A Blog by Jason Salamun

At Project Church we value authenticity.  We give one another permission to not pretend to be any more or any less than we really are.

As a leader I know that if we’re going to create a community of openness and honesty then it begins with me. Pastors aren’t professional Christians, we’re proof that a perfect God calls and uses imperfect people for his purposes.

I have weaknesses just as much as anyone.  Allow me to share a couple:

Authenticity doesn’t come easy for me
I have a tendency to put on the face that people want to see. I want to give others freedom to be real but don’t often give myself that same freedom.  This is why it’s good that I’m part of a church that keeps it real because they challenge me to do the same.  They help me in my recovery from hypocrisy.

I’m fiercely independent
We live in a culture that values independence but I’m learning that it’s overrated.  Early on in my life I felt that the only person I could depend on is myself.  Getting married really helped me to discover the beauty in harmony as you intertwine your life with another.  Being in a church as shown me how much more effective people are when they latch on to something bigger than themselves.  My community helps me learn to depend on others and see that life’s about more than what I can accomplish alone.

Authentic community helps protect me from my natural inclination to be a lone-ranger Christian.  We’re so much better together than we are apart.  God was on to something when he built the church.  Go figure.  We aren’t meant to do life alone.  We’re meant to journey through life together and help each other live the lives we’re meant to live.

These two values (authenticity and community) aren’t born out of the strenghs of the leader (me). They are rooted in scripture, provide guardrails for our church, and guide me out of my weakness.

If you’ve ever been to Project Church you will notice it’s more of a friends and family gathering than a religious service.

That’s intentional.

Most people associate church with being a building or an event.

The truth is neither are true.

We are a people. We are a family.

We may meet in various spots (like coffee shops and homes), but the places we meet in and the things we do isn’t the church.

We are the church.

And since the church is a people, we don’t merely invite people to a service but rather, we invite them into a story.

The church is a friends-becoming-family community on a mission to share God’s love and centered around the gospel of grace we find in Christ.

So if you consider Project Church your church, I want you to know that you’re part of the family.  You belong.

If it’s been a while, we miss you and hope to see you again soon.

If you have yet to join us, I want you to know that we’re the kind of family that will always invite people into our story and that includes you.

We don’t care about where you’ve been, but where you’re going.  What are you waiting for?

Join us this week as we gather to connect in community and grow through the gospel of grace.

No empty religious rituals, just an authentic community of grace, truth, mission, and meaning.

All because of Jesus.

A couple more updates for you all..

Podcast

You can now listen to messages online and through podcast via iTunes.

Go here to listen directly.

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

Facebook

Are you a fan of Project Church on Facebook?  If not, what are you waiting for?

We’re going to be utilizing this space to dialogue over questions and topics in the near future, so get connected if you aren’t already and join the fun.

Check out the discussion tab to converse.

We hope to see you this Sunday morning at 10am at Alternative Fuel Coffee House downtown next to the Firehouse Brewery in downtown Rapid City, SD.

Visit projectchurch.net for more info.

Grace!

When I was in the military, I was introduced to this term:

Esprit de corps.

It describes what happens when a group of people share a spirit for a common cause.

You can’t force it.

It’s produced through a shared ordeal.

In basic training, we learned you couldn’t go it alone.

You needed each other to get through.

I saw this in my city several years back.

We battled the threat of  losing a major military installation.

The city came together in a way I’ve never seen.

It was beautiful.

We see this on television shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

And during the NBA playoffs.

We even see it during national tragedies like 9/11.

A cause creates community.

As a new, start-up church, this is what we’ve discovered so far.

Community isn’t staring at each other in a circle.

It’s standing beside each other on a mission.

Our mission is our cause.

To love God and people.

This is why we gather.

This is why we scatter.

This is how disciples are made.

On the go.

Love is theology on wheels.

It moves. It acts.

Of course, this isn’t an original thought.

Jesus already made it clear in Matthew 5:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.“

Jesus is right.

May you experience genuine community.

Esprit de corps.

A city set on a hill.

May your lamp shine.

Not collect dust on a living room table.

May others see your mission of love and be astonished by God.

That’s how community happens.

That’s what community is for.

That’s what being missional is all about.