Pulling Up Stakes

A few weeks ago, as a family we pulled up the stake on Sunday mornings.  I won’t get into all the details and reasons.  Suffice it to say, we, and I really mean, we, needed a break from “church”.  We needed to pull away and let the compass reset, to process the last seven years of being a part of a traditional, non-denominational American church.

We love the Church and we still love the church that we are connected to, and we are still connected.  We host and lead a Sunday night Family Group.  Our kids are still active in the Youth Group.  We still participate in the Family Promise ministry.  We still tithe there.  We’ve just pulled up a stake.  Granted, it’s a big one.

So for the past few weeks, we have gathered at home.  When it was cool enough, early in the morning on our backyard patio.  Now that it’s heating up, in our living room.  Our oldest daughter leads us in a time of singing.  Then I launch into the Story - taking us from creation to Jesus’ impending return.  Then we focus on a one-word theme or topic.  This is usually something that has popped up during the week or something that was impressed on me during my morning routine.  We then spend a few minutes by ourselves, answering a couple of questions before coming back together to discuss and do a check-in, discussing our high and low points from the previous week.  We end by taking communion together.  That’s it.

It’s been very refreshing.

We don’t know how long of a break we will take.  We don’t know where it will lead.  But we have a peace about it and are seeing really good fruit coming out of it for the time being.  Kids engaged and thinking, processing and applying.  Good rhythms being put in place.  Moving away from a consumption and attendance mentality and moving toward a participation posture.

I will begin posting some of the content that we have been using in case it is helpful to anyone out there.  I am not encouraging anyone out there to leave their church.  I am encouraging everyone to follow the Father’s prompting as they lead their family.  I hope these thoughts and this content will help you.