Learning to BE Church: An Interview with a House-Church Team, part 3

This was intended to be the third and final installment of a 3-part interview with house-church pastors Matt & Dawn Segawa. However, I found Dawn's answers -- especially to this next question -- so powerful, I decided to make this an interview in four-parts.

Any amount of time spent with Matt and Dawn Segawa quickly convinces you of their deep love for Christ, his church, and the world around them. As we've seen from part 1 and part 2 of this 4-part interview, the Segawa's have learned much from their journey outside the traditional structures of the institutional church. This has deposited in them an earthy, yet refreshing wisdom that we can all benefit from, regardless of our ecclesiologies or level of ministry involvement. I trust you'll enjoy part 3, and that you'll post lots of questions and/or comments. The Segawa's are looking forward to the interaction!

Chris
Drawing from your past experiences and years in ministry, what suggestions do you have for institutional churches and those leading such congregations?

Dawn
Of all the questions posed in this interview, giving an honest answer to this one has been the most challenging. In our humanity, Matt and I have both struggled with, “why bother.” Does anyone in the IC have ears to hear? We could just decline to state our suggestions, and only share our thoughts with emerging church leaders (in the next question). But, I’m reminded of Paul who washed his hands of his own people (the Jews) in frustration and then returned back to them again and again. So, out of love and a smidge of hope for my own people (the church), I will venture a truthful answer.

The first suggestion to leaders in the IC is to cultivate and rekindle your own intimacy with the Father. Every pastor I have ever met has a clear and wonderful story of being called by God into ministry at some point in their lives; and yet a large majority today seem to be the most starving and spiritually bankrupt individuals on the planet. He is your God and your Pappa first; go to Him as such.

Somewhere in the schooling process between Greek I and Eschatology, there is a loss of innocence and wonder. And yet so much was passed on to the disciples, or caught onto just by hangin’ out with The Teacher and asking Him life questions. Don’t get me wrong, I am for higher education; but, are you willing to set aside all that you think you already know to become a life-long learner and follow your King into battle? So much pressure is placed on the ”professional minister” to always have the right answers for everyone else and the politically correct answers for a particular denomination. And yet in the long run who is really served by this? Certainly not the one who is forced to keep up appearances with slick professionalism and polished rhetoric. I see leadership as God lifting somebody up so that their life might be emulated. By the end of his life, Job still didn’t have all the answers; yet in the middle of his struggle, he chose to trust in the One who did.

This next bit of advice is going to sound simple and yet it has a lot of powerful potential. LISTEN. Practice the art of Listening Prayer. How many staff meetings, board/counsel or leadership meetings begin with prayer at all? Let’s be honest here, not many. And even those who do open in a “word of prayer,” it’s at best talking prayer, not listening prayer. It is so very simple to Pause – Stop, take a deep breather or 2, and simply hit the pause button on life as usual, “business as usual.” Step 2: Invite - ask the Living Creative God of the Universe to speak to us today: in this we are surrendering, saying “Thy will, not mine.” Then Listen – Listen for your own heart and life, listen on behalf of others, listen for which direction to head next with the flock, even listen on behalf of the programs that are currently running under your roof. I’m not saying God will have you abolish the nursery program, but He may have you buy tulips versus daisies one day for the nursery workers. Or instead of VBS one year, He may have your families do a week of giving to the poor with food-clothing-toy drives and kids making PB&J sandwiches for the homeless… What is it He is asking you to do in your sphere today? Then simply obey. Practice saying yes to God. It gets both easier and harder simultaneously. Are you feeling stuck? Then go back and do the last thing He asked of you. Otherwise, this ends up being a much harder life to live.

Part 4 -- the final installment of this interview with the Segawa's -- will be posted this weekend. And hey! Don't just read this -- think about posting a question or comment.

Comments

[Keith Seckel]

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for your insights!

I'm currently part of an IC, and am wondering if you would care to lovingly elaborate more on what it was like for you in leaving the IC. You mentioned in an earlier comment the isolation you felt, and how some of those you thought would be supportive were not. Without totally trashing your sending church (if that is an appropriate phrase here) how was yoru "release and send"ing done?

And along those lines, could you give some pointers to those in pastoral leadership in the IC re: how to release those who are being called into a house-church or otherwise emergent place? What would bless the socks off of someone in that same place as you once were? How could the IC leadership support and encourage in a major way? Sometimes things seem so "us" and "them" that it sometimes boils down to "...Fine -- go then. You're into something I can't handle, so it is easier for us all if you just go and do your thing" -- but that is far from being an actual blessing and affirming of the new thing being done in someone's heart and life.

What do you think?

~ Keith

[Dawn]

Wow! Your question, Keith touches on a very poignant spot. In the big picture, there really aren't insiders & outsiders but rather a bunch of God's kids all fumbling around trying to get it right. So, what I think is crucial is to bless PEOPLE. Everyone wants to be affirmed for who they are and not just what they do in a particular body. So, if you bless the person: their qualities, giftings and calling, what they carry, their anointing (even if it's in an embryonic state) Call it out and bless it. Then God is honored. And I must say this blessing process is best started before the big break off or frustration point, if at all possible. But, it's never too late to be loving.

In sooooo many of the stories I've heard, this is a great sore spot, and for some it's still a gaping wound of not receiving a blessing or sending, but a curse and rejection. The Body of Christ needs a lot more true fathers types who are willing to affirm and release.

[Judy]

Hi Dawn and Matt,
I logged in today and saw part 3 of your interview, which led me to read parts 1 and 2 as well. What a wonderful call of God you have on your life! I find God is so willing to bless us when we just get busy loving people. Whether we are attending an IC or fellowshiping in a small group, home-church, coffee-house setting or in some other manner; as long as we are willing to make the effort to reach out and become a part of something outside of ourselves, God is willing to bless us. You have come to our church to speak and led us in worship and I so appreciate when you come to visit. You both radiate the love you have for God and through you He speaks and lifts others. May you be continually blessed in His work. I still am thinking about Jacob from your last talk, Dawn. Matt, when you played the soft quiet offering interlude - it was Spirit anointed. Thank you!