stockbridge boiler room

multiply

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. (Mark 4:8)

We began in September to explore what simple church might mean for the Boiler Room community.  We read Floyd McClung's book,  You See Bones, I See an Army:  Changing the Way We Do Church .  And we decided to pilot the simple church idea in our community for the fall.  We met on Thursday nights to get a sense of the flow and to meet as a group.  

As we continued to meet and read in Luke how Jesus called together and taught his group of disciples, we began to imagine ourselves following our rabbi and calling disciples.  Our core community has called disciples to meet as simple churches throughout the neighborhood and into the city.  We meet based around the three principles of accountability, bible study and prayer.  These simple churches have acquired short hand references that bring a smile to our faces:  lunch-church, Other Way church, bowling church, car church, Kristen church, 912 church, Harvest church, tea church, sibling church, Half Off church, Book of Daniel church, Tendero church, pub church and Chip church.  We smile because God has spread us out throughout the city in so many different expressions.  We smile because of the goofy names (my personal favorite, Half Off church, meets at Applebees after 9p when appetizers are half off). And we smile because we see how God is spreading simple church out into all the parts of our week–24-7 simple church.  

After this season of piloting, we feel like it is time for the formal Thursday night gathering to make room for the multiplication of simple churches in the Westside and beyond.  We are calling on God to grow more simple churches and more disciples who want to start simple churches.  At the same time, we want to establish a rhythm of gathering on the last Thursday of each month in the prayer garage to have slammin' worship, to testify to God's movement and to continue our study in the Gospel of Luke as to how Jesus put together and taught his community of disciples and learners.  

We believe this is a way to grow disciples in the body of Christ and to more effectively reach the lost in our neighborhood.  We want to keep finding more good soil and bringing crops multiplied a hundred times in for our Lord.  As we grow these disciples, we hope that they in turn will bless the many established church communities around the city of Grand Rapids.  

If you're interested in joining one of our existing simple churches or if you're interested in learning more about and getting support for starting a simple church contact us at stockbridgeboilerroom@gmail.com.  We'd love to hook you up and equip you to start on this journey.  

May we all find good soil.

::tony::

tenderly

There are those times when you know you're in the presence of an artist beyond compare.  You are provided glimpses–even in the midst of circumstances that suggest otherwise–glimpses that declare that God is faithful and His love endures.  

We saw God tenderly speak to one of our community yesterday at the Love Feast.  

Chip, through tragic circumstance as well as bad choices, had been estranged from his son Tyler for most of Tyler's 18 years.  In the past eight months, God has been restoring.  And last night was one of those marker moments on our journey together, on Chip's journey and on Tyler's journey.  

Tyler's been watching his dad.  He's seen him come to faith.  He's seen him stumble.  He's seen him rejoice.  He's seen him in his everyday moments.  He's even watched him bowl.  

And as he's watched, the Holy Spirit has been speaking to him.  And Chip has been speaking to him;  asking him to come and see.

Last night he said, "Dad, I gotta talk to you."

And Chip has a new disciple with whom to follow Jesus.  And God has planted Chip and Tyler in an apartment 4 doors down from the Boiler Room.  And we move into a new chapter of life together;  with yet another friend provided by God.

May we all praise the one who has turned the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

::tony::

  

full well

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

The Jesus blanket is one way that God provided for our family.  And we want to testify.  

Kristen had made the Jesus blanket for the prayer garage.  She left the note above with it, sharing what God had taught her about Himself in the process of making the quilt.  

Later when we told the story of God protecting our daughter during  the fire, Kristen read in between the lines that the bedding was trashed and she emailed her offer of the Jesus blanket.  "I hoped someone special would use it."  Sleeping warm and cozy is yet one more way that God has made  His love manifest to our family, just like God made His love manifest to our neighborhood friends who have warmed up in the fleece hats, gloves and blankets donated by Steve and his co-workers.  

Our community knows full well that God is unfolding something wonderful.  

And we bless God for calling together a team of intercessors who want to pray protection over and provision for the Boiler Room.  We are overwhelmed by the number of people who have covenanted to pray with us in this next season.  Feel free to let us know at any time.  The number of emails letting us know that friends will be joining us as partners in prayer has been the latest and most valued sign that He is wrapping himself around us.  And we praise Him.

May we all know the unimaginable love of our Creator and Father.  

::tony:: 

needy and weak

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.(2 Corinthians 12:9)

One of the things that God has taught us about prayer is the posture of need and weakness.  We have no problem telling people about how God works through our acknowledgment of our limits, our blind spots and our unbelief. We've got no problem telling people about our failures because Jesus is there beside us.

God has been providing us with opportunities to testify about His power and His grace.  We've been to churches, youth groups and other prayer communities talking about our need and weakness.  This weekend we are going to be presenting at the Calvin's Symposium on Worship.     We share on Friday and Saturday from 11:30a-12:30p.

If you could pray for us that God would be glorified, we will be thankful.  We'll share more of what we talk about in a future post.

May we all boast like Paul.  

::tony::

carrying on

If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord. (1 Cor 16:10)

God gives us encouragement through glimpses into how He's working.  We have often found great learning from pilgrimmages to other prayer communities.  This weekend was no exception as we visited our brothers and sisters in Madison, Wisconsin.  

We saw how a community established some fifteen years ago as a young adult training community has emerged with multiple communities of prayer.  They have established a community center on Winnebago Street with three apartments situated above with students who are studying with the Madison prayer community.   These multiple communities intersect through classes, common meals, 24-7 prayer, mission to China and engaging the university community through expressions in art.  

We learned how these communities have had seasons of commitment through internship and learning and then have transitioned into living as neighbors in seeking the kingdom of God.  

We saw the fruit of pouring into young people for an extended time period.

We learned how a fuller understanding of the Trinity can inform and launch our efforts in announcing the Kingdom of God on the West Side.  

We strengthened friendships with people like Tim and Steph and Joe and Angie and Katrina and Wes and Rachel Ann and Kiersten and Alex and Devon and Joelle and Tom and Bo and Lorrinda and Eric and Rachel and Jake and Jacob and Rachelle and a whole host of others whom Chip probably remembers both names and email addresses.  

These are friends carrying on the work of the Lord.  I can see now how exciting it must have been to receive a letter update on one of these crazy communities back in Acts.  Even more so, I can see what great strength a visiting brother or sister might have offered and received.  

This sense that there are so many little communities sprinkled over the American landscape and beyond.  Doing what one prayer room writer describes as "praying as if it all depends on God; and acting as if it all depends on them."  This sense of common DNA is what encourages us.  Etched on our hearts is the knowledge that when these bands of friends meet-up, there's a deep sense that something is moving beyond us and through us (and in spite of us at times).

As our community studies the God Story and reads Exodus, we're beginning to understand the wisdom in gathering for festivals with the people of Israel;  with the assembled kingdom of priests.  So we will gather with friends here in Grand Rapids.  So we will gather with other 24-7 friends soon.  And we will not fear;  and this is how we will carry on in the Holy Spirit.      

::tony::

NEWSFLASH: Celebrating A Season of Growth

Please join us this Wednesday January 28 from 6-8:30p to celebrate Chip's season of interning at the Boiler Room.  Love Feast begins at 6, worship guided by Chip's song requests at 7 and prayer for Chip and others sometime after.  Please bring a dessert to pass as part of the celebration.

Given Chip's number of friends, could you please RSVP to Brooke at brooke.sellers@gmail.com if you're coming for dinner so we have an accurate count and adequate food.  

::tony::

NEWS FLASH: SBR goes to Wisconsin

The Stockbridge Community is making a pilgrimmage to the Greenhouse Boiler Room in Madison, Wisconsin.  Prayer will resume Monday at 7a.  

::tony::

fortress

(photo by Michael Newstead)

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.  O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.  (Psalm 59:  16-17)

Sometimes you wonder who’s behind things.  This week it’s been good to know who’s with us.  

Jenn and I were returning from a welcome home party for our missionary friends Michelle, Brad, Missy and Jeremiah when we got a phone call from Tammy, who was with the kids.  She said everybody was safe, but they were outside waiting for the fire department.

Our daughter had gone to bed and was reading her Bible.  She was in Psalms when she fell asleep.  The Bible fell against the lamp near her bed and after a while, she smelled smoke.  She ran downstairs and told Tammy.  By the time Tammy ran upstairs, flames had broken out.  She tried to get it out, while instructing the kids to get their coats and boots on and simultaneously calling the fire department.   

The only physical thing that was damaged was the mattress and her bedding.  

On the warfare front, a spirit of fear is lurking, especially in the kids who internalize everything.  Our daughter who was burnt last year is silent and jumpy.  Our son is worried about leaving on lamps and wondering if this wouldn’t happen if we weren’t in ministry in this neighborhood. 

At the same time, we feel like God is faithful.  He kept our daughter safe last year.  He kept our kids safe this Monday.  He kept Jenn safe in the collision with the semi last month.  He has been our fortress. 

So we say, "game on."   And we will take refuge in Him in times of trouble.  And we sing of His strength.  

----

In this time of warfare we’ve become convicted that we need our friends with us, as God is with us.  To help us in praying for protection and for God’s provision.  As long time readers of this blog know, we  find the missional stories of Hudson Taylor and George Mueller to be persuasive.  They sought to move men to partner with them, through their prayers to God.  Like these men of prayer and mission, we believe that if God wills for the Boiler Room to continue,  He will provide.  And He has.  This entire blog is a testimony to God’s provision.  

If you’re willing to partner with us in praying for continued and specific protection as well as God’s continuing provision, we would be honored by your calling out on our behalf.  This partnership would involve receiving a twice a month email requesting specific protection and provision needs as well as praises for God’s work among us.  This partnership would convene as a group of intercessors twice a year for fellowship and conversation with key members of the Boiler Room community.  

If the Holy Spirit draws you to this intercession opportunity, please drop us an email  at stockbridgeboilerroom@gmail.com and we’ll put you on the list.  

May God be refuge for each of us.  

::tony::

stories from the prayer movement

Check out this article in the new Relevant on Pete Grieg and the 24-7 Prayer movement.  On page 53.  It helps to situate the Stockbridge Boiler Room in the larger stream of friends around the world.  

::tony::

bud and flourish

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:  10-11)

God provides His Holy Spirit to guide us into all wisdom.  And I want to recognize that here today.

Danmike and Jordan were praying together the other day.  They both got impressions that God was calling the Love Feast to become something more for his glory;  that He wanted worship and that He wanted His word woven throughout the gathering.  As we talked about it with members of our community, it seemed wise to us.  So we're going to be obedient to the movement of His Spirit in our lives.  

We're going to start by spending ten minutes devoted to God's word at the start of the Feast.  After welcoming folks on Wednesday, I'm going to share some thoughts on John 10 and a life to the full.  We'll have copies of the Scripture on the table and we'll invite folks to do some further discussion during the Love Feast.  

After the Love Feast, we'll spend some time praying together in response to God's word and then we will worship Him in song.  This will be our time of community prayer in the 5th Street Hall on Wednesday evenings.  

God also led Brooke and Chelsea into muffin mission.  They have been called to pray for God's guidance to find one neighbor to whom they can bring fresh baked muffins,  in a weekly rhythm.  At the end of this past year, they asked God to lead them into ways of engaging with our neighbors during the cold homebound months;  and muffins came to mind.  So they're going to be obedient to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  And they're moving forth in expectation.

If you could pray for us this week, that God's word would go forth and accomplish all that He desires and all that He has purposed for it, we would be most grateful.  

May God's kingdom bud and flourish in our midst.

::tony::