Greenhouse is a relational context for leaders from a city or region to gather together in a supportive environment and learn more about church and church planting from one another and the Scriptures. The Organic Church Planters’ Greenhouse includes two regional weekend retreats and regular monthly gatherings. Greenhouse sites are springing up around the U.S. and world. Registration for either event is $150 dollars [though discounts and early-bird specials are available]. Members of the MetroSoul network may apply for scholarship to attend.

Story 1: October 19-21 in Northern NJ:

Location:
American Legion & VFW Hall
28 Faner Road
Midland Park, NJ

Schedule:

• Friday: Registration: 6 - 6:30 p.m., Worship: 6:30 - 6:45 p..m., Greenhouse: 6:30 - 10 p.m.
• Saturday: Greenhouse continues: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ** Break for catered box Lunch
• Sunday: Worship (optional): 9:30 - 11 a.m. ** Break for Lunch at local restaurants. Greenhouse continues: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

  ** Refreshments will be available periodically throughout Greenhouse. A freewill offering, with the suggested gift of $20 per person, will be taken during the Greenhouse to help defray the cost of food and facilities.

Local Coordinator:

• Sherry Davis,(973) 904-1119 Email: el.bethel@yahoo.com

Neil Cole and others will present the basic concept or organic church and mission in this weekend intensive through story, multi-media, and discussion sessions. Contact: Eddie Dunn [newjerseyhomechurchnetwork [at] gmail.com]

Story 2: November 2-3 at the David Dean House in Brooklyn

This is the second part of Greenhouse that build on Story 1’s foundation and talks about leadership development and creating a movement of churches that plant church that plant churches. Hosted at David Dean House mission hostel, so 20 beds available at very low rate [David Dean House 718-768-0078 | Corner of 5th Ave and 21st St. in Brooklyn, few blocks from Prospect Ave. stop on R subway line]. Contact: Jared Looney jared [at] bronxfellowship.org or Paul Gomez paul [at] christcommunities.net

 In our last quarterly gathering for the organic church alliance we shared a general agreement to combine our efforts and have Greenhouse I & II  training workshops in Manhattan. 

Over the past month there has been an ongoing conversation between Church Multiplication Associates (CMA) and a few of us NY/NJ folks.   Since last year’s Greenhouse I was in Bergen County, NJ and the two preceding Greenhouses in our area were held in Manhattan, Marcos, who has coordinated NJ Greenhouse, and I ended up having two different conversations with CMA around the same time.  Although, a Greenhouse II was already on the calendar for October in NJ.  Marcos and I have talked and agree that whatever the Lord and His body in this area would like to do is fine with us.   

Therefore, this is a check-up on Greenhouse I & II.  A)  Besides cultivating habits of Christian unity, the advantages of doing a Greenhouse together is that we can share the expenses and generate the kind of crowd needed (at least 20 persons) to get the deposit back from CMA.  B) Doing a GH 2 in NJ, it takes place at a Holiday Inn in Saddlebrook not far from the GWB with hotel staff doing set up & take down.  C) Doing it in Manhattan, would be on the Upper EAst Side at no cost — pending approval, of course.  We would need to pitch in for set up & clean up though.  D) Doing a combined GH I & II would allow us to provide weekend organic church training to two different crowds.   This is a summary.  Feel free to comment with questions. 

 Please leave a comment on your feelings about participating in Greenhouse I & II in Manhattan or simply taking part in Greenhouse II in NJ.  (A NJ event could include a GH I as well but I don’t think that’s been decided upon as of yet.)   It seems that Marcos & I have been on point for these conversations; however, we would welcome others joining in.  Also, I’m really most interested in a consolidated effort with everyone invested & involved.   So… leave your questions & comments, so that NY/NJ workers & CMA coordinators can reach a decision on how to procede. 

-Jared 

www.bronxfellowship.org

     

Read my literature review (pdf) on the development of organic church networks in the context of global cities.  This paper is written as part of my doctoral studies with Fuller School of Intercultural Studies.   

OCA met at the Metro Baptist Associationon Feb 3 for brunch, hanging out, and discussion.  The discussion was facilitated by Eddie Dunn of New Jersey Home Church Networkand food was provided by Paul and Kyle Eid of The Way of Jesus in Brooklyn (who made a valiant journey from there with all the food and two kids — props to you guys!).  We had a little over thirty people.  There were several people there for the first time including Sal Vasquez, Jeremy, and Alissa — all from a Staten Island proximity space called theVibe, several new people from the Bridge (Tad, Valerie, Jonathan, John, Jason), Alexandra from New Jersey Home Church Network, Scott who works with Steve Galegor in Staten Island, Erin from Bronx Fellowship, Rod and Mattie Brennen from a house church in Bradley Beach NJ, and Patrich and Joanne Panettieri working in Chinatown.

After a couple of songs and prayer, Eddie led us through some scriptures God had brought to mind that morning.  We talked about the need to step aside and let God work.  Often, we are tempted to organize and strategize to the detriment of what God wants to do by his power and Spirit. 

We discussed the humilty needed in organic church — even the best minds and fore-runners admit they don’t know wehat they’re doing.   There is strength in this.  Eddie brought up The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom, a business book that talks about the power and effectiveness of de-centralized organizations.  This book was featured prominently at the Organic Church Conference in Long Beach, CA.  This led to a discussion of leadership in the church.  The concensus was that we need to understand the Scriptural mandate for leadership and the forms present in the first century church (though our interpretation and contextualization of this may vary).  But at the same time, this should make us consider what type of leadership we’re talking about.  No organization is truly leaderless, so the shift is really from CEO-type leader in control of mechanistic heirarchies to catalyst leaders who serve and work at the grassroots.

We ended on a reflection of the type of unity this group could have.  It was likened to the cells that make up the heart.  When separated, they beat on their own rhythym.  But when put together, for some unexplained reason, they all beat together.   In the same way, as God puts us together, we will learn to beat together.

The group finished with some business notes.  The creation of this website was announced along with rUrevolutionary.com, where groups can list their websites, ministries, groups, churches, etc. so they are in a national databased that is zipcode searchable.  There was some discussion of having a Greenhouse — organic church planters workshop – by CMAResources in Fall 07 (probably October).  Anyone interested in particpating should contant Jared Looney (jared [at] bronxfellowship.org).  David Weston of Christ Communities said the best way to develop the kind of cooperation and untiy we were talking about was to go on mission together.  He’s working with other leaders to form a Simple Church Action Network to do missions and is planning a trip to the Sudan, if anyone is interested.

The next meeting will be Saturday, May 19, at the Manhattan Church of Christ (48 E. 80th Street) at 10AM.  The facilitator will be Kevin King of the Bridge and New Jersey Home Church Network will provide the food.