Discipleship Spaghetti

A Community Group is like spaghetti. Huh?

Each person is a noodle, a life with twists and turns and messiness (or sauciness!). Pile all those noodles together and you find a big tangled plate of spaghetti.

A Christian's life is linked with Jesus and with other Christians in community. His grace and mercy affects all of the lives in that group. Each individual life now has a context that helps to put it in perspective and... with patience, straighten it out a bit. The joy and excitement of a Community Group comes from people sharing the way that the gospel changes them.

My picture of God's mercy expands every time I hear someone else's story of Jesus and how they have been changed. My appreciation of grace and God's patience deepens every time I hear about people's struggles and dependence. Left to myself, my perspective is small; but in a community I can see a bigger God, more powerful transformation, clarity of Scripture and humble reliance on grace.

Jesus wants his disciples to follow him together so that they can encourage each other on their life-long walk. That is one of the main reasons that Community Groups are so important at Grace Church. They truly are the best context for rich discipleship. Everything that a good group does -- worship, study, fellowship, service -- is a means of following Jesus with others. Each person helps and each person is helped.

Two questions: What ways do Community Groups help you to follow Jesus?

And... what do the meatballs represent?

Church Membership is a Key Path of Discipleship

A powerful aspect of discipleship is commitment to a local church body. The New Testament churches were filled with people who deliberately joined their midst. Those committed Christians were overseen by equally committed local leaders (pastors/ teachers/ elders/ shepherds).

Church membership is a foundation for a life of intentional relationships centered on Jesus. Devotion to one another inside a church, combined witha give-and-take devotion to careful leaders, provides a relational context for the Christian life.

In an era where it's assumed that people are autonomous, where it's easy to cut and run whenever things get tense or difficult, where conflicts are rarely dealt with honestly... church membership is a sign of the profound work of grace in a Christian's life.

This Sunday, a great group of people will publicly commit to vows of church membership. They are revolutionaries of committed grace-filled relationships.

From our Seven Pathways of Discipleship:

"Discipleship is facilitated at Grace Silicon Valley through membership, worship services, community groups, prayer, service opportunities, Christian education, and deliberate relationships.

1) Through Membership. This is the most basic way for the leaders of the church to know you and fulfill their call to equip and encourage you. Take advantage of this opportunity to be in relationship with the leaders by communicating with them."

The Beauty of Bay Area Fog: The Unseen Sea

You will love the glorious Bay Area fog even more after you watch this beautiful short film. Thanks Tom Oliveri for the link. Thanks to filmmaker Simon Christen.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Discipleship

Ephesians 4:11-16 will be the foundation of my next series of sermons about discipleship.

Click on the image for a beautiful word cloud of the passage.

Seven paths of Discipleship

Discipleship is facilitated at Grace Silicon Valley through membership, worship services, community groups, prayer, service opportunities, Christian education, and deliberate relationships.

Here are some ways you can be discipled:

1) Through Membership. This is the most basic way for the leaders of the church to know you and fulfill their call to equip and encourage you. Take advantage of this opportunity to be in relationship with the leaders by communicating with them.

2) Through the Worship Service. Make weekly worship your top priority (even if you’re traveling). Also, come to the worship service as a worshiper, not a consumer. Pray for God to meet us there and expect He will. Come looking for opportunities to listen and love others.

3) Through Community Groups. Community Groups are the primary context for discipleship at Grace Silicon Valley. They are the place where we unpack our Sunday worship, share the means of grace, bring our joys and burdens, and come to know others and be known (confessing, confronting, supporting and encouraging one another). The pastors/elders at Grace Silicon Valley oversee, encourage and equip the Group leaders so they can encourage and equip others. Community Groups are also the “front lines” for pastoral care, and the place where the leadership learns of pastoral needs.

4) Through Prayer. The entire Christian life intersects with prayer. Our hearts and minds are shaped through prayer. Our relationships deepen as we rejoice over answered prayers and present one another’s needs to God. Vision for Kingdom work is inspired and triggered in prayer. And, the strength of God’s Spirit comes to us in prayer. We pray before and during worship, in Community Groups, in ministry teams and in special times set aside just for prayer.

5) Through Service. Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats, and also the book of James, teach that when we face the Lord, He won’t need to test us on our theology. He’ll simply look at our deeds, which serve as the true story of our theology. Discipleship which only occurs over conversation and books pretends that we are disembodied minds and is a commitment to a theoretical life only (not whole-life). Jesus opposed this kind of religion. Through serving one another and our city the life of Jesus is at work in us.

6) Through Education. We are not opposed to discipleship of the mind! It is critical. Here are some of the ways you can grow in knowledge at Grace Silicon Valley:

• · GraceU Course Offerings, Seminars, Weekend Conferences
• · Annual Church Retreat
• · Missions Presentations and Prayer
• · Arts/culture: Movies at Grace, book discussions, arts
• · Resources: recommended reading, sermons, and study guides
• · Vocational discussion groups/mentoring

7) Through Deliberate Relationships. Many people benefit from a small, close group of reliable friends who are willing to honestly care for each other. These friendships can be open-ended (ex: ‘how is God working in your life now?’), guided (ex: with a specific curriculum), or issue-specific (ex: helping with a sin pattern or struggle). The key is consistent, regular, dependable meeting together.

Discipleship at Grace Silicon Valley

Beginning this Fall, Grace Church is entering into a year-long focus on Discipleship. To fulfill our mission in Silicon Valley, we recognize that as a church we need to grow closer to Christ and deeper in our lives as Jesus’ follower.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
A disciple worships and imitates Jesus in all areas of life. Three words come to mind when we think of discipleship: worshiper, apprentice and follower.

It’s not enough simply to imitate Jesus—we must find ourselves, like the disciple Thomas, falling to our knees and exclaiming, “My Lord and My God!” And yet worship from the Bible’s point of view is always a whole-life event—expressed in and through every aspect of our lives: vocations, relationships, art, citizenship, etc.

Like an apprentice is shaped by his master, a disciple is being renewed with the mind and life of Christ in every way. Christ’s agenda becomes our agenda. This call to worship and imitate Jesus is a call to lay down our lives, yet the reward is beyond measure.

These two aspects join in the idea of being a follower of Jesus. Jesus asks us “to come follow him,” to walk in his footsteps. A follower acknowledges the leadership of Jesus and acknowledges the goodness of Jesus. Disciples grow to love the one that they follow and recognize that their own joy is tied to their delight in their master.

Where does Discipleship occur?
The current trend is for Christians to walk away from the church and focus on their private Christian life. Yet biblically, discipleship occurs in the Church. The Church is where disciples are made.

The church is God’s incarnation today. The church is Jesus’ body on earth. The church is the temple of the Spirit. The church is not a helpful thing for just an individual spiritual journey. The church is the journey. The church is not a collection of “soul-winners” all seeking to tell unbelievers “the Way” to God. The church is the way to God. To be part of the church is to be part of God—to be part of God’s Communion and to be part of God’s ministry. To belong to the people of God is to enjoy relationship with God and live out the purposes of God. The church is God’s present-day word and witness to an unbelieving world. And, most importantly, the church is the only true means to be transformed into the likeness of God. —Todd Bolsinger, It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian

The Church doesn’t have everything all perfect, just like none of us have everything all perfect. Yet Jesus placed priority on his Church and so we must. This is not to exclude our individual relationships with God—if neglected we will feel like an acquaintance of God, rather than a beloved son or daughter. But, as the Church is the Body and Temple of Christ, and discipleship entails being shaped by Him, we must be engaged in the Church to become like Him. This includes being engaged in the mission of the Church. A disciple participates in Jesus’ worldwide mission to gather people from every tongue, tribe and nation.

How does Discipleship occur?
Discipleship takes place with multiple persons in a variety of ways. For those who have grown up in the Church, or have been Christians for some time there may be certain models that come to mind—both formal and informal:

• Discipleship means a person [one primary mentor]…
• Discipleship means a program [book or curriculum]…
• Discipleship is just spending time together

All of these are legitimate models, yet none exclusively sufficient. If discipleship entails becoming a whole-life worshiper as well as an apprentice of Jesus, it needs to take place with multiple persons. The person who serves as a discipler/mentor for your marriage may not be the best one for your vocation. The person who brings you along theologically may not be the best one to show you God through the arts.

This releases the individual being discipled from looking to one person for everything and requires us to learn from everybody. It also frees the discipler from guilt for not being everything to everyone, as well as from an unhealthy desire for influence. No one—pastors, elders, lay leaders—can be expected to serve as the primary discipler. We look for God to use many people, understanding that Jesus himself, by way of the Holy Spirit, is the primary Discipler.

Discipleship also takes place in multiple contexts. At Grace Silicon Valley we imagine discipleship will occur in many venues: during worship services, alone with God, while discussing a film, while sharing a cup of coffee, while tutoring a child, in small groups or as we hone our talents at work. This relates to our belief that disciples are called not merely to personal worship and piety, but to engage every area of life—which only happens as we are being discipled in a whole-life manner. The multiple contexts and personalities involved in discipleship call us to be wide-eyed for God’s shaping influence.

Discipleship occurs through the “means of grace,” used corporately and individually. God tells us that there are certain means through which His powerful grace flows, by which the Spirit of Christ resides and rules in our lives: the Word which God inspired and inhabits, the Sacraments wherein Christ is present, Prayer by which we both experience and communicate with God. This is why weekly worship with the Church is so formative, for it is there that all these take place. And, as we learn to worship together publicly we’re also learning how to do it privately. These means pursued publicly and privately are used by the Spirit help us to become worshipers, apprentices and followers.

Other means of grace require relationships with people: fellowship, service and repentance. The messy community of the Church is where these are experienced. Together we spur one another to press on.

The Bible teaches us that transformation occurs by seeing the glory of God and because of the grace of God. Mechanically checking a list of chores leads nowhere. Coasting through life under the guise of ‘freedom’ leads nowhere. Discipleship is a reliance on God’s grace through diligently pursuing his means of grace. This takes discipline and intentionality. The Apostle Paul likened it to athletic or military training.

Leadership Development at Grace Church

The pastors and elders want the next two years to be focused on building up our church community as disciples. Leaders are a key part of our church and we want more time helping our leaders to grow. So, we're reviving and improving an important gathering: the leadership meeting. We trust that you will look forward to these events as a highlight of your Christian walk next year. Please feel free to invite potential leaders and apprentices so that they benefit from the support of these gatherings.

Leadership Summit
Grace Presbyterian Church

Leadership Summits are for all ministry leaders at Grace Church (especially Community Groups, ministry teams, outreach, mercy, missions). These Summits help keep our leadership community growing in Christ and close together. Are they dry, boring lectures? No! Expect music, testimonies, prayer, short talks, group exercises, food. Afterwards… continue to hang out on California Ave. We want this time to be valuable for our leaders' personal and ministry life.

Date	Theme	Bonus
September 14	Helping People Grow as Christians	What’s New at Grace Church
October 12	What Makes a Christian Leader?	Survey: Tell Us What You Need to Grow
November 16	You Decide! (results of a leadership study)	Preview of Vision Sunday
January 18	Asking Powerful Questions	Case Study: Guilt
February 15	Loving Jesus More than Everything Else	Case Study: Depression
March 15	God’s Gifts, Talents and Resources For His Kingdom	Preview of Grace Church’s 10thAnniversary
May 10	You Decide! (results of a leadership study)	Celebrate the Ministry Year

Time: 7:30-9:00 PM

Location: Grace Church offices, 2431 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA

Jonathan Edwards and the First Awakening

Yesterday, I mentioned Jonathan Edwards in my sermon as I spoke about the First Great Awakening (early 18th century). If you want more information on Edwards, here are some links:

Yale's Jonathan Edwards Center (http://edwards.yale.edu/) contains free texts of Edward's complete writings

Wikipedia articles on Edwards and the Great Awakening

Marsden's excellent biography of Edwards

Banner of Truth's compilation of Edwards' writings about the revival

Can you complete 'The Lord's Prayer?' quiz

Can you complete 'The Lord's Prayer?' - sporcle

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I'm preparing for this week's sermon about the Lord's Prayer. It got me thinking about how central the Lord's Prayer is to Christian worship, yet many contemporary followers of Jesus haven't been deeply trained to pray the way that Jesus prays.

How well do you know it? Have you memorized it? When did you first learn about the Lord's Prayer... as a child, an adult, just today?

How much of your prayer life is shaped by Jesus' prayer?

7) Why Multi-Site Is A Biblical Model

Multi-site churches have been effective.

They are not without problems, sometimes caused by an overly aggressive strategy or a merely pragmatic approach to church leadership. It is certainly proper to ask: is this approach even valid for Biblical Christians? Is there at least a hint of doing church this way in the New Testament? Shouldn't churches stay together?

"The New Testament nowhere demands that a local church meet all together each week. Nor is a single service assembly the only model given in Acts. While it is certainly true that we see evidences of local churches assembling all together (1 Corinthians 11), we also see evidence of single local churches which met in multiple locations. The new congregation in Jerusalem is frequently referred to in the singular, one "church" (Acts 8:1; 11:22; 15:4). However, they obviously had to meet in different times and locations. Historians tell us there was no space in Jerusalem available to the disciples in which three thousand or more people could have met on a weekly basis. It also appears that many first-century house churches came together to celebrate the Lords supper as one citywide church (see 1 Cor 11:17–20; Romans 16:5)." --JD Greear (in the 9Marks Journal. May/June 2009. © 9Marks. Website: www.9Marks.org. Email: info@9marks.org)

A mega-church with a mega-campus is attractive with it's programs. Many existing Christians flock to a large campus. But is that the best stewardship of God's resources? But a multi-site church may be a better way to display the unity of Christians in a city, while reaching into diverse neighborhoods and people-groups.

Other multi-site proponents highlight: increased evangelistic effectiveness, easier leadership development, financially effective church growth, benefits of big/small churches in community life, and shared mercy/mission work.

If Silicon Valley needs 200+ churches at least and we are willing to help God's Kingdom expand, then why not function through a variety of models at the same time? Imagine a network of churches: six of them have three sites each, two are regional campuses, one has ten multi-sites locations, fifteen are small churches in non-English speaking neighborhoods. Twice a year, all of those members gather for a great celebration! The gospel is changing this corner of the world. Jesus is praised.

Next, we'll count the costs and see what it takes to launch a second site.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

6) Steps to Multi-Site

So... when are we going multi-site? When are we launching the new site? Leaders hear that type of question often. It's a great question, especially for people who are in the different multi-site teams.

The answer is not a specific date, but rather a series of events. As we move forward from one to the next, we become more ready and we see God bless the process.

STEP ONE (ABOUT 4-6 MONTHS TO LAUNCH. NO DATE PICKED)

• Select Leaders and Start Planning: site director, launch teams meet. DONE
• Communication: Catalyst meetings (DONE). Info meetings. Whole church understands. IN PROCESS
• Outreach Events: New people are gathered to participate
• Budget: We understand and agree to the costs
• Staff Adjustments: We adapt staff job descriptions

If those things can happen, we should meet as church and vote to proceed to STEP TWO. At that point, we can pick a desired launch date. Good launch date options are: September 1, November 1, late January, one month before Easter.

STEP TWO (ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS TO LAUNCH DESIRED DATE)

• Gathering Events: More outreach and community building. Vision for mission and community
• Site Selection: Location is chosen and negotiated
• Site Preparation: Equipment, Signs, Worship materials, Children's Supplies, Admin
• Ministries Staffed: Ongoing ministries recruit and train volunteers

Goal is to prepare for the final month of effort before launch

STEP THREE (ONE MONTH TO LAUNCH)

• Launch Invitations are sent: mailings, personal invites, other means
• Finalize Preparations: practice onsite ministries, ways to include new people
• Preview Service: one week to launch

Next, we'll pause to consider the Biblical model and the benefits of a multi-site church.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

5) Why Now?

The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. I Samuel 2:4

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Are we ready as a church to do this? Even if we're convinced about the need and the call to move forward, we still have to recognize that committing to expanding the Kingdom of God is a challenge.

In one sense, it is tempting to list the ways that may make our church seem unprepared. In the midst of conversations about multi-site some descriptions might be brought out: "We're not strong enough or mature enough." "We don't have stable finances or long-term relationships." "We're pretty good at communicating the gospel and bringing up new leaders, but we could a lot better." "We long to be agents of mercy and compassion, but we talk about it more than we act."

From a practical standpoint, those are important elements in declaring any church 'not ready'. On the other hand, that's the perfect place to be at. It forces us to ask other questions and see beneath the surface.

There are deeper things to discern that show God's work inside his church. We need to lead from a place of dependence on Christ, rather than our human strength. We need to discern our motives and abilities to be God's Kingdom agents. We need to gather the new gifts that God gives his church through people that have not served before.

What we look for as evidence of God's work among us?

• More prayer happening spontaneously.
  
• A hunger to grow and serve at the same time.
  
• Greater personal and community boldness.
  
• New people plugged into the community
  
• New people coming to faith as followers of Jesus
  

As we look to those deeper questions, we can see God at work. Each of these five things are happening. More people are praying in groups for mission, many new people are using their gifts to serve God's kingdom, a boldness in the gospel is building, people are plugging into community in greater numbers and we're seeing an increase in new commitments of faith.

Are these evidences of fruit happening enough to say "launch!" Perhaps not yet, but the process of preparation is one of the means that God is using to build these fruit in our midst. We grow in maturity as we move closer toward this dream.

Next, we'll look at some of the key stages (and decision points) of becominge a multi-site church.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

The All-Sufficient God

Sermons in May were a helpful encouragement to all of us as we walk through the most challenging years of our generation. Economic challenges are hard for Silicon Valley people to deal with. Not because we're generally better off than other areas, which makes it easier for many. It's harder because we're accustomed to a culture of self-sufficiency.

What happens when we are no longer sufficient? Followers of Jesus believe that God himself is truly all-sufficient. He works in times of joy and sorrow, in plenty and want. Believing and applying God's all-sufficient care is a way to guide each other in times of challenge.

If you missed any of them, they can be found here:

May 31 '09	Why Worry?	Matthew 6:25-34	MP3
May 24 '09	Spiritual Dryness	Psalm 42; 43	MP3
May 23 '09	Joy in the Journey	Deuteronomy 8:1-9	MP3
May 10 '09	Through Fire	Isaiah 43:1-4	MP3
May 3 '09	Comfort	2 Corinthians 1:3-11	MP3

For more practical help: David Powlison, a wise counselor, teacher and writer at CCEF, posted a series of articles about Worry. The articles begin here>.

4) Revival

What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?

It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden.

It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches. Luke 13:18

I will build my church. Matthew 16:18

The Great Awakening in the early eighteenth century is one example of God's mighty hand. Within a decade, around ten percent of America and England had a genuine conversion to Christian belief. These people filled churches to overflowing and launched many new agencies of missions and caring.

If a similar revival happened here, nearly 200,000 people would be added to the churches. God leads these revivals; he renews his churches; he brings vitality to his people; he convicts people of their brokenness and enlivens people with his mercy; he softens hard hearts and heals tender souls. No one is ever prepared for such a powerful outbreak of the Spirit.

The South Bay could easily benefit from 100-200 new churches. Today.

What kind of churches? Churches in different neighborhoods, different languages, different socio-economic groups. Churches that serve the poor, care for the aged, reach people ravaged by drugs and violence, affect the spiritually impoverished, communicate to the cynic and skeptic, support families crumbling under stress and materialism, integrate the immigrant, and unite creative Christians to serve the need of the world.

In many ways, for Grace Church to expand from one to two sites is a significant step. It can seem overwhelming and monumental from our narrow perspective. From the scope of the mission in our area, it's nearly unnoticeable. It is but one small step toward a greater vision.

Richard Lovelace, church historian, notices several common preconditions to revival: a deeper awareness of the holiness of God (his love and justice) combined with a deeper awareness of the depth of sin (personally and in communities). When Christians, in renewed hunger for God, grasp the gospel more deeply, the Spirit brings about dramatic changes in the church and surrounding culture. Revival-era Christians apply the gospel more thoroughly. They live out of justification (grace acceptance), sanctification (freedom from sin's bondage), indwelling Spirit (union with God), and Christ's authority.

In revivals, a new holy boldness erupts. Prayer gatherings often spontaneously occur. Mission is compelling, not forced. Community is formed out of desire to be together. Counter-cultural institutions are created that help renew society.

Next, we'll ask the question, "why now?" How can we know if we're ready to begin?

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

3) New Church Communities

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
1Peter 2:10

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8

The first commitment for our church to unite around is a commitment to launching new church communities. We need to agree that these new bodies are part of God's plan, for his Kingdom in general and for our church.

Clearly, by any measure Silicon Valley is not a particularly Christian area. In fact, it is one of the least Christian places in North America. Estimates range from 90-95% of the people in the South Bay would not identify themselves as evangelical Christians. How would these people, nearly two million of them, understand the gospel message? Mass communication is easy to ignore, street preaching is disregarded, door-to-door evangelism is too 'cult-like' and disturbing.

What cuts through the noise of 21st century life?

A non-threating, loving, caring relationship with Christians that defy stereotypes. Christians who are gracious and not judgmental. Christians who apply a gospel worldview to their lives. And Christians who share their life in meaningful church communities.

• These churches should understand the Bible, apply it to everyday life, build up Christians in gospel maturity.
  
• They should grasp the questions and doubts of people who do not believe, and treat those people with respect.
  
• Worship should be richly historic and still fresh.
  
• Ministries should inspire people's gifts for serving rather than force them to serve out of pressure and guilt.
  
• They should be surprisingly welcoming to outsiders without being manipulative or phony. If a member of the church invites their friends to a church like this, they should not be embarrassed, because "church" itself is intimidating to people who are not connected to churches.
  

Realistically, one church cannot fulfill all of these ideals. Christians are redeemed sinners; churches are filled with redeemed sinners. Nothing in this life is perfect, but a gospel saturated church community is the best environment to be honestly transformed by Jesus.

The need for new churches in the South Bay is staggering. "But there are already churches here!" is a common objection. True, and many of these churches are doing a great job of reaching out. But the vast majority are shrinking or stagnant. Even the vital churches are unable to reach the 90%+ who are not connected to Jesus. New churches reach new people and they help restore people. They go into places, like Jesus did, where there is doubt or darkness.

Next, we'll consider the role of God's spirit as he creates revival.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

[photo by evie22, flicker]

2) Adapting a Kingdom Vision for 21st Century Realities

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save

what was lost. Luke 19:10

As Grace Church approached the 2010 horizon, leaders began asking how we could launch a new church. The attendance, staffing and financial resources for sending off an independent church were not present. Sending out a large core of members to an independent 'daughter church' would likely harm the original church and put the new church at significant risk. However, we remained committed to the bigger calling.

Was there another way? Could God's Kingdom expand through our church community with a greater possibility of thriving? After prayerful research, our pastor proposed to the elders for their consideration a multi-site model. We presented the multi-site concept to the congregation in April 2008, opening up a time of prayer and discussion. In particular, the community groups around San Jose began discerning a call for them to unite together as a launch team for a new site.

Multi-site churches are not technically new, but the movement has grown in the last ten years. Hundreds of churches in America have adapted to become churches that are united in purpose with different segments of the congregation meeting in different locations. Rather than simply adding another worship service on an existing campus, additional services begin in new locations.

Multi-site is a method to achieve a greater purpose: expanding God's Kingdom. Among the many different ways to serve missionally, a multi-site church brings several strengths. It is not the best approach for every church at every time. The leadership of Grace Church sees this method as an effective way that God could enable our church to live out its core vision. Multi-site churches combine some of the strengths of local, smaller churches (community, neighborhood focus, outreach) with some of the strengths of larger churches (experienced staff, broad impact, joint ministries to needy people).

Bottom line: We're moving in a multi-site direction because of our deeper missional commitment. Multi-site is NOT for convenience, for trendiness, for personality, for merely adding attendees, even simply for its practical benefits. Multi-site is for the sake of Jesus.

Next, we'll see why new churches are essential for God's kingdom growth.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.

[photo of central San Jose by Steve Dorsey. from flickr]

1) Grace Church: A History of Mission and Ministry

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3

The story of Grace Church begins in 1999. Our founding pastor and his wife were considering several church planting opportunities around the country. They had recently received approval at the PCA Church Planting Assessment Center and were seeking God's call to a location that matched their passion and gifts. Silicon Valley was presented as a region with very few churches and a majority of people who did not follow Jesus. As a globally connected region of innovation and influence, Silicon Valley clearly rose as God's primary calling.

The hope was to create a network of connected churches that resourced Christians throughout the area for ministry, discipleship and worship. We hoped to become a collection of affiliated churches where secularized skeptics and devoted followers could meet Jesus together. The need for new churches in the South Bay is staggering; some estimate that several hundred new churches need to begin within the next decade.

Grace Presbyterian Church began worship in April 2001 with a small committed core of people who shared that vision for a network of new churches. As the church grew from one site to the next, more people entered into the community. The first group of elected lay elders recommitted to the mission in 2005, and set a five year goal of planting a second church within five years (by 2010). That dream was a way to acknowledge the Great Commission call to our church community.

Mark 16:15, Jesus's call to preach the gospel in all the world, is not a nice addition or a mere suggestion. It's part of the gospel itself. God's grace is offered to undeserving and needy people, who receive it simply by grace through faith. Growth as a follower of Jesus includes reaching out in service and love to others. It's impossible to claim a deeper understanding of grace if that gift is kept to yourself.

The Kingdom of God is an active, alive Kingdom. The Kingdom is already everywhere in the universe, of course. But that Kingdom is resisted by many, to the continuing harm of those who miss the gospel. The deliberate re-instituted rule and reign of Jesus brings comprehensive restoration to the fallen world.

The Kingdom belongs in every corner of the world, to every person in the world. The true Church, God's gathered followers, is a core part of that bigger Kingdom. The history of the Church is a history of God's Kingdom working through his followers to expand the glory of Christ throughout the world. From Jerusalem, to the Roman empire, to every nation, the gospel has moved from one generation to the next.

Each place and time causes the church to rethink why and how it lives out the gospel. Many ways exist to fulfill God's missional call, for example: personal relational evangelism, global missions, mercy ministries, inviting and including people into a church community, church planting, bi-vocational ministry. Each of these ways are useful means of God's kingdom expansion.

Next, we'll explore what God can do through our church.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.