OK, since you asked…a little about me.
First off, I prefer to found my identity through my relationship to others not centered on my self.
So here are a few of the roles I gladly embrace -
Father – I have 5 amazing children: Kelsey, Jackson, Syndey, Elisa and Kaira. (You can find most of my thoughts about family at familyteams.wordpress.com)
Husband – I’ve made a life-long covenant with April so we get to partner with each and complete each other in all of our identities.
Disciple – I am a radical Christ-follower striving to allow Christ, through His Spirit, to live through me.
Disciple-maker – I devote a great deal of time and energy to the development of city-wide discipleship training centers (the city church).
Church Architect – I seek to assist groups of disciples through the process of forming an interconnected, interdependent body as described in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
Entrepreneur – I enjoy finding creative solutions for business using the latest technological advances and developing sustainable business models that produce increasing streams of income.
Business Owner – Once a venture succeeds I cultivate these businesses trying to create increasing levels of efficiency in order to bless my Lord, my family and my community. Here are some I’m currently working on – Another World Enterprises, Marketplace Earth, Adapt Commerce, Ecommerce Apprentice.
Fort Thomas, KY resident – I live in Fort Thomas a small semi-urban town just 2 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. I pray for and encourage the expansion of God’s Kingdom in Fort Thomas, Campbell County Kentucky and the greater Cincinnati area.
I stumbled upon your blog and a really resonate with it.
I am really intrigued by your story-formed life focus. I would love some more information about it!
I have been investing in an idea similar to this for sometime, and developed narratives to help connect post-literates back to the scriptures. See http://www.echothestory.com. We have been using the process called Bible Storying in discipleship with youth and house churches for about 4 years and have seen amnazing transformation for those who are open to God forming them by his story. I would love to connect and learn from you!
Michael Novelli
Was just curious for the rss feed for this blog is. I found the other feeds you have on your sidebar for other blogs, but didn’t see this one.
Thanks,
- John
Your comment really struck me: ” I’ve been asking some hard questions about the predominate philosophy of family virtually all Americans hold. It has been largely unsuccessful at keeping families together and keeping men in particular, interested and engaged in building strong families.”
It seems that part of the problem is that often American society does not value and support the consistent involvement of men in their children’s lives. This is particularly illustrated in cases of marital strife where courts often rule in favor of mothers with the bias that the mother’s emotional connection with children is more important than the father’s. Often men are left with the social message that their underlying value is to provide economically for children without recognizing how essential a father is to a child’s emotional and spiritual development.
What are your thoughts on this?
Above you talked about making disciples. I was curious what that looks like. How do you disciple men?
Thanks,
Aaron
Hi Jeremy. I was googling the new name of our ministry and found you high in the rankings. Love what you have going here, especially your vision and objectives at Storyhill. We too believe that this is what the Spirit is saying to the Church in our time. Glad to know others are hearing the same feed. I’m encouraged by your heart, example and vision. Hope we can meet someday on this side of glory. May God strengthen your hands in His work, and multiply through you. Much love in Christ! -Mark
HI Jeremy,
Greetings from Grand Rapids, MI.
We have begun a rather ambitious ministry here (www.urbanpathos.org) – as we feel led of the Spirit, and I have been blessed by the insight of your website/articles. I must admit finding it difficult to find committed/loyal men of God in G.R. who are willing to sacrifice what it will take to see the Kingdom expand.
Also, your “Storyhill” offer sounds heavenly and I certainly could use a season of total focus on Christ and training for the journay ahead, but, present obligations and time constraints do hinder. However, I wanted to encourage you and bless you for what I perceive as a rare example of Kingdom living and presence… may you and your’s be richly blessed and … please continue the great work!
Your brother in Christ,
Doug Harms
Hey Jeremy,
I have been thinking some very similar things over the last 4ish years and am glad to have found someone of like mind! My family and I are missionaries in Hong Kong and are currently find ourselves working with about 300 refugees many of whom are coming to Christ at an alarming/exciting rate just 25 last Wednesday! Well my background in discipleship was through Youth With a Mission. It was a fantastic experience and I can say that I grew tremendously. However it is impossible to expect this exact format to work here in Hong Kong. Most people will never join such a program and the rest (refugees) can’t afford such a room and board program. So I have been really praying and asking God to give me a model to work by. I have looked over many would be discipleship programs but none really went beyond information. I have also developed a model (similar to yours in many ways). It would be great if we could somehow benefit from each others work. I am a little behind you in mine in my ability to clearly communicate the heart of it to others. That is my current project.
Pray for me (really!) Thanks for your insights and service to our Lord! God Bless.
Until all have heard
Craig
Jeremy, I live in Kirkland, WA and would be very interested in seeing firsthand what you are doing. Is there a way to contact you or stop by one of your meetings?
Hello Jeremy,
I’ll get right to the point; I want this movement in New Orleans. I’m in a church that’s sympathetic to the cause, but I fear that I’m too extreme for its own good. Can I get in touch with you? I have too much to say & ask for this blog. You can reach me at bob@journeyneworleans.com or at fanatic78@aol.com.
Peace,
Bob
Hi, basic premise must be sound: the bible refers to church in the context of a wider area (eg churches – plural- in Asia), a city (church in Corinth) or a house (church that meets in X’s house. This needs to be proclaimed far and wide, and would radically cut across much current understanding.
The other point is that a church is governed by at least two male elders, which again cuts across much thinking.
And a practical conclusion: however we try and work this out for a city of say 200,000, the Christians of that city are all part of the same church, whetehr they like it or not!
Taking this to a lower level, everyone in a particular area of that city are in the same church, and should not consider themselves in different churches.
Becasue there is one church, it is pure carnality to associate oneself with a particular denomination or person – so I belong to God’s church in Coventry, UK.
Terry
I’m very interested in your content/comments – so far so good. However, I would like to know more about “who” I’m “receiving from” and don’t see how I get there from here.
I’m a “pastor of a “house church plant” (Grace Works) and we’ve received a merge from another church that dissolved. I’m not “emergent” but am sympathetic with the “need to change our contemporary mindsets”…please tell me more about yourself and journey to here.
GI
Hi Jeremy,
I stumbled on your site through a comment you posted on Steve Fuller’s blog, The church experiment. I am interested in getting to know more about your church community and how it works. Any info would be great. Thanks- Abbie