Come With Power
Apr. 21, 2022.
Christian ministry and leadership functions in an intersection between two worlds. We live in a natural world with predictable patterns, and yet we work for the Kingdom of God that is anything but patterned and predictable.
#JesusStories: Mark 9 begins with a quote from Jesus about how some of his disciples would actually see the Kingdom come with power. And then only six days later, three of the disciples watched Jesus’ body and clothes transfigure into an unearthly white in preparation of a meeting with Elijah and Moses – who suddenly appeared. Then, a cloud descended over them and voice from that cloud said, “This is my Son, Listen to what he says!” Side-note: This is one of the many scriptures that underscore the kerygmatic theology that Jesus’ words and stories are to be held in a high place. All in all, this was a mysterious account that bends the rules of physics. Peter, James, and John witnessed a lot of unexplainable things during those hours.
How do these unexplainable stories affect you? It is true that we minister with one foot in this practical world and the other in the heavenly world. We are not only called to live between the “already” and the “not-yet” realities of the inbreaking kingdom, but we are called to stand between “earthly needs” and “divine interventions”. At times I suppose we are tempted to follow the gnostics, explain away the mysterious, and drift back to practical and predictable versions of ministry. But is that the call Jesus gave us? It seems he told all of us to heal the sick, dispel evil, and preach the kingdom to the poor, all of which are unexplainable and illogical approaches to ministry. But something happens when we leave room for Jesus to show up with unexplainable interventions – we get to watch the Kingdom come with power. And I want that!
#DinnerChurchQuotes: Paul was obviously committed to evangelism, but as a by-product of the empowerment of the Spirit and the community’s worship around tables, in which the boundaries of the church were very fluid. (italics mine) -James DG Dunn
#PracticalStuff: Christianity began with several repeating practices performed by Jesus over a three year period. (Preaching to the poor, dinner with sinners, healing, confronting evil, telling stories, just to name a few). Your dinner church has some repeating practices that make it thrive too. In fact, your list of repeating practices comes from the same list as Jesus’ repeating practices. Are you talking about these practices with your team? Often? Reminding them of what makes a Dinner Church thrive? If you don’t, it will drift back to being a feed with a short inspirational story. But if you do, a divine presence will download into your rooms over and over again, and you will find yourselves in the worthy business of populating heaven and helping broken people to take-on the very likeness of Christ.
Blessings & Boldness,
Verlon
Dr. Verlon and Melodee Fosner have led a multi-site Assemblies of God Dinner Church in Seattle, Washington since 1999 (www.CommunityDinners.com). In this decade when more churches in the U.S. are declining than thriving, and when ninety-six churches a week are closing, Verlon and Melodee sensed that a different way of doing church was needed for their 100-year old Seattle congregation. It soon became obvious that they were not the only ones in need of a different path. They joined the FX team in 2016 and founded the Dinner Church Collective. And then in 2019 founded the Dinner Church School of Leadership. There is a lot to be gained when church leaders begin to see open doors in the American landscape that they had previously overlooked. Therein lies the journey for those who will forge a new future for the American Church.
Categories: Uncategorized
04.22.22
By: Brad Andres
The practical stuff hit exactly where we are in a timely way. We are about 10.5 months into our dinner gatherings. After we finished last night, when Carlie (my wife) and I returned home, we spend time discussing the evening. Last night, the question was: “How did you feel tonight went?” “Bland” was my response. I wasn’t talking about the food either.
It was the word that I used to express the tension I felt between a short story and feeding contrasted with the missional hunger driving conversations and connections.
Last night, It’s as if the momentum feels to have stalled. Of course, the optimistic leader can always tell stories shaping things to seem better than they are and the cynical realist can always find things that are sub par, need improved, or that are amiss. Yet, in between both aspects is likely the true picture.
I don’t believe our spiritual impetus isn’t diminished, but it felt like it. I suppose we see in epistles that multiple authors write they are reminding (big emphasis there) — reminding the people of God of things.
It’s not that the Lord isn’t working. It’s not that discipleship isn’t transpiring. It’s that we need reminding, more reminding than I prefer to provide as a leader, on why we do the things we do and what we are achieving.
Thanks for the reminder about reminding—so that what tastes so pleasant doesn’t become too bland.
04.22.22
By: Verlon Fosner
Brad – it is true that some nights are more difficult and less momentous than others. Thanks for sharing that reality with us all. And yet, who knows what miracles and healings await us next week.
04.22.22
By: David Dalton
To me, the difference between a gathering and a church is the presence of Jesus. This is why prayer and divine expectation are so important to a dinner church. Without the presence of Jesus it can easily become a feeding program with an inspirational story. With the presence of Jesus, it becomes a life changing experience (yet another argument for the kerygmatic focus). Like Brad said, we don’t always feel that life changing experience every night. That doesn’t mean that Jesus isn’t changing hearts and lives, however. He may be doing so in deep ways that aren’t visible on the surface yet. Keep praying, keep expecting, stay faithful to the vision God has placed in your heart, and soon you will see the fruit of it.
04.22.22
By: David A Brakke
The in breaking Kingdom that Jesus brings is a strange and beautiful phenomenon. I have always appreciated the idea that God’s in breaking kingdom along with our present earthly experience is a tension to be held not a problem to be solved.
04.25.22
By: Angel Porubsky
How true it is that many of us keep one foot in the natural and one foot in the supernatural. I think for most people it is easier to rationalize ministry to make it more palatable for the unbelieving. I am reminded of scripture in 1 Corinthians that lets us know the some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the unbelieving. That they would see the supernatural and bow down in awe. Could it be that our personal insecurities of what people believe about our faith lead us to holding back the fullness of who God is and what He can do?
04.25.22
By: Anthony Johnson
When we started our Dinner Church (one week ago!), Angel made sure to remind our team to be “Spirit-led, not agenda driven.” We have to be sure to invite the unexpected and lean into the mystery that makes our faith so appealing. It’s nearly impossible to explain away an interaction with the power of God, so why wouldn’t we want people in our dinner churches to experience that?
04.26.22
By: Larry Bogenrief
I love the rhythm that Dinner church gives me on a weekly basis. Sharing a meal, having a gospel conversation, practicing the discipline of listening has helped me to keep my faith with a practical application of Jesus’ teachings.
For eight years before dinner church, our church was involved in a community meal that served 120 people weekly. The difference was like the story of Jesus telling his disciples to throw the net on the other side. The shift did not seem like much, but the difference in the fruitfulness was amazing as we shared the gospel. The personal conversations about Jesus increased with an awareness of the missional side and the intentional shift in heart and deed was vital to the health of what was taking place.
Thank you for this important reminder!
04.29.22
By: Jeremy Veninga
I often keep this thought in front of me that He wants this more than we do and I feel like most of us want this a lot so that is good news. I believe stagnancy and familiarity occur when we highlight the process and forget about the people. If we truly care about what Jesus cares about and follow his example which seemed so fluid and yet so strategic then I believe we will continue to see Him move and heal and deliver.
04.30.22
By: Debbie Wilkerson
I haven’t had the privilege of starting a Dinner Church yet, but I really appreciate the practical material in these posts to apply when the time comes! I desperately do not want to start another feed with a simple story, but I want my team to be, as you said so well, “in the worthy business of populating heaven and helping broken people to take-on the very likeness of Christ.”
05.7.22
By: Megan Monterrosa
This post is timely for me to read for a few reasons. I’ve been considering exactly what Jesus told the disciples to do as they were sent out, Mark 6:7-11. They really had to walk by faith, even to the point of taking nothing with them, and trusting God with provision for every day. Reflecting on this is helping me to surrender anxieties and park myself in the realm of faith, and get used to staying there. Getting used to expecting adventure and powerful things from God as we walk obediently with devotion to risk and expectancy.
This post is an encouragement that in the daily trusting, I am on the path to seeing God’s greater works and greater things. I too want the power of Jesus moving in peoples’ lives, and it begins with the all-in commitment of true discipleship and walking by faith.
I appreciate the encouragement in #practicalstuff about the repeating practices, since our dinner church is growing and feels like it’s in adolescent phase. I’m really wanting to see and be able to recognize spiritual growth in the lives of our group :).
I’m taking a few minutes every pre-dinner huddle to remind and teach our team about these concepts. I also try to connect individually with people who serve as”table friends” (as we call them) when I have opportunities to speak with and train them. And we share as many stories as we can with the team about what God is doing to help us keep focus and motivation in the right places.
05.19.22
By: daryl miller
god is good and I am highly favored. our dinner church is rough-minded. but through prayer, healings, Jesus stories, spiritual warfare , the presence of the Holy Spirit , awesome worship, great expressions of the the Holy Spirit through art, community building, christ-centered table talk, friend-builders, evangelist , a talented core-team, Jesus meets us there on Thursday evenings to be worshiped.
We are sent from that building energized to testify to Jesus’ love and healing in our lives to our neighbors.
06.3.22
By: Kristina Meece
I believe that we have been taught to create a structured environment. For some, this is what helps them to feel safe and secure. It is hard to convince some to let the Spirit guide us in our work around Dinner Church. It takes maturity and the entire gifting of The Body to be able to see this happen in a real and tangible way. I, personally, struggle with too much structure. I believe this is why I enjoy the organic nature of the table setting.