Living Stones Church: A House Church Network in Tampa Bay

Seize the Holiday

2011-10-27T13:30:00.000-04:00

Reposted by Request

It’s the middle of October, and already I have spied decorated Christmas trees in stores. Our culture seems to have defined October through December as one on-going holiday season. To some, this may excite us with anticipation, while others feel that it is season of commercialism. But what many of us in the Living Stones family are learning is that the holiday season creates unique opportunities to love our neighbors.

October 31^st--Whether you call it Halloween, Harvest Day or Reformation Day, there are some unique and redeemable opportunities within this holiday that many Christians understandably distance themselves from. There is no other day of the year when almost all of your neighbors are roaming around your neighborhood and even knocking on your door. How can we use this cultural rhythm to live out the two greatest commands of loving God and loving others? Justice in the Burbs, a book that some of the women in our church were discussing, talks of the importance of loving our neighbors whether in the city or the suburbs, wherever God has placed us. In the book, followers of Jesus loved their neighbors by serving trick-or-treating parents chili in their front yard, providing a place for conversation, replenishment and rest. Some Living Stones members will be creating these connection points of care on the 31^st in their neighborhoods.

Thanksgiving--While many people get together with there loved ones on this day, many others don’t have the resources or the opportunity to dine with family. Who are those people who won’t be across the table from loved ones this Thanksgiving? College students, singles, divorcees, recent transplants, immigrants, people in the retail and service industry--I'm sure you can think of some your life brushes up against. All can be welcomed to the table.

Christmas--While many acts of love are performed during the “Christmas Season”. Christmas Day itself often sees a lull in these acts of service. December 25^th is another clear time when people reflect on what relationships they have or wish they did. Last Christmas Day, we had visited a group home of children in foster care. The children living at the home who had families were off visiting them. Those who were at the group home on Christmas Day were the most relationally poor. So we had the opportunity to celebrate the greatest gift with a simple but powerful act that we posted about previously.

Have you prayed about how God may be calling you to seize the holiday season? Perhaps the decor and accelerated sales in the stores can be a reminder that God may be calling you to love your neighbor, your co-worker, or the lonely man or woman your life sometimes brushes up against. This holiday season is great time to demonstrate through both great and small acts our Father's great love.

Creating Community with Living Stones Church

2011-10-26T08:57:00.001-04:00

An Invitation to Experience Community

"Nothing good ever comes easy. For sure, nothing of God's Kingdom comes without resistance from our personal kingdoms or the world's kingdom. Nothing of the Spirit of God comes without a good ol' fashioned bar fight from our flesh."

- from the Tangible Kingdom Primer

Last week we started the Tangible Kingdom Primer, with the goal of living life more like Jesus not only as individuals but as a community: Loving God, loving others and participating in God's activity in the world around us.

Here are some excerpts of what others are saying about Tangible Kingdom Primer on Amazon:

"It's one of those resources that so deeply provokes the soul that you can't help but to be changed or decide you don't want to."

"It was fun watching the transformation from 'skeptic' to 'engaged in community' by many of our group"

"If you are a Church-planter, Church leader, Church goer, or Church hater, I assure you that this book will challenge your paradigm of Jesus' mission, foster a new understanding of ministry, and as it has done for many, catalyze you and your church into a new style of living."

"The strength of this tool is that it leads us to think AND act! It leads us to think about and realize what the implications are for life as followers of Jesus. Church is not a place or something you go to... it is who we are and how we live."

"It is accessible to new and pre-Christians and yet still contains a simply profundity that will challenge seasoned Christians."

Interested?

Meet me at Starbucks from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights at the New Tampa Starbucks (7525 Preserve Walk Lane Tampa, FL 33647) or give me a call or email.

Pastor Steve

813-838-8486

Counting on Accountability

2010-06-04T08:44:00.002-04:00

The word seems scary, but Christian accountability helps us to be faithful to the next steps of our Christian journey. A lot of times, we already know what to do. God has enlightened us through His Spirit and Scripture as to what next step we need to take to follow Him.

But there is often a disconnect in the transition from conviction to action. Having a relationship with someone else that can help you follow through is key—someone with whom you can share what your next step is going to be and then can encourage you to actually take it! Find another sojourner with whom you can share your God insights, and help each other on the journey.

With whom can you be honest with, and respond positively to their feedback?

How Our Garden Grows: Organically Cultivating Faith in Community

2010-06-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

If you have experienced other forms of church, you may be asking about our “programs”. Well, we don’t have programs, but there are many other things that are occurring throughout the week. For example, already happening are groups of 2 or 3 that are meeting for discipleship. Also, some folks have started a community garden for those that don’t have the opportunity to grow their own veggies, and there are weekly Bible studies. These all started within the community of faith. Some new things that are starting in June are: a Wednesday evening Experiencing God study that meets in a home in New Tampa, as well as Summer in Sync—Reading Scripture in Community.

In the right soil, with living water and Son, faith in action grows. What is God germinating in your life that should blossom within your relationships?

Summer in Sync: Spending the Summer in Scripture Together

2010-06-01T12:33:00.004-04:00

In the middle of the “lazy days of summer”, our schedules are often cast aside. What a great time to try something new! Summer in Sync. is 85 days of Scripture-reading within community.

We invite you to read the New Testament Epistles and Acts Reading Plan by YouVersion with us from June 7th thru August 30^th.

Sync with God, as you spend daily time in His Word.

Sync with others, as we all focus on the same passages and reflect on them in our relationships, Facebook page, youversion.com and worship gatherings.

Sync with Scripture, as you forge a daily rhythm of Bible reading. You are also encouraged to reflect on the Scripture with journaling.

Summer in Sync starts on Monday, June 7^th with the first chapter of both Romans and Acts. How are you going to make this summer last?

Dashboard Confessions

2010-05-20T16:42:00.004-04:00

Like burning embers, the letters shone from my dashboard. MAINT REQ’D. It was at the end of a week during which I drove my 9-year-old car 1,200 miles. I have always had my Honda serviced by the dealer and the little car has been faithful to me. So immediately, I picked up my cell and scheduled an appointment for the following day. But the next day, I cancelled my appointment because something came up. Well, it is almost a month later, and the car has not had a wash much less the oil change and maintenance. The indicator still shines, but somehow, after seeing it day after day, it doesn’t seem as bright anymore. I will address those maintenance needs… someday… when I find time.

On our Christ following journey, there are parts of our lives that need attention. Sin that needs to be addressed, spiritual disciplines that need to be exercised, heart changes that need to be made. But the more we ignore the Spirit’s urging the more distant God appears to be. We realize that these small yet bright indicators need to be prayerfully and quickly addressed. Sometimes we want God to speak new things to us even though we haven’t yet responded to the last things He has shown us.

What spiritual indicator light is emblazoned on your dash? And how are you going to seek the Lord today to address it?

What is your next step on the journey?

2010-05-14T12:04:00.007-04:00

"...I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…"

- 2 Timothy 1:6

At times we can be overwhelmed by the life change implications of the call of Jesus…. There is no way around it; the impact of the Gospel is huge. But we are called to faithfully take the next steps.

Whether we are investigating who Jesus is, or have been a Christian for a long time, we are called to ask ourselves (and be asked by others on the journey): "What is your next step?" As we faithfully live out our answer, we ask each other and ourselves again how we can fan the flame anew.

Living Out Love

2010-02-17T12:39:00.004-05:00

On February 7^th, during the monthly gathering of both our home churches, we studied how Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 illustrated the care as and compassion of the Good Shepherd.

We discussed ways to show one another God’s love. In this short month we have witnessed Living Stones not only be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word. The month is half over and already great acts of love and compassion have taken place within the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel Home Churches. People have driven 45 minutes to drive a friend’s wife to the ER, a sick USF student was brought food by two different individuals, meals are being given to a family with a new born, foster children are being cared for. People of all ages and demographics are participating in loving one another with Godly actions.

What other acts of God’s love can you show in this month?

Cornbread Casserole: a recipe for teen involvement

2009-12-15T13:04:00.001-05:00

We strive to include everyone in the life of Living Stones Church regardless of age, social status, and spiritual maturity. One of the ways we have been getting teens and tweens (as well as adults) involved is in the meal times. Since most of our events include a potluck, teens have a weekly opportunity to cook and bake for the rest of the Living Stones family.

Here is one of our favorite meals made by one of our teens. She originally found the recipe here.

CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 (17 oz) can of cream style corn
1 (17 oz) can of whole kernel corn, drained
4 oz (½ cup) melted butter (Plus a little for the casserole dish)
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce
1 (8.5 oz) package Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
______________________________________
1. Butter a 2 qt casserole dish and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients.
3. Sprinkle the Jiffy mix over the combined ingredients and fold in with a spatula. Do not beat the mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Allow casserole to rest 10 minutes before serving.

The Fringe Benefits of Discipleship

2009-12-01T10:22:00.001-05:00

This summer we were all challenged to get into a discipleship relationship with someone else from our home church network. The goal was to find someone of the same gender and meet weekly to grow in character, knowledge and faith. Someone people learned more than they bargained for. Here is Living Stones story in her own words.

When I began my discipleship experience this past summer, I had no idea what to expect, but I made myself one promise, I would be open, honest and transparent with my partner. I prayed and asked God who I should approach, the person He choose surprised many, even me. However as we met, I began to see what an amazing symbiotic relationship He was building. We both brought things to the table that the other needed. We found strength in knowing that there is someone there that truly has our back. We have found many commonalities, however opposite our current life situations are. I am single living with my brother; she is married with a child. Not only have I experience a new friendship grow, but she keeps me challenged, asks the hard questions and ‘reads me my mail’ when needed, and I know I can do the same in return. Not only have a gained a great friend, but our families have embraces one another. I have no doubt when I show up at her house, I will be welcomed in. Our relationship has grown a great deal, I now volunteer at her work and her daughter spends one afternoon a week with me.

Since our meetings were never structured, we allowed the Holy Spirit to be our mentor and to guide our conversations. We would meet at my place, at a restaurant or walk. Usually we would spend time sharing our week, our pitfalls, successes and areas we need prayer. If needed encouragement in the Word, in remembering who God is in our life or just some compassion was shared. When you purpose to be transparent, it is awesome to watch the bonds grow and the trust grow and the judgment disappear. I learned that I am not alone, that many people face the same things and that people have great capacity for forgiveness love and compassion, when you allow God to do His work through you.

I have always seen discipleship as a one way street, like a mentorship. I have found that it is much better as a two way street. We all have something we can learn from someone if we will just open ourselves up to that. That lesson has been very present in my life lately. I have learned that unless you are teaching and being taught, you are not growing to your full potential. Sometimes it can be with the same person, sometimes it is with many people. I have been learning so much from 2^nd graders as well as some friends in their 70’s. Discipleship has taught me that lessons are all around us. We just have to be open to listening to God, dropping our preconceived ideas and letting Him run the show. When I do that, He is always on time with the right answer or encouragement or challenge. He always leads me to the right resources, be it the Bible or a friend. I never have to face things alone. This is what discipleship has taught me.

Quest for Community: Looking for "My People" in Tampa

2009-11-22T13:48:00.002-05:00

At times Florida can seem like a collection of people whom have come to the Sunshine State for a job change, a change of climate, or just to start over. There is a need for connection. Here is one person’s story of searching for community in our fragmented society.

From May of 2007 to the present I have lived in DC, Atlanta, and now Tampa: 3 cities in 3 states, 3 jobs, 3 apartments, and a partridge in a palm tree. Or something like that. It’s been an interesting journey these past couple of years.

When I left DC, I left behind the familiarity and rootedness that comes from being in a place for almost 6 years… a wonderful church family, an absolutely amazing group of friends, and storehouses of memories contained in the streets and sights and sounds and smells of a neighborhood and city I love. DC had become home to me, but I ventured on to Atlanta when a job came open with an organization I had dreamed of someday working for.

I was in Atlanta for only 10 months. Due to some unforeseen circumstances within the organization, said dream job turned into something of a nightmare. But even in those short months, Atlanta too had become a home of sorts; I deepened friendships with friends I already knew there and met some incredible folks who I now count as some of my dearest friends. And if I had not been there during that time, I would never have ended up where I am now…

Tampa, the land of perpetual sunshine. When I arrived here, all that was waiting for me was a job I hoped I would love (I do) and an apartment to call home. Starting out fresh in a new place where you do not know a living soul is not cool. Or brave. Or any of those other encouraging things people try to tell you. It’s just plain HARD.

The first few weeks were really fun with setting up house, learning my way around, and getting used to a new job. The next few months were not so bad either. I was getting to know my co-workers and all the kids I work with and was enjoying a “normal” work environment. Summer came and went in a blur of church hunting, work trips, my old roommate visiting, etc. Then fall hit….very hard. I still hadn’t found a church, I hated the weather (no crispy nights, changing colors, or crunching leaves underfoot), and my nearest friends lived 8 hours away in Atlanta or 14 hours away in DC. That pretty much felt like the other side of the world. While those faraway friends were/are some of the best friends in the entire world, the one thing I wanted and felt like I needed, was something they were unable to provide. They could not be physically present and a part of my day to day life. And that was what I desperately longed for in Tampa: community.

Community is hard for me to explain, especially now that I’m finding it again through Living Stones. While it was absent, I couldn’t fully describe it either, but I knew it was missing and I ached for it in the depths of my being. I wanted community here in Tampa. I wanted to feel like I fit and belonged and could feel at home. Community is being with “my people”. And being with my people is being home, no matter where I am geographically. My people are those whom I am totally comfortable with who I know and love and who know me and love me in return. There is laughter, there is ease, there is comfort, but there are also tough questions and challenges. There is growth in a place of safety as life is done together….not just someone to celebrate your birthday with, but someone who is there when you’ve had a rough day/week/month at work, who will bring you OJ and tissues when you’re sick, who calls when they haven’t seen you recently, who remembers what you tell them and follows up on things that are important to you. The Living Stones community members are becoming my people. I am blessed to now have a home here in Tampa with “my people” and am looking forward to journeying with them as we learn to better love and serve God and the people He brings across our paths.

Seize the Holiday

2009-10-16T21:21:00.002-04:00

What are you bringing to the table? Home Church & The Potluck

2009-10-05T16:57:00.007-04:00

What is a potluck?

Well, without checking Wikipedia, it is a meal where guests are invited to (and expected) to bring a part of the meal to share with the other guests.

While a restaurant provides professionally prepared meals and customers are only asked to show up, eat and leave (in exchange for money), a potluck is different. For a potluck, the financial cost is lower, but the investment is shown in different ways, as the meals require preparation and thought by all participants, guests and host. The potluck shows the unique personality, preferences and gifts of the guests invited. It also leaves a sense of the unknown, depending on who they are and what they bring.

Most of our Home Church gatherings involve a potluck meal. A few weeks ago 2 people brought rich desserts. We enjoyed both trifle and “dirt” over coffee. The following Saturday no one brought dessert. So for perhaps one of the first times in 2 ½ years, we did not share any dessert.

But more than our mealtime, our entire gathering together is a potluck of sorts. Everyone is invited to metaphorically bring something to the table. A prayer, a story of experiencing God through the week, an eye opening question, a song, an encouraging word, and even a listening ear. The Holy Spirit hosts our gathering, and through the Spirit's work through each one gathered, we minister to each other. We come as participants, bringing our gifts to share with the church. The Home Church gathering is a feast where God is the host and we enjoy the offerings that each member brings to the table....

The GATHERING: on the 1st Sundays of each month

2009-09-28T17:17:00.002-04:00

Now, the first Sunday of the month, the extended Living Stones family will meet together (instead of the separate evening meetings that weekend). We call it the GATHERING. It is when all our home church groups come together to worship, celebrate, teach and learn. It will be a great opportunity to use different gifts and continue to connect our Christ following communities. Say that fast 5 times!

Laura: Called To Serve

2009-09-21T16:25:00.006-04:00

Laura was "sent out" from the Living Stones family in August to show God's love to college students in Maryland. Here is some of her story in her own words.

So being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, for you had become very dear to us.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

God used this verse to call me to the mission field this Spring while I was wrestling with counting the cost of ministry. The verse caused me to look back on the past couple years, my involvement in The Navigator ministry on my campus and even my time at Living Stones Church. He reminded me of all the leaders who took time out of their day to spend one on one time with me either in the word, or in the application of the word, or just to talk about life. It was in these meetings that I learned about God’s grace (why it’s so amazing), servant-leadership, and what it means to be the church (the beauty of authentic relationships in Christ). These individuals all spurred me on to not keep this knowledge to myself, but to share what I’ve learned with younger students. In time, as they continued to be patient with me, God began to break my heart for people and to give me the burden to share Him with others. I became very passionate about discipleship, investing my life into the lives of others that they might find their purpose in Jesus Christ and experience God satisfying their deepest desires through Him.

I graduated this past May and have been given an opportunity to give back to students what God so graciously gave me while I was in college--hope. I’ve been invited to help launch a ministry at Bowie State University, a Historical Black College/University in Bowie, Maryland. Due to the lack of campus ministries at this school, students have little opportunity to understand how eternal life in Christ connects with them as African American collegians. I am excited to build relationships with them as I intentionally spend time with them, not only sharing the gospel with them but also my own life as many others have with me. I will also help train students to do the same with their peers. Our hope is that we can build a foundation in these students that they can build on for the rest of their lives, leaving a legacy of changed lives behind them.

Because my job is a full-time ministerial position I have the responsibility of raising my support this year. I’ve been asking people to prayerfully consider partnering with me by giving monthly gifts of $75-200 a month. If you are interested in joining my financial support team, please go to my blog and click on my picture,

Your Partner in the Gospel,

Laura Welch

So Somebody Asks You for Money as You Get Off the Highway

2009-07-19T13:28:00.008-04:00

A small group of folks decided to come together and participate in a summer book club. They are currently reading "Justice in the 'burbs" by Will and Lisa Samson, and have been discussing ways to follow Christ and live out the Biblical call of justice whilst residing in the suburbs of Tampa. Here is how one member, Brenda, envisioned ministering to those who daily stand near the highway on and off ramps, often asking for money.

"I have put together some bags to give away when I see someone who's homeless. Too often I have wrestled with the idea of giving money to someone who might, in my mind, make bad choices with the money. I wondered if there was another way I could help. So, I got some food items that don't need refrigeration and put them in gallon plastic bags. I keep them in my car, so when I see someone, I can give it to them. If they are hungry, then their needs are met. I think we all wrestle with a judgmental attitude, and this helps me remember that Jesus said "When you do this to the least of these, you do it to me". I'll take those words as my call from the Lord and let Him work in the lives of the others."

Under Construction

2009-07-18T13:39:00.000-04:00

We are revamping our blog. We want to lift up some of our stories many that are currently under construction. Living Stones Church is a network of small faith communities of Christ following friends and families in Tampa Bay. We want to share some of what God is doing in our midst. So not only the pastors of Living Stones Church will be blogging, but others Christ followers will be contributing as well. God makes it clear that no matter of education our title, are all asked to follow him with our whole heart. Stay tuned for some stories of responding to God’s love and grace.

Sorry it's been a while since we have blogged!

2009-07-14T15:30:00.007-04:00

Has it been a while since we have connected? There are a lot new things happening in our midst. We would love to share with you what is new, not only through this blog but in person as well. Here are some of the highlights:

New Home Church in Wesley Chapel!

We have a new home church now meeting in the Meadow Pointe Community of Wesley Chapel, Sundays at 5pm. The start of our new group has renewed the Saturday New Tampa Home Church as well. So it is almost like having two new home churches. Both communities share the same passions of loving God and loving others but since each home church is made up of different people, they each have unique personalities. So if it has been a while since you stopped by, come join us again and find the right house church for you.

We regularly have gatherings to help those in both home churches stay connected to one another. Recent gatherings have included outings at Bruster's Ice Cream, swimming & BBQ, and weekly prayer, Lutz 4th of July and Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Some outdoor adventures, are being planned!

2 years in 1 paragraph

2009-02-19T09:03:00.004-05:00

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God 1 Peter 2:10a

This month two years ago, two families started meeting in the New Tampa area to share life and faith together. After a year of meeting together God slowly added new individuals, families, believers and seekers to form a community of faith. One relationship at a time we have been cobbled into a family. Things have not gone how we expected, but it has been an incredible journey. We have felt the call to start another home church just north of New Tampa, in Wesley Chapel, as part of the movement of Living Stones. We are preparing for an exciting step, as our family continues to grow.

Who is on your heart?

2009-02-05T10:34:00.001-05:00

Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t capture my attention for at least for one moment. It might be the veteran holding the sign at the highway off ramp, a young lady skirting across the Bearrs Ave with groceries and infant in arms, children pouring out of an urban elementary school, or George, who sells me a Sunday paper from the roadside median.

It is easy to let these bearers of God’s image leave our minds as quickly as they entered. But Jesus normally had a different compassion for people—a compassion that led to action. And we too are blessed to be a blessing to others…

This month we are collecting clothes (specially medium, small and children’s) for Burmese refugees. Many of these individuals left Myanmar and moved here from refugee camps. And they found their way into the heart of Sergei, a member of the Living Stones family. That is where we feel mission comes from: the compassion God lays upon our hearts. And so we as a church rally around Sergei to help him to be faithful to the task God has put on his heart. It’s that same ethos that found us scooping ice cream on Christmas day.

It is too easy to allow fleeting thoughts of compassion, charity, truth and justice to be whisked away by the busyness of life around us. We have to prayerfully allow these yearnings of the heart to ignite our sense of mission—and then act on them! Who’s on your heart today? What bearer of the image of the King has God put in your path? How is God asking you to show his love, mercy and justice?

On the Journey to Emmaus

2009-01-23T14:23:00.001-05:00

Recently we concluded our 24 weeks in the Gospel of Luke. Our final biblical discussion was about the resurrected Jesus’ conversation with Cleopas and another unnamed disciple. After walking together on the road to Emmaus, these everyday disciples asked Jesus to explain about how the Old Testament Scripture talks about him. But it was not until after they ate with Jesus that they realized that this was the One whom they had followed in life and were now mourning in death.

It was a fitting end to our 6 months. People shared about their own journey with Jesus. Though each Living Stone has a different story of how his or her journey started and where on the road they now find themselves; we found similarities. Some found Jesus in strict religious systems. Others found Jesus while they had no specific concept of God. Some encountered him in the hospitality of friends, while others met him through books or silent prayers. Regardless of the meeting place, for a couple thousand years, Jesus has shown up in the circumstances of our lives and walked alongside of us along the journey, revealing himself to ordinary folks, like Cleopas, you and me.

Re-gifting Love for Christmas

2008-12-31T15:16:00.003-05:00

Like many others this holiday season, the Living Stones Family sent Christmas cards, attended "white elephants" and hosted delicious dessert get togethers. Amidst all that activity, however, we continue to look for ways to celebrate Jesus and his birth, which is easily overlooked with all the other common seasonal festivities. How do you celebrate God’s extravagant gift of love? Our family found it best to re-gift. We re-gift God’s gift to us; Jesus: His love, shown in the form of a servant. So off to a group foster home we went on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of our King. And what better way to celebrate a birthday but with a classic ice cream party?

So armed with 15 gallons of ice cream and all the fixings: cones, a choice of sprinkles, caramel and whipped cream, we aimed to flesh out God’s love to others. Because that’s what Christmas--this Christmas, as well as that first Christmas--is all about, putting flesh on love.

Jesus in a Tow Truck

2008-12-18T10:21:00.004-05:00

Last year, when our son was only 1 year old we found the “Little People Nativity Set” on Craigslist. Last year our boy just stared at it, but this year he is in his “terrific twos” so it gets a lot more play. We keep the stable, wise men, animals, angel and of course Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus on a bookshelf. But daily, we search for baby Jesus. You see, he does not remain under the star. We always find the Jesus figure throughout our home. I have found Jesus in the midst of a train yard layout, under our dinner table and even driving a tow truck, down the ramp of the Little People garage. Jesus does not stay in one place. He is not confined to the stable or his place in between Mary and Joseph. I am not the only one who has had this problem. I have seen the nativity display of infant Jesus secured by chains, and remember news reports of Jesus missing from town nativity displays. Even the gospel of Luke records Mary and Joseph looking for the “missing” boy Jesus.

We have places where we want Jesus to be. We want Jesus on the shelf, or on Sunday mornings or with us in crisis. We want a Jesus we can control and place. But Jesus tends to roam freely, to go wherever he wants. We champion the cause of keeping Christ in Christmas, but that is where we really want to keep him! Keep him in Christmas and Easter, and keep Jesus Christ in the church, as long as He doesn’t roam into other places; as long as Jesus stays away from our dinner table, or out of our tow truck, or our work place. Keep Christ in Christmas but keep him out of our Christmas and New Year’s parties. But we have a Jesus who tends to roam, who understands that true hospitality and relationship invites Jesus to roam through our hours and weeks, to visit us not only in crisis but also between calmness and celebration. So this holiday season don’t stop at keeping Christ in Christmas but also allow Jesus to find himself in the raucous celebration of the New Year, the intimacy of friendships and the grittiness of train yards and tow trucks.

Response & Responsibility

2008-12-16T21:53:00.001-05:00

Living Stones Church is part of a movement called “simple church”. It may be a misnomer at times because being the Church can be rather complex or simply messy. We have no church choir or praise team, no Sunday school or greeters; in fact we have none of those garnishes that often accompany the Church in America. So what does full participation look like? How does someone get involved? What type of response is desired from a member of the Living Stones family and what responsibility is given? Well we are glad that you asked!☺ There actually is more opportunity to plug-in at Living Stones than you might think. It just may look different (perhaps more messy). The Bible tells us that there is a “priesthood of all believers” (1 Peter 2:9 and others)—in other words, every member is a minister and a missionary. Jesus did not tell us a lot about what his followers’ worship gathering should look like, but instead focused on how we should live and follow Him. So we try to keep our weekly worship gathering simple but purposeful. It’s not our gathering time that defines us however… it is our scattering time: what we do during the other hours of the week when we are not crammed around a table or filling a living room.
We encourage intentional community. On different days and times we meet in smaller groups of 2 or 3 where we share what God is doing in our lives; we encourage each other by helping stay accountable to God’s purpose in our lives, and pray for each other and those whom God has put on our path. These micro-gatherings help shape us into devoted disciples of Jesus.

We also encourage participation in our gatherings! While visitors are encouraged to participate at their comfort level, once you have joined us twice you are considered part of the family. So people take turns bringing our common meal; instead of a sermon there is a Bible discussion where people can respond by bringing their observations and their questions. And worship, service projects, etc. are not planned by a small few in leadership but are part of our response to what God is doing in our lives and God’s call in our lives. And eventually you too will share in co-hosting a gathering at your favorite coffee shop, home or anywhere else God might be calling you.

And much of our responsibility is to people who are not familiar with Living Stones or even Christ for that matter: Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Part of our response to that command is to help your new neighbor move in, invite your co-worker over for a BBQ, and act on all of those good things each of us would do if we only had more time. Our lack of committed mid-week meetings are meant to encourage people to worship God with their whole lives. The response and responsibilities of those in the Living Stones family are found in the words of Jesus: love God, love others and as you go make disciples. There are no bystanders… everyone’s part of the family!

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

2008-10-03T13:58:00.003-04:00

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.

Coffee Shop Community

2008-09-29T14:25:00.002-04:00

At the Panera that I frequent, there are two main groups of people—those who are eating alone with their laptops (of which I am often one) and those who come to connect with friends. So what’s the difference between these “coffee shoppers” that hang out at for hours on end: the quiet laptoppers and those that shove several tables together? In a word, community. Those eating together are sharing relationships—they are in community— while those by themselves are in close physical proximity, but not a community. They are not communicating; they are eating together yet eating alone. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a certain amount of communication between the “alone in community” folks. We chuckle at emails, and talk on cell phones. We even alternate using the electrical outlets. But our “community” is a sorry replica of the stories and meals shared at tables 10 feet away.
Proximity cannot compare with intimacy. We can fill a crowded restaurant, church or bar, and still be very much alone. Alone without God and alone without the love of others. The strange thing about loneliness is that it happens in the most crowded of places.

An Inconvenient Truth

2008-06-13T12:15:00.004-04:00

Our faith community that meets in Tampa Palms has been looking at the New Testament book of Philippians. We have been discussing it for the past month will conclude our time in Philippians on Saturday the 21st.

Even though I continue to learn new things in our time of biblical reflection. I have been still wrestling with the text we looked at a couple of weeks ago. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that responding to God's shaping word sometimes takes more than a week. These are the words that I am still mediating on:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

One of the questions we often ask during our time focusing on Scripture is: how is God asking us to respond to the passage? And I remember that week trying to take other people's interest more into consideration. So I started with our family of faith

The whole week I was more prayerful about our community, I thought about calling and checking in with a couple of guys in our group. And I found my actions fell short, my good thoughts never fully translated to generous actions. I confessed my shortcomings and of course people where gracious. The following week I put my personal convenience aside for the interest of a neighbor. I didn’t do anything noteworthy, just what would have been the neighborly thing to do in decades past, which seems new and radical in an apartment complex where the only thing people share, is a parking lot.

And even in my modest living out of Philippians 2:3-4 I found it to be inconvenient. Taking others into consideration is inconvenient. It is easy to identify the interest of others as just speed bumps and distractions for my own pursuits for me pursing my interests.
Could it be possible that putting other’s peoples interests ahead of my own actually furthers the interests of God. That by putting aside my agenda and investing in others I am being obedient to God, I am following the Great commandment of Jesus to Love your neighbor as yourself.

So for the last month I continue modestly flesh out the Philippians passage in my life. Slowly realizing opportunities where I can surpass embrace the inconvenience by putting my interests and preferences aside for others. Even though I now wrestle with these inconveniences I look forward to a time when I boldly live out Philippians 2. Where I am more in tune with God’s heart not just for a few but God’s love for the whole word. I pray to become more like Jesus whom for our interests gave his life.

A"To Do" List that's Done!

2008-06-12T15:49:00.003-04:00

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like my "To Do" list is endless! As soon as I cross something off, there's two or three more tasks to add. There's never time to bask in the satisfaction of knowing I'm done as there's constantly more and more "To Do".

Heaven, however, is a place with no "To Do" list. No homework. No "I really should...". Nothing hanging over your head that's not finished. In Heaven, the task is complete, the race is run.

In this life, it feels like the mad dash is never over. Oh sure, there are moments of rest. Glimpses of glory. Small stirrings of satisfaction as another item is checked off. But it's never complete--the road still beckons, we have not yet arrived, our travels are far from over.

But in Heaven, they will be. The rest--and the satisfaction--will be complete. And when we finally hear our Daddy utter those words, "Well done my good and faithful servant" we'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the journey, and the race has all been worth it.

Do you see what this means--all those pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Hebrews 12:1-3
The Message

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

2008-04-29T16:02:00.000-04:00

We had a great Seed Group on Saturday night in Tampa Palms. We started the book of Philippians and feasted on the Word of God and some home-cooked barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed corn. This seems like a great place to post our "favorite recipes" so that they're accessible to anyone who wants them. These were definitely delicious!

As Justice says--
"MMMM...nummy papas!"

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

7 lb. small red potatoes
7 garlic cloves pressed/minced (or you can just use the already minced garlic)
5 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
Dash of pepper
1 cup water
1 8 oz. package of light cream cheese with chives, softened (you could add a bit more if you wanted to
2/3-1 cup of whole milk

Wash, then halve or quarter potatoes to make even sizes. Place potatoes in a 6 quart slow cooker. Add garlic, oil, salt and water and mix to coat. Cover crockpot and cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes roughly with a potato masher (or a fork). It might be easier to put them in a larger bowl to do this, then transfer them back to the slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese until blended, then add enough milk for desired consistency. You can serve this right away, or cover and hold it in the slow cooker up to 2 hours on low.

To reheat, simply microwave and add a bit of milk.

ENJOY!

8 Months in Short

2008-04-22T15:19:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since we last wrote. Here's a breakdown of where we've been at...

December...

Christmas Eve we invited anyone who wanted to join us to attend a nearby church's Christmas Eve pageant and service. We hosted a dessert reception at our home afterwards.
Our Tampa Palms Seed Group changed nights for the month of December, from Saturdays to Thursdays. We wanted to see if this change would allow others to attend who had other obligations on the weekend. After a month of trying this on for size, we decided to keep meeting on Saturday evenings.
We prayed and prayed that we would be allowed to introduce someone to Christ before the end of 2007--and at our final meeting of the year, on December 26, 2007, the Lord answered our prayer!

January...

We went "home" to Jersey and shared a wonderful time of fellowship with family and old friends.
We traveled to San Antonio, Texas, for the RCA's "ONE THING" conference. It was a really sweet time of rest and renewal as we were poured into by dear friends from seminary and challenged by amazing speakers. We got back to Tampa ready to "hit the ground running"!
We arrived home from San Antonio to a flooded apartment. 400 gallons of water came down through our ceiling (in our absence) and the majority of our material possessions were ruined. We were thankful to have renter's insurance, but had to stay temporarily in a hotel and then sort through mildewed things and decide which to move and which to trash.

February...

We moved into a "new" apartment one hallway over from our old one. We had a lot of work to do with moving/sorting/working with the insurance company, etc. The flood really wiped us out for almost an entire month.
We began the process of making our home ready to host people again. The second week after the flood, we again had church in our home, albeit there was almost no furniture! For a month we held worship in an empty place; people were really gracious, and we were able to use the large "space" for some interesting fellowship activities--we even had a paper airplane fight one night!

March...

Life finally returned to normal. Steve continued to meet with USF students, alternating between a weekly discussion of the Bible and a "walk out your faith" in which students were challenged to live out what they were studying. They handed out candy to strangers, dined "On Top of the Palms" to experience upper room fellowship and prayed for each other.
Easter! We hosted our first "Celebration" on Easter Sunday. FRC, a sister church on the other side of Tampa, was kind enough to host us for a combined service. It was a wonderful time of sharing together what God has been doing in our midst.

April...

Our second baptism! Dr. Sergei Paromchick was baptized in Tarpon Springs in the Gulf of Mexico on April 19. Sergei became a Christian while joining the "family" of the Tampa Palms Seed Group, and God is already starting to do cool things through him!

Eating and Drinking

2007-09-04T10:13:00.000-04:00

Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

We have already shared how on a cold Easter morning we gave out coffee and donuts to people selling newspapers at nearby intersections. But this was the first of several similar actions. We went to downtown Tampa and gave cupcakes out to the homeless; on July 4th we brought lemonade to some women who were all day doing landscaping work in New Tampa. And just a few weeks ago we joined Amazing Love Ministries and helped them feed the homeless. Hmmm.... It seems like we are a church who is all about food and drink!! Not to mention that we start every Saturday Seed Group with the Lord’s Supper and a full dinner; then close our time with coffee and desert. We are a faith community that gathers in and around food.

There's a precedent set for that in Scripture. Jesus also had encounters around meals. After he spoke to the crowds, he did not leave them go physically hungry but multiplied bread and loaves to the point of leftovers (Mathew 14 &15). It seems that Jesus was always down for a dinner party--and was even criticized for eating at the home of some people with sketchy characters. (Mark 2:16) Jesus even advocates giving a cup of cold water to drink (Mathew 10:42)--or maybe even lemonade? After Jesus resurrected and ascended,the theme of food continued. The first century church ate in each other’s homes regularly (Acts 2:46).

So we invite you to eat with us, and help us feed others as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his first followers.

A Resurrection Meal

2007-04-10T16:20:00.000-04:00

It started out as a rather “ordinary” Easter morning. It was the morning after our Saturday night Seed Group. We got up, hurried to get ready, and headed off to visit a church. But we had the time wrong, and were early. VERY EARLY. So we headed off to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

Perhaps it was our feeling of discontent, a holy restlessness that opened our spiritual eyes to the world around us. Perhaps it was the chilliness of the Florida morning, that heightened our senses to where He might be working. Perhaps it was Him Himself, working in us, whispering to us, prompting us to lay down our ordinary for His extraordinary.

We prayed, there in the parking lot. Prayed for the lost world and for the “least of these”. Then we bought donuts. A dozen. And coffee—10 individual cups. Enough cream and sugar to go around and individual bags for packing completed the ensemble. With the feast prepared, we headed out.

In Florida, people often hawk their wares in the middle of the road, especially if it’s a large road with a center island. It’s a place where they can set up shop, and often those with money will hire those without to stand there in the sun, holding signs for condos, promoting events and businesses, and selling newspapers.

And of course, on this early Easter morning, they were there, bundled in layers because of the chill, shivering slightly and holding up the newspapers. 50 cents for the St. Petersburg times.

We went to them, pulling up next to the island and stopping, and rolling down our window. We told them we wanted to share God’s love with them on this Easter morn, and gave them a bag packed with coffee and a donut. Not much, nothing fancy. They smiled and thanked us, and we drove off.

10 bags, 10 donuts, 10 coffees, cream and sugar. Not the usual makings of a Resurrection meal. Yet somehow, I felt as if I’d shared in a feast greater than the many far grander, with far more accompaniments.

We never got to church Easter morning—but somehow, I think we were the Church, and allowed to be at least a small part of the nail-scarred hands and feet of Jesus to some of the “least” in our community. And perhaps, those we shared with felt His touch and presence as well. It was, indeed, a Resurrection meal.

~Pastor Hope