BEING the church... UCFellowship.

A note to the movement known as UC Fellowship... a missional community that some call "church."

Thanks for BEING UCFellowship. Notice I didn't say "being a part of" UCFellowship but truly BEING UCFellowship. You are the church. What you do defines who we are and so when you serve, we are a serving church; when you give we are a generous church. When you love we are a loving church. I want to thank you for being several things:

1) Servants - I get complements all the time about how this church serves. You serve all the time...Sundays, Saturdays, early morning, late night, all week long, public, private, local, global, poor, rich... it is amazing to see. So thanks for BEING servants. Several church around recently did a "campaign" to serve the city around them for a day. They asked me if I wanted our church to be a part of it. I politely (or maybe not so politely) told them that I didn't want anyone in our church finding out that at other churches you only have to serve when there is a campaign to do it at one point in the year. I was afraid for you to find out that some people define serving by something you do during a special emphasis, rather than something that God calls us to BE. Simply put, most of the things they were DOING once a year is what we are BEING day in, day out! You make me and other marvel at who we ARE.

2) Authentic - I have NEVER been a part of a more authentic, genuine, real gathering of people. I know that me being authentic helps you to be authentic, but you being authentic helps me to be authentic as well. This past Sunday was amazing. It is great to know that I can come and share my life with a large community that cares about what our family is facing right now in our adoption process. I love sharing the struggles, knowing that I will find compassion, love and care. If you missed the service, please listen to the message from our website. A lot of spiritual leaders just don't feel like they can be authentic AND lead. Unfortunately, their model of leadership is built around the appearance of strength and success with little room for struggle and weakness. Thanks for BEING authentic and allowing me to authentically lead out of my struggles and weakness.

3) Relentless Pursuit of the Mission - Our mission is to "challenge people to trust and imitate Jesus in missional communities for the good of the world." I love the ideas that I get from you daily about how this could play out in your work, home, schools etc. I love how we have created a place that DARES TO DREAM about the way things could be and the way things should be. I love that many of you think about going into the darkest places and bringing the light and hope of God there. I love that we are a place that forms unique connections with the community around us in ways that show unconditional love. I am grateful that many of you are beginning to dream about continuing to expand the mission. It is mission critical for us to never be stagnant, to never slow down and to never give up. Hope will always produce action rooted in faith and prayer.

So thanks for BEING the church!

Definitely need to read this article in preparation for this Sunday's Neighborhood Gathering. Kind of neat that God has us already doing something about this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091022/ap_on_bi_ge/af_ethiopia_drought


Love loud... risk often... hope always,
David