Chasing The Wild Goose

Simple Church Interviews

This is the "Special Feature" from the new When You Come Together DVD available from House2House.

There's No Pulpit Like Home - TIME Magazine

"Some Evangelicals are abandoning megachurches for minichurches--based in their own living rooms." So says the sub-heading of an article on simple church in the current issue of TIME magazine.  Since I'm one of those people I thought I'd post the entire article from the Mar. 06, 2006 issue of TIME magazine:

There's No Pulpit Like Home
Some Evangelicals are abandoning megachurches for minichurches--based in their own living rooms
By Rita Healy & David Van Biema

On a Sunday at their modest, gray ranch house in the Denver suburb of Englewood, Tim and Jeanine Pynes gather with four other Christians for an evening of fellowship, food and faith. Jeanine's spicy rigatoni precedes a yogurt-and-wafer confection by Ann Moore, none of the food violating the group's solemn commitment to Weight Watchers. The participants, who have pooled resources for baby sitting, discuss a planned missionary trip and sing along with a CD by the Christian crossover group Sixpence None the Richer. One of the lyrics, presumably written in Jesus' voice, runs, "I'm here, I'm closer than your breath/ I've conquered even death." That leads to earnest discussion of a friend's suicide, which flows into an exercise in which each participant brings something to the table--a personal issue, a faith question--and the group offers talk and prayer. Its members read from the New Testament's Epistle to the Hebrews, observe a mindful silence and share a hymn.

Micro Church on NBC Nightly News

Here is a video of interest on the growing simple/micro church movement. Click on this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/

Then scroll down and click on “Micro churches are big on faith” to watch the segment from NBC Nightly news that aired yesterday. (Sunday).

A Special Treat

Here's a special treat for those of you with broadband connections.  Click here to watch a short video of Amy leading worship from house church on Thursday night.

(Its 17.4 meg so it may take a few seconds to download)

Fellowships of the Heart

You've got to check out EpicReality.com. 

Click here to read the part of EpicReality.com on Fellowships of the heart!!!

Sunday Morning at about "Church Time"

So, you were probably in church while I was doing this. How was that sermon?

Click on the picture above to see more pics from the trip.

Wild at Heart Retreat in Central Texas

You are invited to a life changing adventure!

We just couldn't offer this in a church setting. Or in the basement of a hotel. No, in order for a man to get his heart back, he's got to take a journey. One that involves risk, and danger, and a point of no return.

The Wild at Heart retreat is a four-day quest into the recovery of your masculine soul as outlined in John Eldredge's book, Wild at Heart.

Through DVD teaching sessions, films, guided periods of reflection and journaling, question and answer, and small group discussion, this will be something far more than a retreat—its an expedition of the heart. You will never be the same. Basically we'll be doing guy stuff for several days (paintball, hiking, camping, maybe even some climbing and kayaking), and in between the activities we'll be going through the Wild At Heart Field Manual using the DVD series featuring John Eldredge and the Ransomed Heart Team.

The adventure will begin on the evening of Thursday, November 11th at around 6-7 p.m.. We'll be based at Westwood Retreat Center in Kerrville, Texas.

My prayer is that this weekend you will meet with God and he will change your life.

If you are a guy over the age of 18 and you'd like to come, please post a comment or email me (jon@jondale.com) and I'll send you a link to the Website that has more details and the registration form. Space is very limited.

I do NOT recommend this as a Father/Son trip.

Hearing God's Voice

I think learning to hear the voice of God is probably the most vital part of the Christian life. I've found that most Christians have baught into a Christian life of principles, tips and techniques. When they are faced with a question/problem/challenge/whatever they look for the latest spiritual principle to deal with the issue. While spiritual principles are valuable, I've found that if you teach someone a technique you may have solved their problem, but if you'll help them learn to hear the voice of God you can help them solve the rest of their life. That's really what discipleship is, walking daily in intimate relationship with God. You can't have intimacy with someone you only have a one way conversation with.

I've been planning to write a post on hearing the voice of God for a while now. Today I received the following article written by my friend Robert Fitts. It does a better job than I would have done tackling the subject, so I'm posting it here for your enjoyment.

I'd also like to take an informal anonymous survey. Please post a comment (without your name) and tell me how often you hear the voice of God (in whatever way you hear it). Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly or I've never heard what I know was his voice.

So here's an excellent writing by Robert:

God Reveals His Will to Men

Every believer can be led by the Spirit of God. Paul said, "They that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. " (Romans 8:14)

Pics from Fellowships of the Heart

Click here to view the photo album from the Fellowships of the Heart gathering in Denver.

This morning I met God at the playground

This morning I varied slightly from my regular morning routine (an early morning bike ride with the Anna and Elijah around the neighborhood). Since Anna was still sleeping I took our one year old Elijah to the neighborhood playground by himself. As we arrived I asked God to talk to me and tell me how he sees me. I heard him tell me to watch Elijah play. As I was watching him play I heard the Holy Spirit ask, "how do you feel as you watch Elijah?" Here's what I observed.

He was continually looking to me for affirmation and I longed to give it. I wanted him to experience things for himself (that first trip down the slide is always the most difficult). He wanted me to join him in playing, and I wanted to join him. I didn't want him to get hurt. I wanted him to have fun. I found myself looking for ways to make it more exciting for him. I wanted the best for him. I experienced incredible joy as he tried new things.

Then God said to me, "That's how I look at you," and I realized, one again, that God wants the best for us. He delights in our enjoyment of life. His plans for us are better than any plans we could come up with ourselves.

Its amazing that it so easy to fall back to the original sin of Adam and Eve, not rebellion, but buying the lie of Satan that God might not have our best interest at heart. When we don't trust God's plan we're saying we don't think God's heart towards us is good. Trust me, it is good. On second thoughts, don't take my word for it; ask him to show you how He sees you.