Monday, March 21, 2022

The Microchurch Pre-Conference '22 | The Wild Few Transform



The Microchurch Pre-Conference with The Underground on Friday, March 4, 2022


Earlier this month, I had the privilege to spend time with some beautiful people connected to The Underground Network, Soma, Saturate, KC Underground, The Prodigal Network, Greenhouse Church, Greenhouse Network, Catalyst Partnerships NW, Micro Churches Australia, Unshackled Network, and more during The Microchurch Conference. 

Below is a collection of my notes during my time with some of these folks during the pre-conference on Friday, March 4 in Gainsville.

Pre-Conference Story | Jeremy w/ The Underground

+ Yellowstone National Park Transformed by a Few Wild Animals: By the end of 1996, 31 wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone after they had been eradicated in the early 1900s. Immediately, the wolves rounded up and killed most of the elk. The few elk that were left began to get wiser and stronger, learning how to survive and thrive. Due to the limited amount of elk, the elm trees were not as depleted in the park area and began to grow stronger and wider. The beavers then used the stronger elm wood to build better dams. Water ways were rerouted in ways that strengthened the ecosystem and improved the overall park's ecology ... (read more at Outside: Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone)
If you had asked someone how to reroute and improve the waterways of Yellowstone National Park, a few wolves most likely would not have been the answer. Instead, with human wealth, pride, and power in focus, people might have spent millions of resources and dollars and then see barely any change ... 
But look what happened with just a few wild animals. Will we be willing to be among the few that God might use to reroute patterns of living and introduce new creation where we live, work, play, and rest?

Pre-Conference Themes | Abundance of Ps for 2022

+ Presence with God and with people   
+ Prayer that is shameless, persistent, bold  
+ Power in the Spirit through boasting in weakness, pursuing gifts that are needed 
+ Permission to go, try, fail, learn, grow  
+ Proximity with the broken, bored, burned out 
+ Practicing simple rhythms of discipleship through personal and communal acts of faith, hope, and sacrificial love
+ Proclaiming Good News of Jesus more regularly with neighbors, family, and friends in the everyday stuff of life

Pre-Conference Wisdom | Lucas w/ The Underground

+ De-Liberate (i.e. Sacrifice Your Freedoms) to Offer Presence & Proximity: We get to de-liberate with Jesus; we sacrifice our "freedom" to do whatever we want in order to do regular, direct ministry with people. Presence and proximity are the keys. 
+ Practice Simple Rhythms: For example, I chose to eat at the same Japanese restaurant in the mall every week, most days of the week (everyone was concerned for my health), because I thought God wanted me to get to know the people who worked there. Most were undocumented Honduran immigrants. I learned that many of the men worked out at the same gym, so I joined the gym and soon began to learn their stories of the money their families needed that they would send back home. In being a missionary in the everyday stuff of life, it's good to step into repetition. Be OK with simplicity. 
+ Distributive MC Example: With our microchurch (MC), we are distributive, so we have people who are part of CrossFit, a board gamers club, and students connected to colleges in our area. To keep things simple during our weekly schedule, we eat together on Wednesdays and do Discovery Bible Study on Sunday mornings for our gatherings with those who are curious about Jesus connected to the communities we are part of. 
+ Willing to Pay the Founder's Fee: To begin a work like this, we will pay a "founder's fee," which will include sacrifices ... a movement often comes into existence because people bled with the Savior to see it started. 
+ Permission & Coaching Needed: Most MCs at the beginning of their journey with Jesus among others need permission and coaching to keep going, failing, learning, and growing.


Pre-Conference Spiritual Authority | Brian w/ The Underground

+ No Rushing It: There is no rushing the authority Jesus gives. It's patient, humble, long-suffering. It takes time. It's shaped by the Love that endures all things. You can see that those who are given spiritual authority from God in the Spirit have gone through some hard things and are still here. They still love. 
+ For the Sake of the Other: True spiritual authority exists for the sake of the other in order to give insight and encouragement for others to grow and go. 
+ We Get to Decrease: We get to decrease so that Jesus increases in the minds and hearts of others. We are willing to meet with anyone who asks because Jesus can and does use anyone who is willing to come, to take up their cross, to follow. 
I'm a priest of this parish in ______, but I'm not THE priest. Jesus is. And Jesus is with you. Be the priest you are becoming that Jesus has called you to be, the Holy Spirit is making you to be. Winning with Jesus is simply running the race until it is finished, making it to the end of our last breath with Him in sight, and with His invitation to love God and neighbor, friend, family, and enemy still fueling our last step.

Pre-Conference Prayer Question | What Does Jesus Want to Increase in You?

What is Jesus inviting you to press into with Him, to reconnect as a steadfast, brave, humble, faithful disciple? 
+ Prayer? 
+ Love of Scripture? 
+ Communal life in neighborhood? 
+ More proximity and presence with the poor? 
+ Spending more time with those who don't know Jesus? 
+ Sharing about faith more freely?

Pre-Conference Story | Emma w/ Greenhouse Church

Meeting Jesus as a Pregnant 16-Year-Old Hippie with a Broken Leg: Jesus met me when I was a 16-year-old pregnant hippie. I had broken my leg at a concert, so I was taken to the hospital. That night, a Middle Eastern man came in and gave me some information about Jesus with a shepherd who had a lamb with a broken leg resting on his shoulders. After he left, I asked the nurse who he was. The nurse said that it was 'no visiting hours' and that she hadn't seen anyone. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I've been following Jesus ever since ... 
MC with Iranian Students: I'm now retired. I was a psychiatric nurse in prisons for years. I now spend a lot of time praying for the persecuted Church in China, Turkey, and Iran, and my microchurch is being with Iranian Muslims who are students at the University of Florida. They're my family and I love celebrating life with these kids. I'm invited to their parties, I help them with laundry, I invite them into my home ... 
Praying, Fasting, and Seeing God Move: Before you all came to The Microchurch Conference, we prayed and fasted for a week. On Wednesday, March 2, we came together during the fast to set up for the conference and pray over each and every seat. As I was walking in, I saw a woman and her daughter who I knew from a recovery ministry I used to be connected with. She came up to me and asked if there was a church service tonight. I told her we were praying for this conference and she said, 'I'm not really into church, but I think God wanted me and my daughter here tonight.' I've connected them with two other women in recovery I also saw this week and we're going to begin getting together weekly. I'm already asking God who will be raised up to be their MC leader ... "

 

Pre-Conference Theme Song | Hymn of the Ages

" ... And all of the promises, all of the praise
All of your people have sung through the ages,
No matter the season, the song is the same:
'Great is Your faithfulness, great is Your name!'
God of our fathers, You're the God of our peace.
God, the Redeemer, of all history,
High King of heaven, my victory won.
Still be my vision, still be my song! ...

My healing is answered in the name of Jesus.
All deliverance in the name of Jesus.
It's all in that name ... " 
+ Hymn of the Ages by Maverick City Music, 2019 A.D.



Additional posts with The Underground: 

Bonus resources:


Christ is all,

Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan

Email Pastor Mike | Website | Visit Us | Support Us | Facebook Us
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Location: Worcester, MA, USA

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