This is another idea for a flyer to pass out to neighbors that I wouldn't normally run into. Unlike previous ideas, I've actually made some copies to really use. Is it effective? I can't say, yet. Still, I post this here as an idea that, if it is useful to someone else, great.
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My name is --------. I live at --------. My phone number is --------.
I am not selling anything.
I became a believer in the message of Jesus in 1968, when I was 15. About three and a half years ago, I found myself owning a business in which over 90% of the sales, and the connected work, happened on Saturday and Sunday. I experientially discovered something obvious, which was the institutional, traditional church I was going to, along with most similar organizations were quite inflexible with regard to the life I lived. I agree with evangelical Christian theology and, in turn, morality, but my job didn’t let me fit into the structure. I was aware that the structure wasn’t something commanded by God, so I looked for a church that met some other time. I actually found one on the far other end of the metro area, but didn’t feel comfortable driving that far (I probably would have today).
I have come to realize that, to early Christians, who were an underground group in their society, church was roughly synonymous with “group”. The Bible teaches that it is a group of people who meet together to worship Jesus (Ac. 2:41-47) and build up each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Buildings, regular collection of money, people paid to lead a group, and rituals were not part of church, a gathering of believers. A part of “build up each other” is that the group is small enough that everyone knows each other.
If you are a believer in Jesus that hasn’t been involved in an organization this society calls a church because you don’t fit in somehow (and there’s myriad ways to not fit in), give me a call. If you aren’t a believer in Jesus, but find Him interesting, but the organizations purporting to represent Him to be not so interesting, give me a call also.
If you want to learn more about worshipping Jesus without culturally imposed structure and ritual, but don’t want to talk to me or some other person, here are some places on the web I’d recommend to get information:
www.simplechurchjournal.com –a European point of view
thegodjourney.com –a podcast (no www.)
shapevine.com (no www.)
www.searchingtogether.org –deals with theological details
thejesusvirus.org (no www.)
www.housechurchresource.org
www.hrscn.org –connected to believers involved in simple worship in the Hampton Roads area
tevyebird.blogspot.com (no www.) –my blog—in the December 2010 archieves are the scripts to 100 two minute commentaries (written for radio) that cover various subjects on right practice in true gatherings of believers
Note: I am in no way saying that many good hearted believers in traditional churches are wrong, but that there is an organizational structure that is devoid of scriptural merit.
