My wife's boss . . .

I had a good conversation with Michelle this morning over our Saturday coffee. We were talking about church stuff and life. In terms of a church planting direction goes, I think we're both settled that this is very likely what our future holds. When and how that will start is not as clear. As we were talking, I continued to touch on some of my difficulties in knowing which "stream" of church experience is best for me at this point. I operate from the starting point that church must represent who we are as a body of Christ followers, and not as a set of behavioral norms, i.e. whether we meet weekly in a home together or we meet in this large building in the middle of town together. I honestly like many aspects of both house church life and larger corporate church life.

The question that always comes up for me, though, is how do I go about inviting someone like Michelle's boss into a transforming conversation . . . and do so without coming across as selling him something. He's a really cool guy - very intelligent, savvy, hip, funny, and genuine. The obvious answer is to just live a "real" life alongside him, yada, yada, yada. But whether I start a house church (or a network of house churches) or a larger corporate worship-based community church, at some point, I'll want to somewhat overtly invite him to join the journey. How will that happen? I think that's where the question of format comes in. What are people likely to be most responsive to? Some people like spending time with friends in a bar with a band playing every Friday night. Some people like to just hang out at home playing cards or watching videos together. My questions continue, but it may ultimately evolve into "becoming all things to all people in order that some might be saved."