While this phrase is often the mantra of our environmentally conscious generation, it also happens to fit the philosophy of ministry embraced by Living Stones.
Reduce: It seems church has gotten complicated. Church in its original format was a rather simple affair, no Sunday bests, no pews, no smoke machines. Just God and people. While we are not personally against any of these new elements of a worship service, these garnishes tend to distract us from the main course: A community of people gathering in Jesus' name. So we reduce the frills, like pulpits, pews and parking lots and let the main thing be the main thing.
Reuse: Since we don't have a lot, we value and utilize what we do have. The secular becomes sacred: as living rooms become worship space and coffee shop conversations substitute for Sunday school. Scripture itself is also reused in our gathering time as words for worship, invitation to communion and to shape our devotional dialogue.
Recycle: While we treasure the relationships with God and with one another in our small authentic faith community, we know that healthy organisms grow and reproduce. So as individuals we grow in spiritual maturity by not settling to be merely bystanders. For many in the Living Stones Family that means starting the cycle all over again. Making disciples, and through them, birthing new home churches in our houses, workplaces, and coffee shops all over Tampa Bay.
