a brief expression of optimism...

from my perspective, one of the most difficult things about leading a homechurch is the lack of quantifiable results. when I interned at a budding mega-church, I could tell you at any given point how many kids had confessed faith in Christ and had been baptized, how youth group attendance had increased in the last quarter and the number of training sessions we had offered our volunteer staff.

now that we are a year and a half into the life of our homechurch i can only report that we have had a thousand conversations concerning the nature of church for the single conversion we have celebrated, after peaking around March 2003 our attendance has actually decreased and we've had a number of (often mind numbing) 'leadership meetings' up to this point, but nothing that i could honestly term 'leadership training.' i try to be rationalize these results to myself in various ways, but, in all honesty, the lack of quantifiable results grates on me. i was often told that good leaders are productive and efficient, so when i admit to myself that i am neither, it tends to chip away at my pastoral identity.

anyway, the purpose of this post was not to publicly expose self-doubt, but to share some of the little, almost immeasurable, blessings that have befallen our community. so, without further analysis or adieu:

• Artie, our newest attender, read scripture during church last week. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but for someone who admits that 'he can barely read a lick' and is on the margins of the faith, this is a big step. so, when he read two verses of Hebrews 4, i felt a lump in my throat.
  
• Alex, who just recently went from being our church's bartender to a member of our community, is one of the most vibrant, engaging young believers that i have ever met. you know something special is going on when people are regularly asking him if they can join him for worship.
  
• our church makeup is now comprised of 30% native New Englanders. this is a huge step for a community that dwells in the shadows of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. if our community is going to flourish, it must establish deep roots in the native soil.
  
• almost every member of our community is meeting with a other members of the community on a weekly basis for relationship building (or you could call it non-programmic discipleship) and prayer.
  
• this fall, our community will celebrate the return of Craig and Bonnie Lewiston and Aaron and Amy Graham to our fold. these couples are leaders who the Father has, and will continue to use, in the good work of the Kingdom.

thank you, God, for the little ways that you are blessing Sinners and Saints. give us eyes to see and ears to hear your movement among us.

i could share more, but i need to get back to serving the christian consumer.