first thoughts on a college/career group

This is written to some friends of mine who want to start a college/career group. So figured I'd copy and paste the email on here. to share some thoughts. So just ignore it if your not interested.

What does God want to do, what our our motives of us or from God?
-We need to honestly examine our motives
-is this a God idea or is it from our own nature?
-some ideas may be very good, but if they are not of God and God is not behind them they will ultimately fail
-don’t just think that jus b/c it is ministry related and church related that it is necessarly from God, it may not be. So recognize if this is a God idea or not
-how to determine, pray, what our your passions?
-why do u want to do this? Just something to do or to know Jesus more and share him with others?

Who will do it with me?
-donzel, grantley, kyleigh,
-brent? Phil Malone? Marynissi? Chris D?
-to be sponsored by calvary or not??
-weigh pros and cons
-pros and cons of being sponsored >> support (financial, building space, base of people to start with) connections through AG
-pros and cons of not being sponsored >> no enigma of a church and presuppositions, no building to use at first, no connections or umbrella grouping for support through AG


Mission Statement and vision and goals
-hope for people who have given up on church or have negative presuppositions of church
-need to ReJesus and re-imagine church
-starty everything over upon basics of following Jesus
-use intentional language around Jesus
- focus on essential issues, not non-essential
- embody the kingdom of God here on earth
-Highly relation focused
-through small groups
- and ministry to unbelievers
- comteporary/ connects with culture
-open to outsiders, can talk about issues of Bible in language so non-church people can understand
- focused on social justice issues and the poor and disenfranchised


What it will look like
-weekly service >> Sunday afternoons?
- worship, short dialogue (not sermon), break into groups maybe to discuss or just discuss as whole group. – meet in round, not everyone facing stage, in round
-have people involved (priesthood of the believer), have many people involved, even unsaved people in worship, helping out with various things
-not focusing on just core leaders (which there will be) but getting everyone involved, taking ownership
-add weekly small groups in peoples houses as well, as we progress
-have monthly meetings in public settings so unbelievers feel at home and open to ask questions on their on ground
Ex) spiritual shots http://www.spiritualshots.com/
- meeting in a coffee shop, bookstore, bar whatever venue may be and let play some music, have food, and then let outsiders ask spiritual questions and attempt to answer them
-goal to build relationships with those outside the church and talk about spiritual issues, on their terms not ours
-week or bi-weekly ministry to homeless
- make sandwiches and food and go and just hang out with homeless people w/ no agenda of trying to intentionally witness but just hang out with them and share lives together b/c that is what ministry is

Please prayerfully consider the first part of this and if God is behind this. If He is not I don’t want to do it, and I myself am prayerfully considering it. This must be our first and foremost thing to do. Secondly if you feel God is leading you to do this, who else do you think could assist us with this. They don’t have to be people that you would normally think of that would be helping in a church. IF you know someone that can play and instrument that may be neceassarily be a christian, that’s ok. If someone is good with media and all and not a christian that’s ok. But also we do not people who care about truly following Jesus and helping others know Him. People who are good with people and relationships. And also share your heart and God’s heart for this plan with people who might want to attend Christian and nonchristian. But don’t forget people who may have grown up in church or youth group, but now are not wanting anything to do with God. We want to break down peoples presuppositions about what church is about. I feel at least personally that is what our mission statement should be to reach people who have given up on church. Feel free to share this email or word document with anyone you may feel God leading you to. Thank you for your time. Reply with any thoughts, comments, concerns, ideas. Grace and Peace

Andrew Lemon ajlemon123@gmail.com
215 301 2916 ajlemon.blogspot.com