Filed under: Community, DIY, Love, faith | Tags: church, eastside, Indianapolis, Indy Metro, Jesus, service
As we discussed from the beginning at Indy Metro and during the 40 Days of Prayer specifically, we’ve always been a church for the whole city. Both during our 40 Days of Prayer as a pastoral team and reviewing the many responses we received from the Indy Metro community, it became clear that we are to move forward increasing our commitment to Indy’s eastside.
With great passion and a shared burden by many we are moving forward in faith! The pastoral leadership has begun to make plans towards increasing our emphasis on Indy’s east side initially focused on Community Heights, Emerson Heights, Little Flower, and Irvington.
We want to answer the very basic questions of how we currently are planning to move forward. How will Indy Metro move to expand our presence on the eastside?
The east side needs to see the church in action through SMALL acts of service with a LARGE amount of love! The people of Indy Metro committing to specific acts of service together to be visible servants of the east side’s multi-generational multi-ethnic community. Beginning January 2010, through engaging local artists, serving families and marginalized residents we will serve together as a church. We encourage everyone at Indy Metro, whether residents of the eastside or not, to consider being involved in some form. For our friends online, I certainly hope you will begin to follow us and consider how to support as well.
Establishing a Sunday evening weekly public gathering by Easter, April 4th, 2010 will be a critical component of expanding our presence on the east side. Our first Sunday evening gathering will be Sunday, January 10th with location to be determined. Initially, we will be focused on simply building our relationships together as a CityGroup through learning, playing, and serving together on the eastside.
For people who want to be involved on the eastside with Indy Metro what is your next step?
- Cultivate your spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and meditating on Scripture. Our commitment to corporate prayer and fasting must continue as a house of prayer of the Lord. Please begin to pray for clarity on how to serve, seeking a potential weekly gathering, identifying the needed resources to prepare the way and provide the needed discipling for the team, and for the Lord to cultivate the hearts of people far from Him to be open to the Gospel.
- Identify yourself to the pastoral leadership before the end of the year. No secret servants, but instead we are establishing the initial team to prepare together. Our desire is to identify 20-25 people who will focus to Indy Metro’s eastside presence in January 2010. If you’re genuinely committed to the east side movement and want to be an intricate part of it please let me know directly. Contact me at aaron@indymetro.org to confirm your commitment or share questions you may have still as we move forward.
Regardless of your own personal involvement, perhaps you know a small business owner, resident, or someone with roots in or near the eastside communities we’re focused on who doesn’t have a church family already. Pray and consider how you might make people aware of Indy Metro’s eastside commitment in January 2010.
If you are passionate about this movement I invite you’re responsive posts. What are your thoughts?
Recently, I started a teaching series at Indy Metro Church in the Book of Ruth. Both a drama and love story, the Book of Ruth is a literary masterpiece. While this is perhaps the most well told story of the overarching purpose of redemption, this takes place in a messy time period in the history of the Lord’s people.
Overall, this is a message of hope during the times of uncertainty! However, one truth which became evident to me from the first few verses is a cycle that can take place in the believer who becomes disconnected from relationships both in and outside of the church.
As the story goes, Elimelek (quite a name, huh?) moved his family into Moab in response to a great famine which had struck Bethlehem. Living in Moab, they were quite potentially the only believers in the land of people living among people who we’re considered enemies of the Israelites.
While this appears on a minor act, it turned out to be quite detrimental to the whole family. Larger than that though is the cycle which occurs that is truly a universal truth.
Regardless of your life stage, age, ethnicity, or economic standard of living this cycle applies. This pattern of sin unfolds: Sins of omission lead to isolation which often leads to sins of commission. This is the cycle of sin
- Sins of omission- For the follower of Christ to not being obedient the essentials of the Christian faith that the Lord clear which will lead you into deeper relationship with the Lord. Simply stated, omitting the actions that the believer knows will lead you closer to the Lord can be sin.
- Most often omission leads to isolation- To not do what you know you need to do as a Christ follower usually leads you to directly to sins of commission but often starts with being in place of isolation. Either perceived isolation (“no one understands this”) or actual separation from people. And to say you can walk with the Lord alone, don’t need a church family, etc. is foolish and only leads you to isolation.
- Isolation nearly always leads to sins of commission- Sins of commission as a believer involve direct rejection of the commands, decrees, etc you know you to be true. It comes in either outright rebellion or passive aggressive rejection. Nothing good comes from allowing oneself to be isolated for any period of time.
I’ve seen this cycle work through hundreds of times in the lives of Christians and seeing in the characters from the Book of Ruth reminded me on the dangers of this cycle for each of us as followers of Christ. Rejecting the commandments and convictions of the Lord when things look impossible will never remedy your situation. It may temporarily remove you from the pain but it will not draw you closer to the Lord.
Elimelek’s sins of omission led his family into isolation and vulnerable, while his sons sinned (married Moabite women). All the men died, leaving Naomi, Orphah, & Ruth in worst situation possible, broke, widowed and isolated. There wasn’t a worse situation to be placed in!
Though tempted to turn from faith when facing life’s challenges, this only leads to isolation and usually to making decisions which only lead to large problems.
“The majority of us begin with the bigger problems outside and forget the one inside. A man has to learn the plague of his own heart before his own problems can be solved.” –Oswald Chambers.
Our journey is first a spiritual journey which require taking the steps to maintain a relationship with the Lord, often while facing insurmountable problems.
Filed under: Community, Love, arts, faith | Tags: art, Guatemala, Indianapolis, Indy Metro
This past August, I and 10 others made the first trip for Indy Metro Church from Indianapolis to Magdelana, Guatemala. What birthed out of this exploratory trip was a 3 year commitment of Indy Metro Church to the people of this village.
One of the exciting partnerships I am personally most excited about is our commitment to a local small art school in the village which currently has 18 students for 2 hours a day. Carlos Lopez, the director of the school, started it 3 years ago to bring hope to the community and teach children the arts. In his own words he, “has been praying for God to send resources to expand.” It was humbling for me to realize such a great opportunity for our church.
As a church committed to the arts community here in Indianapolis, we believe this is a natural extension for Indy Metro. On the first trip was local Indianapolis artist and friend, Casey Jo Allies. From the paintings we returned with from the children in the art school and Casey Jo’s own photography, she pulled together the Five Days in Guatemala display in October.
Five Days in Guatemala is an extraordinary art exhibition of her journey. Casey Jo will not only be showing her photographs from the trip, but also 35 paintings created by the local children. Each painting sold will go back to help support the education and families in this village. Casey Jo’s work can also be seen this month at the Garfield Park Art Center, where she won the best in show award for the Midwest National Abstract Art Exhibition.
Although you may have missed the open house on First Friday, October 2nd, the works remain for the entire month in the ArtSpace at the Athenaeum on 401 East Michigan. The images are very powerful and may prompt you to want to join us in one of our 4 planned trips in 2010!
Filed under: Community, Leadership, faith | Tags: church planting, eastside, Indianapolis, Indy Metro Church, Jesus
This naturally led to lots of conversation over the past few months as a church family in how focused we are together. Are we focused on the hundreds of thousands of people in Indianapolis far from Jesus? What about the thousands of people seeking spiritual answers throughout Indianapolis who haven’t experienced a Gospel-centered loving and serving community of believers?
Consider this analogy: Imagine how silly it sounds if a father were to spend hours every week teaching his son how to drive, taking his son to get his license, picking out the perfect car, gassing it up and then parking it in the driveway and throwing away the keys.
That is what happens if we spend countless hours equipping you and then not taking steps for us a church to “leave the drive way.” Unfortunately, that has been dubbed as “normal” for many followers of Jesus and church. Being on mission with God to love our neighbors and point people towards Jesus often get lost in our beliefs of who and what God is.
This past Sunday, I announced our commitment to enter into a 40 days of prayer and fasting as a community beginning September 1st focused on starting a second weekly public gathering for Indy Metro Church on the eastside of Indy (Catch the podcast at Indymetro.org). The neighborhoods of Irvington, Emerson Heights, Community Heights, and Little Flower are among the most densely populated in the city and together represent a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, socioeconomically urban community with great opportunity for the Gospel.
Whether you’re close or far and you would like to receive our follow up mailer on this 40 Days of Prayer please send your snail-mail address to: Carrie@indymetro.org.
The only thing we are committing to “do” is pray together to see if a shared burden and vision emerge among our community. As a pastor, it is an odd-mix of both excitement and anxiety as we attempt to gain clarity together. Appreciate your prayers as we start this journey!
Filed under: Community, arts | Tags: artist, Indianapolis, Inspiring Places, local art
Athenaeum ArtSpace Call for Artists
The Athenaeum ArtSpace, Indy’s newest art venue, is seeking local, family-friendly, emerging and unknown artists for commission-free exhibitions. Each exhibition opens on IDADA First Friday and continues approximately three weeks. Artists of all media are encouraged to submit work for these juried exhibitions.
- Artist should reside in Marion or one of the seven surrounding counties.
- Artist should be capable of demonstrating the completion of two semesters of formal art studies or be capable of demonstrating at least three years of art production.
- Artist has not displayed artwork in the IDADA downtown art districts unless the display was part of a special event like “Visual Fringe” or other one-time special displays (less than 30 days).
- Artist will demonstrate an enrollment with ACI (Arts Council of Indianapolis) within 10 days prior to any display. (this is a no cost enrollment).
In addition to the ongoing First Friday exhibits, we are currently looking for submissions to be included in a November exhibit with the theme “Inspiring Places” to be part of the Spirit & Place Festival (this will be art involving the theme Inspiring Places in Indianapolis).
Submissions should include the following information and should be received by September 23 at 5:00pm:
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- Biography/Resume
- Cd containing 10-20 images, image size at no less than 300dpi, 600×800
- Accompanying Title List with cd, numbered accordingly and including title, medium, dimensions, and year.
- Do not include name on title list. All submissions are juried.
Send submissions
c/o Kevin Gierman,
The Athenaeum ArtSpace
401 East Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
or contact Kevin Gierman at
317.655.2755 ext152
kevingierman@athenaeumfoundation.com
The Athenaeum ArtSpace’s mission is to introduce the public to work they’ve never seen before by displaying, commission-free, the work of emerging and local unknown artists, in an effort to support the “Sound Mind and Sound Body” concepts that are central to the creation and the history of the Athenaeum.
We are working diligently on improving the ArtSpace for artists by raising funds for a hanging system and lighting . The Athenaeum ArtSpace is a partnership between the Athenaeum Foundation and Indy Metro Church.
Filed under: Leadership, faith | Tags: Acts, Christian, Jesus, morality, Penn
Recently, a Christian friend shared with me, “I don’t talk to people about my relationship with Jesus, but let them see how I live.”
And while I agree with Penn’s (of Penn & Teller fame) recent questioning of Christians who don’t “proselytize,” or specifically Penn’s statement of how much you hate somebody to believe there path is leading to eternal non-existence without your God, my friend makes a good point.
If Christians are living like Jesus, from the inside out truly set free, our lifestyles will reflect such a dramatic contrast to cultural norms that our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family will see overwhelming external evidence leading them to actually accuse you of being a Christian….
A great example of this is in Acts 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” This is the first example of the word Christian being used. In Antioch, the people who followed Christ were first called Christians…. It was a derogatory term meant to imply being just like Jesus. They were called Christians based on the external evidence of living so counter to surrounding culture, and instead following the lifestyle of Jesus.
People who were first called Christians we’re so loving, so forgiving, so grace giving, so generous, so merciful, so surrendered to the Lord’s truth, so committed to people who shared the Christian lifestyle, and just as loving to people who didn’t that it led people around them to realize these people, “Christians” we’re exactly like the Jesus they had seen firsthand or heard about.
Reflecting on this begs many questions to be answered. You may call yourself a Christian, but what do other people call you? And in our culture, both secular and Christian, we have gotten confused about that we are supposed to live in a way that we will be accused of being Christians. Not accused of being church goers. Not accused of being religious. Not accused of being good moral people. Not accused of being political. And defintely not accused of being smug ***holes who act as if we died on the Cross for our own sins.
If you call yourself a Christian, is their consistent overwhelming external evidence which backs it up?
Is it so obvious that people actually accuse you of being just like Jesus (read this last question to yourself slowly for dramatic effect)?
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: Christian, disciple, event, Indy Metro, Jesus, religion
Lately, I’ve been thinking more specifically about the lifestyle of following Jesus Christ I adhere to as a disciple, and the calling I’ve surrendered to in making disciples of Him. What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?
I’ve come to a simplified Scriptural understanding of a disciple: Someone that publically and privately lives according to the Great Commandment, while living out the Great Commission for God’s glory in everything they do (1 Corinthians 10:31), ALL in response to God’s mercy as the motive not guilt, works based Christianity or religion, etc (Romans 12:1-2).
Reflecting on this caused me to reflect over my journey. When I was hired into the full-time vocational ministry, I wasn’t personally discipling anyone consistently (nor had I ever), wasn’t living as a witness of Jesus Christ to anyone (word or deed) consistently, nor was I loving my neighbor (no matter how you defined who my neighbor was). And truth be told, in the little efforts I had put forth ended up “making disciples” of Aaron and not Jesus. And to think I was supposed to be a public example for other Christians of a disciple in a local church? OUCH!
Obviously, the Lord found use for me 
, but so much wasted time as I focused to run church programs and not building people first.
Understand, that answering this question about what is a disciple is truly the main thing in our Christian faith! Initially, being a Christian was an accusation based on a lifestyle so counter to culture and committed to modeling what Jesus Christ. We don’t see different levels of the Christian, a disciple of Christ, from the Scripture. There is one standard we are held to as people who publically proclaim ourselves as Christians. What we see in much of Christianity today is legalistic external lifestyle management or the “sin patrol,” religious people who call themselves Christians, or settling completely for less and simply “going to church.”
At Indy Metro Church, we are seeking to redefine what the “the norm” of what both the church and the Christian (a disciple) are to be in our beautiful city. While Acts 2:42-47 describes what happens mostly inside the Christian community in broader public, Acts 11:19-30 describes best what should be happening publically, corporately, outwardly. Both texts provide a great contrast for our modern understanding of what we see being a disciple is around us. Hard swallow to see that as “the norm” based on what we see a disciple to be.
So my encouragement for you is to consider, if you call yourselves a Christian, does your lifestyle mirror His? Ask the hard questions. Are you a disciple of Christ or just attending some “religious” events? How will you know the difference? It is a journey. God’s grace has covered my journey, administered through many people over the years.
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: Jesus Christ, mercy, pain, rituals, suffering, the church
One of my most painful situations in my entire life started with a phone call 10 years ago. A phone call from my wife that our weekend plans had changed and we needed to head to the hospital immediately to see my father. Though I had no clue what was going on, because of the eerie nature of the ride I knew it was significant. When I arrived in the hospital room, father told me he had found out his kidneys and liver were shutting down. Just a couple months prior he passed a full medical scan yet 4 days later he passed away.
Like no other time in my life this spiritual journey I was on became very real. It took a radical change. Sure I did the church thing occasionally, believed there was a God, celebrated Easter & Christmas… but the whole thing changed for me with instant pain and suffering.
Almost instantly, I began searching for God’s purpose in my pain. Where was God in all this? Asking, “If you are real God, where are you at?” Like no other time in my life I needed to know if this was about rituals, buts in seats, yada yada yada. I needed to personally experience the Jesus Christ I had heard about but never truly believed in. I needed Him to enter into my pain. And I WAS INSTANTLY OPEN FOR A CHRIST FOLLOWER TO show me where the Lord is at in all this, to weep with me, to feel my pain, and to live the Truth around me like never before as the hands and feet of Jesus.
WE ALL FACE PAIN AT SOME POINTS IN OUR LIVES, AND MANY OF YOU WERE JUST LIKE ME AT SOME POINT IN YOUR SEARCH FOR GOD: And because of pain and suffering became open to the truth of who God is….and, like me, desperately needed to be a recipient of compassion and mercy, and justice over suffering.
It is with that in context a few weeks back I studied and shared some thoughts at Indy Metro Church about the story of Lazarus. I quickly realized how truly this wasn’t just a story of Jesus entering into the pain of his friends 2k years ago, but how this is my story too.
This Biblical story of Jesus entering into the pain of his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This is my story of how Jesus entered into my pain through the hands and feet of others. Read the whole story yourself, but below are a couple thoughts that stood out to me from the first few verses:
VS 1-3 & 5: It is abundantly clear that people very close to Jesus experience great pain. One of the greatest lies so many American Christians have been duped into believing is that to be close to Jesus removes you from pain and suffering.
VS 4- While God isn’t at the cause of suffering- WHEN WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING- WHETHER RICH OR POOR- IN OUR SUFFERING OR SOMEONE ELSE’S- THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALWAYS THERE- TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD MORE INTAMETLY.
As you read this story, what stands out to you? I’d love to hear it.
In response to a text like this, I encourage you to ask honest questions like: What pain has Jesus entered into throughout my life? Was it so clear to me it was Him? Where do I still need Jesus to enter in? How can I be used to enter into my neighbor’s pain?
The truth be told, sometimes all we can do is weep. For many of us “our Lazarus” wasn’t healed. We didn’t get the outcome we desired so we are left to search. God has shown and continues to show me the purposes for my pain over the years. My hope is for you to be able to share the same.
Filed under: Love
So after months of anticipation… tadaa or whala or shazam: Amelia Jean Story.
Nothing like a little scrubbin
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: compassion, Jesus, justice, mercy, poverty, rich
In the middle of the Social Justice series for Indy Metro, this past week I engaged the passage of Mark 10:17-31. Actually this story about Jesus and a good outwardly moral, religious person engaged me first. I couldn’t seem to avoid it over the past month.
A couple of the takeaways for me from this man’s encounter with Jesus we’re:
Those so often Christian acts of justice and compassion end up modeling for the poor and marginalized a consumer lifestyle that happiness is in our possessions and stuff. “You don’t have this stuff, and you need this stuff to be happy. We have this and you don’t.” Often we end up perpetuating this attitude that TO BE ACCEPTED you must have these consumer goods, live in this neighborhood, and go to dinner at these places….
As Rich Christians (yeah, pretty much anyone reading this professing Christ as Lord), a great injustice we have to correct together is telling (through either actions or words) poor and marginalized people they’re entitled to live as we do because of Jesus, when Jesus shows us in this text we aren’t entitled to be living the way we do BECAUSE of Jesus.
And a warning that when you hear stuff these days like: “It’s your patriotic duty to spend in order to save the economy because America is a consumer based economy!” Consumerism is a religion in America that when we embrace says life is all about me…and following Christ daily is saying life is all about Him. As Christ followers we have to reject this so-called patriotic duty as Christians because the lifestyle of a Christian isn’t formed on the American economy but on Jesus Christ.
Perhaps, the most impactful observation for me from this encounter is Jesus reminding me that my arms can’t fully wrap around Him when I’m holding onto all “my” money and possessions.
May you allow this encounter to mess you up too…
