This entry is going to be less about what God has been showing me and more about where God has plopped me down for this season. It's a pretty cool place this Austin!
I decided to move after I graduated 3 years of 24/7 not based on location but based on following leadership I wanted to serve under. I have not regretted that for one moment in the short time I've been down here but I'm starting to see God's greater strategy to get me to this place for a reason.
I don't know what you've heard about Austin but it's probably true, unless you heard that there is no humidity! There is plenty of that to go around! This is a place is unlike any I've been before. I grew up in the Mid-west, I spent some time out west and lived in the South for a season, yet none of those places have impacted me the way Austin has in a week and a half.
Diversity...that is the only word that comes close to capturing what is here both in people and in activities. My lists below are just what I’ve seen and are far from comprehensive.
PEOPLE GROUPS: hippies, techies, outdoors men, rednecks, athletes, students, musicians, high end rich and dirt poor, and tattooed people who fit in each of those groups (never seen so many in my life!). They all walk down the street together and co-exist happily side-by-side.
ACTIVITIES: Rock climbing, Japanese bubble tea houses, dog parks, countless bars with live music on any day of the week, Whole Foods (that covers an entire block!), bike trails, art galleries, Frisbee disc courses, coffee houses on every corner, Nature and Science Center, concerts, etc. I could already customize a trip for any of my friends who would/will come visit me and it will be different for each person.
If you want to take a picture that captures Austin, it would have to be a collage. If you want to find somewhere that accepts you for you, come to Austin. If you want to find a place that desperately craves authentic, this is your place. If you want to find a church that captures the diversity of the city, good luck.
In a place that is built on relationship and acceptance (these are some of the friendliest people you’ll meet), I have yet to hear of a church that reflects that. I haven’t had time to check any out for myself but I’ve heard reports from a some Christians who have been down here for a couple of years. They are looking for a place to belong and be a part of a community and they have yet to find it. And like I said, they are looking. Imagine what little impact the church is having on those who are lost, who aren’t even looking for a church. Guarantee they will find community somewhere and since the church isn’t offering it, they aren’t going to find living water that will always satisfy.
And onto the scene steps ONEchapel . . . that’s the church plant I’m working with and the reason I’m excited about being here! They’re out to change the way church is done. They want to build the church from its very foundation based on relationships and community, even at the cost of growing a little more slowly. Want to know my hunch? It won’t grow slow because it’s exactly what people are desperate for.
