |
 |
Community Café |
|
Clubs |
|
Contact Us |
|
Movie pages |
BlogHere are the thoughts and news of the people in our community. Leave a comment as you wish. If you want to join the blogging ask Mark.
Monday, July 12, 2004Non-Sexy Church I have been meaning to link to this for a while: Andrew Jones on House Church. I think it is a really interesting article. Some good, real points made expressing some real enthusiasm. Darren at the Living Room has added more comments here. What do you think? Good points have been made in various forums about the fact that maybe authentication isn't really an issue and that house churches aren't the only way of the future. I think, though, that Andrew manages to take some real questions/struggles that we can really face and show how maybe they are not the end of the world. Note: for those who aren't aware Andrew Jones is a bit of a blogging legend in the christian blogsphere. Posted by: Mark | 12:57 pm |
Community DNA This post quoted over at the Living Room is really good. It talks about a church's DNA being a defining factor rather than a controlling factor. I think that is what I what the 6 foundations of home church to be. Maybe I need to rename them, I prefer DNA to foundations, but the thought is the same. The 6 foundations are meant to be the launching factor for all aspects of our life together, providing definition, but not in order to control activity, but in order to provide room and a basis on which the community can work together. I love the example quoted in the post - the idea that things don't need to be programmed in, but a forum can be created that releases the giftings already within the community. It is amazing quite how much of a mindshift this is... You should by the way read the whole article here. Posted by: Mark | 9:33 am |
The Butterfly Author Unknown "One day as a small opening appeared on a cocoon, a man sat for several hours watching the butterfly struggle to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. Then the butterfly would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could be. We could never fly." [from the Bruderhof Communties' Daily Dig] Posted by: Mark | 7:49 am |
Friday, July 09, 2004YETI SPORTS I think I have linked ott he first one of these before. Now there are 5 sports, all, frankly, hilarious!! You have got to have a go... Yeti Sports: you can even download them for your mobile [if you have got a new one...] Posted by: Mark | 11:47 am |
Tuesday, July 06, 2004CCN Prayer and Fasting Day - 7th July I have decided that I am praying for dreams. Big dreams in peoples hearts and lives. Dreams have been stolen; have been neutered; have been relativised. Where there are no dreams there is no future. The future depends on the victory of competing dreams. We are surrounding by different dreams – consumerism, prosperity, 'success', victory - I am praying for Kingdom dreamers. People with lively imaginations who allow God to inspire them to a different future. Without a dream there is no future. How's your imagination? What do you see? Prayer points: - That God would equip us by the Spirit for His mission to the world - That God would touch the people in our networks and make some new disciples - That God would release the planting of new Home Churches - That God would show each of us our part in the mission - That God would bless our friends and family Posted by: Mark | 5:04 pm |
Monday, July 05, 2004New Phone!! 
Thought you would all be very interested in this: I have just ordered a new phone!! Same number don't worry... Just look at the free gift. Bargain!! Posted by: Mark | 8:57 pm |
Thursday, July 01, 2004An Incomplete Manifesto of Growth I love this challenging way to be creative and to grow. There is so much in it about enjoying experimenting. Here's a couple: 3. Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we're going, but we will know we want to be there. 4. Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day. 9. Begin anywhere. John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere. 10. Everyone is a leader. Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead. 14. Don't be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. Free yourself from limits of this sort. 23. Stand on someone's shoulders. You can travel farther carried on the accomplishments of those who came before you. And the view is so much better. 40. Avoid fields. Jump fences. Disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life. They are often understandable efforts to order what are manifold, complex, evolutionary processes. Our job is to jump the fences and cross the fields. [this reminds of a word someone gave me once about enjoying the large field God had given me, to keep moving out 'cos i won't even find the boundary] But read them all, it won't take long! Posted here and here. Posted by: Mark | 2:59 pm |
Bored into action yet? Living:Room, Seattle Get a feel for it here - Other than the fact that it is a tea bar, it looks great!! Rhoda did you visit it??!! Have I ever linked to this? Mars Hill Cafe. For the source go here. Posted by: Mark | 2:41 pm |
|
