Our particular branch (denomination) of the Christian family tree, the Presbyterian Church (USA), is trying very hard to facilitate creative, innovative, and risky new forms of worshiping communities. I know it is tough for a lot of our congregation members to understand, but in a lot of ways the days of putting up a big building, paying an ordained seminary-trained pastor, and singing hymns to organ music on Sundays may be coming to an end, although it will still work for some congregations for awhile longer. The alternative during the 80's and 90's was to build equally big buildings but just make them to where they don't look like churches and replace hymns and organs with praise songs and guitars. What we are finding in the PCUSA these days, however, is that the best way to reach a huge number of folks doesn't have anything to do with a building or hymns at all. Instead, it has to do with what Jesus and the disciples did--going out and meeting people where they are, not expecting people to come to where we want them to be. To facilitate outside-the-box thinking, the PCUSA is in the midst of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative. This initiative gives money and backing to almost any well thought out idea that forms a new worshiping community. It might end up looking a lot like traditional congregations but a lot of them look quite different. One of my favorites is a worshiping community that has started in an RV park. There is no building, no budget, no pews, no robes, no committees, just people gathering together to worship, fellowship, and serve. They don't have to be "permanent" the way that traditional churches were founded in hopes of lasting for hundreds of years. They are just supposed to meet people with the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that makes sense right now, not forever. That sounds like ministry done "Jesus style" to me.
My favorite of all of these new PCUSA worshiping communities is in Louisville, Kentucky. It is called "Sweaty Sheep." Please take a couple of minutes to watch this video.
If you have trouble watching the embedded video above just click on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nTNb4gHfwA
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Everett
