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The Refuge in Denver

By Jeremy Myers
20 Comments

The Refuge in Denver

the refuge communityIn a previous post, I mentioned that I visited The Refuge in Denver, CO. They describe it as a home for spiritual orphans, a place to gather hope.

Here is some of what I learned about “how” they do things at The Refuge. I don’t share this with you so you can copy it in your context, but simply to show you what others are doing around the country.

Main Meeting

Their “main meeting” is on Saturday night at a grange hall which they rent. The building is rather run down, but that is okay with everyone, since following Jesus isn’t about having nice buildings.

Since I was not able to attend one of their main meetings, I asked what they were like. Everybody told me that they were never the same. Sometimes they sat in rows. Sometimes in chairs around tables. Sometimes they sang songs, but not always. Sometimes there was a sermon, other times a group discussion.

One thing they do every meeting is communion. But even this is out of the ordinary. Those who come take turns providing the “elements.” In most churches, the elements consist of grape juice (or wine) and an unleavened wafer. But at the Refuge, the elements can be anything. They have used coffee and donuts,coke and pretzels, chips and salsa, and milk and brownies.

Frequently, after the meeting, many of the people get together for a meal, but I didn’t get any details on how this works.

Weekday Houses of Refuge

They currently have two Houses of Refuge, which function like a house church.

Kind of…

They meet in a home, and consist of a meal and some sort of group activity or discussion. The night I was there, we had lasagna. There was also coffee and dessert.

After about an hour of eating and chatting, we moved to the living room and sat on couches where we introduced ourselves (for the several new people that were there), and then discussed that the way of following Jesus was not upward mobility, but downward mobility, into the muck and messiness of life.

The discussion was facilitated by Kathy Escobar, but she is not always the facilitator. As with most everything else at the Refuge, leadership is shared. I was told that they often pick a theme to discuss, and then take turns over the next several weeks or months leading the discussions.

Near the end of the discussion, Kathy also passed around a sign-up sheet for people to bring food for the future gatherings.

Leadership at The Refuge

Currently, there are four co-pastors at The Refuge. They do not believe that there should ever be a single “senior pastor.” These four co-pastors do receive a tiny, tiny income, but nothing that anyone could live off of. I don’t know amounts, but I doubt it comes to much more than an average honorarium.

And the co-pastors are not “pastors” in the way most churches think of them. They seem to be closer to organizers or administrators of the church. When someone has a need, rather than call around asking everyone for it, they call a pastor, and the pastor organizes a way to help meet that need. Certainly, they also provide vision and spiritual direction to the church, but they are not the only ones who speak, or do ministry in the church.

Ministry at The Refuge

Many of the people I talked to spoke of the community they have fond at The Refuge. Most have never experienced any sort of community like what they have found here. I saw this first hand and sensed it as I watched them interact. In many ways, they are family. They are not perfect, but love each other anyway. They laugh together, cry together, and live life together.

As such, this is their ministry, and it is a compelling ministry for those who see it. I know I was drawn to it.

They also provide opportunities to reach out with love to other hurting people in the wider community. I heard some people talk about a service opportunity in a low-income apartment complex, and a few other things, but ultimately, their ministry seems to be each other.

When you are real with each other, as the people of The Refuge seem to be, this ministry is more than enough, and also draws other people in who are longing for communal love like this.

What do you think about all of this? Is it still too “churchy” for you? Are they not “churchy” enough? What do you think about how they have communion and co-pastors? Are there any other questions you might have? 

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Church planting, Kathy Escobar, ministry, mission, The Refuge, Theology of the Church

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You Gotta Love that Sh*t

By Jeremy Myers
8 Comments

You Gotta Love that Sh*t

church planting I have been a long time reader of Chris Elrod’s blog, and he recently announced his departure from the blogosphere. To say goodbye, I am posting one of his final posts below that all church planters (and all who are followers of Jesus), should read. I strongly encourage you to also go and browse his archives (which are still active).

You will be missed Chris! (2014 Update… It looks like he’s back)

You Gotta Love that Sh*t
by Chris Elrod

Curse words are just words … but oh what a tapestry of division they can weave.  

Recently I was meeting in a restaurant with some other church leaders.  Sitting near us were two truck drivers that were cussing up a storm in their conversation.  In between f-words and a-words one of the guys said REAL LOUD… “You gotta love that sh*t!”  

That was the final straw for one of the pastors at our table and he asked the waitress if we could move to a different location … because he was offended by the language of the men.  

That’s when it hit me … some people are offended by cussing … but it’s music to my ears.  When I hear cussing … I hear people far from God.  When I hear people far from God … I hear an opportunity to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.

I seriously don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches that appeal to themselves.  I don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches to reach other church people.  I really don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches with no real heart to reach people far from God.

Don’t get me wrong … reaching people far from God is messy.  

They cuss … they have serious issues … they smell … they drink … they live lifestyles that are at times really repulsive.  Reaching people far God also means going to places that church folks have been taught not to go.  People FAR from God do not hang out in Starbucks or Junior League meetings … they hang out in bars, porn shops, downtown streets, bowling allies, courtrooms, emergency rooms, and R-rated movies.  

It’s not easy … it’s not pleasant … it’s not always rewarding.  

However, reaching people far from God with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what the Father called us to do.

I know that quite a few potential church planters read my blog so let me say this to you:

If you don’t want to do ministry that is messy … don’t plant a church.  

If you just want to “feed the saints” … don’t plant a church.  

If you just want to stop having to take orders from your current pastor … don’t plant a church.  

If you just got fired, let go or laid off from a ministry position … don’t plant a church.  

If you are still trying to impress seminary professors with your preaching skills … don’t plant a church.  

In fact, if you think planting a church is cool … don’t plant a church. 

If you think those things, it’s probably going to be best for you to get a job in your state denominational office … where it’s safe, there’s a steady paycheck and you only have to interact with other Christians.

On the other hand…

… if you love the smell of vomit and beer 

… if you love to hear about people’s addictions 

… if you love hearing the f-bomb dropped by every member of a family (including kids) 

… if you love people wearing halter tops and Budweiser t-shirts in the Sunday service 

… if you love people putting three dollars cash in the offering plate and crossing their arms during worship 

… if you love getting 3 a.m. marriage counseling calls 

… then by all means … plant a church.  

I’m not talking about you liking that stuff … I’m talking about … you gotta love that sh*t!!!

Church planting done right is messy … and attracts messy people.  

If you don’t have a passion for the mess … if you don’t hear someone cussing and think, “That person is a potential guest for my church” … if you don’t wake up every day with an unquenchable thirst to see people far from God come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior … church planting is going to be a miserable experience for you!!!

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Church planting, Discipleship, evangelism, missional

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The Largest Churches in the World and the Best “Church Planter”

By Jeremy Myers
5 Comments

The Largest Churches in the World and the Best “Church Planter”

largest churchesWe’ve all heard of Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church which I hear averages over 40,000 people on a weekend. I think this is the largest church in the United States. His sermons are on television and his book, Your Best Life Now has sold 3 million copies.

But Joel does not have the largest church in the world. Most give this “honor” to David Cho and his Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul Korea with about 830,000 members.

Of course, when it comes to buildings, nobody can top the most expensive church, The Basilica of our Lady of Peace in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). It cost $300 million to build. It also is recognized as being the largest by floor area (30,000 sq. meters!). I hear that it has it’s own airport. Top that one Joel!

But has anybody heard about “Uncle L”? He has no formal seminary education and no advanced degrees. You won’t find his sermons online, on the radio. or on television. He hasn’t written any books. He doesn’t have a website, or even a blog. He didn’t raise funds to help plant his church, in fact, his church doesn’t even have a central building. There isn’t even a church budget. He doesn’t have dozens of staff members. He is is not a “Type A” personality, with great leadership abilitites. He would fail most “church planter assessments.” No big deal, right? That’s true of a lot of pastors around the world.

True, but Uncle L is the “lead pastor” of a church of 3 million people. Yes, 3,000,000. (See Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, 150).

Uncle L is a soft-spoken, unassuming, older man, who has been to prison several times, and is quietly leading the greatest movement of Christians the world has ever seen.

So why haven’t you heard about him?

He’s a church planter in China, and is only one of scores upon scores of such “successful” planters in that country. 

If they could read our “church planting books” and attend our “church planting conferences” and see that most of our planters want to spend several million dollars to have a church of 10,000, they would probably be amazed at how low we’ve set our sights, and how little we accomplish with so many resources and such amazing structures.

Maybe our resources and structures are part of the problem…

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: church growth, Church planting, Discipleship, evangelism, Theology of the Church

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The Death of Churchianity is Near!

By Jeremy Myers
13 Comments

The Death of Churchianity is Near!

In his book, The Multiplying Church, Bob Roberts writes this:

Let’s start a thousand churches over the next ten years, each one running a minimum of two thousand members, and in just ten years we will turn America upside down with the gospel! That would work, right?

Wrong – that scenario just happened over the past ten years, and there are fewer people in church today than ever before.

How can that be?

How could we have spent billions to start two thousand megachurches and yet have fewer people in church and a society that largely feels the church is antagonistic?

The answer (in my opinion) is that most of the people who start to go to those new churches are not new Christians, but people who were already Christians and who transferred to the new and exciting church. Most of the church plants grew by transfer growth, not church growth. Others have pointed out the supporting statistic that every year about 4,000 churches close their doors … forever.

death to churchianity

Most “Religious” Groups are Dying

Then today, I was reading an article called “Change-Seekers” in World Magazine, which summarized the major study of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (available here). The study revealed that currently only 51% of Americans are “Protestant,” down from 60-65% in the 1970s. The only “religious group” actually increasing in numbers are those who identify themselves as “non-religious.” They comprise 16% of America, and have nearly doubled in number since the 1980s. Then the author of the article says this:

Despite the church growth movement and the proliferation of megachurches, evangelical Christianity is losing ground. Growing churches often have high turnover. [Are they going to other new churches with a better show?] The issue is not how to gain new members but how to keep the ones churches already have.

Christians are Anemic

In The Multiplying Church Bob Roberts says that problem our churches face is that we are not seeing true life transformation in those who attend our churches.

I found this insightful, especially since on Friday, I read a book by Neil Cole called Cultivating a Life for God in which he reveals a way of discipling people which has resulted in amazing life transformation in the people that have done it worldwide. But the beauty of what he proposes is that this life transformation does not depend on the systems and structures that have come to be known as “church.” Instead, his proposal is simple, free, and easily reproducible. I just started reading his newest book, Search & Rescue, which appears to be an updated remix of Cultivating a Life for God.

It is my opinion that the way we do “church” today is more often than not a hindrance to the spread of the gospel and the making of disciples.

The Death of Churchianity

The death of churchianity is coming, and while it saddens me when churches close, I am also excited because I believe that a new movement of God is coming upon His people whereby we throw off the things that hinder what He is doing in our lives, communities, and countries, and embrace a new (actually old) way of being the church.

churchianityThis new/old way will not need millions of dollars to sustain itself the way churchianity does.

It will live out the gospel among the people of this world by serving, living, and loving them, rather than just teaching facts.

Unlike churchianity, this new way of following Jesus will transform lives and communities. It will not require advanced degrees of education, high-powered leadership structures, costly buildings, expensive advertising, salesmanship routines, light shows and Hollywood gimmicks.

Those who leave churchianity won’t need experts to interpret Scripture for us, or to organize our discipleship programs and outreach events. Following Jesus outside churchianity won’t be limited to a single day, or a particular event.

When churchianity dies, we will stop going to church and simply be the church, the body of Christ. The death of churchianity precedes the resurrection of the church.

Therefore, since churchianity is dying, and we shouldn’t fight it. Churchianity is on life support and is begging us to pull the plug (which is why I wrote my book, Close Your Church for Good.

And as Churchianity fades away, I am beginning to see glimmers of light as the grime from centuries of tradition is scrubbed away, and the glory of God begins to manifest itself among groups of Christians who just want to live life like Jesus in their communities.

(Note: After writing this post, I learned that before he died, Michael Spencer wrote a book called Mere Churchianity. I haven’t read it, but it looks good.)

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Christianity, Church planting, churchianity, Discipleship, evangelism, mission, religion

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Church Demographics You Will Not Find Anywhere Else

By Jeremy Myers
1 Comment

Church Demographics You Will Not Find Anywhere Else

church demographicsWhen going into church planting, planters are advised to look up the demographics of the place they are thinking of planting in. Today, I found a site with a special set of church demographics you won’t find anywhere else.

If you want to reach into the gutters of life and find a place that needs the Gospel, a place filled with people who to be shown grace, love, kindness, and mercy, click here to check out some interesting demographics studies by Forbes Magazine.

Lots of people think that the way the church is in their neighborhood is the way it is around the country. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some areas, such as Dallas, Colorado Springs, and Wheaton, are church Meccas. Lots of people and lots of money flow into churches.

Other places, like Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Nevada, and Oregon, are church wastelands by comparison.

If you are going to minister in your town and neighborhood, it is critical that you understand the spiritual and church demographics and history of the people who are there. Here are a few websites that will help.

The Association of Religion Data Archives

This is a fantastic site. You can get statistics and data maps on your area. It shows you what denominations there are, how many people attend church, and other helpful bits of information.

American Religious Identification Survey

This is a helpful report about religious trends from 1980 until today. It shows that even though our population has increased, church attendance is waning. I have linked to the Wikipedia page for these results because there is a lot of other helpful information on that page as well.

Seven Deadly Sins in America

If you compare the previous two pages with this page, some interesting trends are revealed. One thing I noticed is that six of the sins–avarice, gluttony, lust, sloth, pride, wrath–are most common where church is sparsely attended. However, the seventh sin, envy, is most popular where church is widely attended. Interesting.

Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Hartford Seminary posts some good religion research statistics. I have used them before to research megachurch trends. At the time of this posting, however, their website was down, so I cannot give specific pages or links. Hopefully, they get the site back up and running.

Do you know of any other good sites for free religion demographics and research?

American Ethnic Geography.

Some good maps and statistics on religious diversity in America.

Most Religious States Map

A map which shows the states that are the most (and least) religious. Some good information here!

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: attending church, church demographics, Church planting, Discipleship, evangelism

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