Externally Focused Potluck

On Sunday September 9th there will be a potluck lunch at 12:30 for anyone interested in discussing the ideas put forth in this book. If you have not read the book, but are familiar with the idea of becoming externally focused, or if you are passionate about community outreach and service, please come!

The purpose of the lunch is to give you a chance to be a part of the vision and implementation of the externally focused vision at Deer Creek. It will be a working lunch. We will divide into groups to discuss questions that can move us from the theory stage to the practice stage of this process.

If you feel that you can participate or want to participate with your children, please bring them. If you feel they may be a distraction to the process/conversation, please arrange for babysitting as we will not be able to provide childcare. Jr. and Senior High School students with an interest in being involved in reaching our community are welcome with or without their parents.

 We don’t anticipate going longer than 2:30 or 3:00, but if you need to leave before that, please feel free to.

 Please bring a dish to share. Drinks, plates, napkins, utensils, etc. will be provided. RSVPs appreciated but not required: dccexternallyfocused@yahoo.com

Chapters 8 & 9

In Chapter 8 we begin to turn our focus on ourselves. What is Deer Creek’s vision for becoming externally focused? Who is formulating that vision? And, how do we execute the vision? On page 152, Rusaw and Swanson sum up the big picture this way:

“Embracing the vision of being an externally focused church is more than creating a ministry or task force to decide how or what should be done. Being an externally focused church means helping the Christians in your church see in a new way. It is about encouraging them to see their world, workplace, and neighborhood as places in which to demonstrate God’s love. It is about helping to open their eyes to the opportunities around them.”

“An external focus in not a tactic or strategy. It is a transformation.”

Tactics and strategies are easy to implement. Transformation takes more time, energy, and can not be done without the help of the Holy Spirit, and people who are willing to be agents of change. Are you willing to take part? Are you willing to lead? 

Chapter 9 lays out practical ways to assess the needs of our community (see the “Something to Talk About” section at the end of the chapter for a summary). Which of these do you think would work best in our church? Do any of the ideas speak to you personally? Are you willing to take part? Are you willing to lead? 

 

 

Chapters 6 & 7

“Good deeds pave the road over which the Good News travels,” is the theme of Chapter 6.  The authors point out on page 116 that Christianity today is often reduced to a set of tenents or a philosophy that “we believe and can defend but don’t necessarily practice.” Convicting words.  The chart on page 125 profiles four quandrants that most churches fall into in terms of evangelism and service. Where do you think DCC falls? Where would you plug your own goals, beliefs, foci, and actions?

Chapter 7 boils it all down for us. “If [DCC] picked up and left, how would the city feel? Would anybody even notice? Would anybody care?”

Question: What can we do to get started? What can YOU do?

Chapters 4 & 5

In Chapters 4 and 5 we start to get into the meat of what it means to be an Externally Focused Church. Chapter 5 speaks to the church’s responsibility to help people grow spiritually and that helping people serve is an important part of that process. Do you agree? Is it the church’s responsibility to provide opportunities to serve? What did you think of the example of the church in Atlanta that disbanded all its small groups until they instituted a service component?  

Chapter 5 focuses on the relationships built between the church and the community. When forming partnerships with agencies, the book recommends looking for those that are, “morally positive and spiritually neutral.” Do you think this is a good approach? What agencies in our community fit that description? Are you personally involved in any community concerns?

Feel free to comment on these questions, or any other issues that were meaningful to you as you read through these chapters.

Chapter 2 & 3

Chapter 2 focuses on LifeBridge Christian’s journey to becoming externally focused. Do you think any of their methods could work for Deer Creek? Chapter 3 explains how service is the one area that satisfies the needs and dreams of the city, the calling and capacity of the local church, and the mandates and desires of God. Most of us agree that serving others is something that we should do, but why are we hesitant to serve? What are some of the obstacles to a lasting and passionate commitment to serve others? Feel free to answer these questions, or post any comments about Chapters 2 & 3 here.

Introduction and Chapter 1

After reading the Introduction and Chapter 1, what are your intial thoughts? Do you think Deer Creek is internally focused or externally focused? Do you think DCC could change our community? How? Feel free to answer these questions, or post any comments about the Introduction and Chapter 1 here.

Hello fellow readers!

Welcome to Deer Creek Church’s discussion of the book, The Externally Focused Church.