Today's gathering saw us venture into the cyberworld as we were able to hear from transformational architect, Dr. Ron Martoia via web link. Ron has been working with the CrossPointe leadership over the last year helping us to navigate the terrain as we prepare to move to our new location.
At the end of his session, Ron posed three questions to us for discussion, and discuss we did! However, for those of you who didn't get to participate for any reason, I'd like to pose them here on the blog so that everyone has a chance to chime in:
1. How are you feeling about our move? Honest
2. What excites you most about the possibilities? What possibilities do you see? What things are you dreaming about that we have never done before?
3. What preparations have you been/or/are you now engaging spiritually as we get ready to make this move?
I hope that this will be an opportunity for us to be completely authentic with one another as we share our hopes, fears, etc. in advance of 09-07-08. Let the discussion begin!
6 comments:
My main concern about the move is our motives. We clam to "Love Without Strings" but there are many strings attached to our message. We want to go out to the community of Austin Ranch/Castle Hills for what? To reach out to them so that they come to our services so that we get more partners who tithe, thus we can afford land, where we will build a building of our own and have a place in the community. If that is not the reason for going then why? Or better yet, why didn't we just build a mile a way from Killian on the land that we owned. It sounds strange to pour into a community (Killian) for 3 years and then move away to Austin Ranch. If we "Love Without Strings" and the community is not changed for God then we are just a Rotary club. If the community is changed for God then that is "Our Strings".
Second is we keep stating that we are going into uncharted waters, that they are the unchurched, that we won't have to re-present the gospel because this is and area of land that has no church. My problem with that is Prestonwood and Bent Tree. They are both in the Austin Ranch/Castle Hills area and already have been pouring in to that community. It feels to me that since the beginning of this vision there has been a lot of truth left out. It seems to that some truth has been left out in order to make this idea appealing to the congregation so that we all get on board.
At first mention of Austin Ranch, I was excited. The thought of being in a community with a purpose was awesome. But now, much of what has been communicated (and not communicated, left out) has made me somewhat sick. Sick at our motives and the process that we are taking to get there.
This is just some of my honest feelings that you asked for. I am not looking for a debate because I am sure you will deny all of this and try to prove to me that I am wrong, which I hope I am. But again, these are my honest feelings.
Hi Anonymous,
Two things are very clear (to me, at least) about your posting: 1) you care strongly about CrossPointe and have deep ties to it, and 2) you have big concerns that revolve around information and intent regarding the church leadership.
I see two bits of good news. First, you've shared your heart on the matter, and your perspective is just as important as anyone else's. Second, the issues you cite are easily addressed.
After all, George Bernard Shaw wrote that "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has occured." I'm confident that by us doing a better job on the communication side, your heart will feel much more at ease about the direction CrossPointe is headed.
Pastor Dave is obviously out of pocket while in Uganda, but I bet he would cherish the opportunity to visit with you in person, along with other members of the church leadership, to answer some of the questions you raised in your posting. It wouldn't be for the sake of a debate; just a way to better share our vision and history about how we feel God has led us to this point.
If and when you would feel so led, I (or any other elder, for that matter) would certainly welcome the chance to dialogue with you about the topics you've addressed.
God's blessings!
Allen Victor
I wasn't at the gathering Sunday so I didn't get to hear the discussion there. I would enjoy jumping in now, though, since I do have a good bit of passion for the topic!
While better minds than I could speak to the "official" version, I do have an understanding of Crosspointe's vision, and therefore reason for moving, that I believe God has given me a deep-hearted passion for. It could be said in a simple 1-2-3.
1. Be what the community needs.
2. We can't be that in our current building.
3. We need to go where we can help with what's needed.
We're not being what the community needs to get money, or get attendees, or get "converts"...but to be what the community needs. Sort of like Jesus...no strings attached or sinster motives. He just died for us as we were and meets us at our need. Not a bad guy to work toward emulating!
It seems the evolving hope is not to build a "Sunday Facility" someday, (Now this is where I get excited!) but to be part of a "community center" of sorts from which we can help in providing something missing that the community needs - meeting space, or amphitheatre, or day care center, or whatever is needed there. Maybe it's a particular building, maybe not. If it was a community building, perhaps this space could also, by the way, be where we can meet for a Crosspointe Gathering...on a Tuesday morning, or a Sat afternoon. Who knows? We don't have it mapped out yet, we just have to get up there and see what's needed - because God asked us to.
I think that answers Tim's questions #1 and #2...and for #3, I have to say that for me personally, I find it easy to "coast." To have my quiet times then just selfishly enjoy my quiet life of ease. Spiritually, I've been working on being open to God energizing my body and mind and eyes and ears and heart to be ready to act on ways God shows us to be of unique help in this area he's called us to.
Oops, let's try this again.
I was saying that I was going to reply to your comments, but I felt that Nancy and Allen have more than adequately responded.
I'm personally excited that we can have an honest dialogue about these things.
I was lucky enough to meet with the team after they presented the concept for shared community space to Austin Ranch. After months of effort (Dan, Courtney, Craig, David Shanks, Wayne, and many others) to create a visual presentation to show what could be in that area, the decision maker said "no." He didn't want a church. (We were also blocked from renting open retail space there.) There were discouraged faces all around.
In some ways, I feel we are working on Plan B. AR was given the option and turned it down. Now, we are going to camp on their doorstep (so to speak) as close as we can be and wait for God to take the walls down.
It isn't how I thought it would happen. Definitely not the ideal.
I am excited about doing something different. About connecting with people who will never be engaged by larger churches like Prestonwood and Bent Tree.
Most of all, I actually have faith in the vision. That God really did talk with David after he fasted. That we really are supposed to move out and be something other than the ministries all around us.
And maybe, just maybe the move is about faith. Believing that we should do this. Believing that we can't stay where we are.
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