Sally Morgenthaler on Community

Continuing with snippets of Friday night's conversation with Sally Morgenthaler, (see blog entry for yesterday), the dialogue began to take shape from discussing the general trends of the American church culture to focusing down on the metamorphosis of community and considering how we can define "community" within the trends of this high-tech, global, blended world.

Here are a few bytes from the conversation:

• genuine community involves getting to know people where they are at and what their actual needs are, rather than anticipating ahead...
• people won't come into churches anymore — the people who are the "Church" need to leave their buildings and go out into the communities to engage with ministry and mission...
• trend: the need for ritualization (weddings, funerals, ceremony, tradition) is increasing
• there are sessions and worship experiences for some, at times, where there are no words: silence, contemplation, sensory engagement...

There is a complexity in what constitutes "community" now...

• local neighborhoods where we live...
• the office where we spend most of our time...
• the internet where we connect with the entire world, all strangers, yet sharing something in common...
• those who we engage with on cell phones constantly throughout the week...

What makes connection "real"?

• with the web, information is available to everyone — get in the game!
  some have established internet cafes
  some have established coffee houses in local communities
  there can be problems; it can be risky and even dangerous, but we are living with different demographics now...
• ministry in community may look like "Extreme Makeover" or Habitat for Humanity
• ministry involves time: time together in conversation and engagement: face-to-face, on the web and on the cell phone
• ministry involves relationship building and spending time together: be present and engage with people

Many of the points that Sally was making and that were being shared by others gathered were not only making real sense in the midst of our present wired culture, but were reinforcing that what we are engaging in here at Living Room is touching the pulse of our "community."

• we are commited to the core truths of Christ's teaching
• we love Jesus, even if we don't love what is happening in the American church culture
• we engage in community and conversations with each other as we gather on Sunday evenings and then...
• we extend that engagement through our network of cell phone conversations throughout the week...
• we connect with the global community through our charitable ministry and business efforts...
• we interlink with each other, with our extended Living Room family, and the world through this blog and those networked to our own...
• we share relationship with the expanded Body of Christ through sister communities like Resonate and The Well...
• we are committed to ministry to each other and to the needs of the world...
• we are open and visionary as to what our gifts, talents, time and resources can do to minister to the needs of the world through us...
• we are real with each other, knowing that we will be loved and accepted just as we are through the grace and forgiveness of Christ

May I encourage you to continue to engage in the passion of Christ's calling to share His truth, care for the needs of the world around us both near and far, as well as continue to be real people encouraging other real people on our life journeys.

This Living Room community has brought a sense of love, acceptance and validation to my life that I have never experienced in a "church" culture ever before. Christ is in us and among us...may we continue to grow in grace, wisdom and love for our community and the world as the weeks and months go by.

I love you all...you are my Family