Last Post At Missional Wichita...

This is the last post for awhile at Missional Wichita. However, do not fear. We have a new blog address at wheatlandmission.blogspot.com. This site will remain up for now and you can get to our new blogspot by hitting the link to Wheatland Mission in the right column.

Farewell...

The Wheatland Mission at the Foundry This Week

Just in case you haven't been there. The Foundry is located at 1855 South Rock Road. It is in the shopping center west of Rock just north of Countryside Christian Church.

This Friday at 6:30.

See you there.

GATHERING THIS FRIDAY!

The Wheatland Mission is gathering this Friday night 6:30 at the Foundry on South Rock Road. You won't want to miss this special night of worship, communion and teaching. It will be a special time of learning and worship for the entire family.

bl - nouncements (blog announcements)

Greetings all! Just a few things to keep in mind.

Next Corporate Gathering: Friday October 21st, 6:30 at the Foundry on South Rock Road

New Church E-mail: thewheatlandmission@cox.net

Church Mailing Address: P.O. Box 21106, Wichita, KS 67208

Church Phone Number: 992-1540 (OK, this is my number but in case you have any questions just give me a call!)

Also, remember we are looking for people to help out in the children's ministry. If you want to help please contact Pam Flesher at pbflesher@cox.net or Nicole Niessen at nicoleniessen@yahoo.com.

Also, if you are willing to help at the Corporate Gathering by bringing food let me know by e-mail at thewheatlandmission@cox.net.

When Betty Kicked My Butt (or why our kids need you)

[Many of y’all may have heard me share this story before. I thought I would recount it here because it applies so much to this post.]

Thirteen years ago, in a church basement, I met with Zona, Betty and Marge. We gathered on a Sunday afternoon to discuss our upcoming Vacation Bible School and our regular Sunday Morning Children’s Sunday School programming. Imagine that, we needed volunteers in each area and more than we thought we could recruit.

During our meeting I, more than once, made the point that the people helping in ministry to our children needed to know that the time commitment for working with the kids and the preparation time were minimal even though they weren’t. I continued by saying that the work, while potentially rewarding, wasn’t difficult even though it was. I summed up my troop rallying recommendation by restating that this job of children’s ministry was “no big deal”.

After saying, “it’s no big deal”, three times I received a verbal wallop from one of my helpers. Understand, I was the expert here. I had a degree in Christian education and over nine months of experience working in a church with volunteers and stuff. I knew what I was talking about in spite of the fact that I had never done anything like this before. Never mind the fact that the three women in the room with me had done this so many times that their combined years of experience surpassed the number of years I had been alive. This meeting was a mere formality. I was there to listen to them, be polite, and then explain to them what was going to be done. I had the information and they were going to listen.

“No big deal!” She shouted at me. “No bid deal?! Don’t you ever tell me that caring for children is no big deal. I don’t want to be involved in something that is no big deal. Who would? Do you?”

Betty’s forceful words, albeit gracefully delivered, hit me right between the eyes. With crystal clarity she taught me a lesson that I can’t forget. Far too many times I had assumed, and sometimes still do, that lowering expectations makes people happy and ready to volunteer for the necessary jobs within the church. What Betty said made me realize that no one wants to do something that isn’t important or only perceived as unimportant. Especially in church, for me to “dumb down” this area of ministry was offensive. Here were three women who worked faithfully every week teaching Scripture to the children of our church, who diligently labored at the enormously important task of forming the spiritual lives of our kids and I told them it was no big deal.

You won’t hear me describe ministry to children that way again. (But if I do, give Betty a call and she will straighten me out.)

Maybe you see where this is going. The Wheatland Mission needs your help in ministering to our kids. In the coming weeks you will be hearing more and more how this will happen but in the meantime we would like to hear from as many of you as possible who will be willing to commit regular time to the area of children’s ministry. Obviously, the more volunteers we have the less stress there will be on individual volunteers. At the same time, however, we want people who care about helping kids grow in their walk with Christ. We aren’t looking for help with childcare but for people who want to participate in kids becoming more and more like Christ. We want to move from kid wrangling to kid’s spiritual formation.

Let me introduce you to Pam Flesher and Nicole Niessen. Pam and Nicole have graciously volunteered to help our children’s ministry be a success. Each of these women bring with them experience in working with kids and a heart for helping children grow. Nicole will be directing our efforts with newborns through preschool age while Pam will be leading our work with kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.

If you are willing to commit some time to this ministry please let one these two know. You can reach Nicole at nicoleniessen@yahoo.com and Pam at pbflesher@cox.net. Or, you can simply put your name and info in the comment slot here on the blog and one of them will get in touch with you.

I need your help. While Calana and I can do many things for our kids we cannot, by ourselves, adequately raise them in the way of Christ. We need the help we find in the gathered body of Christ. As I pass my faith on to them I discover they need more. They need a group of believers, some who are parents and some who are not, who will pass on their faith to them as well. My children need more than just my faith…they need yours too.

Together, we can share our faith(s) with our kids and participate together in the process of seeing them grow more and more into the likeness of Christ. I need you there with me and I want to be there with you. By the way, it is no big deal…

…it is an enormous deal.

House Church This Week!

This Friday's House Church will be meeting at the Hoyers Home. Sunday Night's will be meeting at the Kings and Tuesday's Group will be at the Riley's house. If you need directions give me a call at 992-1540.

Don't forget: our next Corporate Gathering on October 21st at the Foundry!

Next Corporate Gathering: October 21st

We will be meeting once again at the Foundry on Friday October 21st for a time of worship, prayer and learning together. You won’t want to miss it. Pay attention to the blog for more details.

Also, for those of you who are wondering how you can contribute to the Wheatland Mission here is your chance. If you wish to contribute by check you may do so by making your check out to The Wheatland Mission. You can either give your check to the House Church host for the week, who will in turn give it to the finance team, or you may mail it to: The Wheatland Mission at P.O. Box 21106, Wichita, KS 67208.

The budget for Wheatland Mission will be available on request later this month. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail or give me a call.

For House Church This Week

To prepare for this week's meeting let me encourage all of you to read Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 17:1-8. Of course, if you want to read all of the stuff in between as well that would be great. We are continuing our discussion of what it means to live as Kingdom people and operate as a Missional Church.

This Tuesday's group will be meeting at the Riley's and Friday night will be at the Brown's. See you there.

Oooops!

"For you died and your life is NOW hidden with Christ in God." - Colossians 3:3

(Thanks to the dear soul who brought this to my attention.)

Holistic

Maybe the word holistic brings to your mind thoughts of new age medicine or a health food store. Perhaps you are familiar with this word through your studies in the social sciences, chemistry, or some other specialized field but have left it there not having a use for it in your everyday vocabulary.

How could this word be used to describe your life with Christ?

ho·lis·tic adj.
including or involving all of something, especially all of somebody’s physical, mental, and social conditions, not just physical symptoms, in the treatment of illness
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

The words that we use to talk about our experience of God, through Jesus Christ, suggest that we look at our relationship with Him a bit more holistically. For example, we sometimes call our connection to God the following: our walk, our life in Christ, a personal relationship

“For you died and your life is now [note, I fixed the error] hidden with Christ in God.” – Colossians 3:3

Fascinatingly, Jesus does not say that our spiritual lives are “hidden with Christ in God”. He does not say that our relationship with Him is “hidden with Christ in God”. In fact, he doesn’t even limit it to our “walk with Christ” but instead he says that our very “lives” are hidden with “Christ in God”. Not our spiritual lives, not that part of our lives that is focused upon theological reflection, nor does he say that our souls, or our religious sensibility is “hidden with Christ in God”. But our life, all of it.

Jesus is not interested in your spiritual life. He doesn’t want your religious life. He wants your life. Your waking, sleeping, eating, breathing, working, playing, studying, entertaining, complaining, professional, recreational, rejoicing, impatient, uncontrolled, indecisive, holy, profane, good, bad, ugly, glorious…life. He is not interested in a part of you. He wants all of you and all of you is exactly what has been “hidden with Christ in God”.

That is what God is set on changing, transforming, into the character and likeness of his Son Jesus. So, Wheatland Mission, is going to be about the business of transforming our lives across every spectrum of our life. As a church we will take a holistic approach to discipleship and spiritual formation. We cannot expect God to leave us alone so long as we give him a little bit of us here and a little bit of us there. Even if we give what we believe to be a significant part of ourselves he will still want more. And if we are wise we will let him get all it.

Practically speaking, this will mean that our process of spiritual formation will include not only our religious life but much more. God is bent on transforming every aspect of our lives from the professional sphere to the religious; from the recreational sphere to the intellectual; from the emotional to the physical. All of these things make up our spiritual lives.

“And the WORD became a flesh and blood human being and moved into the neighborhood.” – John 1:14 The Message

“So Jesus became wiser and taller, and gained favor with God and those around.” – Luke 2:40 NT Wright Trans.

Across every spectrum of his life Jesus grew and matured. He grew physically strong and emotionally mature. He grew in knowledge and wisdom and received the respect of people around him. Like all of us he had work to do yet his work was permeated with an awareness of God’s Kingdom. As in every area of life, Jesus remains our model for holistic discipleship. Transcending the categories of our lives Jesus remains the model for our growth and maturity.

House Churches AKA Small Groups

I want to invite any and all of you to participate with one of our house churches. We currently have three groups meeting on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. However, we will soon be starting at least one more group and perhaps two. If you are interested in participating in a group but still have questions call Paul.

The Friday night house church is meeting at the Hill's. If you want to come Friday or if you have any other questions give Paul a call at 992-1540.

Wheatland Mission’s First Corporate Worship Gathering

…was a great success. It was a reunion of sorts for many of us and the beginning of something very special. I do want to thank all of you who helped out with worship and bringing food. I especially want to thank Nicole Niessen, Roxanne Reich, Michelle Bartlett, Caitlyn S. and Tatiana H. for helping with the children’s ministry. In addition Pam Flesher for helping create a children’s ministry slot for our house churches. And lastly, Lara Riley for preparing our communion bread.

For those of you who signed up to participate in a house church you will be contacted this week. I am a bit behind after Harrison’s illness. I am also in the process of updating our e-mail list so if you know of anyone that you think would benefit from receiving our regular e-mails let me know.

Finally, our incorporation papers arrived Saturday. This means that The Wheatland Mission Christian Church or, Wheatland Mission, is an official not for profit corporation in Kansas. As important as this is we must never lose sight of the fact that we are a part of God’s church not because of official documents but by the calling of His Spirit. We are God’s ekklesia, his called out ones.

Harrison is Home from the Hospital

After a wonderful night of worship at the Foundry for the first corporate public gathering of the Wheatland Mission we enjoyed two days at the pediatric club med at St. Francis Hospital. Harrison entered the hospital on Saturday afternoon because of breathing difficulties and a resultant low level of oxygen. He has improved significantly and came home by lunch today. Please, continue to lift him up in prayer.

Also, pray for Calana, the girls and me. One doesn’t get the best rest while worrying about a loved one in the hospital. We are doing OK but a bit fatigued from the ordeal.

Gathering This Friday Night!

We will have our first corporate gathering this coming Friday night at the 6:30 at The Foundry. The Foundry is located at 1855 South Rock Road. That is south of Harry just north of Countryside Christian Church in the southeast corner of the shopping center. We will gather for a time of food and fellowship, finger foods and drinks at 6:30 and worship will commence at 7:00. We will share in a time of worship, prayer, and communion. You won't want to miss this special time.

This is our first monthly meeting and we will have dates and times of future gatherings on Friday. Questions! Call Paul at 992-1540 or e-mail me at pchill1@cox.net.

If you want to help by bringing food give me a call or drop me a line.

How Are The Grovers In New Orleans?

All of us have been a bit overwhelmed these last two days as we watch the devastation in New Orleans. Some of you are friends with Rick and Laura Grover who are church planters in New Orleans and, like many others, are wondering how they are doing and where they are.

All things considered they are doing pretty well. They do not know when they will be able to go back to their home and they don't know how extensive the damage is. However, they have seen several nearby landmarks to their home that were flooded significantly.

Rick and Laura will be going to Lexington, KY where Laura's family lives. They plan on enrolling their kids in school there and going back to NO when possible. Rick is coordinating some relief funds and efforts through a church planting organization that he is associated with called Stadia. I will provide us with some info on how we can contribute to the effort soon. In the next week or so Stadia will be coordinating a nationwide love offering for the relief efforts. 100% of the contributions will go to relief efforts.

What Do You Call This Thing?

Trying to come up with a name for our congregation is like trying to name a new baby. We have had many wonderful suggestions and a lot of great ideas and after a lot of deliberation our name is “The Wheatland Mission.”

Our aim was to come up with a name that is descriptive, meaningful, and sonorous. That last word kind of means “sounds cool” so we will see if our name does or not.

There are three inspirations behind the name. First, living in Wichita, home of the WSU (wheat)Shockers, Wheatland has a natural regional appeal. Second, and more importantly, it is meant to remind us of the words of Jesus in John 12:24: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains a single seed. But, if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Our goal of being missional, more concerned for God’s Kingdom than our own comfort, compels us to follow Jesus’ example of giving our lives both as individuals and as a corporate body. Finally, the word “Mission” reflects our desire to be a missional church along with being a description of a new church work.

A Relational Church

It is no secret that most churchgoers attend one church over another because of friendship. Sure, there are those who choose a church because of it’s worship style, the preaching style or the theological bent but people stay in church because they are experiencing deep and meaningful friendships with other people.

This may be an overstatement of the obvious but Wheatland Mission will be a relational church. Like every other church our friendships and commitments to one another will be essential to the life of our fellowship. However, we will be relational on purpose which will require more of us. For example, as a group we want to be committed to a shared life. (For those of you who ar wondering…No, we aren’t going to move into a commune unless, it in Aspen). But we will commit to one another to walk through life together. This means that we will not only talk about spiritual realities but we will work to see these things happen in our lives. It means that we will strive to see the best in one another and encourage one another to be all that God has designed us to be. It means that we share our lives in mission as well. That is, we will serve together. We will be more than a group of individuals. We will be a body of believers who seek to be a part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. We will pray together; cry together; serve together; worship together; and grow together.

In addition, we must pay attention to maintaining healthy relationships. This means not only be patient with one another but being honest. It means bearing one another’s burdens and, when necessary, gently confronting one another for the sake of our brother or sister and for the sake of the relationship. (See Galatians 6:1-3) It means following Scriptural direction when it comes to conflict and when it comes to our shared life. (See Matthew 18:15-20 & I Corinthians 13)

We long to be a Missional, Organic, Relational and Holistic church. In our efforts to be on mission we must always keep in mind that God cares equally for both the mission and the man (or woman!).

As I write this I am encouraged to tell you all that we have entered into our third week of house church meetings. We have three groups meeting on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday with a third to begin soon. It is a joy to see brothers and sisters in Christ ministering to one another, praying together and participating in God's Kingdom together.

If you want to join a group give me a call at 992-1540.

Missional II

I have been thinking about what it means to be a missional church. This brings to my mind the words that mark the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Right out of the box, Jesus’ is making a claim on our lives, that is, if we are interested in being a part of God’s plan for the world. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17

Being a missional church means being a catalyst for God’s Kingdom. With that in mind it seems important that we think about two words in this verse. The first one to consider is the first word in the verse: repent. If you have read the Bible much this word has come across your field of vision but if you are like me, you sometimes find it something you would rather pass over. But, it appears that Jesus is saying that if you want to be a part of his Kingdom that we must stop doing some things that we are doing, start doing some things that we aren’t, and live with a new awareness of God’s presence and power in our lives.

What are some marks of repentance? (We talked about some of these in our Sunday night group so any of you can share your thoughts.)

The second word is the last: near. What exactly does Jesus mean by this? Does it mean that the Kingdom is coming and it is just around the bend? Does he mean that it isn’t here yet but that it will soon be arriving? Or, could he mean that it is hear now and ready for the taking?

Some translations use the phrase, “now at hand”, rather than “near.” Which do you prefer? What do you think “near” means and what impact should that have on the life of a church like ours?

A Relational Church

OK, this isn't the total post about being a relational church. However, I want to let all of you know that we have started some of our groups this week. We have groups meeting on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. We will be starting more groups in the next few weeks as well.

As these groups begin we are studying the Kingdom of God. It seems fitting that as this fledgling church begins its life that we pay close attention to the subject that is closest to Jesus' heart.

If you want to get plugged into one of our groups you can e-mail me or give me a call (992-1540).

An Organic Church

In this space I want to discuss the idea of ours being a church that is Missional, Organic, Relational and Holistic. All of these words are dangerously close to becoming jargon so I want to give specific content to them. I want to do this for our benefit so we can speak effectively with one another, share our hearts, and build a dialogue that will move us forward as we continue to seek God's will for our church. Here is this week's word:

organic: 1. occurring or developing gradually and naturally, without being forced or contrived; 2. consisting of elements that exist together in a seemingly natural relationship that makes for organized efficiency

I borrowed these two definitions from the many that are in the dictionary to illustrate what I believe we are aiming for as a new church. Definition 1 highlights the fact that we are involved in a ministry that is natural and an outgrowth of our personal lives. The corporate gathering of believers is to be an amalgam of all of our experiences with God along with the combined experiences of that gathering, that specific church. We don't seek to import something foreign that does not have it's roots in our journey, both corporately and as individuals, with Christ.

Definition 2 speaks to how we function as an organization, or better yet as an organism. Organic language is often more helpful to describe the Church, and more biblical, than the language of business, government and non-profit institutions. Jesus spoke of organic relationships, such as the relationship between Father and Son, and the Apostle Paul spoke of an organic unity, the Body. Each of these were meant to give us a picture of how God's people are to function in the world. Each of these organic images gives the Church a picture of how we are to participate in the further advancement of God's Kingdom.

Included in the last post, A Missional Church, there is another "organic" image that Jesus used as a description of God's Kingdom. Yeast was a common household item of that time and a familiar one to us today. In Matthew 13:33 Jesus highlights the small yet pervasive quality of yeast and how the Kingdom of God is similar. Think of the paradox. Jesus takes the biggest and most important subject known to man and compares it to baking ingredients!

Jesus used other "organic" imagery such as the Shepherd and the Sheep, the Parable of Seeds and Soils, the Mustard Seed and the Great Tree and many others. Jesus love for nature was not the primary factor in his use of these images but the reality that they represented. We will do well to pay close attention to His metaphors.

When you think of an "organic" church what comes to your mind?