July 4th Weekend

This week is an exciting week in the life of Northwest Community Church. We have two important events designed to connect and serve the families of Bella Vista. If you are within driving distances, get involved. Otherwise please lift us up in prayer specifically on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Beginning on Wednesday evening we have the youth group from Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville, KY arriving to be involved in what Christ is doing at Northwest. The students will stay in the homes of our church members and serve alongside us for three days while we invest in the families of Bella Vista. On Thursday, July 1 from 12pm - 4pm Northwest Community Church is hosting a totally free car wash (no donations accepted) at a newly opened gas station in Bella Vista, The Finish Line. This is our way of partnering with local businesses in an effort to serve the community in tangible ways. Then on Friday evening, July 2nd we are hosting our very own "Screen on the Green" on the lawn of the Bella Vista Boys and Girls Club. This will be another event designed for families to develop new friendships. We are showing the movie "Up" which will start at dark. Be sure to tring your own lawn chair and invite your friends and neighbors.

Please pray that the Bella Vista families who need to be connected with our church will see the ads we put in the paper or receive one of the 7k postcards we mailed out inviting them to these events. As always, our desire is to see unchurched families come to experience what a new life in Christ is all about. In addition, please pray for the students and leadership of Walnut Street Baptist Church as they courageously serve in our church plant. Pray that this experience will ignite in them a passion to see other churches planted around the globe.

Suggestions For A More Radical Christianity

As a follow up to my previous post. Here are five suggestions Dr. Rainer presented in response to the cultural trends facing the church in the U.S. These suggestions are meant to lead the church towards a more radical Christianity:

1. A broken heart for the lostness of humanity.
2. Become an Acts 6 Christian...The early church was in danger of being good instead of great. If the pastors have to do all the "church work" the church will not become great. All the church is to do ministry. Ministry is never to be "hired out."
3. Be missional and incarnational in your community. In other words Christ followers must live intentionally as if they are being sent out into the community for other people to see Christ living in them.
4. Help raise the bar of church membership.
5. Move from churchianity to Christianity. Instead of business as usual we must live differently and proclaim the radical message of the gospel.

On the surface, few churches or Christians could disagree with Dr. Rainer's message. You might even say these suggestions are no-brainers. And yet radical Christianity as Dr. Rainer pointed out is basically a heart issue. Churches cannot merely make cosmetic or programatic changes and expect an entire congregation to live out a radical Christianity. Likewise, individual Christians cannot make outward changes to their lifestyle and suddenly expect God to use them to change the world. True spiritual transformation always starts with the heart and works its way out.

As sobering as these realities are, I am not at all discouraged. And here's why...God has given Northwest Community Church all the raw materials for a life-giving, world-changing, God loving, people loving, healthy church. I am truly honored to serve alongside a team of people who are committed to live out a more radical Christianity.