loving your neighbor as yourself

Thanks so much for this brief but inspiring story about “churching.” What you are doing is EXACTLY what calls to be as a Christian as well.

I totally get what you are doing with your Church Community and believe it is a wonderful ministry. But, in a way, aren’t you marginalizing “main stream” Christians? Shouldn’t the Church be a blend of all of God’s Children? I would encourage you to reach out and invite other Christians who a members of traditional Churches to share the experience of Church the way your community does it.
We know from Christ’s teachings that we must be willing to give up anything that stands between us and God that stands between us and our fellow man. Christians who are prosperous should share that prosperity with others in need. Those in need must be willing to sacrifice their control over their lives as well. We all must trust God and turn to him when making choices about our addictions (whether it is material things or destructive behavior).

LOVE IT!!! LOVE IT!!!

May I suggest that you not allow the characterizations of your middle-class Christian friends to become the name of your group? It might be more dignified for the group to name itself organically. It’s our (middle-class) classifications of them that contribute to powerfully to their (social) marginalization in the first place.

Just my opinion.

Larry: Nice comments. I agree we should embrace unity and demand sanctity for the poor as well as rich. Just a point of emphasis, however, to answer your question, the difference between the middle class and the homeless is that the middle class is called to give sacrificially. “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward those of your people who are poor and needy in your land.” I think we need to go out of our way to make the poor at home in our churches.

Sounds to me like you have come closer to capturine the true spirit of Jesus that anyother attempt I have knowledge of or have read about. Thanks

T.C. All people are called to give sacrificially, including the poor, just as the widow’s mite story reveals (Mark 12). The glory of God is found when all people are satisfied in Him alone for all things and so share all that they have so no one is with need. In order to do this we need those with more so they can give to those with less.

Also, was just wondering if anyone noticed that this is still ‘church’ in the sense that they meet on a weekly basis as an organized group and even have a name. It seems that organization is necessary to move forward on mission – no matter how ungodly or absolutely genuine the mission is.

Church is really best seen when there are no racial or socio-economic boundaries, but that all are welcome and embracing each other and Jesus together while seeking the lost and marginalized.