Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box

I live in a Bible Belt in Western Canada and get this question from time to time.

“Where do you go to church?”

However, it’s the wrong question because it misses the point.

You cannot ‘go’ to something you ‘are.’ 

We who are in Christ, ARE the church, the body of Christ. He is the head, not the pastor or priest. He gathers His people in groups as small as 2 or 3. (Matthew 18:20)

Focusing on attending gatherings misses the real power of living the life of Jesus.

When you simply gather anywhere, with anyone, in Jesus’ name, church happens!

Family happens.
Discipleship happens.

On this blog, you will read posts about some of the journey the Lord has taken me and my family embracing the idea of simple church expressions like house church gatherings and marketplace gatherings. These settings can provide rich opportunities for others to explore the Bible, learn about Jesus, encounter Him, and discover what it means to be a disciple—a true follower of Jesus.

Whenever I am invited to minister in an institutional church setting, my heart is first to lead people to encounter God’s heart for them, and then to encounter each other’s hearts. God is community and we are created for community. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 includes that we would be in union with God and each other. Yet, too often institutional church buildings and services facilitate a very individualistic setting despite having a group of people around you.

Jesus came to earth to spread the good news about the Kingdom of God, where God in people’s hearts can transform lives, families, neighborhoods, and the entire world.

Jesus also called the body of Christ to naturally flow as His Spirit leads. We see God’s people moving and flowing like a river, adapting to various formats, from large congregations to small gatherings of friends and neighbors in living rooms. In these settings, we embrace the teachings of the Word, we support and care for one another, and follow leadership guided by God’s Spirit, as described in Ephesians 4:11-12.

This book includes my own very vulnerable story and numerous stories of women with me on this very adventure of ‘being’ the church!