How Our Garden Grows: Organically Cultivating Faith in Community

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?

Cornbread Casserole: a recipe for teen involvement

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

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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.

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

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. 

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

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....