A Right Tune First...

Guess the first question people asked me after knowing my church planting vision. "Is it an Anglican church?"

People seems to concern a lot on what I concern the least. But still I have to tell friends why we decide to plant simple/house church networks under Anglican umbrella.

I got the most crucial part of the puzzle last September. God has a mission for me to plant churches. This is done. This is the objective. And it is the simple/house church network. That is done as well. What's left is less important: under MB? under Anglican? Go Independent? But I've spent 7 months to pray & think. Why? because I struggled a lot.

I didn't join the Anglican 4 years ago because I loved Anglican. "You may find us doing some strange things. We are a group of Christians choose to worship God in a special way, a traditional way..." This is how an Anglican priest introduced themselves to the non-Anglican Christians in the Rwanda Connection in Richmond week ago. To the evangelicals, Anglican way is strange. Strange wearing. Strange incense...Like ancient. Honestly speaking, I don't like their closeness to the Catholic church, at least the outlook. But my problem is, it is not what I like or not, it is what God wants from me.

Over the period Jesus challenged me to be led to places I didn't want to go (Jn.21:18). He challenged me to surrender my freedom for Him. If you know me long enough, you know I hate to be restricted. My natural instinct is to get free. When considering to plant church independently or under Anglican or under MB, a strange reason comes up which is really against my instinct: accountability & under authority. When it is against my fleshly desire for freedom, I know this strange idea is a godly one, coming from Jesus. Accountability & Under Authority is good for any churches. But it is crucial for simple/house church. I tell you why...

Paolo Aquilini, the Canucks owner, talked of his faith, "we left the church we were in, and we started a home church. Unfortunately, we were being taught that our group was the only one, and everyone out there doesn't really know the Lord - and it became very cultic in nature."

An inward-bound home church can easily be manipulated & easily become cultic. Accountability is a way to prevent this happening. So we plant a network of churches. Churches then are accountable to each other. A bigger fellowship is healthy for all. And the leadership needs to be under authority in order to lead others as well. This is again accountability.

That is why I chose to be "restricted free agent"(Hockey term). I want the churches to be healthy. Me myself as leader to be healthy. Healthy leader grows healthy churches. Set the right tune. Then we can have fun.

There are many Anglicans. Some bless sinful behaviours. Some don't. I choose the don'ts. Some really care about missions. Some care only the ancient stuff... I choose the missional one. That is why I choose to work with AMIAS. They are not perfect. But they are doing God's missions. They have some good people around.

My bishop agrees with me that simple church is an adventure. It'll be very non-Anglican Anglican churches. It's simplified. That why it is simple church. This is an adventure team, yet worth trying. To me, that is already enough. My choice will surely let down some friends. But one day we all know. Let's wait.

I see myself not called to plant Anglican or baptist or free or alliance... churches. I only called to plant Christ churches. Disciples making churches. Missional churches. Church of love & truth. Yes. It is under Anglican administration. Under Anglican authority is one thing. Loving Anglican is another thing. Jesus only loves His church. For Him, there is no Anglican, no baptist, no free... Should we fall in love then with Anglican, baptist, free... or fall in love only with His church? For Him, there is one wife, one love... for His church.

In N. America, some takes home church as a last getaway from all the frustrated experiences in conventional churches. So the bitter, negative, pessimistic DNA will lead the home church to all sort of fatal problems.

Instead of retreating into it out of despair, our new simple church networks embrace the gospel of peace and outreach from home to the world, in great hope. We are a bunch of happy people, obedient disciples, wanting more of Jesus, living more for Jesus. We believe in church. We have high hope for church. We are dream-chasers. We are stars-reachers. We know there is a mission out there for us, for our life. We believe it's God's mandate for us, the church, to make a huge difference in the lost world. We are the WOW people!

Jesus loves His church so much. He died for her. So we learn to love His church. Though sometimes it does frustrate us, still we love it more. More and more that we want to give birth to more...

Last Thursday I picked up a bunch of kids, mine & others, after soccer camp. I dropped by a gas station. While I was filling, my sons knocked the van window to play with a station staff. He asked me, "Are they your sons?" "Yes. 3 of them. Boys!" "I have one boy," he said. I challenged him if he dares to have another kid. He said, "Yeah. Sure. Why not? Only this time I want a girl." I echoed. "Me too."

Love. It is love ... set the right tune for having more. More kids. Only this time, girl. More churches (reproducible). Only this time, a special one - simple church.

A right tune is set, the kids are ready to rock, to have fun. Are you ready? Ready for a new church? Ready for the kid's video... our gift to you.