A Kingdom

A Kingdom, A People & A River
A New Paradigm For the Post Modern House Church Movement

Parousia Weekly Update Letter For The Week of November 17, 2005

"When a prophet is accepted and deified, his message is lost. The prophet is only useful so long as he is stoned as a public nuisance calling us to repentance, disturbing our comfortable routines, breaking our respectable idols, shattering our sacred conventions" (A. G. Gardiner as quoted by Arthur Wallis, "In The Day of Thy Power").

In This Issue:

Announcing The Spokane Blessing Network
Personal Reflections On 5-Fold Ministry Equipping

Dear Friends,

I pray that all is well with you and the church which meets in your house. Hope you enjoy this week’s letter!

Blessings,
Maurice

“ House Church Manifesto” Update - Announcing The Spokane Blessing Network

As those of you on this list know, back in August I wrote a “House Church Manifesto” regarding an apostolic strategy for planting 10,000 house churches in the greater Spokane area. It was born out of a question posed by Wolfgang Simson , namely, “How do we prepare for a ‘spiritual wildfire?’” One of the questions or challenges that the spiritual wildfire of revival would create could be this: Where does the average person or house church go for help and resources to solve ministry problems. As part of that manifesto I talked about the need for a networking resource hub that would link various ministries together and enable people to easily and quickly access information about the ministries, the services they provide and how to contact them.

Well, over the past couple of weeks God has dropped one of those “burning coals” He is known for into my pocket and I haven’t been able to put it out yet. So, in obedience to what I believe God has shown me we are now launching an internet-based ministry networking resource hub which I am calling The Spokane Blessing Network (in honor of Kristen Grace, a friend and gifted ministry leader who had the original vision for this, but who has since graduated to be with the Lord).

This letter is both an announcement and an invitation. If you are leading (or part of) a ministry (yes, including a house church) in the Greater Spokane area we want to include you in this resource hub. The hub begins with a Main Menu page which contains categories of ministries. Under each category we plan to list ministries which, by their own description, fit that category and provide related services. Each ministry will be provided a web page containing:

Pictures: 2-to-4 pictures which encapsulate their ministry (each pic no more than 150 Kb in size).

Overview: An Overview consisting of a brief paragraph which describes what it is your ministry does (no mission statements, please. Just a simple description of what you do that an “end-user” would understand and respond to)

Bullets: Bullet points of specific services you provide to those in need, meeting times & locations, etc.

Download: If I have interviewed you for our “Those Who Serve” weekly radio program, your interview will be archived and linked so anyone can click, download and hear you (and me) talk about your ministry.

Contact Information: Specific contact information that anyone can use to get in touch with you

If you will provide us with this information (preferably via return e-mail to Maurice_Smith@parousianetwork.com) , we will construct and post your web page!

The resource Main Menu page has already been posted and is functioning (although still under construction). Let me encourage you to visit it and see the lay out, then send me your information. You can see it at:

www.parousianetwork.com/Spokane_Blessing_Network_Main_Menu.htm

There currently is no internet-based ministry resource hub in Spokane like this yet (although I’ve heard rumor of other projects in the works). As other such projects come on line (both secular and Christi an) we will include them and link to them to that this remains a genuine hub (or as I like to say, “a River rather than a swimming pool”!). Whether or not it succeeds long-term will depend upon . . . YOU! We are presently hosting this on our ministry website, and are happy to do so. But if God chooses to bless and prosper this hub, I plan to spin it off onto its own separate domain and site and give it over to someone else to manage. I don’t need to own or control it – I simply want to see the vision fulfilled by people who share the vision and have experienced the same “burning coal in the pocket” encounter with the Lord.

May this be one more step in preparation for the coming spiritual wildfire of revival in our area, and the planting of 10,000 house churches!

House Church Notes

Our house church coaching friend, John White of Denver , recently sent out the following personal observation regarding house church which I thought was very appropriate and worth passing on to everyone. Thanks John!

Several years ago I did a series of short articles on the concept of "prevenience". This is so foundational that I'm going to send them out again over the next few weeks. As more and more Christi an leaders discover house church, the great temptation will be to simply move the "program" methodology from the church building to the home.

What does a house church actually "do" when it meets?

Some have answered this question by going back to the program of the traditional/institutional church. There is an "Order of Service". Greeting...opening pray er...time of singing...perhaps some personal sharing...the sermon...closing pray er...etc. Isn't that what you are supposed to "do" when you have church? Week after week. Always the same program. With this model, house church simply becomes a mini version of what goes on in church buildings on Sunday mornings all over the country.
In contrast to the "program model" of church, I want to suggest the "prevenience model". The word "prevenience" (rhymes with "convenience") refers to "that which goes before or precedes". The word describes an important aspect of God's character. He is prevenient. That is, He is always at work before we come onto the scene. He is always initiating. In our lives and in the church.
"Prevenience" is most commonly used in reference to grace. Prevenient grace. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) Before we ever thought about God, while we were still lost in our sin, He took the initiative and gave His life for us. Before we ever moved toward God, He moved toward us. He is always initiating. He is always starting things. He is prevenient.
Our part? To see what He is doing and to respond. He is the initiator. We are the responders. How we "do church" must be based on the character of our God.

So, what are the implications for ministry in general and house church meetings in particular? More in my next email.
Word for the week: prevenience.

John

Personal Reflections On 5-Fold Ministry Equipping

For those of you who are interested in and have been following our “School of 5-Fold Ministry” I want to give you a brief update. On our website Site Menu (left-hand side of home page) there is a “School of 5-Fold Ministry” link to a page with all of the particulars. What I am posting there is everything we have done thus far for this “school” (a school in which I have learned as much, if not more, as everyone else). I am posting REVISED notes I have used in PDF format (you’ll need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader if you don’t have it – its free at www.adobe.com). Also, my weekly reflections. I have also edited (for length and sound quality) Graham Cook’s message on the life of Joseph which had a profound effect on everyone two weeks ago. This has also been posted as an MP3 file which you can download to your computer and listen.

Come & join us this Friday. This coming Friday will be our 6^th evening together for our “School of the 5-Fold”. Yes, there is still time for you to join us! The River of God ’s Spirit is preparing to flow in great power & blessing. Are you prepared to “run with the horses” and to lead in this coming move of God? Come and join us this coming Friday evening at 6:00 pm at 1114 N. Rudolf, roughly 3 blocks east of the intersection of Argonne and Boone in the Spokane Valley . If you get lost call 926-7743. Bring your favorite potluck dish, an open heart, a hunger for God and maybe even a friend. Details posted on our website at www.parousianetwork.com/school_of_5_fold_ministry.htm.

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