God's Heart: Speaking confidently
Over the past few months, in response to prophetic words throughout 2020, we've been drawing near to God.
We've done this through our series on Identity and by exploring God's Heart - his heart for people, justice, mercy, family, and for all of us to play our part.
Church: for the world, not (just) our parish
Church: a Spirit-filled community, not (just) organised
When I started full-time employment in Oxfordshire Community Churches in 1995, I was taken on as effectively an Operations Director (although we didn't use that term then). We talked instead about the gift of 'steersman' or 'pilot' - a word with nautical roots that appears in 1 Co 12.28 and is variously translated leadership, administration, guidance and governing.
Church: a place to belong, not (just) attend
The idea of belonging to a church - or any other organisation for that matter - is increasingly alien in the world today. Tim Keller tweets: "Everyone says they want community and friendship. But mention accountability or commitment to people, and they run the other way." Krish Kandiah discerns a movement "towards a more eclectic individualistic spirituality.”
Why then does OCC hold to a habit of 'formal church membership'?
Church: a family, not (just) an event
Recently I came across this tweet, which could sum up pretty much all that needs saying on this topic: "Church is a Spirit-filled family, not a weekly experience."
Assistant Pastor Sanjay Mahtani often puts it this way: "OCC: Community is our middle name!" And I can sometimes be heard to complain, "We don't go to church, we are the church!"
Church: a community for others, not (just) for me
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to one of the leaders in our sister church Lifehouse (Bicester and Banbury) about the opportunities presented in Bicester as the town undergoes planned growth from 30,000 to 80,000 people, with 18,500 new jobs, by 2031.
We were talking about the sort of church we needed to be to respond to what God was doing in the town. In our conversation one phrase stood out starkly: "A church for those not yet there."
Church: a place of growth, not (just) a place of worship
A few years back I was talking to a friend about a particular city in the UK. We both knew undergraduate students in this city, and we were lamenting the lack of churches who were willing to nurture, train and disciple students. While churches in the city were happy for students to serve on rotas, there was a 'glass ceiling' in terms of their development as disciples and as leader.
God in the storm
God's New Year's Resolution
The start of a new year provides an opportunity to pause, to pray, and to reflect. But this January, we might feel like we've traded New Year's Resolutions for New Year's Restrictions. Last January, we had no idea what 2020 would hold. As we enter 2021, we are prompted to look to the only One who knows the future, and ask what He is doing.
What is God's New Year's Resolution?
On Sunday 3rd January, Steve Thomas (OCC's founding pastor) prophesied to us from Isaiah 43 & 44.