In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus spent forty days with the apostles after the resurrection discussing the kingdom of God. It was a turbulent time for His followers, but Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem because he was going to send the Holy Spirit. When the disciples asked if he was going to restore the kingdom of Israel and free them from Roman occupation Jesus said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
I relate to this portion of scripture because I have been trying to leave Bloomington since the day I got here, but Jesus keeps telling me to hold on. Like the early disciples, the community here at Faith Lutheran spent its infancy praying for direction and purpose, for mission and vision. That waiting upon God was infectious to me and is one of the central reasons why I kept coming back. During my time here, God put this huge burden on my heart to plant a network of house churches throughout Bloomington-Normal. For months I prayed alone, and then with others, seeking God for guidance and direction. This spring, when I attended a church planting conference, God revealed a few more of the puzzle pieces, but seeking to be faithful, I continued to pray and wrestle with him until the burden became impossible to contain.
A house church, by design, is simple and based on the first century groups of believers that gathered to worship in homes. Reading the word of God, praying, singing, and just as importantly eating together. It is a safe space for people to ask questions and wrestle with their doubts and pain openly. It is a welcoming environment for new believers or those who never felt comfortable walking into a church building because they didn’t fit in. In a house church everyone can get to know each other in ways that just aren’t possible during a traditional worship service. Intentional replication, or discipleship, is essential. Unlike a brick and mortar church we are used to in modern Christianity, a house church is designed to split up when there are no more seats in the living room; it becomes two different congregations meeting in two different households. The goal is to walk alongside of people wherever they are at in their faith walk and build them up into mature, healthy spiritual leaders that can then invite people into their homes and do the same thing. It is designed to be temporary and dynamic. Simply put: First come, then grow, then get out and go. About two months ago, a small group of people gathered in my living room to begin living this out… a Lutheran, a Pentecostal, a Roman Catholic and one very feisty Puerto Rican (it sounds like the set up to a dad joke). We’ve been meeting twice a month on Sunday evenings and while I still don’t know what God is doing or how He is going to take one small gathering and spread it across McLean County, I am encouraged by these words from Acts, “It is not for you to know the times or the places that the Father has set by His own authority.”
Partners and friends of Faith, I can’t do this alone. Would you consider praying for me and this network of house churches? Here are the ways you could most specifically pray for this ministry:
- Pray that God uses me to help people find their own purpose and not mine.
- Pray that God will use these house churches to bridge the economic and racial divide of Bloomington-Normal.
- Pray that God raises up elders, teachers, and deacons so that I can turn this over to them and step away from a position of authority.
- Pray for direction, clarity of purpose, and wise counsel.
- Pray for reconciliation and wisdom as mistakes are made and people’s feelings are hurt.
· Finally, please pray for me. I am a runner when things get hard so I need you to challenge me in my obedience and encourage me to stay under the pressure, especially when I feel like giving up. I am halfway through my associate’s degree and hope to continue through to seminary. I am hoping after that I can return to Utah as a missionary to my own people; but Paul wanted to go to Asia and ended up ministering from prison—so pray I follow Jesus to my own prison because in the end it is by Him and for His glory that His kingdom will be built.
Liam Wheeler
10/20/2020