Phoenix Rises Again

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

In ancient mythology the Phoenix is a bird that dies and then rises from death to live again.

As I previously stated, The One Project is over and gone (almost).  Out of the end of TOP a new concept has arisen, which I will call her the Community Collective (CC).  It is officially in business beginning, today, January 1, 2018.

NOTE:  While The One Project is officially ended, its last Gathering will be held in San Diego in February.  If any of you want to attend, there is still space.  Simply register on TOP website. https://the1project.org/

  The Community Collective will begin with a focus on pastoral care in the associated congregations and on the weekly Sabbath services.

As I write today, there are some 30 congregations that have decided to associate with the CC.  I have listed those congregations in the 3rd post in this thread.  

Feel free to attend any of those congregations, beginning this coming Sabbath and to discuss with the pastor in charge of them any questions that you might have as to what the CC is about as expressed in their  congregation.

NOTE:  As the CC is a developing project, in some aspects, I am not posting about what I understand to be happening in the individual congregations. 

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

There is a 2nd aspect of the Community Collective (CC), which I have not yet discussed.  That is an attempt to reach out to people who for one reason or another do not attend a local SDA Congregation and to provide pastoral care and spiritual support for them in an Internet community.  Thus, an English speaking person living in Germany, and outside of an English congregation in Germany, could participate in SDA fellowship and receive pastoral care in this Internet community.  The intent of this aspect is this two-fold thrust--an SDA community that would welcome them, care for them, and interact with them; and a SDA pastor who would be available to them, as  requested.  It would be available regardless of whether or not one was a SDA member.

This concept is not well developed in the 30 congregations that I have listed in the next post.  To determine what may exist in any of those congregations, contact the pastor in charge.

However, this Internet community is open for business  in the Boulder, Colorado congregation.  Yes, it is developing.  But, it is open for business.  If you are interested in joining such a community, fell free to contact the Boulder Lead pastor at:

Japhet@boulder.church

 

 

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

The following is a list of the list of Congregations who are working together in this new project that replaces The One Project:

 

Anacortes Adventist Fellowship, Anacortes, Washington, USA | Samuel Millen
Aspen Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, Aspen Park, Colorado, USA | Tony Parrish
Athens Georgia Seventh-day Adventist Church, Athens, Georgia, USA | Michaela Lawrence Jeffery
Boulder Adventist Church, Boulder, Colorado, USA | Japhet De Oliveira
Bowdon Country Seventh-day Adventist Church, Bowdon, North Dakota, USA | Kris de Bruin
Church of the Advent Hope, New York, New York, USA | Todd Stout
Crosswalk Church, Redlands, California, USA | Tim Gillespie
Elizabeth Seventh-day Adventist Church, Elisabeth, South Australia | Matthew Hunter
Fort Collins Seventh-day Adventist Church, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA | Daniel Birai
Gardena Genesis Community Church, Gardena, California, USA | Iki Taimi
Gurnee Adventist Church, Gurnee, Illinois, USA | Jose L Medina Jr
Igreja Adventista de Pirai do Sul, Pirai do Sul, Parana, Brazil  | Vinicius Moletta
Kaleo Seventh-day Adventist Church, Monrovia, California, USA | Manny Arteaga
Kellyville Adventist Church, Sydney, Australia | Martin Vukmanic
Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church, Dayton, Ohio, USA | Karl Haffner
La Sierra University Church, Los Angeles, California | Chris Oberg
LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, Denver, Colorado, USA | Dany Hernandez
Littleton Adventist Church, Littleton, Colorado, USA | Paul Vunileva
Miracle City Church, Baltimore, Maryland, USA | David Franklin
Napa Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, Napa, CA, USA  | Nate Furness
New Haven Seventh-day Adventist Church, Overland Park, Kansas, USA | Kyle Smith
New Hope Adventist Church, Fulton, Maryland, USA | Mike Speegle
Old Westbury Seventh-day Adventist Church, Old Westbury, New York, USA | Roger Lang
Pacific Union College Church, Angwin, California, USA | Mark Witas
[http://Storyline Community]Storyline Community, Woodstock, Georgia, USA | Jeff Wood
The Grove, Brahma Lodge, South Australia | Matthew Hunter
The Journey, Broomfield, Colorado, USA | Mark B. Matthews
Ventura Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ventura, California, USA | James Ayars
Volunteer Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, Seattle, Washington, USA | Andreas Beccai
Walla Walla University Church, College Place, Washington, USA | Alex Bryan

 

 

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

The above listing of congregations includes congregations in Australia and Brazil.

The concept is that of a world-wide community.  Expansion will be welcomed anywhere in the world.

At the present, all resource materials are in English.  For this concept to work in other languages materials would have to be developed/translated into other languages.

NOTE:   I have not discussed the resource materials that are being provided to each participating congregation as these are being developed and are of most interest to the cooperating congregations.  However, all presently available, are available for Internet distribution to interested people.  Contact Japhet for more information.

 

[Jeannieb43 291]

How is this new activity, CC, expected to be better than The One Project??

 

 

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

The question is not which is better.  The CC has a different focus from that of TOP. The TOP focused on  making Christ central to one's life and belief.  The CC is focused on providing an Internet community that can support people in their Christian life and growth and in providing  support to a group of congregations that are united  in setting common goals and in a common purpose.

As to the congregational setting, this is clearly in a developmental stage.  For that reason I have not published some of the    thoughts as to how this unity and support could take place.  That will have to be determined by those congregations that participate.

As to the individual Internet setting,  This is also in a developmental stage.  In concept, each of the participating congregations will develop their own   Internet community  which the congregation and  its pastoral staff will support.  That community would consist of congregational members, local people who wanted to participate but did not want to become a congregational member and any other person, regardless of geographic location, who wanted to join.

At this point in time, probably the 30 some participating congregations have not had the time to develop this Internet community.  People that are interested in such should contact the local congregation in which they are interested.

However, the Boulder congregation is actively building such an Internet community.  It is accepting people into that  Internet community.  If you are interested in joining such, please contact their pastoral staff.

 

[Gregory Matthews 5,585]

As I have stated, the idea of a Community Collective is in a developmental stage.  The following a statement from the Boulder Congregation as to how they are thinking of establishing a Community Collective.

"

Commlunity Collective

Why?

People were created to live in community, sharing our joys and supporting each other through difficult times. Faith, worship, and discipleship are best experienced in community, as wholistic efforts to make God central to our lives. The Bible is filled with stories of God calling us back to Him and urging us to love each other (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; and Matthew 22:36–40).

Community collectives, headquartered at Boulder Adventist Church, are a call to intimate community in the style of the early Christian church. People looked after one another, taking an active interest in each other’s lives and holding each accountable. In the name of Jesus, communities can be transformed because individual lives have been transformed. In the early twenty-first century, we are more connected (by technology) than people have ever been before, yet we are also more disconnected socially. Many of us experience great loneliness. Community collectives are a way to build greater connections with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and fellow Christians. These groups have one single agenda: to create a community of people who are there for each other. Collectives will feed and transform your lives, your families, your neighborhoods, your churches, your schools, and your workplaces.

Starting a Community Collective

Collectives can take many forms, depending on the needs and interests of the members. Ideally, a collective would be made up of at least 2–3 families or 2–3 friends who are willing to meet together on a regular basis. Members might take turns hosting —a fondue party, a BBQ, a potluck picnic, a tea party, a game or movie night. Try to choose locations that minimize travel time.

Boulder Adventist Church is happy to help you in forming a collective in your local area. Contact us and we will connect you with others in your area who are interested in the same thing.  [You may e-mail the Boulder congregation at:   hello@boulder.church   Title the message as Community Collective--GM]

Investment of Time

Most people are reluctant to add “one more thing” to an already overly-scheduled and hectic life. That is why we recommend you set clear boundaries and start slowly, ready to make adjustments to accommodate the demands of your life and the lives of the members of your collective. Establish a reasonable plan for scheduling events. One of these two options might be worth starting with: 1) Monthly—meet once a month for three hours for three months and then evaluate, or 2) Weekly—meet once a week for one hour for one month and evaluate. Remember to honor the prearranged timeframe, and to respect everyone’s schedule and space.

Helping Community Collectives Develop

The best ideas are often born of the experience. As you work on developing your own collective, take note of the things that worked well and those that did not. Share your experiences with the Boulder Adventist Church leadership team and we will share them with others as we continue to grow together. Take photographs of your events to inspire others. We will start a monthly collective newsletter to share ideas with existing collectives and individuals interested in starting them."