This seems insignificant in light of Evie's surgery tomorrow, but I've been working on this, so here it is.
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I guess that the few of you who read the eNews saw, by now, the article in which Lance details his visit to the home of Dennis and Carol Regitz to check out the gathering of disciples that meets there.
This is a vision that Dennis has had for some time and which Dennis and Carol began to put into practice some time ago.
I don't think it's a secret that, as Dennis was contemplating starting some gatherings that meet in homes, he visited the Sunday gathering that meets at our house.
I have a few thoughts and feelings about what Lance did and wrote up in the eNews by highlighting his visit to the Regitzes' gathering.
One is that Lance's description of what he witnessed with the Regitzes and their brothers and sisters could, almost to the word, describe what was happening under our roof even back in the days when Lance was, what did they call his position then? was it called Director of Transformational Ministries then?
Frank Viola, in one of his books on the Organic Church, described different types of house churches. The type he praised, which he sees as true to the form and practice of the early church, he calls organic church. Organic churches were also called simple churches.
It's not a small point, that Lance calls the Regitz work house or micro churches.
The difference in the terminology strikes me as being important and suggests a stark difference in understanding of the importance these gatherings.
Micro simply means small.
The notion of an organic or simple church suggests a yearning to be true to the New Testament, well, to quote Winebrenner, "plan" for gatherings of Jesus followers.
Anyway, the Regitzes are doing something close to the organic gathering that Viola endorsed and praised.
Good for you, Dennis and Carol!
Theirs is an organic, or simple, church. It's not a micro-church.
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Another, (and I know this is personal) I can't help but notice the difference between Lance's reception of, and promotion of, what the Regitzes are doing and what we began so many years ago.
When we, at Faith, were pioneering, in the CGGC, the way the Regitzes are discipling, we got, at the very, very best, a blind eye from Ed and Lance and the whole Findlay gang...
...and, at worst, opposition from them...
...EVEN THOUGH WE WERE OPENLY AND INTENTIONALLY DOING IT...
...IN PURSUIT OF THE CGGC MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS...
...CREATED BY...
...ED AND LANCE AND THE FINDLAY GANG!
I'm truly and genuinely happy for Dennis and Carol and for the people who participate in their gatherings.
But, there were, AND ARE, souls here that were anything but encouraged and comforted by the rest of the CGGC body.
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Also, a difference between the Regitz endeavor and ours is the APEST difference between Dennis and me.
How long have we known each other, Dennis? Many years.
I've always seen, in Dennis, a genuine gifting to be an apostle. As I say here often, I think I'm a prophet.
There's a lot of gifting that I see in Dennis that fits what he's doing.
He has the restlessness of an apostle and the need to innovate that's natural for apostles.
But, I'll say this: Dennis' apostolic gift is primitive and unmentored.
It's probably more destructive than you think that Lance calls him "pastor Dennis Regitz" without acknowledging the role APEST plays in the expansion of the Jesus-following movement.
The mountaintoppers, who talk APEST incessantly, are ignoring the APEST aspect of the Regitzes' work and make it, again and as always, about pastors and churches.
That's short-sighted and its hypocritical.
And, it can not help. It can only hurt.
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So, as I commented on the eNews, GO, DENNIS, GO, GO!
We wish you well. Live in your empowerment from the Spirit to be an apostle! Walk by the Spirit!
Be true to your calling. Continue to make this about Jesus.
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