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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Church Update

Hi Everyone,

        I hope you are all doing well and had an awesome Thanksgiving! Suzanna and I are feeling the effects of our first winter in the mountains. We are happy to report that we're doing just fine after our first few weeks, which is a good sign because we have about 6 more months... But both of our cars now have snow tires on (I bet there are a few of you that didn't know those existed) and we have a full supply of canned goods for hot chili's and stews, so we are ready for it!

        It is hard to believe Suzanna and I have already been out here for 7 months. Time has flown by and we feel blessed as we look back on all that God has done out here. Here are a few updates on how things have been going up here in North Routt.

CHURCH UPDATES

Young Adult Group- We have been in the "off-season" for Vista Verde and lot of seasonal people are not returning and most of the winter returners are home until mid-December. So our group is about 1/3rd the size from the Summer. So we have decided to move from the charter school and instead we meet at our house or our friends place. There are 8 of us that meet every week to share a meal, worship, discuss the Book of Matthew, and then pray together. As we have moved into each others homes, with a smaller group we have grown a lot closer and the conversations are very rich. This group has been a HUGE blessing for Suzanna and I to build great relationships with people our age.

Community Gatherings- On the last Friday of every month we gather in someones home to share a meal, worship and pray together. We have had two so far and they have been a blast! Each time About 20 people were crammed into the downstairs of our cabin for a whole mess food and bunch of delicious sides. We worship together and spend time in prayer. It has been a really meaningful experience for us and we have had a lot of fun. The reason we started this is so that we could be intentional about how we do community. I had preached about community from the book of Acts and I thought that it would be good to actually try and live out the things that we read. We wanted to share our lives with one another in each others homes, with good food, worship and prayer. The plan is to continue this intentional practice more frequently as we share our lives together more and more as a community.

FUTURE GOALS


Discipleship- This has been a huge passion on my heart for the last few years. This passion has caused me to wrestle with the same question, Is the church in America making disciples of Jesus? Although, it is happening in pockets for sure, I would say as a whole, not so much. It seems as the church we have either neglected the great commission or we just assume we are fulfilling it through Sunday school and sermons. So I have been reading and developing (and taking notes from Grace Community Church) what it might look like if we got serious about making disciples like Jesus did. So the plan is to invite a handful of passionate disciples into a group study (with 12 core practices of discipleship) that we practice as a group, for about a year. Then after that year we are sent out to go and disciple 2-3 people in our lives through an intentional, consistent and committed relationship, where the "discipler" walks alongside, teaches and models what it looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life. For those of you who don't think this is suuuper boring here is an word doc that explains it in a little more detail. I am actually going to share this with the pastors of Steamboat in our next pastors meeting. My dream is that there could be "discipleship hubs" all over steamboat that are developing devoted disciples of Jesus. I think relational discipleship could could have a huge impact in a place like steamboat (which is 85% un-churched).

Small Groups- Another thing I am passionate about is small groups. Getting the church into close-knit groups that do life together and learn what it means to follow Jesus and live out the gospel in tangible ways. We want our community to be marked by the things have changed us, and shaped us as God's people. I think small groups are a great platform for a group of disciples to come together for fellowship, and to press into each others lives. I believe it is the kind of environment where the body of Christ can explore and practice what it means to be the church through gathering together and implementing the teachings of Christ in the context of genuine community (at least that is the hope!!)

Outreach- Over the past few months God has been showing me the different and unique needs up here for people. Almost every Wednesday I eat a pizza (pie and pint night!!) at the bar in the Roadhouse that is right down the road from our house (yes we have a couple of restaurants here). Every once in a while a local guy will share his life with me. A couple of them have given me a glimpse into some of the addiction, depression and loneliness that folks experience up here. There is a lot of hurt and brokenness that manifests itself in substance abuse and a crazy high suicide rate, which supposedly has continued to rise each year. So at NRCC we want to address these areas of brokenness and hopelessness with compassion, love and hope that's only found in Jesus. I have been able to connect with the principle at the charter school in Clark (where we meet for church) and he is excited about partnering in some way to address the needs of our community. In order to do that we want to develop an outreach team that can plan events, gatherings and initiatives that take intentional steps toward living out the gospel in more tangible ways and serving those around us, so that we can be salt and light to the community of Clark Colorado.

As we look back on our first 7 months here we can see just how much God has blessed us with relationships, ministry partners and loads of encouragement even in the face of challenges. We are so grateful for your continued support and prayer as God in his grace, continues to teach us how to lead others in humility. If you have any specific questions please don't hesitate to email me at dbloom2388@gmail.com.

Thank you all so much!

Dave & Suzanna

PS: Stay tuned for a picture update from Suzanna