Nov 18 2008
Personal post
Hi Friends, I don’t normally do this, but I thought I’d simply post a message I sent to our financial supporters of CRM.
Welcome to the new world! I’m writing this just a few weeks after the national elections and while were all in the middle of the most uncertain economic times of my life. As I try to lead Adullam, as I speak to many pastoral leaders, business people, and normal peasants, it is clear that the world as we know it must now change to fit the times.
Last week alone, I counted 13 pastors who mentioned either massive staff layoffs, or pondering for the first time, the potential of shutting their churches down, due to the inability to pay the rent. I spoke with three of our own supporters who are on the verge of bankruptcy; and I know of 9 families within our church context who need help putting food on the table. Even for the Halter clan, our personal support has dropped by almost half in the last three months.
As I ponder everything, you might find it strange that I am not upset or distraught about the new world. I tend to look at everything from a point of challenge to find new ways to “get’r done” or new ways to trust God for strange provision. Certainly, this has not caught God off guard, and if we let the scriptures guide us, we find that God often allows and even orchestrates epics of time that call people back to reality and the basics of life & God.
Within all these same contexts, our Adullam people are more vibrant spiritually, and more alert to our calling. Many of these pastors are now looking for part time jobs which I know will help them connect with real people. In some ways, this season may serve as another “Diaspora” pushing God’s people out of their God bubbles and easy believism, back into real life where faith must win out over nice and tidy theology of provision.
Never have I felt such focus and purpose, or seen such ministry movement, but strange it now must be accompanied by the twin brother of trial. May our prayers truly be, “your will be done” during this time and may God’s church arise from the dust of despondency into a new day of stability and ministry to those who have no hope.
Please pray this month for:
1) Meetings with a national collegiate ministry in the Northwest, Dec. 14th
2) Prep for trainings in Dublin, Glasgow, Texas, Canada, and Florida in the next few months.
3) The stable expansion of new Missio Hubs in Los Angeles, Kelowna, Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Virginia, & Fort Collins.
4) Revamping of the MCAP curriculum in preparation for a national roll out in April.
5) God’s leading with our second book, “The Sacrilegious Disciple” which is being shopped around this month.
6) Financial resources to come from really strange and fun places!
Thanks, and know that I am praying for you all: for wisdom, faith, creativity, simplicity and trust.
Hugh
Good Word!
Hugh, what a great post. Thank you for sharing it.
I’ve been writing about this lately, too, at my blog. I truly believe there is a coming movement back to faith as a result of the economics of our times. This will surely happen in and out of the church, and it is our job to be prepared to walk through that journey with the new seekers.
For this reason, I think the shake ups in the church are good. And I speak as a person who has seen layoffs in our own church. My own friends. I believe the church has an opportunity now to winnow their mission down to its basic message. If the church doors close down to three recovery meetings a week, for example, perhaps a few church members will take the step of meeting with a recoverer at Starbucks and be willing to answer their cell phone in the middle of the night. Maybe moms in a neighborhood will get together instead of trekking across town to the best MOPS program.
I firmly believe that lives are going to be touched that my never have walked inside the doors of the church as a result of this slowdown.
Frankly, I’m not so thrilled about the idea of seeing my own income drop — and it has, of course — but I am thrilled about seeing a rise in the simplicity of faith.
Greetings.
Just reading The Tangible Kingdom. excellent! I am a D.Min. student whose thesis project is studying spiritual formation in missional communities. Your book is wonderful. Wish I had come across it prior to beginning our third year of Amble Road this past September.
We are a small missional community meeting in the suburban wasteland north of Minneapolis. I am thankful for you and people like Alan and Michael whose books you obviously also enjoy! Thanks for your continued effort to put words to the changing landscape. For practitioners and researchers like me, your writings are greatly valued. Thank you and press on!
I will be eager to read “The Sacrilegious Disciple” … sounds excellent!
Christine
Hugh,
Thanks for sharing. I infrequently drop in on your blog since I saw your name on Alan Hirsch’s blog list.
This post was challenging and refreshing all in one. I’ll be praying for your endeavors my brother. Check out our blog (www.lehighvalleyproject.blogspot.com), I am friend of Allie Harding’s, and we could use your prayer too.
I am thinking about staffing and money in general while being on the verge of launching a new community of faith in the next year, so.., this was a gut check post! Thanks.
IHL,
Richie