“Where Church is Not a Club.” That’s the tag line of 24/7, a community of believers in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They hosted us last summer. Amazing people. So amazing, that I’ve been hanging on to a small card for almost a year now. It’s been sitting on my disk ever since, and I came across it again yesterday. (Just like the mail I shared with you in my previous post.)
I like this “not a club” mentality for two reasons:
1. The building they now gather in used to be a nightclub. How they ended up with the building is a very cool God story.
2. Before we moved, I used to live in the wealthiest county in my state, and churches there are more like country clubs than churches. There are “insiders” and “outsiders”, and “membership certainly has it’s privileges.”
But, I’m getting side-tracked. Here’s the real reason I’ve hang on to this card all this time: Their story, which is printed on the back of the card. It is beautifully written, exceptionally inspirational, and it makes my heart beat faster. I love it. May it do the same for you…
OUR STORY
IT BEGAN WITH A THOUGHT…
…if there really is a God that made us and loves us unconditionally…who wouldn’t want to know him?
And if we really have been hardwired for relationship with him, then couldn’t the emptiness we feel be like a compass that he himself placed in us, so that we would search for him?
The problem is, even though the church is supposed to be a place for those that are searching, the searching don’t feel welcome at church…
THAT LED TO A DREAM…
Imagine a church you could invite your friends to, and it wouldn’t reinforce all their stereotypes about church.
Imagine thousands overcoming the notion that Christian are boring, hypocritical, and judgmental because this church refused to retreat to the safety of Christian-subculture.
Imagine all of these people, like puzzle pieces, coming together to form one beautiful picture.
Imagine these people setting aside self-centered independent lifestyles and bringing the puzzle to life by living and loving interdependently.
Imagine this community not speaking of going to church, as if church is something to consume or attend, but imagine this church striving to be the church to each other and their world.
Imagine this church embracing mission as who they are as opposed to what they do.
Imagine broken people finding wholeness and meaning in life as they connect their stories to His story.
Cool, eh? Are you imagining and dreaming yet? I am. Go Canada!
Here’s to this kind of church not existing only in our imaginations.
Tags: 24/7 Church, Burlington, Canada, harris iii, illusionist, Ontario
Go Canada! What a dream… what a reality!
Agreed! Thanks for reading and commenting Patrick!