More Admin Changes

Okay, parish, the Spirit of the Lord is driving me hard right now and I can’t sleep.

Let’s assume for now that this blog service isn’t going anywhere soon.

First, here’s the vision thing: This parish is about to get busier. That is, we should begin to see more people needing what we do. That means more pastoral services, but it also means more fellowship with some of you. If you aren’t into that kind of thing, now is a good time to stop posting comments with your real email address. This is also the time to tell me if you would rather not have your site or blog in my blogroll. That will become a list of affiliated blogs for folks who want to fellowship with others who have similar interests. That’s what churches do, even if they are virtual churches.

Second, this blog will function more specifically as the parish parlor. Think about what a parlor used to be in homes before there was TV or radio. It’s where we entertain guests, keep a bulletin board, and our parish offices will be here. I’ll still post my photos and computer networking tech stuff, but there will be a stronger focus on serving people as a fellowship point and offering practical guidance. This is where I’ll wear my “elder” hat. The other blog will remain the prophet’s pulpit.

Third, I’m still utterly convinced that we will be receiving refugees from mainstream organized religion. I’m not trying to drag folks out of their churches, but I am sure by now you realize that I see problems with most of them. Instead of rehashing a list of what’s wrong, let’s allow the folks decide from themselves why it ain’t working for them. What we do here is prepare to help them build a faith that starts with a whole different set of assumptions. For example, I’m all about that House Church thing. God takes it seriously, so we should, too. If you do anything like that, prepare to share how you do it.

Fourth, if you need to share something and don’t want to have your own blog, let’s talk about guest posts and maybe some other ideas. If we have enough active chatter through this nexus, maybe I need to construct a parish forum? And you should expect the parish staff to expand, too. Right now the only people with anything resembling a title is Sister Christine (“Mama Elder”) and yours truly (Pastor/Elder). We need a real pastor because my calling is actually elder, with a strong prophetic component. If someone has a strong pastoral talent and a site or blog, I’ll link to that appropriately from here.

Fifth, I will maintain the same broad openness to other teachings, but don’t expect me to soften the boundaries I’ve already established. The boundaries for working through this blog are summarized in the Radix Fidem tab above. My services as elder are still open to anyone who isn’t an enemy, just be aware I can only do what God calls me to do.

Finally, if you like to keep an eye on what’s coming down the road, there are some obvious things to look for. Somewhere someone with a higher profile than this blog will start talking about what we teach here. In particular, watch for someone writing about heart-led living and Christian faith. If their chatter in any way resembles what you see here or on Falling into Grace, then we have an answer to that prayer. It’s a good thing by itself, never mind whether anyone acknowledges this blog. If you see something with a more specific linkage to what we do here, that should signal things will start popping.

Now, I’d pay for the premium service to get rid of the advertising at the bottom of my posts, but that’s $100/year (US). I can’t afford that right now; I’m paying that much for the other site (gone as of early 2020). I’ve already given you instructions on how to block ads if that bothers you. However, if we should start drawing a lot more folks, I’m guessing the support will come with that.

I’m all in on this. I’m invested in making this as much like a meat-space church as possible. The bridges are burned and I’m not planning on doing anything else. To some degree, we are blazing a new trail, so don’t be shy if you have some ideas for improvement. I already have plans to change my “About” page and some of the blogroll links. Let’s do church!