What I have been discovering in my life is that vision changes. When I say change, it is not that it completely chage directions. For instance, I began with a vision to launch a progressive church. This has not been dramatically altered. However it has changed.
Maybe changed is the wrong word when speaking of vision. A better word is that the vision has become more focused. The details shift and certain parts become clear, while other areas of the vision emerge in my sight.
My prayer for direction in this church planting process has always been to receive THE VISION. The answer to my prayer has been in small bits and pieces that come into focus. The name of the church plant is a point of focus. In prayer, the name that came to me is Micah's Porch. I thought this was quite unique until I heard there was a church called Solomon's Porch out there somewhere. I guess God does indeed speak to us all.
Micah's Porch represents a vision and mission rooted in covenantal theology.
The first part comes from the prophet Micah's clarity of calling to restore wholeness:
What does the lord your God require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8
The second part, the 'Porch' is a secular represention of God's love gathering us together in community. God is always drawing us back into the covenant through which culture and creation are reconciled and redeemed.
The front porch has traditionally been the place where people can feel comfortable connecting with others. But few houses are built with front porches anymore.
The Micah's Porch vision is to create a front porch experience where strangers become neighbors and neighbors become friends.
In this way Micah's Porch seeks to share God's love by creating a space for grace, a space for drawing people into authentic community and faithfulness to the calling to do justice, love mercy, and walk hubly with your God.
1 comments:
David, you know you are on the right path vision wise when you can come up with Micah's Porch without knowing about Solomon's Porch.
About names; of course I have blogged about our name change that went from Epiphany to The Living Room, and why. But in keeping with Solomon and Micah, I also had thought about the name "The Leaven Room." Pun intended. It is a kind of okie-ese for livin' room, and the parable of the leaven is so a part of our DNA. But, I went for portability and recognition over cuteness...
So much depends on the culture of the area though and which micro-niche you seek at any given time.
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