Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Church

I read an interesting article on "The Ooze" (an emerging church site) about a former pastor who really thinks out of the box when it comes to the idea of church.  He is starting a church, of sorts, simply by serving with another couple and seeing where God leads.  There is no building, no budget, no mission statement and no set meeting times.  Just people and God.
 
It may be that I'm biased, or fit to well into my existing cultural norms, but I don't know what to think of this sort of church.  While I certainly applaude the efforts to take the "administration" out of ministry... this model seems farther from the New Testament church then I would like to be.  Christianity needs to be a part of more of lives and being members of the Church means we are God's servants 24-7.  That said I think there is a definate Biblical presidence for an organized gathering of believers.  When it comes to how organized though, sometimes we over Americanize church and assume that if it is going to be successful it should be organized like a corporation.