A Blog by Jason Salamun

It’s often said that the family is the basic unit of society.

Did you know it’s also the basic unit of the church?

It’s true.

Every family is a congregation and parents are the pastors.

In fact, to lead a church, one must be able lead their family well.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, that’s quite the responsibility.

The question is, how well are we shepherding (pastoring) our family?

We parents have the tremendous opportunity to shape our families.

We can be an internally-focused family that seeks the well-being of us…

Or we can be an externally-focused family that seeks the well-being of others.

Which best describes your family?

If we’re honest, most of us tend to be the first.

Every family has issues from time to time.

Okay, some more than others.

But if you want to improve the story of your family, consider improving the stories of others…together.

You’ll be amazed at what it does for your family.

Your problems won’t disappear, but your family will grow.

According to the United Way, families who serve together experience the following benefits:

• Awareness of social issues and a new perspective on the world
• A way to pass on family values to the children
• Discovery and development of knowledge, skills, and talents
• Quality time for the family to spend together
• Increase in interpersonal communication and the problem-solving abilities of family members
• A habit of service that will be passed on to the next generation

Communities are best formed around a common cause.

So are missional families.

Missional families are also driven by the gospel.

When the gospel has so entrenched the heart of your family, you can’t help but be good news to this world.

For my family, our mission was to begin a church who joined God in his mission in the world.

But we won’t be a missional church unless the the families are missional families made up of missional people.

Likewise, the church known as your family won’t be missional unless you are.

You, the parent, need to lead the way.

Show your family a better story.

Invite your family into a better story.

As a whole, this generation of children care more about social injustices than any other in recent history.

What a prime opportunity!

Discover where their passions are and roll with it.

Do something.

Why?

Because God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…

If God loved the world that much, so should we.

All while loving one another.

All because of Jesus.

Imagine if this was what your family was like.

Here’s a simplified overview of the biblical model of church leadership as best as I can see it.

Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Senior Pastor so to speak. (Ephesians 5:23)

The scriptures are the ultimate authority because Jesus is the ultimate authority. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

His agenda trumps the church’s…always. (Colossians 1:18)

In scripture, the church is not a business or even a non-profit organization.

The church is a family of believers who love God and people. (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Timothy 3:15)

The church is the very embodiment of Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:15)

The entire church are priests. (1 Peter 2:9)

Ministers of the gospel. (Ephesians 4:12)

Storytellers of the gospel. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

With their words and lives. (Matthew 5:16)

From the church body, a team of leaders are called to lead. (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

Key word: called. (Hebrews 13:17)

They are the elders/overseers/leaders of the church. (1 Peter 5:1-2)

They are all equal. (Acts 14:23)

But there is a leader of leaders. (Acts 15:22)

A first among equals.

Often their primary role is teaching and preaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)

Not just anyone can or should be an elder.

There are biblical qualifications. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

And biblical responsibilities. (Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

In short, elders lead the church by following Jesus. (1 Peter 5:3-4)

And equip God’s people for works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Taking on various forms and functions. (Ephesians 4:11)

There are other leaders called deacons. (Philippians 1:1)

Their role is serving by leading ministries. (1 Timothy 3:13)

They have biblical qualifications and responsibilities too. (1 Timothy 3:8-12)

The structure of a biblical church is marked by humility, service, cooperation, accountability, prayer, love, and gospel community. (Romans 8:9-18)

Followers of Jesus are to be in community and have a role in it. (Romans 12:4-8)

We usually call them members, owners, or partners. (Ephesians 2:19)

They aren’t to be spectators.

Here’s the deal:

They don’t just have a part, they are a part. (Ephesians 5:30)

If a healthy church is following Jesus they are joining him in the renewal of all things. (Revelation 21:5)

Together. (Acts 2:42-46)

Momentum grows. (Acts 2:47)

So do the people. (Acts 4:33)

And Jesus is made much of along the way. (John 12:32)

May your church (and mine) be a biblical, healthy, loving church.

Centered on the gospel; expressed in community; on a mission from God. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

A shining city on a hill. (Matthew 5:14)

An unstoppable force. (Matthew 16:18)

Remembering Jesus is the hero and under him we are all equal. (Hebrews 12:2; Romans 3:23; James 2:1)

To the glory of God and for the good of our cities. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Jeremiah 29:7)

Brilliant author and thinker, Leonard Sweet, shares a remarkable story in his must-read book, “So Beautiful” on the longing for human connection.

“A missionary writes of a leading a mission trip to the South African country of Namibia. The first thing his team noticed in the local village in which they were staying was that women had to walk every day to a well with a huge heavy bucket on their heads to fetch water.

“We immediately decided to do something about it.” he said.

Within two weeks flashy new water pipes were delivering water to every little hut in the village.

Within a week after the installation of the plumbing, the villagers removed all the pipes and piled them politely on the outskirts of the village.

When the missionary asked why they had plundered the plumbing and undone all their hard work, the Namibians explained that it is customary for women to walk to a well with other women sharing their experiences about life. Carrying heavy buckets on the head while chatting with friends. “It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing.”

When the walk to the well was taken away and life was made “never so good,” life was really made ever so difficult.”

Never underestimate the power of relationships.  We’ll go to great lengths for them- even carry buckets of water on our heads.

We get this from God. After all, He is in relationship with himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. When He created humanity, He designed us for relationships- with Him and one another. It’s in the fabric of our being.

We were never meant to do life alone.

The unchanging truth of the gospel is like a kaleidoscope. It can be viewed in many angles and can be seen in every aspect of life.  It’s not just a historic act of yesterday but a living force that’s at work today. May we have eyes to see the gospel in all things.

Each Christmas we celebrate the incarnation.  When God broke into human history and left heaven for the messiness of earth.

When we Christians become escapists from culture and divide everything by what’s good and bad, we forget the incarnation. We forget that he set an example of what we are to do.  We forget the words of Jesus in John 17:15 when he prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

Jesus entered our story in order to change the story.  He has called us, his people, to do the same.  How will anyone know what’s good news if we refuse to engage a world full of bad news? Our call is to be shaped by the gospel and then shape our culture with it.

In the everyday, we can see examples of the incarnation.

The friend who sits beside her friend in a waiting room while she awaits word on if the tumor is cancerous.

The big brother who plays toys with his baby sister in her room.

The church who throws a block party at a trailer park full of kids who are often forgotten.

The dad who could easily stay late at the office but chooses to be at home with his children instead.

The teacher who could teach in a cushy private school but instead teaches in the troubled public school.

If you want to change a story you must enter it first. This is what Christ did by stepping into human history to redeem it and what we do by stepping into the stories around us.

All around us are shattered hearts, broken lives, and fractured stories.

Clearly, this world is not as it should be.

Have you ever felt like there was more you could do?

Me too.

As a human being, I want to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

As a recovering hypocrite, my aim is to decrease the gap between what I believe and how I live my life.

As a communicator of the gospel of grace, my desire is to follow the example of Jesus and not just proclaim good news but also be good news.

During a recent teaching at my church we came across Matthew 25:35-40 where Jesus talks about the least of these.

How when we feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, take in a stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those behind bars, we’re essentially doing it for Jesus.

Or as my 7-year-old daughter puts it, “When we give people a hug, we give God a hug.”

How right she is.

I reflected on that passage, looked at myself, and thought, “There’s gotta be more I can do.”

I looked at myself even more and thought, “I’m fat and need to get in shape.”

So I started thinking through this idea:

What if I set a goal to lose weight and get in shape in the next 3 months, and during that time, encouraged others to donate a dollar for every pound I lose directly to a cause relating to Hunger, Water, Shelter, Clothing, Sickness, and the Enslaved?

So this is my mere attempt to be what I believe.

I know we can’t change every story but together, we can help make some better.

And some is better than none.

Will you join me?

Visit thismustchange.org to discover more.

Add your name to the list and spread the word.

This effort begins August 17 and runs through November 16.

It’s never too late to get on board!

Frankly, it can’t happen without your help.

Let’s do this!

Grace and Peace,

jason salamun
Project Church

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!

For some strange reason, I get a number of questions from people about starting and leading a church from scratch.

I don’t pretend to know it all and have all the answers.  Far from it.

My church is just months old, we’re still in diapers, and we still have much to learn.

But I do have some scrapes, bruises, lessons learned, and sweet experiences to share from the journey so far.

Since I don’t always have time to chat with everyone who contacts me, I thought I’d reply to some of those questions here.

How do you know when you’re called to start a church?

The same way you knew you were to marry your spouse.

That’s the closest analogy I can give.

For me, it was a passion that grew and wouldn’t let me go until I tapped out and went for it.

Tim Keller says there are three questions to ask when testing a calling:

1. Do you have a passion for it?
2. Is there any opportunity?
3. Do the people who know you well affirm this?

If you don’t have a sense of calling, don’t start a church.  Help someone else start one.

What should I do to best prepare myself for starting a church?

The same things you should already be doing as a follower of Jesus: Love God. Love people.

Stick close to Jesus.

Know and live the gospel.  Learn to see the whole world through the lens of the gospel.

Pray and read what God has already said in the scriptures.

Know the scriptures more than you ever did and integrate it wholly into your life.

Check your heart.

Why do you want to start a church? What’s your motivation?

If it’s mere rebellion, it’s mere stupidity.

If it’s out of a passion for people to know, love, and follow Jesus, BINGO, you’re on the right track.

Ministry isn’t for professional, varsity-league Christians.

It’s for the called and qualified messy people who God chose to use for his purpose and glory.

Congratulations! If you’re called to start a church it’s probably because you’re so jacked up that only God can get the credit when something amazing happens.

If you already think you’re spicy, hot stuff, you’re already on the road to ruin.

As the scriptures say,  “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Leading a church is not for ego-driven, know-it-all  jerks.  So don’t be one.

Also, this is huge: Be the spouse and parent you are called to be.

That’s one of the main qualifications to lead a church in the first place.

They are always a higher priority in your life than the church. Always!

In case no one ever told you, your priorities are God-Spouse-Children-Church.

What’s the best piece of advice you heard before you started the church?

I’ll let this quote speak for itself.

“The great Christian revolutions came not by the discovery of something that was not known before.They happen when someone takes radically something that was always there.”  
-H. Richard Niebuhr

Who are your theological influences?

If I were to have a Mt. Rushmore of theological influences (outside the Bible) here’s who would be on it: Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, Tim Keller, and John Piper.

They aren’t the only influences I have but I’d say they have each made a huge impact on how I view God and my relationship with him.

What books on the church do you recommend?

First, I would read books on Jesus before I did on the church.

After all, he’s the trajectory and purpose of the church.

Too many people want a how-to for the church when really it’s about who-for.

That said, here are some solid books that will challenge your thinking about the church and if nothing else, get you asking the right questions:

Total Church by Steve Timmis & Tim Chester (highest recommendation)

The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch

The Radical Reformission & Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll

The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Reimagining Church by Frank Viola

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus

Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal

What’s been your greatest challenge so far?

The biggest challenge has been God’s work in me.

There are days when the toll emotionally, physically, and spiritually is just plain hard.

But it’s also during these times when I learn to depend on God and embrace the community he’s placed me in.

Starting a church is a refining process whereby the person God uses to initiate it is often the one most changed.

I have never been more aware of my own depravity and never been more dependent on my Creator in my life.

And I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.

What would you do different if you could do it over again?

The good news is we’re still in the incubator so to speak, so there’s not much that can’t be undone.

We aren’t a traditional church plant, but if we were, I’d say we’re still in the core development stage.

However, we’ve gone the more organic, non-traditional route meeting in a local coffee house and have a growing gospel-centered church of mostly unchurched people sprinkled with some more mature followers of Jesus.

Our church is still in its infancy stage but we’re in God’s care and we’re committed to becoming more like Jesus and growing into a healthy community full of grace and truth.

I think one thing we could have done better so far, and something we need to do better right now, is raising funds.

Money’s not everything, but reality is, you need it.

There’s many more things we could do for the good of our city (and globally) if we had the financial engine to do it.

But we are in the fortunate situation to still do something about it and that’s where were are right now.

Any other advice?

Read this post I wrote earlier this year and if you have any more specific questions, ask away.

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.

Other people and places will do a lot of things better than the church.

U2 concerts have better production (and music) than the church.

United Way helps more people than the church.

Disneyworld has more entertaining kids environments than the church.

Neighborhood bars often have better community than the church.

Facebook has a better online presence than the church.

I could go on.

But.

There’s one thing the church has to offer that no one else has.

Grace.

Because of Jesus.

No people or place should outdo the church on grace.

Ironically, it’s not what folks generally associate the church with.

Sad.

Sad indeed.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

As you focus on your systems to improve your church experience.

Remember this.

Someone, somewhere, is doing it all better than you.

But what they can’t do…

Is outgrace you.

Or can they?

I guess the answer is up to you.

On Friday evening, some peeps from Project Church are going to host a family movie night at local elementary school for the students, parents, and staff.

We don’t plan to proselytize them.

Or pimp ourselves.

We just want to love them.

We strongly believe that we are to bring good news, no doubt about it.

But we believe we are to be good news too.

So we’re going to build relational bridges with folks at the school.

565 (or so) students and stories.

Even more parents and staff.

We’ve heard several heart-breaking stories from teachers.

A small sample of many.

These stories need to be changed.

Jesus showed us the way to change a story is to enter a story.

We can’t make all the stories better.

I wish we could.

But we can make a few better.

A few is better than none.

And ultimately, our hope is that they meet the One who puts all the pieces back together.

Who restores stories.

That’s why we enter the story.

To change the story.