Monday, September 29, 2014

Miracle Grow Community

In the next month we will launch our Miracle Grow Community. This is our biggest step yet in developing Genesis' dual emphases - 1) Genesis the congregation, and 2) Genesis the mission-equipping agency. These two emphases can be described thusly:
  1. Genesis, as a local church, exists in South Minneapolis. We currently have two Gospel Communities. In the coming months, we will add large group worship. We have a website (under construction), Facebook page, Twitter handle, and Instagram account (under construction).
  2. The Miracle Grow Community exists as a part of Genesis’ mission to identify, equip, and support missional leaders regardless of their geographic location, denominational affiliation, or congregational participation. 
  3. Members of the Miracle Grow Community are welcome to participate in any aspect of the congregational component of Genesis, but it is not required.
You may ask, "What exactly is this Miracle Grow Community?" In short, a Miracle Grow Community is (the following is borrowed from this information from Mason Vineyard):
  1. A space to directly disciple current or future missional leaders who will, in their unique setting and calling, apply the Gospel to a group of people
  2. A space to give and receive encouragement and accountability
  3. A space you are invited into by the leader—this is not something you bring a friend to
  4. A space to help people answer two questions each time we meet: 1) Where is Jesus at work around me? and 2) How am I joining Him in that work? 
  5. A space for a season only, not forever (in our case, 1 year)
Please pray for those in Minneapolis and the surrounding towns who have been invited into this Community. Pray that they would accept this invitation and grow as faithful witnesses of the Gospel wherever they live.

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Monday, September 15, 2014

On to the Next Job

In the coming weeks I will have my last day as a park keeper for the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board. After 3+ months, my seasonal position will come to an end. Then, it's on to the next job, whatever that may be. 

As with everything, we must ask ourselves – Did we accomplish what we wanted to accomplish with the seasonal position at MPRB? I believe the answer is a resounding "Yes!" As I've written before, our 3 main reasons for being an intentionally bi-vocational church are:
  1. Missional
  2. Leadership Development
  3. Finances
But especially with this seasonal position, we wanted to use it as a trial run of sorts in order to learn how to be bivo and answer questions like: "How do we manage our time and energy?"  "How do we spread things around so that all the work for Genesis is getting done?" "How do we handle the budgeting and payroll for a bivo ministry?" "How do we handle the miscellaneous stuff we don't even know about in the bivo life?" Etc. Etc. We were able to find answers to all of these questions and find ourselves far more knowledgeable, capable, and comfortable as an intentionally bi-vocational church.

Of course, the biggest question is: “Is bivo a short-term or long-term thing?” Our answer is: “We will keep doing this until the Spirit guides us differently.” The beauty of where we are now and where we are going is that we are a very healthy 1 year-old church and we are leveraging ourselves to be healthy for many years to come. And I think that’s pretty exciting.

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Monday, September 8, 2014

When Darkness Seems to Be Winning

I love the Bible. I love the fact that the whole of the Bible is God's Word and "is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) I loved our year-long journey through Acts. I've loved our journey so far through Proverbs. But in all of the Bible, I especially love the book of Habakkuk. 

If you're not familiar with the narrative of Habakkuk, it basically goes like this:
  • The prophet Habakkuk complains to God about all the evil around him and asks Him to do something about it.
  • God responds by declaring that He will send a group of people who are even more evil to wipe out the evil around the prophet. 
  • The prophet tells God that he doesn't like His plan.
  • God tells the prophet that one day He will bring all evil to justice. 
  • The prophet submits to God's plan and worships Him.  

I love this book for many reasons, but the top reason is because it is constantly relevant (not that the rest of the Bible isn't). When the church takes God's Word seriously to make disciples . . . When we seek to live like Jesus and plunge ourselves into the midst of the hurt, broken, abused, and outcast . . . When we share the Good News only to be rejected and met with apathy . . . When we see a world filled with so many who have bought into Satan's lies . . . Then we will certainly follow the prophet's narrative:
  • God, fix things!
  • OK, but I'm gonna' do it this way instead if the way you're thinking.  
  • I don't like that way!
  • Don't worry, one day everything will be made perfect and new. 
  • OK. Help me to worship you, trust you, and be faithful to you. 

When you're on the front lines, God's ways rarely make sense. But when you're on the front lines, God is all you have. He is all you want. And you have no choice but to completely trust His promises, even when it seems like the darkness is winning. 

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Three Next Steps

Not too long ago someone gave me an incredible insight into life - When you have young kids, the days are long but the years are short. With four children ages six and under, this has proven to be quite true. Each day, to different degrees, is tiring (but joyful!) Yet, I cannot believe that my oldest is already in Kindergarten and my youngest is on the verge of sitting-up on her own.

I believe this insight is also true of church plants. Each day and week is filled with tiring, yet necessary activities. At the same time, I cannot believe that we have been living as a Community in S. Minneapolis for a year now! This year has flown by, but at the same time it's been humbling to see the many ways God has been at work in us and through us for His Kingdom in this city. As we look ahead to year two, these are our three next big steps:
  1. Launch “Miracle Grow” Community - This will be a Gospel Community stocked with Missional leaders. Some will be from S. Minneapolis, some will not. But all will commit from the beginning to be mutually encouraged and equipped as they launch and lead Gospel Communities as the Spirit guides.
  2. Large Group Worship - Our goal is to launch monthly worship with all of our Communities beginning in November or December. We have a location secured, but need to spend these upcoming months ensuring we're ready to incorporate this component into Genesis.
  3. Bivo Part 2 - When I started at Minneapolis Parks and Rec, I knew this was a temporary position. Well, it's temporary-ness will culminate in the next couple of months, which means I need to find a new position. I have several applications in, and even have an interview tomorrow (Wednesday) for a full-time position with a private landscaping and snow removal company. Please pray that the Spirit would open and close doors as He sees fit so that this next position alligns with our vision at Genesis. 
P.S. - In the coming weeks we will be sending out our annual newsletters/financial appeals/magnets. If you don't think we have your address and would like to receive one, please email your address to dave.larson@genesismpls.org

Invest in us and our work in S. Minneapolis - Click Here

Pray for us and our work in S. Minneapolis - Click Here

Participate in the life of the Community - Click Here or Here



#PlantTheGospel