blueprints for church - by Tyler Priest

•be messy.

•don’t have members.

•don’t have church building with steeple.

•don’t have sign out front—nothing except small and unpresumptuous “Worship” stickered to side of door.

•don’t have anyone on stage to lead worship.

•don’t have bells (or whistles, for that matter).

•support missionary from Africa that is bringing the good news to USA.

•let guys in that show up drunk.

•care more about people than programs.

•give up children’s classrooms for recovering alcoholics to live in, or share the space.

•if sharing the space, allow partition to be a pair of jeans strung across rope.

•have a tomato, squash, and banana pepper garden on side patio.

•light up candles, brew coffee, see what happens.

•let IBM guy tickle ivories each week.

•don’t meet twice on the same day.

•be church every day.

•take in rejects that other churches don’t want around.

•allow “it’s all good” guy to pretend he’s Catholic.

•pay rent on building.

•create space to cry, laugh, breathe, stretch, grow.

•have CEO’s hanging out with rehabbers.

•sustain an emergent cohort.

•welcome 12 step groups of all kinds into building.

•don’t make Jesus a commodity for sale.

•purchase and dole out cigarettes to those who can’t control how much they smoke at one time.

•see questioners as maturing spiritually.

•let anyone talk about anything at any given time.

•change up worship format every week.

•listen to guy who talks about cat named Osama Bin Laden.

•never shut or lock pastor’s office door.

•don’t do “altar calls” and neglect guilt-inducing invitation songs.

•sing occasional U2 song.

•allow women to have voice beyond just singing.

•allow folks to belong before they believe.

•talk about stuff like a healthy family.

•pour out love of Christ into Honduras.

•be free to move about the kingdom.

•move away from black and white distinctions and toward mystery of God.

•ask more questions than answers.

•don’t make it about “us.”

•whatever happens, always say, “it is what it is” or “it’s all good” or even “everything’s holy now.”

•see what happens after lattermost phrase is said.

•let random red-headed guy play djembe drum if he wants to.

•be real and honest in all things, at all times.

•communicate primarily through email and blog.

•begin worship time whenever somebody starts singing.

•eat big meal together once a week as a part of worship.

•don’t have church van.

•hang around for long time after benediction.

•serve wine.

•discourage having vision statement or strategic growth plan.

•don’t have designated elders.

•sometimes be liturgical.

•make room for artists, thinkers, and kids from up the hill.

•reflect Trinitarian community.

•create and nurture such a community so that it hurts to leave after just one summer.