Adam L. Feldman's Blog, page 10

Groups on Mission: Creating a Healthy Tension

I will never forget the day that I visited a Community Group and a guy introduced himself to me saying: “Hi! Welcome to our Community Group. We’re glad you’re here!”

I had never seen him before, and, to my knowledge, he had never stepped foot into one of our Worship Gatherings. This was the first time that it hit me: our Community Groups were in factserving as another entry point to our church! This was our desire from the beginning, but to get there, we had to navigate the tension all small...

Groups on Mission: The Sandbox

Metanoia Church’s pastors grew up in the video gaming generation, so we periodically (and unashamedly) make references to vintage and contemporary video games. Yes, we like to get our geek on, and we’re proud of it. (Not to mention that its crazy fun to get all of us together in one room playing Mario Kart!)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that we borrowed a concept from the video game industry to help us structure our Community Groups. That concept is “sandbox.”

Open World Video Games...

Groups on Mission: Don’t Be Afraid to Restart

When we started Metanoia Church in 2005, we envisioned a somewhat decentralized network of small groups carrying out the mission of Metanoia in a wide variety of local mission contexts. The goals were to have every member of our Church active in missional activity, to create an additional entry point to Metanoia through Community Groups (so that we weren’t dependent upon the Worship Gathering as the sole entry point), and to create a system that would serve as the primary point of care for th...

Completing the Gratitude Loop

At some point in time, someone probably taught you about the “Gratitude Loop.” Now, they may not have called it that—in fact, I’m not sure anyone else besides me calls it that—but that’s what it is. Its a loop of gratitude.

It goes like this:

Them: “Thank you!” You: “You’re welcome.”

That’s it—that’s the Gratitude Loop. Its a loop because “Thank you” is incomplete without “You’re welcome.”

It bugs me when I say “thank you” and someone replies with “Mhmm” (and nods) or says “yep” or “sure” o...

Lenten Wednesday: Clouds

I am writing this on a beautiful spring day in Maryland. The temperature is in the low 60s and the sun is out. To put this in context, we had snow flurries and cloudy skies just four days ago.

The sky right now is one of those gentle soft blue colors with a few wafer thin clouds on the horizon. It looks refreshing and crisp. The spring breeze that it is whipping up is cool, but not cold; directing, but not demanding. The sky is so open and so is my heart.

The Ascension

I wonder sometimes what...

Lenten Wednesday: Stone

You know that feeling you get when you are startled by an unexpected event? Like when you move a box and a wolf spider jumps out from underneath… Or, when a squirrel dashes out of the woods right in front of your car… Or, when you show up in class and you remember too late that you have a test that day.

Its an electric shock that starts in your heart, shoots down both arms, heats up your neck, and bulges your eyes wide open. That, I imagine, is what it must have felt like for everyone who gaz...

Lenten Wednesday: Wood

Have you ever done anything foolish? Of course you have! We all have.

When it comes to wisdom and foolishness, there are two popular schools of thought: learn from your mistakes or learn from the mistakes of others. If I had my druthers, I would learn from the mistakes of others exclusively. Unfortunately, I prove myself to be rather foolish all too often despite my best efforts otherwise! (I could insert many stories here… like when I fell walking up the stairs of my high school, when I pour...

Metaphors of the Church: Body of Christ

As I write this article, I am on retreat with our church (Metanoia Church). Our church membership (called our “Partnership”) goes away once every year in the spring to an annual retreat. We bring in a guest speaker, have a team of childcare workers come in to run a retreat for our children, enjoy a massive bonfire and s’mores, and have lots of downtime to fellowship.

Its a wonderful time to be with other folks—catching up on life, sharing struggles (and joys) with one another, laughing (lots...

Lenten Wednesday: Demons

Call me “old fashioned,” but when I read about demons in the Gospels, I don’t think they are referred to metaphorically. Demons are real, personal, thinking spiritual beings. Demons are not “drink,” or “pornography,” or “anger issues,” or “co-dependency” or whatever else we ascribe to those sinful habits or attitudes that ravage the mind, body, and spirit.

Demons are real spiritual beings and they are diabolically determined to destroy the sons and daughters of God.

And, yet, there’s a sense th...

Metaphors of the Church: Field of Crops

In this series on metaphors of the church, we’ve discovered quite a diverse and expansive perspective of the church. Its kind of like our spectrum of vision, our color pallet, and our vocabulary for the church are expanding.

The metaphor that I explore today, a field of crops, comes from 1 Corinthians 3. I am especially interested in this metaphor as I lends itself well to a discussion of church leadership and ministry in general. And, it can also be applied to the specific ministry of church...