The Story Church Imperatives, Part 3: WORSHIP

Worship – A Story of standing together in awe of Christ.

Worship is about bringing glory to God and experiencing the power of God. The longing of the human heart is to come in contact with a God who is transcendent yet very present in the midst of human brokenness. Because of this we cultivate an atmosphere in our gatherings of both joyful expression and reverent awe.

This will be done through a combination of Spirit‐filled worship, songs & hymns, telling stories of redemption, giving gifts, the celebration of communion and baptism. Sunday will be marked by both the freedom that comes from dependence on the Spirit and a desire for excellence.

Author Louie Giglio defines worship this way, “Worship, in essence, is declaring what we value most. As a result, worship fuels our actions becoming the driving force of all we do. Worship is the activity of the human soul”. Everyone has an altar. It may not be something we see in our living rooms, then again, it may, but it exists most assuredly in our minds, hearts, and souls. When we fail to express worship to our Creator, both privately and publicly, we live with a disrupted spirit. There is a nagging sense that something is not right. An intimacy lost. Satisfaction fleeting. Purpose and direction undiscovered. The expression of worship is the smile of the soul.

Core Value: Truth – We value His truth over self-sufficiency; when truth is hidden in our hearts, worship in a natural expression.

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

The Story Church Imperatives, Part 2: FORMATION

Formation – A Story of growing together in the image of Christ.

Formation is the story that began when we choose to follow Christ and seek to live a life that is increasingly reflective of Him. John, quoting Jesus, his best friend and mentor, wrote this, ‘The thief [villain] comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’. Our story will be difficult, strewn with losses, marked by scars, and missteps. It will also be filled with celebrations and victories and smiles.

The beautiful thing about our story is that we don’t travel alone. God is loving and shaping us, Christ is interceding on our behalf, and the Spirit is our daily comfort and guide. We have also been given earthly companions: our church, our family, neighbors and friends. Together this forms a powerful community that journeys with us as we go.

We are formed in many ways. We must be diligent and disciplined as we study the sacred thoughts and directives of God written in the Bible, worship together, learn and listen to each other, serve those around us, and give ourselves to the mission of loving others to the person of Jesus.

Core Value: Restoration – We value restoration over condemnation; He alone restores beauty to our broken stories.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  Psalm 51:17

The Story Church Imperatives, Part 1: COMMUNITY

Community – A Story of joining together in the love of Christ.

Relationship superseded creation; it always existed at the core of the Trinity. Our creator introduced us into the story of relationship. This story reveals the great love God has for His creation and calls us to respond to that love. Mark 12:30-31 records Jesus’ words, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Too often, the human condition is defined by loneliness. People desire to be loved, to be heard, to be connected. By reaching out, by loving vulnerably and humbly, we have the opportunity to serve each other through community. Love equals belonging.

‘Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’ -Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit. 

We must seek to create and live in environments were those around us can become real – this is the authentic culture we desire to create as we share our stories with one another.

We are a community of believers in Christ; a church. Yet in Springfield, more commonly we hear people refer to “going to church,” rather than “being the church.” The meaning of church needs to be rediscovered. The word in the Greek is Ekklesia simply means those called together or the gathered ones. Church is not a building or a Sunday morning service but a community. A community measured and shaped by authenticity ‐ a place where people are free to take their masks off and be themselves, a place where the lines of communication are always open, a place where the free exchange of ideas is encouraged and ultimately measured by God’s Word. Community like this takes determined humility and confession, listening more than talking, and mirroring the ring of selfless love that exists between the Father, his Son, and the Holy Spirit. If ever really found, authentic community would be worth guarding, it would be worth fighting for, and Jesus certainly felt that it was worth dying for.

Core Value: Authenticity - We value authenticity over image management; biblical community is built on honesty and transparency.

Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom Christ has set us free…” At The Story church, you are free to be your unique display of Christ-likeness.  We want to love the real you. Not the person you want us to believe you are; the real you! It is not God’s desire for you to stay the same, but you haven’t been called to conform to our image, but into the image of God.

Why Plant Another Church in Springfield, MO?

WHY SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI?

Here are three reasons we are planting The Story Church in Springfield:

1) We love this community. Our hearts break for the broken lives and broken families of Springfield. We recognize we cannot single-handedly fix our community, but we believe we can be a catalyst for change by loving well the community where God has placed us. Just because we can’t do everything doesn’t mean we can’t do something. We look forward to joining with other churches and organizations that share our desire to bring heaven to earth just as Jesus prayed.

2) This community needs more Christ-centered churches. While it is true that Springfield is saturated with churches, some of them have focused on legalism and moralism. This has created a large population of “de-churched” people who are still open to Christ but skeptical of the church. Our answer is to come like Jesus, “in Grace and Truth.”

3) There are many people in Springfield who do not walk with Jesus. Over half of the population claims Christianity, yet 80% will not gather with a church on any given week.

Springfield, Missouri:

• Population: Metro Area contains 436,000 with 159,140 within the city limits

• Voted 100 Best Communities for Young People

• Voted Top 40 City for Quality of Life

• 8.5% workforce growth over the past two years

• Housing Costs 25% lower than the national average

• Ranks in the top 50 cities for hospital care and hosts six hospitals with the top two listed in the Top 100 in the U.S.

• Cost of living is 10% below the national average

• More than a dozen colleges and universities, enrolling a combined 43,000 students

A Religious Community

There are an abundance of church buildings and a highly religious culture in the city.

• Sixth on Barna Research Group’s list of the most biblically minded cities in the United States

• 56.2% of the population affiliated with a religious congregation

• Southern Baptists represent the largest proportion with 39% of adherents and 22.9% of congregations

• Birthplace of Assemblies of God denomination

But Religion is not the answer

Religion alone leaves mankind empty and lost. It often creates frustration and separation between the created and the Creator. This is evidenced in statistics and demographics regarding the city of Springfield. In many ways, the statistics indicate the culture is headed in the direction of decay, not spiritual and cultural renewal through the gospel. While Springfield has experienced decades of spiritual vitality, like many other cities, it is now beginning a slow transition toward secularism.

• Springfield is sometimes referred to as “the meth capital of the United States.” In 2011, there were 2,096 meth lab busts, making Springfield the nation’s leader for meth.

• Springfield is ranked second in the state of Missouri for child neglect/abuse.

• Springfield has a rate of violent crime that is more than double the national average with one violent crime occurring for every 151 residents.

The only answer to Springfield’s religion and irreligion is the good new of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.