How often do you think about the afterlife? Probably not too often. How often do you think about what you’re going to do tomorrow? Probably everyday. Not only is this normal, it is the way God intended. For far too long, the Church has made the afterlife the central focus of the faith. However, in actuality, Jesus spoke very little about what happens after we die and spoke a great deal about how we’re supposed to live our lives here on earth. It’s not that the afterlife is not important; it’s just that our lives here on earth is more important.
Life of Joy, Not Happiness
Can you use more JOY in your life? And what is JOY, really? Is it simply synonymous with happiness or is there something more to it? While happiness is an emotion, joy is something much deeper, permanent, and spiritual. Join us throughout the month of September as we discover what true joy looks like and how we can find it in our lives.
Toxic: Systems
Last weekend, we took a look at how everyone can easily drift into conformity to culture with the theme of “Toxic: Culture.” This Sunday, we conclude our “Toxic” series by exploring what makes a system toxic. What are the three toxic traits you should look out for when working, living, or dealing with a system? We will also discover the fastest growing religion in America.
Toxic: Culture
Last weekend, we kicked off a new series “Toxic,” as we explore various areas in our lives that are often toxic beginning with “Toxic Leadership.” This Sunday we go deeper into these theme by exploring “Toxic: Culture.” When left unattended, everyone drifts into conformity. It takes focus, effort, and intention to continually grow in faith. When our faith is neglected, it is easy to simply become a lemming to the culture we inhabit. Join us as we explore toxic culture together.
Toxic: Leadership
This weekend, we kick off a new series “Toxic,” as we explore various areas in our lives that are often toxic beginning with “Toxic Leadership.”
What does Toxic Leadership look like? And how do we remain vigilant, virtuous, and levelheaded under a toxic leader? We have all experienced toxic leadership before or run the risk of becoming a toxic leader ourselves. Believe it or not, there actually is a simple formula to toxic leadership.
Skills + ________ – ________ = Toxic Leadership
Create: Your Own Path
How many paths have you gone down only to realize that’s not the way you’re supposed to go? If you have, you’re probably on the right track. Our Western culture tends to teach us that failure is loss when in actuality failure is an essential part of maturity, release, and self-discovery. How many times did God get rejected by Moses before Moses accepted the call to lead his people out of slavery? How often did Ruth get dejected by society until she discovered her true calling? How many people rejected Jesus whom were the very people He vowed to love? In order to know the right path to go, we have to encounter a series of ‘no.’ This Sunday, we conclude our “Create” series with our exploration of what it looks like to “Create: Your Own Path.” There are many voices in our culture, family, and social circles that tell us what our path is supposed to look like. But your own true path is between you and God… that’s it. Jesus came to give us life and life to the fullest. The only way you can decipher where you belong is to pay attention to the God-given voice within you.
Create: Dreams
What does it look like dream with God? God created humankind in His likeness, which means human beings are called to be co-creators with God. The dreams that God placed in the hearts of every individual are like signals to the divine within. Join us as artist, entrepreneur, and community leader Dea Jenkins leads us in a creative exercise of discovering the dreamer within.
Create: Community
Have you heard of pseudo-community? Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck popularized this term in the 80s when he laid out the Four Stages of True Community. It is when members are extremely pleasant with one another and avoid all disagreement. People tend to withhold some truth about themselves and their feelings in order to avoid conflict. Individual differences are minimized, unacknowledged, or ignored. The group may appear to be functioning smoothly but individuality, intimacy, and honesty are neglected. Unfortunately, most communities people experience fall into this category. Yes, even most churches.
We explore this concept of four stages of true community together and why we feel strongly to create Perch as a hospitable community for spiritual wanderers.