by Kimberly | Mar 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
I know – here is a girl who doesn’t like multi-site churches (just the focus of the entire multi-site not the churches or the people in the churches) and has been in a large church ever since 10th grade. What am I thinking with a title like that.
Community. Life on life. And no, it isn’t a given for every church that is small or every campus of a multi-site church, but it seems to be more prevelant than in larger, commuter or regional, multi-service churches. Let me explain my reasons:
1. Proximity helps with life on life living. Since I have moved several times since being an adult, I have friends all over the place. Having friends who are missionaries helps in knowing people all over the world. But, it is harder to keep in contact with and build community with people who live far away. Not impossible – just harder. Some of my dearest friends live in KY or FL or TN, and when I see them it is a great joy and benefit to my soul and life, but day to day life on life living is impossible. With smaller churches, it is easier because mostly these are community based churches that all come from a small town or a part of town in a larger metro city. At campuses from multi-sites, these campuses are usually positioned in different areas of a region or city that make it easy for community to form around the location. My husband and I desire to live life with people who know us genuinely and can pop over for dinner or a movie night or breakfast or a walk without having to clear schedules and plan something for next month.
2. Zip codes help you do ministry better. I just didn’t know of a better title. Living in North Durham is hard for me because some of the different parts of this area of town are not really safe for a female to go through at different times of the day (or any). But, I have a sticker on the back of my car that says I Heart Durham. I love where I live. It is so neat to be able to drive 2 miles to my local coffee shop, hang out with friends who live the next street over, shop at local grocery stores, or actually pop in to my women’s clinic instead of calling them because its quicker. But, here’s the thing – the friends that I have in my “neck of the woods” all go to different churches. That is why I love the bigger idea of the body of Christ. When I was growing up in north Lakeland, we went to a church in Plant City ( a 15 minute drive). It was a small church and outside of school friends, these are the people we did life with. But, our lives consisted of church camp, 5th Sunday dinners, and church services. We didn’t do much else with them. I long for the days that we have people in our home that are our friends and don’t have to drive an hour to get here. I long for authentic community. I do have it with friends who go to various churches. What would it take to make that happen? I know friends that attend a campus of a local multi-site church that have owned their street. They have bbqs with both neighbors that aren’t Christians and church members. They love their street! They live down the street from their campus. I know other friends of same multi-site church that pray for the teachers of the school their church meets at because that is also where their kids attend school. What an impact they can have!
3. Don’t neglect the neighorhood around your church. There is a local church I drive by often that is made up of a certain type of people who don’t fit that neighborhood at all. It is a commuter church by all means. But, there is no real ministry going on in that neighborhood by that church. Our churches suffer when its members don’t live within proximity of its locale. When members are spread everywhere (whether in large metro cities or probably even in “olden” days when you had to travel by horse and buggy to get to church) it is very hard to have authentic community with its members because you only see each other on Sunday. Your kids don’t go to the same school, don’t play on local sports teams together, you don’t visit the same library or coffee shop or local eatery. It is very much a spread thin, segregated life.
Do you like authentic life on life living or does that scare you because of its intimacy or the fact that you might have to always have your home clean just in case someone pops over. I LONG for it. I love the dear girlfriends that I have and couples that I know that when I see them you know the friendship is rich and authentic and they pray for you. It would be much better if we all lived in the same zip code and attended the same church!
I think of Acts 2 for this but also just remember deep thriving times of life on life living:
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
(Acts 2:42-47 ESV)
Authentic community in the life of a church is something I think that is crucial to the proclamation of the gospel. Just my two cents worth this Monday afternoon!
And to all my friends out there that live life with me, pray for me via text or email or phone call or blog, thank you. You are loved and cherished!
by Kimberly | Mar 21, 2012 | Books, ethics, Uncategorized
Phil Ryken has written one of the most convicting books since Respectable Sins and Mortification of Sin. Why? Because I don’t love the way Jesus loves. Nor do most of us, I would assume. As a dear sweet man at our church says, “Every sin is a love sin.” After reading this book, I would agree with him.
Dr. Ryken’s take on 1 Corinthians 13 (the famous marriage love verse chapter) (note: even though the above mentioned man read it in our wedding, we know that it is correctly applied to the local church and not to a husband/wife relationship.) is not a strict commentary, but an applicable look intertwining with stories from the gospels that show us how Jesus perfectly lived out what Paul wrote. “As a reminder, we are not taking everything from the Love Chapter in order. As we study this portrait of love, we are connecting everything to the life of Christ.” (pg 47)
One of the most convicting chapters for me personally was the ‘Love is Not Irritable’. I would consider myself a person who generally gets along with most people. But, recently, probably since being married, I have come to find out that I am loving toward people who love me, work according to my plan, drive according to my mapped out route, consider me a friend, aren’t overly friendly to me in the cafe early in the morning, or has to repeat my order 3 times. Otherwise, I’m pretty irritable. Oh, sin…that it would lose its grip on me.
Ryken’s book on this love chapter is great for anyone: scholar, lay person, non-Christian exploring the gospels and the life of Christ, would be good for a small group of seekers or on a college campus.
by Kimberly | Mar 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
There is some exciting news in the Campbell home to share:
1. As of mid-April I will be a stay at home wife. This decision was made with prayer, wisdom, seeking advice, and just knowing that it is time. My job, which I love, as a writer of curriculum for a local church, was demanding in the deadlines. It has been a wonderful two years of launching Treasuring Christ with a group of great people at Providence. But, now is the time to call working for others quits. I will be grateful for time to spend in quietness and reading and also planning meals, cooking more, cleaning the house better, serving my husband, discipling girls, showing hospitality!
2. The other piece of exciting news is the main force that prompted #1: E and I are expecting! That is right…there is a little baby growing in my uterus right now. Seems kinda strange – but it is a miracle from God the beautiful Creator. This first trimester has been one in teaching me faith and sharing in this journey with my wonderful husband who will get me pb toast at 3am. Blessed man! 🙂 He has dealt with having clothes that lay un ironed for weeks on end and a kitchen that’s not spotless!
Before I was married I would have said that I would have liked to have stayed working, thinking it was possible. Then as a mother, sure, I know others who do it, why can’t I? But, (actually I’m sitting in the same coffee shop that E and I had that first conversation about this subject less than a year ago) I could dream of not doing what I do. Now with many changes, the Lord has pried my hands off of this and giving me something so precious: a husband, a baby, and a home to care for. I need more sleep than 6 hours, I multitask, I don’t want others having the main influence of my child during most days of the week (at least in the preschool years, since we haven’t fully decided on schooling yet), and I don’t have more than 24 hours in the days to care for my husband, cook meals, clean the home, sleep, care for myself, and care for a baby. Sorry – I’m not that skilled. I know others do it and as a wise woman told me about a decade ago: its all about priorities. A wife’s main priority is her husband, home, and children. If you can work outside the home and keep those as a main priority without them suffering, then do as the Lord leads. But, like I said, I’m not that skilled.
So, I have some books in my head, some blogposts that desperately need writing, and it will be nice to freelance and speak more because I’m not writing on someone else’swork schedule (though I know a baby and husband have their own schedules)!
by Kimberly | Mar 6, 2012 | Books
Truth be told I’ve never been a Christian fiction fan, unlike my former roommate who is a skilled fiction writer herself, I tend toward non-fiction. But, these days I want something easy and something that doesn’t make my brain think too much. As the husband and I were watching Courageous, one of the trailers that were previewed was The Shunning. I wanted to watch it, after hearing the book was good, but decided I would read it first. Little did I know that I would finish the 3-part series in less than two weeks and love them. Here are some thoughts
1. Reading fiction makes me lazy. Unfortunately, a good fiction book sucks you in to its life and you want to do little else rather than finish the book. I’ve read nothing else, ‘cept my Bible on some days, while I read this series. I often wish that the Bible would draw me in like fiction I’ve never read – wanting to see how the story ends up and where the characters are by the end of it. Note: I’m supremely glad the Bible is not fiction, but all Truth!
2. Here are some themes:
a. Forgivness. Especially once you know the forgiveness of Jesus, it is easier to forgive others. If we have been forgiven by an all loving and perfect God, who are we to not forgive others.?
b. Intimacy with Christ over religion. The Amish (which these series is about the Amish) live and die by a set of writings set up by men. They don’t want to mention much of the Bible and few have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus, in the NT, says we will love him if we obey His commands, so I’m not saying we shouldn’t be obedient to what the Bible says. But, our works can never save us. We can never give enough to out give God.
c. Adoption. An Amish girl is given away at birth. Should an adoptive child know this early, have it always be hidden from her, ever meet her birth mom or dad? All these questions are hidden in the mystery and goodness of adoption.
So, if you need a good fiction series, Beverly Lewis’ The Heritage of Lancaster County is a good one to read.
by Kimberly | Feb 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
With all these posts on Lent and questions on facebook from friends – I thought I’d venture in right here.
When I started attending a SBC church in high school, we were given little dots to remind us of what we “gave up” for lent. I remember wearing my yellow dot sticker in the middle of my marvin the martian watch. I know – hey – it was the early 90s. By usually the second week of lent, if not before, the dot was almost worn off and I had forgotten my “commitment”.
My freshman year of college (a very liberal liberal arts college), the first day of lent came and I heard a girl down the hall pondering the question of what she should give up for Lent. She finally figured out chewing her fingernails would be a great activity to give up. The only things I knew about her during 3/4 of our freshman year was that there was a constant whiff of pot coming from her room, she would return early morning totally drunk, and she cussed up a storm. I wondered what good biting her fingernails would do her. No, I didn’t witness to her. Just judged her silently in my head. FAIL.
When I attended Sojourn in Louisville, even though I didn’t get up at 630am to attend their Ash Wednesday service – I loved the focus of Lent (in yes, a SBC/Acts29 church). It wasn’t focused on us – but on Christ. Amazing thought?
So, as I sit here this year, I don’t really give up anything. I choose this time of Lent to usually read books on the Cross – Cross Centered Life being one of them. And yes, I still question when people give up facebook but tell people to still message them through email, twitter, phone, text, or other forms of social media – or give up chocolate or some other food – I wonder what the point of it is. I guess what it should be is that when you don’t do something that you are giving up (like facebook) that you should instead spend the time (that you would be on fb) and contemplating your life, the Cross, Redemption, salvation. But, I don’t do that – and I would dare say that most don’t do that anyway.
So, if you are planning on “giving up” something for lent – pray and focus on the Cross when you aren’t eating that bar of chocolate or watching sports. There is more to lent than giving up something.
Christ died. We ponder, mourn, celebrate.
