A Look Back, A Look Forward

2009 was quite the year in the history of Immersion.

• We moved four times – Out of the Worship Center, into the Bridge, into the Chapel, back into the Worship Center.
• We changed the worship time back to our original start time, 8:30 pm.
• We learned about marriage, silence, miracles, lectio divina and the death of the prophet Elisha.
• We went to Rob Bell in downtown Des Moines.
• Most recently, we got this website up-and-running (finally!)

That was 2009. It was full of challenges and joys. Ups and downs. It was a hard year in a lot of ways – pruning and subsequent growth (though not always numerically) always is.

What does 2010 hold for the people of Immersion? In prayer and in my everyday, walking around life, this is what I think 2010 will look like for us.

• Less emphasis on the “whiz-bang” factor at Immersion’s worship service and more focus on connecting with one another. I believe one of the deepest desires we have as human beings is to connect with other people in meaningful ways. We want Immersion to be the fertile soil in which intimate relationships in Christ are formed.
• A more concentrated focus on our mission field. Immersion is a Spirit-led community of 20-somethings. We believe that this is the group that God has called us to reach out to. So that’s what we’ll do. The focus of Immersion has been vague over the past year, consequently we have wavered in our efforts. We’re asking God for a laser-like focus for the 20-something age group with no turning back. And by “20-somethings” we mean that’s the portion of the bell curve we’ll be aiming at. It’s time to focus on the flock God has called us to.
• More dialogue, less monologue. This is something that’s been weighing on me for some time. When I look at preaching in the modern church, I see a lot of “one-way” preaching: I, as the preacher, talk at you for a length of time and when I’m done, we all go home. While there is a time and a Biblical precedent for this, I’d like the preaching at Immersion to be more of a “two-way” street. I have some ideas of how that will work, but largely it’s going to be an experiment.
• More Exodus 18 ministry. Exodus 18 has been a pivotal ministry passage that I continually go back to, simply for the practical advice it offers. Moses has a conversation with his father-in-law, Jethro. Jethro basically says, “This work that God has called you to–you can’t do it alone!” Ministry–the work of the Church in telling the world about the new reality of Christ–is the work of the whole body, not just clergy. In a lot of ways, church staff has robbed the everyday believer of their chance to be the church! No more. Immersion will be a place where you can get your hands dirty.

Those are some of my “off-the-top” thoughts. Sarah and I are excited about some of the things we have planned for the new year. We’re excited for those of you who decide to join us. God, for reasons that I don’t think have been fully explored yet, seriously cares about Immersion. Our job? To find out why and partner with him in those reasons.

Blessings to you and yours during this Holy-day season. Merry Christmas.