Our family (my wife and I and two kids) has the privilege of being part of something similar to this that is underway here in St. Louis. We are in the beginning stages of a church plant of sorts in the inner city. A few us are leaving our homes to relocate to one of the most “challenging” urban neighborhoods in St. Louis. This effort will include many facets that include unity of black and white Christians, unity of members of the Churches of Christ and the Christian Churches, as well as a partnership with local Christian college that will be involved in urban ministry programs. We are in the process of acquiring a vacant Catholic Church facility that God has basically laid in our laps as a home for this effort.

I am encouraged that there are others who have answered this calling and look forward to reading about their experiences. We are still struggling with the extent to which our attachments to the material world will be challenged. We know that it is going to be hard, but isn’t discipleship supposed to be costly? I think that the term “irresistible revolution” is a much better description of the kingdom is supposed to be like rather than what we’ve made it into. If we were really living out the “revolution” it truly would be “irresistible”.

Sorry if this ran to far a field.

You are right. I am a smart ass. I definitelt need to reign this in. Thanks.

I don’t know if we would agree on much or not, but I completely understand everything you have said on here. The doublespeak is absolutely maddening. The re-explanation of Jesus’s words for justification of the modern lifestyle would be funny, if it weren’t so serious.

Particularly the elder thing… I am always puzzled by the fact that churches have used the world’s standard of success to determine who should be an elder. Almost every congregation has some elders whose families are a complete mess, but who did well financially, so “they must be ok…”.

This is where the “emergents” constant obscuration of the simple truth of scripture leads us: a bunch of people debating about the exact meaning of what Jesus said. Here’s one for the obscurants and debate club: What did Jesus really mean when he said we were to become like little children? Do little children debate and analyze everything the parent says, or should they just take it at face value and obey?

I had Shane’s book in my Amazon fav’s - but it somehow got bumped out - I’ll definitely have to read it. Thanks largely to on-line encouragement from Mike, Larry James, Steve Holt, Jr., and Mike Exum - the thought that runs through my mind regularly is - what can I do for the Kingdom today in a small, but radical way? While my actions have not remotely lived up to my thoughts I do see many more opportunities than I never “saw” last year. Mike Exum goes out with friends on some of Lubbock’s meaner streets and holds a communion service - at midnight on Saturday. I would call that radical action for the Kingdom.

I wish there was a place you could just check books out and then return them when you are done without having to buy them all…like a library? Hmmm.

They do have nothing to teach us.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

A nurse

How many of these poor people are elders (Poor men, I mean)? I’ll bet if our church leadership was comprised of some poor people (below the poverty line) we would get to know them real well. It would no longer be “us” and “them.”

When was the last time someone quoted the cleaning lady in a sermon?

We discount what they say and what they have to offer because of poverty and lack of education. You can’t even get into a large church pulpit in our fellowship without an MDiv.

My wife was a nurse in a facility which provided services to low income families. She would always remark that the Hispanic families showed up with all their extended relatives when one family member was sick. They may be very poor but they certainly have something to teach me about real family.

Until we stop looking down on these people we will never make progress. Don’t tell me we don’t either when most of our elder photos are straight from the “well to do” white guy club yearbook.

I wrestle with knowing what God would have me do with my blessings. But I have to remember that the only reason I have those blessings is because God gave them to me, and they should be used to His glory, whatever they are. Relationships, wealth, time, gifts, etc.

The one line in the interview that really grabbed me was: “When I was in East Tennessee and had re-dedicated my life to Christ I kept going forward at church meetings over and over to ‘get saved’ Then I realized that I didn’t need to just believe in Jesus. I already did. I needed to follow Jesus.”