Where Church Starts

Durango is a small, clean, hip kind of town with a coffee shop seemingly every 10 feet. I lost count of how many cups of coffee I drank. But, I know I had 3 at the "Steaming Bean" - twice in one day!

There's a spirit of Western rugged individualism around the town. Whether its the ranchers coming in for a hearty breakfast (not necessarily good for your heart btw), or the young adults who end up working 2 or 3 jobs just to afford living with a bunch of friends in a communal setting, life is about the individual experience. People spend their money on outdoor recreation more than their cars, houses or yards like we do here. They are looking for an experience of life.

Some of the young are trying to escape hurts and pain from their past. Others are looking to discover an identity. Some just love the outdoors and Durango is a good fit.

They are seekers. Some would call them wanderers. They might stay in town for a while, or leave after only a few months. Whoever they are, they tend to be open to spiritual things, though more interested in new age or eastern spirituality than Christianity.

So, God uses Joe and his passions to share the love of God with them. Joe loves the outdoors and enjoys reaching out to people who don't know or are even resistant to Christ. Never forget that God wants to use us in our passions so that we find joy in what we are doing as well as become useful to the kingdom.

Joe's love of the outdoors makes him a natural fit for Durango as a missionary. His love of coffee allows him to nurture a caffeine addiction while also connecting with the local hangouts.

He reminded me of just how organic this church thing is supposed to be. It starts with the community you're trying to reach, not your church or church model. Joe came in and just started to get to know the people, learning about who they are and what they needed.

Over time, he earned trust and respect and God opened doors for the gospel. A few came to Christ and started gathering under the name Matthew's House. Now they number around 100 and are looking to add a second service on Sunday evenings.

Joe maintains some office hours at the Matthew's House rented facility. But, mostly he's out in the community. People knew him wherever we went. His stories were about people, not ministries, programs or upcoming events.

I sense that we Christians sometimes just need to take a deep breath, relax and just be who we already are. At least I do. I get caught up in church stuff, it's my job after all. I think about what I have to do on Sunday and the rest of the week - who am I meeting, what am I working on, what event is coming up. Church then feels like something manageable, like something I can create. In the long run I forget what it means to be a relevant influence in the community.

We need to hang out, speak to people, even drink coffee if that's our thing. We need to work and recreate with purpose. We need to be open to the people around us and to what God can show us in our community. That's where church starts - with the people God wants to use us to reach. And, he wants to use the passions we already have for us to connect with and reach them.