Saturday, May 26, 2007

Hot Metal Bridge

I was at our Annual Conference of United Methodists this past week and we heard from a church planting pastor from Hot Metal Bridge Community Church. This church in Pittsburg is engaing the culture through drama, community, and "Bible fight clubs." (Concept is from the movie "Fight Club") Bible Fight clubs are more confrontational than your typical Bible study. There were a few things I resonated with.


"Ecclesiastical Frankenstein"

Pastor Jim talked about making disciples. How we typically approach making disciples like Dr. Frankenstein. We slap on body parts by sending people through programs rather than being in relationship with people. He said that making disciples is more like having sex; you have to get more intimate than programs allow. This certainly got people's attention! This reminded me that discipleship has always been about relationships.


I think the huge challenge for me is my busy and individual based lifestyle which often hinders me from being in significant relationship with others outside my immediate family. How do we get back to building community in a culture that thwarts it?

"Hell"

I thought pastor Jim did a nice job of making the connection between how we see hell and our ecclesiology. As a recovering evangelical myself I have had problems with turn or burn articulations of faith. I even get a little worried when guys like Rick Warren start using the "ticket" analogy for getting into heaven. It minimizes relationships ultimately because all we have to do is make sure a person has their ticket to heaven. This also keeps us from being in relationship with people. This works great in an individualistic society but I am not sure it is what God had in mind for the community of believers. I am not trying to be critical of Warren and I understand what he is trying to say. I just think that analogy limits being in relationship with people and actually "discipling."

"Missional"

Pastor Jim also talked about being "missional" rather than "attractional." This one hit me hard since in white suburban America we are more attractional and consumer oriented in our approach. This is where I thought that maybe Jim's approach is correct for his context but maybe not for mine. What looks like missional in one context may not look misisonal in another. Would hot metal bridge's approach work in middle class suburbia? If so what would it look like? I do agree that we should be missional and we do that in our church through what we call "bridge events." These are events that help us to build bridges with people in the community. It all boils down to building relationships.

"Koinonia"

This was the central message of Jim's talk. I loved his comment, "This is not about having a potluck in the church basement." Fellowship is so much more than church suppers. It really is about going to deeper authentic levels with each other. It is also essential to go to deeper levels of authenticy with those outside the church. I have found great relationships with people outside my church when I was willing to listen and get authentic. I can think of several people who I have had these kinds of relationships with; the older working woman who serves me coffee at the local shop on my way to church every Sunday, the gay guy who cuts my hair, the wiccan witch who was sexually assaulted by her pentacostal preacher, the former drug dealer I go mountain biking with, the insurance salesman looking for significance, etc. People hungering for relationship with God are all around us!

So how do we stay in relationship with those "outside the church"? I am praying about a place to hold a bible study in my community like a coffee shop, tattoo place, or bar. How about you?

17 comments:

TimDowell said...

Great summary of Jim's talk.
There was one additional thing that really resonated with me. It's an extension of the Frankenstein discussion; and that is that WE can't "make disciples" at all, but that disciples are "made" by God through their relationships with those who are willing to be used of God in the disciple making process. This really helps shape my thinking as I ponder the UM mission statement. Our mission isn't really to make disciples of Jesus Christ - but to be used of God in the making of disciples. A subtle but important distinction!

TimDowell said...

Matt:
Great summary of Jim’s talk! There was another thing he said that really resonated with me. It was an extension of the Frankenstein image. He pointed out that WE can’t “make” a disciple. Disciples are “made” by God through relationships established by those who faithfully and willingly let themselves be used of God in the disciple making process. This really helps color the way I look at our UM Mission statement. We can’t “make disciples of Jesus Christ.” We need to faithfully enter into relationships with people in hopes that God might make disciples through us.

Christine Kumar said...

Matt:

The Bible study came at the right time as we are talking about making disciples. So true that we need to be in authentic relationships in order to do so, to really care for one another, and be "real" I spoke with Jim Walker and he is real; who truly cares for those who are misunderstood by society. He told me that they are the most "real people he's met. I agree. Ministry does need to be taken to "street level."

Anonymous said...

Good summary, Matt. My church is in a neigbhorhood, according to Precept, where 45-55 percent of the people are not only unchurched but negatively oriented toward church. Yet they are interested in spirituality, music, personal growth, the arts, and learning. We need to get outside the boxes of our buildings and the boxes of our stereotypes. I think Jim helps us do that.

Anonymous said...

Good summary Matt. My church is in a neighborhood where 45 to 55 percent of the people are not only unchurched but have pretty strong negative feelings about church, according to Percepts. We need to find another way other than the "store" model to reach them.
Dean

Randy said...

Thanks for the reflections on the Hot Metal Bridge encounters at conference. They're going to be at our Annual Conference next week (Central PA), and I'm looking forward to it!

I'll post reflections on my blog, for those who may be interested: Leading for a Change

Pastor Chris said...

Awesome summary, Matt... I most resonated with his interpretation of koinonia as the real Missio Dei. Disciple making happens in the context of consistent intimate-partnership-relational-connectional interactions, not through fancy programs. I guess all of that has its place, too, but like you and Jim, I've found that working with unchurched and dechurched people is all about establishing authentic connections.

revrachel said...

Thanks for starting the conversation, Matt. The presentation by Hot Metal Bridge was one of the best things that I have ever seen at Conference and really challenged us to think about mission and ministry in new ways. I loved the part about questioning our assumptions--specifically that "the church is a building" and "a place where we go for one hour on Sunday." We are blessed with a big, beautiful building, but that is not the church. The church is everywhere that Christians are living out their faith--the homeless shelter, the law firm, the PTA meeting...So we have been working on getting the ministry outside our church building. We have a monthly Bible study at a local coffee shop, a Men's group that meets for breakfast and study at a nearby diner, and our young adults have a "theology on tap" happy hour in a pub. All of these small groups have helped us to get outside our building and our concept of church as something that only happens on Sunday morning. And my experience is that people are a lot more real and authentic in these settings than they often are at Sunday morning worship.

Heather T said...

For so many of us, the terms "relationship" and "authentic" are positively petrifying... I think especially in middle class suburbia, where so often the curtains on the window of "where/how we really are" are tightly drawn. I am thrilled to think of the possibilites when those drapes are "loved" open and avenues to spiritual, emotional, and relational healing and learning can be seen and even traveled.

Authenticity and relationship can be so hard to model, to live, to choose consistantly... lines are fuzzy, needs are many, energy can wain. But it is sooooo worth it to see one set of curtains parting just enough to let the love and light of Christ, and his flawed disciples, come streaming in.

I am so in God's process myself and praying that as my autheticity lives and relationships grow, I will simply be a disciple in process taking the hand of others in process.

Pastor Jim Walker said...

Matt,

Thanks for the summary. It is interesting for me to read your feedback. It seems that what's being said is what everyone is already thinking. I like that. The Holy Spirit must be involved here.

I really believe that a new wind is blowing through the church today. And although I'm not big on promoting our denomination over another (seems it should be about Jesus and unity rather than branding), I do think the United Methodist Church is positioned to really make an impact on our country and therefore the world today. We have a theology & a heritage that is 21st Century ready- centered on grace, justice, and relationship. Wesley's quadrilateral helps us navigate pluralism, not with ease, but reasonably. We have outposts in every town in America. And we have always been about the poor and the outcasts. It seems to me that for a long time, through the 80s and 90s, we've been the 'trailer park' denomination that doesn't want to be. Like we're in denial or something. Like we need to have our McMansion church too if we're going to 'compete' in church marketplace. Forget that. Let's embrace the trailer park stigma, give away all we have, wrap a bandana around our heads, slap a tattoo on our arm (even if its the temporary kind), and get down and dirty and get to work. We can leave getting bigger and getting rich to the other denoms.

I was in the New Room in Bristol last year. That was John Wesley's first church. You might remember that he would go out early in the morning and preach to the miners as they were going to work there in Bristol. Dude was nuts. John would quip that 'the world is my parish'... Radical... Anyway, the New Room today is on a busy, urban street. Bristol is one of the punk rock capitols of the world, mind you. Thousands of people pass this little church each day. It could not be positioned any better. But you go in and you find what is pretty much a museum, complete with 'do not touch' signs, a gift shop, and a curator arranging the flowers and pruning the bushes. When I was walking through I couldn't help but think that this is what we've become- a church perfectly positioned, theologically relevant, but missiologically archaic...or missiologically...uh... 'frozen in time'... I can't think of the right wordage, but you get my drift... If we could somehow upgrade our missiological approach, the Kingdom spread would be uncontrolable.

The time is ripe. Come on. Let's go.

For the Kingdom,
Pastor Jim Walker
Hot Metal

Jonathan, with JesusHouseofPraise said...

Great Blog Matt!

I'm Jonathan Holley of Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church, 53rd and East Capital Streets, NE
DC, where Rev. Constance Smith is Pastor and where I'm involved with the Witness/Evangelism, Youth and Children's Church ministries.

I think this new technology can be a great tool to reached the unchurched and those who are not active or regular church goers with uplifting and encouraging communications via audio and video technology spotlighting poetry, spoken word, dance, the other arts and more.

I agree with one of the bloggers who mentioned "We need to get outside the boxes of our buildings and the boxes of our stereotypes."

I have video clips from a "Youth Holy Ghost Party" held at Hughes Memorial United Methodist church in Oct 2006 sponsored by our Conference.

Please let me know how I can join this blog and help support you in this creative communication idea.

Peace and Blessings,
Jonathan Holley

Gail Button said...

Matt,
Thanks for getting this conversation started. I agree with the importance of building relationships within the broader community and taking the church beyond the church buildings.

I'm pastoring in a very affluent community where everyone insists they are too busy for small groups.

Most of the families who attend our Family Worship service with Sunday School component were raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and view church as a place where you worship rather than a community of believers in relationship with each other and striving to grow in their discipleship. They don't even understand the importance of fellowsihp events let alone small group Bible study. Their lives are heavily overscheduled taking their children from one activity to the next, traveling many weekends, and pursuing "fun." Many also put their children to bed by 7:30 PM which makes any type of evening gathering a challenge.

I've considering attempting to start a small group Bible study outside of the church, perhaps at Panera about 4 miles from here. However, many of the studies that I feel would reach people in this community have a video component. Plus, it would help to have one of two of the young parents to participate as a core for attracting others.

Any suggestions?

The Lost Pastor said...

In regards to Gail's question I think the first step for all of us wanting to engage people is to first get into their world, meet them on their terms, and listen to their stories. I find that when I do that people will raise the questions to me that will bring the Gospel and Bible to bear upon their lives.

Gail Button said...

I agree with Matt's challenge to begin connecting with members of our community. I have such opportunities with parents in our preschool pick-up line, with parents from the community who bring their children to use our playground, and occasionally with mothers eating with their children at local resturants like Panera. Unfortunately, parents are generally only partly engaged in the conversation since their children are with them and require their attention.

As I write this I'm wondering what a playground Bible study might look like (complete with interruptions) and obviously only able to meet during pleasant weather conditions.

Unknown said...

Matt ---- thanks for this effort. I really would like to get a copy of the powerpoint that Jim used. His ideas of "Hell" are critical to a sermon series we will be doing in the summer of 2007. I was mesmerized by the way he spoke the truth in such plain language.

Thanks,
Dick Harden
Reisterstown UMC

Anonymous said...

Matt:

What I still find interesting in our conversation, is the notion that we need to "go out" into the community and give them what we think they need (ie. Bible study, small groups etc). The first place we are called to start is by listening and through listening build relationships, and through relationships build community and through community develop ministry.

This is a really grassroots notion and not at all top down. This takes time and determination and the willingness to enter community with whomever "shows up".

Unknown said...

I'm thinking maybe if the church would totally discontinue the "Sunday morning service" maybe people would have time for REAL CHURCH. I'm still trying to figure out where we got that Sunday morning thing to start with.

AND... I'm getting less and less sure about "starting Bible studies" and "outreach" in an organized way. If we are building relationships and truly sharing our faith, people are going to want to know more about where we get out hope. Then, they might be interested in meeting with us in our times of "community" as Christians. I'm not ruling out the coffee shop Bible studies... I'm just thinking we're always quick to try to organize everything, ask for some type of commitment, etc. when maybe a more casual, friendship approach is more authentic.