Markers of a church planting movement #6: Community & Creativity

This is the sixth post in a series exploring the broad vision for our church plant in Seattle. If you want to know more about that project, check out my Church Plant category   For the rest of this specific series, go here.

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Community

Authentic relationships guided by love can change the world! In the New Testament we are given a beautiful and messy picture of authentic relationships. The early church committed to:

• The breaking of bread, the prayers, fellowship, and the Apostles’ teaching.
• Living out the “one anothers” of the bible (i.e. “Love one another”)
• Each person in the church had something to contribute to the well-being of their missional communities and to the world around it.
• Caring for the hungry, sick, and needy
• Community that lacks mission fails to be the people of God of which the Scriptures give witness.

Our Communities will commit to three rhythms: UP (relationship to God), IN (relationships within the church), and OUT (missional relationships in our neighborhood, city, & world).

Creativity in Culture

Spirituality formed by Jesus unleashes God’s people to be prophetic voices in the church and world, as their imaginations conform to the “mind of Christ.” God designed humanity in the image of the divine, with the ability to demonstrate creativity through various artistic expressions. The more we engage with the creative flow of God, the more our imagination is unlocked and free to dream of new ways of being human.

Seattle is a city known for its creative spirit. Whether its music, the arts, food, coffee, or any other facet of life, this is a city that thrives on self-expression. If we are to be a missional people in Seattle, then creativity is a given. This means that when we gather corporately, our music should express the edgy beauty of progressive culture. Our art should demonstrate God’s beauty to Seattle (just to name a couple of examples).