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Memorial Weekend Picnic this Sunday, May 30.

May 26, 2010 in Church, Meetings with Comments Off

Hey ONEchapel-ites,

This weekend we’re gearing up for our first ever, huge Memorial Weekend Pot-blessing, covered dish, bouncy-castle, picnic extravaganza!! We’ll meet at the same time, 5:30pm Sunday, and the same place, Manchaca Baptist Church. We’ll have tons of fun stuff for the kids…and grown-ups as well…with games, bouncers, and a huge slip-n-slide!

We’ll enjoy burgers, brats and hot-dogs, plus, the “you-never-know-what-yer-gonna-git-pot-luck-side-dishes.” We want most of you to bring some side dishes and some of you to bring some yummy desserts. We’ll show up around 5pm and stay until we’re done! Invite some friends because this will be a great time together.

Last week we began asking you to choose a place to serve and that list is coming together. More ministry opportunities will continue to pop-up, but be sure to respond to the email that was sent out last week asking you to rank three places where you would like to serve. This is another way that we continue to get to know each other and create community, preparing for what God will do with ONEchapel.

See ya this Sunday!

Ross

Latest ONEchapel NEWS update 5.24.10

May 24, 2010 in Announcements, Church, Meetings with Comments Off

We had a great time meeting last night with the ONEchapel family. It was good to be back at Manchaca Baptist Church, and we’re very thankful to be settling in there for a while. It’s starting to feel downright “homey”.

Next week we’re going to have a Memorial Weekend Picnic. We’ll bring the grills and the meat and we’re asking everyone else to bring either a side dish or a dessert. We’re going to have some great bounce houses, a little train to ride, and other fun stuff for the kids (and we might have some surprises for the adults as well). So bring the whole family. And think about inviting some friends to come along with you. Take a moment to be a “good neighbor” this week.

And remember to think and pray about where you might like to serve as we move forward into summer. The launch for ONEchapel is just a few months away. It’s getting more exciting all the time.

Have a great week and we’ll see you Sunday at 5:30pm at Manchaca Baptist Church.

Sacred Community

May 20, 2010 in Blogs, Church with Comments Off

Planting a church is a journey full of adventure, wonder and promise. I’m finding old truths that become completely new in the light of forming and growing ONEchapel here in Austin, TX. As a rag-tag group of wide-eyed believers and seekers begin to gather, I am more acutely aware of how much Jesus is committed to building His church (Mt. 16:18).

This is a holy process where the organic nature of our community is growing. We’re not just a start-up company or the result of brilliant branding and marketing (if only we had some). We’re not just a social organization that touches felt needs (although we will serve and help others). What we are, what Church is, is the Sacred Community of Christ.

The Apostle Paul chastises the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11 because of the way they were abusing the community at the Lord’s Table. He is specifically correcting their misbehavior towards one another and even hints that some people within their community have died because of these actions.

The Apostle Peter calls us a peculiar people and a holy nation—a people who belong to God (1 Pt. 2:9). We are consecrated to God—holy and set apart for His purpose. But we should also be sacred to one another and treat one another accordingly…love, forgiveness, tenderness and compassion (Eph. 4:31-32).

Christianity is not an isolated spirituality—it is not, and cannot be, practiced individually. It must be experienced and expressed in relationship. Indeed, the way we love each other becomes the measuring stick for our own spiritual maturity. We learn about God’s love by experiencing His love through others (1 Jn. 4:12). This is why one of the core values of ONEchapel must be that we are relationally driven.

It is not only the Body and Blood of the Eucharist that are sacred; it is also the Body of Believers. It is not just the Word of God that is holy and revered among us, but also our words shared between us (Eph. 4:29). It is not just the love of Christ that is sacrificial for us, but also the love that is sacrificial between us (1 Jn. 3:16).

We are the Sacred Community of Christ.

CHURCH PLANTING IS A WILD RIDE.

May 15, 2010 in Church, Launch Team with Comments Off

Not Settled

May 15, 2010 in Blogs, Church, Launch Team with Comments Off

Because we’re still living down in New Braunfels with my wife’s mom, all my life systems feel a little off–things like address changes, the 1-hr. commute, lots of belongings in storage, no place to put stuff, etc…things I’m just not used to. Don’t get me wrong, we are so grateful for where we’re staying and my mother-in-law and I have a good relationship (most days), but we just know that it is time for our family to get moved into our own place in Austin. We feel a little like the Israelites wandering in the desert. Add to this the fact that this week we were trying to find a Launch Team meeting place for ONEchapel, and I was feeling unsettled.

This feeling of not being settled got me to thinking. I’m not sure God wants us completely settled. The Scriptures seem to indicate that we shouldn’t get too comfortable or connected to where we are. While we should learn to be content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:16), we must guard against becoming too entrenched in this world.

God is active and His kingdom is a forward moving kingdom. We are pilgrims instead of settlers. We are here on this earth to continue the work of God’s kingdom but we should be careful not to become too attached. This is why Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 that we should not store up stuff here on earth, but in heaven because our hearts are so easily consumed by our stuff. The stuff isn’t bad, the question is always do we possess the stuff, or does the stuff possess us.

Matthew 6:19-21″Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (The Message)

We are all on an adventurous journey! God keeps moving and we should move with Him. Jesus viewed his disciples as “in” the world but not “of” the world (John 17), and so our lives here will never be fully satisfying. Our eyes should be heavenward and forward-looking not myopic or too focused on what’s right in front of us. Remember, Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 – NIV)

Ross Parsley

Lead Pastor ONEchapel

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