10/18/2016
Below are my notes about the NBC Churches of Christ gathering in Lubbock, Texas, 13-15 Oct 2016
Synago Notes
6-8 Oct 2016
Quaker Ave Church of Christ
Lubbock, Texas
Synago (meaning "gathering") of the Non-Bible Class (NBC) churches of Christ was an uplifting, spirit-filled event comprised of fellowship meals, small group discussion, preaching, and celebration of NBC heritage.
The first session was a small group session where the purpose and desired future of Synago and the NBC fellowship was discussed. Each small group then had a representative summarize the small group discussion for the reconvened large group. The focus of the discussion was about how the heritage of NBC churches has changed and asking what the future will be, if anything.
Tim Woodruff, author of "The Church that Flies," was the main speaker of all large group sessions. The first session was entitled, "The Church's Purpose is to be Jesus in the World." We need to ask good questions about the church. Is she an effective church; bringing change to the world? Scripture is our guide. Eph 4:12-ff calls her to use God-given gifts to: 1) equip people for service, 2) be mature, with the fullness of Christ, and 3) be unified in faith, built up in love. Our faithfulness is not based on the number of times we are at church each week or the degree with which we have the elements of worship correct as compared to others. Rather, our faithfulness is: 1) the degree to which we incarnate the Christ vs. legalistic rules dependent on logic alone, 2) how broken and contrite we are; tax collector or Pharisee, 3) being a light to the world, 4) loving God and our neighbor. Our purpose is NOT to be the first century church. Our purpose IS to be the church that Jesus built. Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
The second session was entitled, "Called by Christ; the church has been given a mission to the world. The question was asked, “Are you going to obey the call or aren’t you?” Noah, Moses, and Peter were all given instructions. Jesus formed His team, and He had a purpose for them. Call people to the Gospel, send people out to proclaim the Gospel, organize people, authorize them, and instruct them. He told them to preach repentance, anoint those given authority, drive out demons, and heal the sick. So, is our focus on “doing church” or is our focus on doing what Jesus called us to do?
After the first two morning sessions, I went to one of four break-out sessions. The first one I chose was headed by Shawn Tyler, and it was about Mission Link. Their question was, “How can Mission Link serve the church?” Their focus is to strengthen the mission mind-set at LCU. LCU now offers a major and a minor in missions. They desire to build a network of missions in existence and to create a database with this information. They have practicum studies, an International Students Association, and they desire to bridge the gap between the university and the church. They have a number of resources that we, as the church, can tap in order not to “reinvent the wheel” when it comes to missions.
The next combined session was entitled “Charged by Christ: The essential functions of the church. This session was very thought-provoking. The discussion started with the form and function of an apple. We know what an apple looks like when we see it, but the purpose of an apple is not to look like an apple. The purpose is to be food and to reproduce with the seed inside. So the question we should ask about form is not what, but why. Why does an apple have skin? Why does it have a stem? Why does it have meat? Why does it have seeds inside? Why does the church have the form she has? More importantly, what is the function of the church? Matthew 23 is about who we are on the inside. Tim Woodruff listed seven essential functions of God’s people: 1) Worship (with awe, conviction, praise, and laughter, etc.), 2) Holiness, 3) Community, 4) Discipling, 5) Serve (How many are in your home or you in theirs?), 6) Witness (Evangelize), 7) Influence. I was impressed that at Baker Blvd our mantra covers many of these functions of the church. I was concerned about how well the majority of our members and leaders put our mantra into practice on a regular basis. Doing so is our goal. I believe this session, alone, was worth the trip.
The next break-out session I went to was presented by Chad Wheeler. Chad operates a community center, sponsored by the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock. This large church is located in the center of Lubbock between downtown and the Texas Tech campus. The area around that church if fondly called the Tech Ghetto. There are a number of homeless and substance-addicted people in this area. When members of the church asked them why they wouldn’t come to church, they stated that they didn’t fit in. The center they created provides and place, during the day, to get warm or cool. One can get a shower and something to eat there. More importantly, one can find unconditional love and the Gospel there. As a result, the center has become a church in its own right. It struck me how important it is to show unconditional love and help to people before one can ever teach them the Gospel.
The next combined session by Tim Woodruff addressed navigating change in the church. Perhaps the NBC churches have experiences the most flexibility to change. He asked what the story of Nadab and Abihu was really about since that example has often been used to demonstrate that we cannot use unauthorized fire. Tim, and others there, contended that it is about not being drunk (in context). He went on to discuss the dispensational view of scripture and then to point out how change occurred, even within those dispensations. The question I was left with was, “Is change in the way we do church in the Christian dispensation being unfaithful?” I found this to be the most challenging of the presentations, but I realized that some of the arguments I had heard in the past about why we do things the way we do them didn’t really meet muster. However, I think I still need to evaluate the matter further before changing how I think on this matter altogether.
The final group session was after the evening meal. It was called, Christ is Coming: The Church answers to Christ. I was so engaged in this session that I didn’t take many notes, but the essence of the message compared the leadership in the church to the Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. The point being that the leadership back then was too busy operating the business of the church instead of using the church for God’s will. The bottom line is that we will all give an account to Christ for what we have done or not done in the church.
The Saturday sessions began with a presentation of the NBC Archives Ministry, and several others (including yours truly) got up to speak about their mission activities. This was followed by an honoring of Ellmore and Marie Johnson, and we had a worship song service led by Darrell Bledsoe.
Based on the blessings I found at Synago, I would recommend it for members of our congregation who desire to attend the session next year.
Because Jesus lives,
Jack B. Westbrook
Elder/Adjunct Minister/Worship Minister
Baker Blvd Church of Christ
