After 19 years in ministry at Indianola Heights Christian Church in Des Moines, IA, Jerry Crenshaw is closing his ministry. Sunday, May 30th was his last Sunday preaching and presiding at the Lord’s Table at Indianola Heights.
Such a transition could easily burden a minister with melancholy and sadness. After all, Crenshaw is losing a church family he led for nearly two decades. But while he will definitely grieve in the coming months over this transition, he also prepares for his next step with fervor.
Jerry Crenshaw is starting a “church without walls.” Actually, to call it a church – at this point – is a stretch. Crenshaw wrote to his congregation: “To put it simply, I am going out to relate to other children of God.” He plans a seven-year ministry where he will gather young adults together who are not necessarily affiliated or involved in a congregation.
“I just can’t sit back. I have problems with the “foxhole” mentality: drop in sometime and if you become like us, you’re welcome. We have to go out – and find out their values – and meet them!”
People recommend he find young adults in some of the funniest places: weekend softball leagues, the local bus system in Des Moines, even the Harley Davidson shop. “I didn’t expect that, but apparently the youngest and fastest group of Harley Davidson fans are young women under 35.”
His goal is to get them to work together at service projects and see what the group starts looking like as the fellowship grows.
Crenshaw decided to “get out and go” before he worked out all the details. He doesn’t know if it will just have one group or will have multiple small groups (that he would get to interact somehow). He humbly admits: “this segment of the population is the best at networking and structuring themselves. I’m going to suggest a church without walls and let them build it. We’re not building a building unless it’s in Haiti. We’re not building an institution.”
How financially can this happen? After a lifetime of ministry where churches paid into the Pension Fund, he’s now drawing a pension. “What better way to spend it than on young adults?!?”
This Sunday, June 6th, Crenshaw will receive the “retired ministers pen” at IHCC. (He even offered to sell it to any minister who wanted it at a cheap, bargain price). The afternoon of June 6th there will be a commissioning service and the start of Jubilee.
Where: Indianola Heights Christian Church, 3139 Southeast 8th Street, Des Moines, IA
When: July 6th, 2010 – 2pm
Can’t attend? “Chime in” virtually by clicking at the top of this screen or by sending Jerry an e-mail (jubileelite@gmail.com) with prayers and encouragement. You can also chime in to receive ongoing e-mails about the ministry of Jubilee.
It has been quite awhile, Dick, since we have visited or worked a camp together. Too many years slip by so quickly. Thank you and so many others for the interest in this going to young adults. We need to hear their concerns and of their experiences that sing new meanings for them. We need to see the world through their world perspective. Then I think it will be easy to celebrate and dance the faith with them. But first, we have to get so uncomfortable in our cushioned pews that we must go.
There are many we need to be building bridges of understanding and communication. I prefer to call them bridges of love because I like the sound of that. But building re-connections would work just as well. We all have found ourselves needing to reconnect one neighbor with another, one child with another, one spouse with another. Do we see this as holy work?
I think God is calling us to a new awareness of the separations and divisions that tear at our humanity. I think we are being called to reconnect.
So I do ask for prayers supporting this ministry of valuing our neighbor and reconnecting with those we have tended to ignore. May God bless those we have “given up on”!
I do know this. I am learning a lot, and learning to laugh along the way. God is good. I am delighted with this strange and wonderful opportunity. Anyone else want to be a bridge builder?
Carol & I wish you the best! Dick Spencer – Camp 16 – remember? ha ha ha