After nearly year of expectation, Gathering 242 finally came to the day we’ve been anticipating (dreading?) We have to multiply.
Multiply!
If everyone shows up on the same night the group would have about 25 regular members. We call that a “church growth problem.” We
are too big. In the old days, we may have started talking about getting a building so we could bring in more people. That’s not the way The Summit Fellowships do things. When a group gets too big for the house it’s meeting in, the group will multiply and branch out into a new neighborhood, making room for more people in two places. That’s what is happening to G242 beginning on September 12, 2015. A new fellowship will be putting down roots in the Roseway neighborhood in Portland, at the Mayhew’s house.
Making decisions in a Summit Fellowship (read, small-group or simple church) can be challenging. When everybody has an opinion, the road is bumpy.
A few years ago when I had the role of pastor in a traditional congregation, one of my frustrations was the reluctance of members to step out in ministry or service. The culture of the church was that initiatives were to always come from “the elders.” The idea that an individual in the congregation could act independently was unheard of. The one time I encouraged someone to go ahead with something, I wound up irritating the head of one of the departments of the church—I violated a territorial boundary. Frustrating. The problem was that in my life among house churches I had gotten used to functioning in an environment without a formal hierarchy.
In My Opinion…
The Summit Fellowships describe the relationship among the groups as, “functionally autonomous, but voluntarily interdependent.” That means that we regard each group as its own congregation. It is not Continue reading Decision Making at the Summit→
Gathering 242 invites you to The Vine, a gathering of the community of Summit Fellowships, their friends and guests*. This episode of The Vine will include a Jesus Circle story-telling experience. Here are the details:
When: Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 4:00PM. This is Passover.
* You might not be a part of a fellowship or know anybody who is. Maybe you’re just interested in knowing more about church that meets simply. No worries. You’re invited. We’d be happy to meet you!
RSVP Form
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2015 at 4:00PM. This is Passover.