Outpost

Tonight, we gathered with some couples to birth a new community, a small group. This is something that Melody and I have been praying about for a long time. Since moving back to Birmingham, we have been praying about the right time and right people to begin the journey.

The church we are a part of calls this thing a "small group". Tonight, though, we chose words like fellowship, family, platoon, living church, intimate allies, redemptive community, and outpost to describe it. I personally really like the term "outpost".

Webster defines an “outpost” as:
--a security detachment dispatched by a main body of troops to protect it from enemy surprise
--a military base established by treaty or agreement in another country
--an outlying or frontier settlement
--an outlying branch or position of a main organization or group

We are choosing to lay aside the traditional, "knowledge-driven", "lesson-focused", Sunday School class....not that those were bad. But we are much more driven to birth a Bible Obedience Group. Taking and applying scriptural truth to our lives, marriages, and families.

As I was preparing for tonight's meeting, God showed me the healthy tension between Togetherness (community) AND Aloneness (your personal walk).

He gave me an image of each person, through the week, taking up the sword in our unique battle-fronts. Some of the potential, unique battles might be: identity, addiction, anger, fear, pride, selfishness, marriage, parenting, disciplines, etc. So, we are called to take up the sword and fight for our hearts!!! Then, we come together at an “outpost” to literally refresh, refuel, and be renewed.

Now, that my friend, is a whole new approach to "small group, Sunday school, Bible fellowship"...whatever you want to call it.

Then God hit me with this...
If you are truly FIGHTING, then you will truly need REFUELING!!!!!!!!!!

An outpost, a group of people gathering regularly to refuel. A group of people who are out on the front lines through the week, doing battle...then gather out of desperation and dependency on God's refueling power provided through community.

An outpost...this whole thing sounds kind of "New Testament"...don't you think??