(8 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ...Christ In Y’all: Following Jesus Into Community
by Neil Carter
So it’s not every day that someone you’ve lived with and among for years and years writes a book…not a good book, anyway. But my friend (and long-time Atlanta-area house church mate) Neil Carter does both in his new release Christ In Y’all.
So house churching has become more and more popular these days, taking its cue from persecution-laden locales like China and India, and springing up in American, British, and Australian soil in the wake of the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. Gathering in homes as ‘simple church’ has become all the more popular since George Barna’s Revolution told us that millions of people were doing it and Frank Viola’s Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church passionately argued why we should be doing it, too.
But have you ever wondered what simple church ecclesiology might sound like coming from an ordinary member, a non-specialist, non-church planter? One who’s articulate but not mind-numbingly difficult to read, someone who’s into what they’re doing but not overly polemical about it? If so, you have Christ in Y’all by Neil.
First, the title: Followers of Jesus were never meant to live alone. Hearing God speak and following God’s voice is a calling for a “we” rather than a “me.” When the Apostle Paul announces that “Christ in you [is] the hope of glory,” that “you” is plural. In other words – yep – Christ in y’all, the hope of glory. (May English teachers forgive us!)
In these pages, Neil attempts to explain how spiritual formation is a collective endeavor. After spending nearly a decade meeting in homes with friends and followers of Jesus, he describes what he sees as key elements to thriving intentional Christian community, as well as surviving the pitfalls of home-based fellowships.
Neil gave me this to sum up his book:
“Our gospel is too small. We seem to care only about getting people to heaven, while God intends to make his home here on earth. How does God do that? He comes to dwell within the community of believers. And while it is true that his Spirit indwells each of our hearts individually, God shows up most vividly when we come together with one another.
Christ In Y’all tackles these tough questions:
• What did God create us in the first place?
• Why do we suffer, and what does it accomplish?
• How can we hear God speak to us today?
• What single trait best marks a healthy church?
• Why are so many committed believers quitting church lately?
• Must we “do church” the way we’ve always done it?
• What makes simple, informal gatherings more attractive than large, formal ones?”
Carrie Bevell Partridge
I recently read Neil Carter’s book CHRIST IN Y’ALL, and I was both encouraged and challenged by it. Neil reminds us that the Christian life is to be lived in community, not in isolation. The illustrations and analogies that Neil uses are so good and are effective in communicating his message–that we ALL make up the Body of Christ. Each of us is an important part of that Body, and God speaks to and through every one of us.
Neil takes a hard look at our church traditions and invites us to question why we do some of the things we do. Are they effective? Are they meaningful? Or are they possibly a hindrance? This is not to say that all church traditions are fruitless, but they should all be examined. HOW we gather as a church is one of these to be examined. Neil suggests that meeting in homes creates a family atmosphere, which is more inviting and more conducive to the natural growth of relationships and community than the atmosphere created in a large church building. It is much harder for people to “slip through the cracks” among a group of twenty than among a group of 500!
I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in fostering a community of faith. Neil’s book is well-written in a conversational tone and is quite effective in portraying the methods and reasons for living this life of faith with others around us.
Apr 27th, 2009
noisyragamuffin
Neil Carter has give us a great gift with his book Christ in Y’all. I feel blessed and yet a bit disturbed by reading it.
Much of what Neil is talking about is what we’ve been going on about for 6+ years now. That the death and resurrection of Christ….the whole life of Christ does not only affect what happens to me after I die. The Good News not only brings me to a right relationship with my Lord is brings us to one another.
Neil points out that whether it is our understanding and presentation of the Gospel or the way we do ‘church’, many are left unchanged in their self-centered, fragmented and consumer driven lives.
He draws on scripture and challenges us to go back and read entire books of the Bible for ourselves. He also points out that the Spirit will lead us to demonstrate the character of God in the world, but that that can only happen in community. Something that is lacking in most expressions of ‘church’.
So many go through their Christian lives wondering why they do not hear God speak them. Neil shows us that the Lord has always intended to speak to us through each other. “We need only to raise our expectation for the Lord Jesus to speak through his whole Body.” The way we live as the Church, “the way we structure our whole lives speaks to the nature of this kingdom”.
What I am disturbed by is that on reading the book I realized that even though my family has experienced the power of Christ in our lives through our recent years in Dallas with LGBC, now that we are back in our rural hometown I have been tempted to go back to my pew as if nothing has happened.
Neil has reminded me that I can’t. I shouldn’t. I have walked out of the cave to see a deeper reality and know now that much of what we know of as ‘church’ are but shadows of the life he has called us to.
That having been said, we find ourselves in a position to go back into the cave and share stories of what He is up to.
Neil’s book is fantastic and a very easy and accessible read. Such a great resource from one who is living it. I hope to go through this book again with a discussion group some day.
He is part of a fellowship of believers (25 adults – 30 kids) in Georgia that meet in each other’s homes.
(pic is grabbed from Neil’s blog)
May 26th, 2009
mcadrette
As the pastor of an institutional church I was looking forward to reviewing Neil Carter’s book Christ in Y’All – Following Jesus into Community. I have been investigating the house church mindset and culture for about 3 months now, and have come to expect a certain number of authors to be mentioned in the literature. Neil does indeed include references to the House Church world’s common list of influencers to include Watchman Nee, Frank Viola, T. Austin-Sparks, and the obligatory references to Barna’s research, as well as some other names that were new to me. I appreciate this because it helps me in my investigation process and illustrates one of the reasons reading the book is worthwhile for those yet uninitiated to the HC world.
I have also come to expect the common issues that the HC has with the IC, and Neil does not disappoint in this area either. What I especially appreciated was the way he listed the IC’s problems. Instead of a simple list of what he believes are issues with the IC, they are spread throughout the book in a way that lets you think about them individually. This again makes the book a useful tool in introducing the HC to others. The emphasis on brick and mortar, the over functioning of pastors, the tremendous overhead that comes with supporting an IC staff and facility, the lack of involvement, absence of real fellowship, and the watered down approach to the Lord’s Supper are some of the issues he discusses.
The real strength of the book in my opinion is in the list of questions that he asks like the one on page 179-180. While Neil makes his disappointment with the IC clear throughout, this list is a great tool to use in thinking through the why’s of what we do in an institutional church without the demeaning rhetoric that sometimes accompanies this kind of discussion. I appreciate his clarity, but also his effort to be gracious in the process.
I did get a little lost as he began the discussion on suffering and how that connected with the rest of his discussion, but the connection became clearer as I continued to read. It’s like chapters 5-8 are a theological insert and he then refocuses on the house church with his discussion about love in chapter 9. Maybe I missed the transition.
Despite that brief moment of puzzlement, I came away with several memorable quotes that will assist me in absorbing the HC mindset, found the section on getting started very practical advice, and finished the book with some new additions to my summer reading list.
Thank you Neil. As a fellow RTS grad, I enjoyed reading your book.
May 27th, 2009
digitalnomad777
The time has come for me to share about a book that I have been reading. It has been an amazing read, and very challenging and informative as well.
The book is titled “Christ in Y’all” and is written by Neil Carter. Neil is a schoolteacher in the Atlanta area, and is a member of a community church that was originally planted by Gene Edwards.
I must tell you that right from the very beginning I was captivated. In the very first chapter, Neil gives the reader a very thorough, yet easy to understand, run down on the basics of the Kingdom gospel – the Good News, if you will. The Good News that is the message that Jesus came to earth to deliver. Freedom for the captives, and a whole new mindset, which requires us to leave everything behind that we know, and enter into a new reality where Jesus is the King and Lord.
Neil reminds us that we were made for community. And he also paints us a picture to show the difference in the church as we know it now, with all of the programs, and organization verses the way church was supposed to be – free, organic, and transparent. Neil speaks of the freedom that we can experience when we let our guard down and dare to do church differently, where the Holy Spirit is the head, and the body is released to function as the body.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. -Colossians 3:16 (italics mine)
If Paul mentions that we are to teach and admonish one another, obviously he had more in mind than us just coming together and allowing one man to mediate our lessons for the day. When we “do church” as a community, we allow the Holy Spirit to work through each and every person to reveal what is on the heart of the Father, and this is exactly what Neil is suggesting that we do.
There is so much good information in this book. If you attend a community church, it would be a good read as there are lots of ideas that will spark new directions and activities for you to do together. If you have never even thought about the idea of community, or the concept is new to you, then I would suggest giving the book a whirl, and asking God to reveal his heart to you.
What an amazing book! It has been a very enjoyable read!
Here are some links for you to check out as well:
http://www.christinyall.com
And there is a CD that I aquired from one of the members of Neil’s fellowship named DeDe. She is a singer/songwrited and her CD is an EP titled “From the Fields of Boaz” It is an incredible CD, and you can also listen to her music here:
http://www.myspace.com/dedemusic
and here: http://www.amcrex.com/music.php
I am so glad that I get a chance to review this CD! It is realy unique and DeDe has a really amazing voice! I was blown away by the passion that she has for the Lord, and it is a very uplifting and honest CD. My personal favorite song is “Wonderful” but the entire EP is truly a masterpiece. Very heartfelt and intimate, yet passionate and moving all at the same time! It is quickly becoming a personal favorite of mine! By all means, check it out!
There are more reviews on the way! I have a lot to read this month! Stay tuned!
Jun 1st, 2009
derek
“Christ In Ya’ll” is the best primer on the house church movement I’ve read. The house church movement, by it’s very nature is small, amateur, close knit and simple. But its these same tendencies which make anyone trying to find information about the topic frustrated. There was simply no one piece of literature that could really describe the movement, let alone one that was readily available to everyone.
Christ in Ya’ll changes that. Niel Carter takes a personal look at the basic tennents and mindsets behind a growing movement. Niel is plain spoken and one doesn’t need a degreee in theology to understand or enjoy his work.
Niel uses personal examples from his life and church to help explore larger themes. This book is thurough enough to be called “House Church for Dummies”, but in a good way.
I strongly recomend this book to anyone who has any interest in authentic community.
Jun 2nd, 2009
TgotK
Summary: If one is looking for a good explanation of emergent/house church concepts, this might serve as a better summary than an introduction.
***THREE STARS
* Toss
** Skim
*** Good but nothing new
**** Challenging
***** Life Altering
Neil Carter’s Chris in Y’all is a primer to what’s been happening in the small church and emergent church movements over the past couple of years. Carter has little new to say but is pretty decent at saying what’s been said already in an easy to understand—if not always cheerful—way.
The book can be split into fourths: 1) theology beyond justification; 2) an exploration of the church suffering with Christ; 3) the need for community within the church; and 4) an explanation of how to make it all happen. Oddly the book concludes with a brief examination of postmodernity and how it affects the church, but the chapter seems tacked on. It would serve better as a separate essay or perhaps as an appendix.
The opening section briefly summarizes what N.T. Wright’s “Surprised by Hope” and Dallas Willard’s “Divine Conspiracy” talk about in terms of Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God. Carter summarizes well and explains it in a way that should not offend any but the most ardent fundamentalist.
The second section is tenuously connected to the first, but leads very well into the third. Christianity is meant to be lived in community. Therefore it will hurt. But this is what Jesus called us to do.
The final section—the part I was most looking forward to—was a major letdown. After his somewhat bitter explanations of what was wrong with the typical American church model, he leaves only one chapter to explain of how to get out of it. But this chapter lacks personal examples or stories of triumph. We become aware that he is a part of a group that is trying it and hasn’t gotten right yet, but that’s about all we know. He admits that there can be nothing systematic about getting out of a system, but an anecdote or two would have helped.
Though Carter is a fine writer and spoke truth, I found the book only repeating what others have said but in a more unhappy fashion. In a lot of ways, he seemed to be very reactionist against rather than action for.
***THREE STARS
* Toss
** Skim
*** Good but nothing new
**** Challenging
***** Life Altering
Jun 6th, 2009
gdeitz
Christ in Y’all by Neil Carter
For the most part, Ienjoyed the book. With that being said, I felt that the author should have focused on follwing Christ and less on trying to make the argument between traditional church attendance and home church. I find that he made the same mistake that many make when they wish to talk about the home church movement. Somewhere between deciding to leave the traditional church and begin meeting in homes, the ability to connect with others increases. The truth is that many people that write about why the small intimate house meetings are “better” seem to focus on Sunday only.
They fail to acknowledge that organic church relationships can be made in the traditional churches if the members are willing to extend the invitation to meeting people outside the Sunday service. But this problem of not having organic church life does not fall solely on the fact they go to a traditional church. The system may be flawed, but you have to admit that some of the problems fall on the individual. If you want to have organic life with people, then you have to spend time with them and meet with them. Just because you meet once or twice in a home, does not a relationship make. I can go to a home meeting and not form relationships with those there. I have been to several home meetings where I did not get to know the people involved any more than I would have known them had I been in a traditional church meeting. I think that people need to recognize that there are some faults with the traditional church model, but not all the problems are in the system. Some of them have to do with human laziness. Just changing how we meet, does not change the nature of the beast.
I will give the author credit for what he is trying to do and for admitting that the changes do take time. I just wish that author’s in this movement were willing to acknowledge that the traditional church is not an enemy. I wish that when I read some of these books, they would asknowledge that some of the same problems they point out with the traditional church can arise in home meetings as well. I have been a part of home churches where one man becomes a leader that teaches every week. I have been a part of home churches where there is a hidden leadership structure. As previously mentioned, there are home churches where people still meet once a week and have a very organized service and that is all the relationship that comes from it.
It is for that very reason, that I wish that many of these authors would focus on following the Spirit and following Christ example because it is in these areas, that I feel many of the authors that are writing from the home church movement perspective have very solid things to say. I enjoyed many of the points this author made about following Christ and living in the Spirit. I thought that Mr. Carter wrote in a very easy, concise manner that touched on some very good things that I think are skipped over in many places today. I think that for the most part if the author would have focused on living with a heart focused on the Lord and living in the Spirit then this book would have been much more beneficial to me. I also would not have run into some frustration becuase of those things previously stated.
The biggest question is whether I would reccomend it or not. I think that if you are into the Home Church movement, then this book is right up your alley and will be something that makes many of the arguments simple and straight forward. If you have not read any other books about the movement, this is a great starting place. It is a good introduction to authors like Frank Viola and the like. I am a fan of home churches, but I think that if you are going to make an argument against it, one needs to focus on how the system limits the Spirit moving or how the system can be the problem, but please do not forget that many of the people that attend traditional church are seeking the Lord and want to follow the Spirit. You can attack the system and how you feel it affects things, but be careful when it comes across about the people. If you want to have an organic church, the people are going to be the key.
Jun 9th, 2009
EnglewoodReview
This review originally appeared in
The Englewood Review of Books – 9 June 2009
http://englewoodreview.org
I was excited when given the opportunity to review Christ in Y’all: Following Jesus into Community by Neil Carter. The title, of course, is a reference to the fact that many of New Testament references to the pronoun “you” are actually plural and not singular, a difficulty of the English language, which has been exploited too often by the individualism of American Christianity. Carter writes about a new way of being Church based on his experiences as part of a church that meets in homes and shares life together on a day-to-day basis. This vision of Church, and the theology which undergirds it, is appealing to me, and I think it poses a necessary challenge to the religion of most American churches. However, in the end Carter cannot contain his opposition to traditional churches: “It took me awhile to admit that ‘body life’ cannot survive long within the traditional church setting because these two things are antagonistic to each other” (168). I understand the place where Carter is coming from, and in a sense I was there at one time, and there are things about churches as institutions that undoubtedly pose challenges, but I believe there is great harm in such an adamant rejection of traditional churches. Here at Englewood Christian Church, a very traditional church that has been in the same Indianapolis neighborhood for almost 115 years, we have a similar vision of seeking the ‘body life’ of God’s Kingdom together on a daily basis. Thus, in a way, we are a counter-example to Carter’s statement quoted above. I won’t say that this way of existing as a deeply-rooted church community within the institution of a traditional church is an easy one, but I do believe that it bears witness to the patience, love and commitment of the ways of Christ that abandoning the institution (and the people deeply invested in that institution) would not.
Jun 10th, 2009
tylerwarfel34
After finally finishing Neil Carter’s new book, Christ In Y’all: Following Jesus Into Community, I was left feeling a little disconnected. I kept waiting for everything to come together at the end but it never did for me. In the introduction, Carter states that the purpose of his book is to explain how he ended up having church “in a living room with 25 people, among whom [he has] no special place”, despite the fact that he is a seminary graduate.
Carter uses statistics to support the fact that many Christians are looking to get away from the traditional church model, and he gives five reasons why it may be happening to so many individuals. He lists that the church is becoming too impersonal, members are becoming burned out, boredom with ritual is becoming the norm, abuse from other church members will always hurt, and selfish apathy has overtaken any kind of social consciousness.
Because of this trend of breaking the tradition, Carter believes there needs to be a rediscovery of the gospel. It boils down to the fact that the “life of faith wasn’t designed to be lived out solo.” This is a wonderful idea, but I think it could have been said just as succinctly in one or two chapters instead of the 194 pages that Carter uses. It seemed as if every chapter I read was simply more of the same I had been reading throughout the whole book. I felt like at times I was simply wasting my time reading through the same ideas over again.
Despite this repetitiveness that I sensed, Carter had some good things to say. Occasionally it sounded as if he was down on any type of church other than a small house church. Near the end of the book, however, he made a statement that I really like: “I don’t really think it matters how they meet, where they live, or when they gather. The important thing is that they learn to find Christ as their all, and that they learn to express that in ways that can be seen and heard and touched” (pg. 173). That is very well-said, and I think the book would be much more enjoyable if it could be condensed into a much shorter version. The same good points Carter makes could certainly be made just as well.
Jun 10th, 2009
darien
Christ in Ya’ll
I have to admit, I had to get past that title. It’s terrible even after I hear why he chose it. But it is memorable and makes his point well. And I’m from SC…
That said, his point is worth making. Quoting the Bible, Neil tells us that the Greek word for “You” in the verse “Christ in you…hope of glory” is plural. Why is this significant? The answer makes Neil’s point beautifully. The verse more appropriately reads, “Christ in ya’ll” , or, my preference, “Christ in you all.”
His point is that the Christian life and the Kingdom of God are designed to be lived out in community. With this I wholeheartedly agree.
My issues come with his challenging church life today. Not that I disagree with him as much as his method. At times he comes out strong and at others he just hints at it. I found myself wanting more concrete examples. Even more, I wanted more Scripture or history to help support his point. At times it felt like he was making a lot of charges without really justifying them beyond his own personal experience (which I felt was lacking as well in the book).
Nevertheless, Neil made me think and challenged me on a number of levels. He really helped me think through how we do church services as a scripted, controlled affair instead of a Spirit-led experience. Right on there!
In the end, I recommend reading this if you’re wrestling with how we do church. If you’re seeking to become more Christ-centered and Holy Spirit driven in your methods, give this book a read. But I’d love to see more of his bibliography and I’d love to see a broader source of references than Frank Viola and a few others.
Jun 11th, 2009
Matthew Raley
In our crisis of identity as American evangelicals, we are several decades into a period of radical (root-seeking) experiments with local church life. Fellow believers are heading in many directions seeking community.
The church growth movement has fostered enterprises that are intimately in step with suburban consumerism. The Reformed movement is trying to revitalize body life through sharper doctrine. Many emergents have moved on from café churches to think in terms of missional communities.
Believers are amassing a lot of wisdom from these experiments. This period, though it is often painful and bewildering to me, will leave followers of Christ far healthier and with more varied skills for advancing Christ’s kingdom. I think the home church movement will prove to be a big contributor to all this wisdom.
That is why I was eager to read Neil Carter’s book, Christ in Y’all: Following Jesus into Community, and why I’m glad I did. I found much wisdom to keep working through our identity crisis.
Carter is focused on needs that, for believers, are primal. He asks, for example (p 30), “[H]ow many things do you do, either on your own or within your church, that honestly could not be done without God’s indwelling presence?” Concerning prayer, he observes (p 41), “Somewhere along the line we got a picture of God as a task-oriented Being who gave us prayer primarily as a way to make us as task-oriented as he is. But what would we be left with if we removed from our prayer lives all prayers that ask God to do something? We’d be left with simple communion.”
He also writes (p 45), “Spiritual formation is a collective endeavor [original emphasis]. It’s not about you, the individual, becoming more like Jesus. It’s about him coming to reside among the saints in their relationships with each other.”
The theology behind these statements is life-giving and biblical. Carter loves the Bible, and he communicates from the deep intentions of texts, not from idiosyncratic passions.
In addition, Carter makes penetrating observations about American life (p 39). “While declaring our independence from each other, we simultaneously mimic each other in everything from our clothing and our possessions to our language, our political views, and even our personalities. American culture may very well be the most advanced manifestation of this malady to date.”
This book is informed by experience. Carter and the brethren have taken these ideas and applied them seriously in a home church. He discusses how many of them intentionally live near each other, so that (p 158) they “often bump into each other and spend time together on the spur of the moment.”
At the heart of the book, and the experiences it reflects, is the reality that suffering with other believers, and being hurt by them, is essential to the Christian life. Chapters 5-6, in this respect, are worth the whole book, and give a call to sobriety that believers deeply need.
The only weakness of this book is common to literature from radical experimenters. In a word, judgmentalism.
Those who seek the root of matters and do things differently get stared at by the community’s worst face — the snide, dismissive, over-confident face. This experience stings, and it’s difficult to keep one’s writing and teaching from stinging back.
The edge of judgment on others’ efforts comes through in several of Carter’s paragraphs about stereotypical traditional church activities, staffs, buildings, etc. The verdict on p 168 is one of a few unsustainable pronouncements: “It took me a while to admit that ‘body life’ cannot survive long within the traditional church setting because these two things are antagonistic to each other.”
This doesn’t match my experiences. But such sparks keep the experimentation lively. I’ll put up with them to get Neil Carter’s wisdom.
Jun 13th, 2009
SGill4613
There is something energizing about picking up this book. The title of Christ in Y’all: Following Jesus into Community is something I have longed for as a follower of Jesus Christ. As one who is still a member of a traditional church, this is a dream come true… following Jesus into an actual community who meets more than just Sunday morning for worship and Wednesday night for a bible study… this is the answer to the ache in my heart.
Neil Carter does a wonderful job of sharing the gospel story. Numerous times I found myself saying “Amen” out loud as I read his words. Actually, let me rephrase that, I found myself saying “Amen” to the good news of Jesus Christ. This book is filled with the wonderful things Neil knows can happen when the Holy Spirit leads the church instead of the church hoping to lead the Spirit.
If you are looking to this book for answers on how to achieve the community similar to what Carter lives in, stop. This is the wisdom of the book, for it is not a how to book, nor is it filled with many stories on how this community came about, other than the fact that a group of people decided to follow Christ differently than they had before. Carter is wise in avoiding this trap, which would perhaps make for a better story, but is not authentic in his walk with Christ.
Yet, if there is one flaw, it is the flaw shared by many in the “emergent” movement, and that is there are times when Carter takes time to make off hand remarks about the institutional church, for which he no longer seems to have much regard. This is unfortunate, for it sometimes seems that a bit of hate can taint a book filled with the Gospel.
Even so, this book challenges those who are seeking a Spirit filled existence to re imagine how they live in fellowship with sisters and brothers in Christ who are looking to journey together in life in God’s service.
Jun 20th, 2009
Lawdawg
I recently read a book called Christ In Ya’ll by a guy named Neil Carter. To me this book was a wonderful reminder that “following Jesus is not a solitary activity. It is meant to be done in a community of believers.” Best of all is that what Neil has written is more than mere theory – his insights are born out of nearly ten years of experience following the Lord within a close-knit fellowship of believers who nearly all live within a few blocks of each other. And in a day and age when “community” has become something of a buzzword that is applied to almost anything and everything under the sun, that is refreshing! At any rate, the message of Christ In Ya’ll is entirely positive, cast in the light of God’s eternal purpose, and full of promise for those of us who are seeking a “better way” than that which we’ve found in traditional Christianity. I highly recommend it.
Jun 21st, 2009
spiritofburning
It has been close to a year since my wife and I left the traditional church. For us, it was passion for Jesus and authentic community that led us to consider what life could look like outside the four walls of a building. In the few first fews months of the journey, we read many books. I consumed books on theory and principle, but found myself longing to talk with those who had experienced what we were searching after. Where were the testimonies, the organic expressions of these concepts being walked out?
Christ in Y’all by Neil Carter, fills that needed divide between theory and practice. Merging these two concepts, Carter explains in simple, conversational language what it means to encounter God in community outside an institutional/traditional setting. His focus on community addresses an area of Christian subculture that is, indeed, lacking.
The Nature of Community
Jesus’ words in John 13 are an indibtment against the American concept of Christianity:
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, NASB).
To our shame, the Church in the West is known by less-appealing characteristics. We are viewed as hypocritcal, jaded to the suffering of our neighbors, and “out of touch” with the people we work and live among. In countrast, Jesus desires that the primary means through which our witness goes out to the world is to be love expressed through authentic community. Carter addresses this need for community head-on in his book.
The focus on community comes from Carter’s understanding of the Trinity. In one section of his book, he explains how God is better described by the word “community” than “trinity,” which is, itself, a word foreign to our vocabulary. The oneness of the Godhead is based on mutual submission, preferring one another. It follows course, then, that the expression of Christ on earth through His body would model the same form of community that exists in the Godhead.
Every Believer A Functioning Member
Perhaps one of the best topics that Carter covers in his book is the idea of mutual participation in church gatherings. Flowing from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Cortinthians, Carter builds a case that expression of Jesus in our gatherings is dependant upon each believer actively functioning. Just as my ear is not a complete expression of myself, neither is one member of Christ’s body the full expression of Christ.
In order for Christ to be expressed through our gatherings, each member must be unchained and released to actively participate. The implications of this concept on the format of today’s typical church gathering are far-reaching. In short, it involves a moving away from a clergy/laity hierarchy and replacing 45-minute monologues with round-robin, popcorn-style participation by each member of the Body.
Scorecard: A
Neil Carter presents a compelling case for a simple-church, faith-based community. His viewpoints are balanced and backed up by scripture and personal experience. I felt that he was not arguing for the restoration of the New Testament Church, but an examination of basic principles that should be at work in any gathering that bears the DNA of Christ Himself.
The book came with a CD by DeDe, a young woman who participates in the same gatherings as Carter. In this first EP, DeDe expresses heartfelt songs of worship that birthed out these organic, simple gatherings of the saints. Her lyrics are strong and thought-provoking. Be sure to keep an eye out for this female artist in the future.
Jul 8th, 2009
Brian294
**** WARNING: SPOILERS! ****
Introduction
His journey began with a rediscovery of the gospel itself. He began to read the Bible like a story with real people talking about real things that were happening. He began to understand that God’s Spirit is always seeking ways to express who is, right now, in this life.
Chapter 1 – A Half-Baked Gospel
The gospel in the modern age has been boiled down to a few statements or ideas to be grasped. Neil Carter asserts there are four main flaws with this approach:
1. This approach assumes that becoming a Christian is about a 4 or 5 item recipe on how to be saved. In other words, you just need to believe the right things about justification by faith.
2. This kind of evangelism too easily divorces faith from a real relationship with God. They place an incredible amount of emphasis on making sure you asked Jesus into your heart, when in fact real faith in Christ leads to a lifetime of knowing a following him.
3. This presentation of the gospel is centered on us. We are only accommodating the self-interest inherent in everyone by offering a ticket to heaven for the low, low price of praying a special prayer.
4. An individualistic gospel gives the convert a churchless salvation. The risen and indwelling life of Christ is best experienced while living in a community of believers who know each other well.
The apostle Paul never preached the gospel to get people saved. His goal was always to establish a church which would fully realize the purpose for which Christ came. Also, we don’t have to wait until we die to reap the benefits of the work of Christ. There are things that God intends to produce here and now, on this earth, which will blow our mind.
Jesus said the good news is the kingdom of God. Paul substitutes the phrase kingdom of God for New Creation. Paul speaks of a coming age in which all things are reconciled to God. Romans 5:10 says that we were “reconciled to God through the death of his Son” AND “having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” In other words, we have more to be saved from than just the final judgment.
When God first created us, he intended to fill us with the self-giving love that drives him. From the beginning, he desired to produce a vast family which would share his character and live as a community. Our creator designed us to express who he is in a way that is unique among all other creatures.
However, something happened that sidetracked this original intention. After sin entered the world, it was no longer the world that God had in mind when he said, “it is good.” The good news is that a new reality has broken through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This new reality has the power to end the tyranny of self.
We weren’t created to be “saved”. His desire is to come among us to establish his kingdom- to reproduce his righteousness in our very midst today.
Chapter 2 – One with Christ
Heaven is not so much a place as it is an invisible world right along side the one we see. In other words, Jesus is right along side us and not “way up there” somewhere. However, this realm is a spiritual realm and it takes the Holy Spirit to see it. We need a new set of eyes to see it; that is why the Bible says that we cannot see the kingdom of God unless we become born again. Jesus has come to make his home inside each one of us and we are to be tucked away inside of him.
When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we get the privilege of sonship. We get permission to step into Jesus’ identity when we approach the Father. Because of our new identity, we can go confidently and boldly to the throne.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit looks just like normal living. Christ’s oneness with the Father for the first thirty years of his life involved all the ordinary things that we do. If oneness with Christ is defined by our moments of ministry, then Jesus’ first thirty years would have been a waste. Jesus’ indwelling by his Father gave meaning and purpose to every moment of life. Our evangelical churches are preoccupied with trying to imitate Christ. Surprisingly, Jesus has been hiding here all along doing his imitation of us. In other words, we are incarnating Christ’s body. Jesus’ life permeates all that we do. We need a heightened sense that having Christ in us can be seen the mundane details of everyday life.
Chapter 3 – Alone No More
American culture is all about rugged individualism. We see this cultural trait work its way into the American church in several ways. This inward turn of self has created a hollow vacuum in our core being and we desperately try to fill it with anything and everything. As Americans, we cocoon ourselves in suburban dwellings and emulate the styles and philosophies of our favorite celebrities.
The church has catered to an unholy trinity: me, myself, and I. It has created a kind of consumer Christianity that appeals to our self-interests. Our prayer life consists mostly of making requests to get things from God. What would our prayer life look like if we remove all requests for God to do something? It would just be simple communion.
Neil Carter shows several Bible verses that we’ve tried to individualize, and as a result have missed the depth of its meaning. Passages like: 1 Corinthians 2:16, Romans 8:14, Colossians 1:27, and Ephesians 3:17-19. By treating “you” as singular instead of the plural found in the original Greek, we miss the point of these passages.
He shows how our individualistic culture has turned the Lord’s Supper into a funeral. The very nature of communion isn’t to emphasize how sorry we should feel for our sins in light of the death of Jesus. We are not just individuals eating our own individual cracker and drinking our own thimble-sized cup of juice. It’s actually a corporate feeding on life of Jesus Christ. We are many members of the same Body all getting our life from one place: Jesus Christ. This good news is deserving of a party!
Chapter 4 – The Gathering of the Saints
Neil Carter has noticed that people are usually surprised to discover that their favorite meetings are ones not led by an individual. Many people are seeking environments that provide the most freedom for them to contribute. People want to be in a place where they can function. Neil points out that all believers of a church may be “present” at a meeting, but it does not mean that they are all functioning as a body. You’re not really experiencing the body when only the clergy are doing their thing.
Neil Carter discusses three elements of tradition that have perpetuated our thinking: 1. Church is a special building and sometimes we are taught to act, dress, or talk differently while in this building. 2. Church is a place where 5% of the members do the leading, teaching, planning, praying, and song selecting. 3. The pastoral office and the Sunday sermon are the centerpiece of a church.
Neil suggests that we should look at the New Testament church to see how they did things. One thing we notice is that the Holy Spirit is the one leading their gatherings. Everyone participated in some way so that the whole body was edified. Is it any wonder why the American church is plagued with people hopping from church to church saying, “The pastor wasn’t feeding me.” That’s because he was never meant to.
When a church gathers in one place, we are supposed to see Christ manifest himself in all his fullness. Every part of Christ should be manifested through every member of Christ in that local body. We must be willing to give the rest of the Body a chance to prove that “every join can supply” the needs of the church.
Chapter 5 – The Dark Side of the Gospel
We live in a culture that will do anything except deny ourselves the things that we want. Our self-loving, self-serving culture is strikingly incompatible with the character of God. The very nature of God is to lose for the sake of whom he loves. We are to walk in his steps and endure suffering for his sake. In America, we suffer very little from external persecution because of our religious freedom. American Christians have a greater opportunity to suffer alongside our brothers and sisters in Christian community.
When we get beyond the antiseptic veneer of Sunday/Wednesday worship, there is an intimate communal experience that can be very messy. Embracing the trouble-filled lives of our brothers and sisters may stretch us to capacity, but we are doing what we do best: Building itself up in love. The greatest expression of love is when we are betrayed by our brother or sister (remember Judas). If he or she turns against you, and you do not repay evil for evil, you have demonstrated the life of Christ in you. If you want to want to follow Jesus, pick up your cross and follow him into suffering for the ones that you love.
Chapter 6 – One Body on an Altar
Neil Carter continues in the same vein as the previous chapter: The self-losing, self-sacrificial nature of our Heavenly Father. God will give us several opportunities to die and rise again so we can gain an experiential knowledge of who He is. We move into our inheritance in Him by “suffering with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:17).
We are tasked with completing the work which Jesus began. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” (Col. 1:24) In other words, Christ has not yet finished suffering for the sake of His Bride. Christ continues to give Himself over for Her sake, even through the members of His own body. Redemption is continuing through us. (Just let that thought blow your mind.)
When we take up our cross to suffer, it’s not for the pathological enjoyment of anticipating pain and suffering. His Spirit is not masochistic. Suffering with Christ eventually produces life and peace. God sends trials to bring about a constructive purpose. Christ is in us, we are in Christ, and Christ is working through us to reconcile others to Himself.
When we follow Christ with our cross, it brings us to an altar of self-spending love.
Chapter 7 – The Purpose of the Ages
Neil Carter challenges the centrality of soul winning as the Christian’s ultimate purpose in life. He proposes that God’s ultimate goal in creating the cosmos is not salvation. Merely going to heaven does not fulfill God’s ultimate end for us. He asks a bold question: What was God aiming for when he first created the Earth… before the fall ever happened? In order the answer this question, one must look at passages in the Bible that give us a bird’s eye view of God’s ultimate purpose: Genesis 1 & 2, Ephesians, and Colossians.
In Colossians 1:26-27 it reads, “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in y’all, the hope of glory.” In other words, God has been longing to inhabit this earth so that he who is invisible may be seen. As Neil Carter puts it, “Our all-consuming task is to give expression to His nature on this earth now, not merely one day when we reach heaven… We’ve been preoccupied with ‘getting to heaven.’ God himself seems more intent on coming to earth!”
Neil Carter takes us back to the garden scene before sin entered the world. He draws out all kinds of symbolism including: marriage to a woman, eternal life, glory, a place to live, etc. Then he shows the recapitulation (repetition) of these symbols throughout the Bible. As we make our way through the prophets, we see something interesting in Jeremiah 31. Verse 22 reads, “For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth– A woman will encompass a man.” From Jeremiah’s prophetic vantage point, God’s dwelling place became a woman. As Neil puts it, “The Church embodies that house, that mountain, that family, that kingdom, and that bride for which all creation was purposed.”
Chapter 8 – The Substance of Things Hoped For
Favorite Quotes:
“In this adventure we are on, it is our grasp of who Christ is, and of who we are in him, that determines our level of involvement in his work.”
“Christ desires to continue his unfolding of God’s self-expression through the whole church…the revealing of the sons of God.”
“Faith is not merely the prerequisite for entering in that kingdom. It is the ongoing means from bring Christ into this fallen existence, from start to finish.”
“[Another reality:] runs deeper than what we see with our natural eyes. It is a new creation, and it has taken root in our hearts. It grows little by little as we learn to acknowledge its presence in our lives.”
“Walking by faith beings with knowing that the cross changed everything.”
“As we hear the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ proclaimed, Christ grows among us until his nature has taken over every part of our lives.”
Chapter 9 – A House of Love
Neil Carter begins with a question: What is the end result, in practical terms, of God’s eternal purpose working amongst a group of people? The answer: They love one another. Ultimately, our love for God can be measured by how much we love others.
Throughout the rest of the chapter, Neil explores:
1. the diversity of love,
2. love as an act of worship,
3. the “family” as Paul’s primary metaphor to illustrate love,
4. the centrality of love over and above any spiritual gifts that we have,
5. love is epitomized in the laying down of our life.
My two favorite quotes:
“Loving one another will not always look identical in every situation.”
“Personal holiness and sanctification seem to be expressed primarily in terms of our interactions with each other.”
Chapter 10 – How do we get there from here?
In this chapter, Neil Carter explores the things we must remember in order to step into the eternal purposes of God:
1. To be ministers of both God’s Written Word and Living Word.
2. To have an expectant and receptive heart for the voice of God.
3. Let the move of the Holy Spirit flow without forcing it or suppressing it.
The remainder of the chapter is devoted to discussing the very real pitfalls of transitioning from an organizational church to an organic church.
Chapter 11 – Church in a Changing World
Neil Carter discusses Postmodernism and its roots. He gives his opinion about the good things we should keep from postmodernism, and the pitfalls that we should avoid.
Jul 9th, 2009
matt2819
I was unsure about this book when I first got it. The Y’all threw me a bit. But as I got into it, this is an absolutely incredible book. I love it!
This moves you from an individualistic Christianity to one which we need each other (a community); y’all (you all).
This is definitely a must read book for anyone thinking about any sort of familial expression of Jesus. Moving from the traditional Sunday morning church service to gathering together as a community. He shares his experiences in his community and on virtually every page has scripture references for you to refer to.
Aug 22nd, 2009
lionelwoods7
I had never heard of Niel Carter before this book; however, when I read the cover, I realized that one of my favorite authors had endorsed the work. I originally read the first chapter then I had to move and it was placed on the shelf. I came back to revisit the work once we settled in.
Let me tell you, I devoured the book in about a week. I couldn’t wait until lunch to get back into it the next day. So more abou the book.
Mr. Carter does a fine job expressing the corporateness of our salvation and this then leads us to the corporateness of the Body of Christ. In an individualistic society, we have produced individualistic salvation; however, our salvation is very corporate and thus the “working out” of our salvation is just as corporate. Carter does an excellent job pointing out the plural pronouns that are traditionally quoted individually.
Neil then moves into the explanation of what the church is and who the church is for, thus moving us into truth that this is “Christ’s” church not ours and the way we treat one another, the way we meet together and the freedom of mutual ministry are critical to our obedience to Christ.
Neil finishes the work with some very practical advice and guidlines, he prevents us from just mimicing one another but entrusts us to the Spirit, while providing us some safeguards to move within. Neil isn’t just a spokesperson he is also a club member having relocated, and meeting with a church in the Atlanta area. He writes from experience and with strong conviction and this book should be required reading among house church goers.
Lionel Woods
Sep 2nd, 2009
pat.hannon
In Christ In Y’all, Neil Carter calls the church to a deeper level of community. Carter reminds the reader that the New Testament calls Christians to a collective faith where Christ is not merely formed in individuals but in relationships—in y’all.
I love Carter’s heart. I stand with him as one who desires to see true community grow among followers of Christ. I long for the church to move beyond the faith of individuals to a true community of believers sharing life and faith with one another. Yet I am troubled in this book by what I often see from my friends in the house church movement. Going beyond presenting house church as one beautiful way to live in authentic community, Carter often presents house church as the only authentic model of Christian faith. I love house churches, but continue to imagine churches of all shapes and sizes where true community is lived out among the members.
Dec 17th, 2009
for “Christ In Y’all: Following Jesus Into Community”
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