Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

https://vimeo.com/182564339

(The link above is to the webcast on Vimeo. You can also find Experience Community webcasts at the church website www.experiencecc.com under the "watch" button)

The Experience Community church is only 7 1/2 years old and has experienced phenomenal growth from a literal handful of people to around 2,500 people being ministered to each weekend over four services (Saturdays 5pm & 7 pm then Sundays 9 am & 11 am). It is an unconventional church in almost every way. Twice a year our pastor Corey Trimble has a "Vision" sermon that puts forth the vision and mission of the church as well as a report on exactly where the money is spent. This past weekends Vision service went beyond that and presented a complete vision of what the "Church" with a capital "C" is in the world and what the "church" with a little "c" means to the individual believer and also the community which the church is to reach for Christ. If you are tired of church as usual or are just interested in a different perspective than you have probably heard before I urge you to watch this webcast. I would love to hear your comments either as a response to this post or in a PM if you prefer once you have watched it.

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

Skimmed the video. So far so good.

So what is their statement of faith? What he would call "the majors"?

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

As a point of clarification I am not offering up this video as a piece to debate salvation doctrine as those of you who are familiar with my posts about this church know it is not a traditional 3 stepper church although it does baptize in Jesus name and believe in the gifts of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, etc.

Rather I thought it would be interesting for folks to get to see and hear in one service the entire philosophy of an unconventional church. At the very least it should be thought provoking.

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

I know many of the people in leadership there.
Good people.
But we do disagree on a few issues.
And I remember when we did not.
And it was not I that changed.

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

It was interesting I did watch the entire clip.
Is he always barefooted? Not a sin just wondering why?
This might be a little touchy but why would he be paid so less? Are there other renumerations such as lodging, expenses, etc?

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

No gimmick on what he is paid. He drives a 2002 Ford Explorer and his hobby car is a 60's Ford Fairlane he bought for a couple of grand and is fixing up himself. Not sure what his wife drives but it is not fancy. I know as the church has grown both the Executive Pastor and Music Director had children born and they have had some modest pay raises.I would hope the pastor's salary would be increased as well. He is just very sensitive about it and believes the staff should not live a lifestyle above the median of the church. It also bothers me that the church does not provide benefits for staff like medical insurance, 401k, etc. I know it was a necessary thing when the church was small but now it should work to provide at least some of those things.

When we moved to where we are now I think 3 1/2 years ago I think the annual income was about $228,000 and is projected to be $2.6 million this year. We spend 20% on outreach / missions outside of our church and then spent $440,000 cash this year on our build out of the new Sanctuary next door. We are debt free but have substantial rent payments for the building. We hope to buy it but are trying to save cash to do so (about $5 million dollars needed for that).

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

No doubt! The same could be said of me by a lot of people.

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

I forgot to answer the barefoot queston. he is only barefoot or in sandals during the warmer months. As soon as it gets cold he will be preaching with shoes on! (he doesn't walk around the church barefoot but slips his sandals off when preaching as he is more comfortable)

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

AUTHENTIC WORSHIP
We believe that all worship begins and ends in a genuine encounter with the person and completed work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not just found in one or two scriptures, but through a personal walk and relationship with Jesus. We are a community dedicated to Christ's saving grace, constant repentance, baptism as a symbol and public profession of Christ's work, the indwelling & empowering of the Holy Spirit (the fruit and gifts), and the marriage of faith and works as the evidence of genuine salvation. We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Bible as the inspired word of God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
We believe that as Christ-followers we are strongest when we are pursuing Christ with other people. If we attempt to live the Christian life apart from intimate and genuine friendship and fellowship, we are more vulnerable to Spiritual attack and prone to deception. This is why we strive to create an environment in our small groups (Life Groups) where people are allowed to live transparent lives with one another and are safe to confess failures, struggles, and inconsistencies. Authentic community only happens when we give each other permission to be honest without fear of rejection. Life Groups exist to build relationships, discuss and learn the Bible in a small group setting, and give people the opportunity to pursue Christ together as a people united by His grace.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY SERVICE
We strongly believe in showing Christ's love through giving generously to our community. 20% of every dollar given to our church is given back to Murfreesboro through projects that directly benefit the city. 5,000, our homeless and low-income ministry, feeds breakfast at a local park every Sunday morning to those in need. The Bar ministry shows the love of Christ through serving hot dogs and water to individuals coming out of the downtown bars off of the square on Friday nights.

Through church wide community service projects such as Yard Day (where we landscape and mow our neighbors yards), Help Portrait (where we provide free professional portraits to families at Christmas time), and the Fall Festival, we work together to get outside of the church walls and show love to our friends and neighbors closest to us.

We also work with Doors of Hope, Salvation Army, Portico Pregnancy Support Center, and numerous other projects and organizations that benefit members of our community. We believe Jesus has called His church to clothe, feed, & care for those who are in need.

The above is our mission statement and I guess works as our "statement of faith".

By majors I believe the pastor means the primary foundational beliefs of Christianity (which I know differ from the foundational beliefs of old time Oneness Pentecostals). Such as belief that there is one God, Jesus Christ is the son of God, that God desired to reconcile man to him and did so through Jesus Christ being the perfect sacrifice for our sins, that we are saved by grace through faith, that the word of God is infallible, etc, etc. Things like that.

Be believe there is room within the church to disagree about prophecy, pre trib vs post trib, and a host of other things that ones salvation is not based on.

If you watch the video you will hear the primary beliefs of our church.

Re: Unconventional Church "Vision" Service
 

Wow so they or you believe old time Pentecostals are not Christians! Thats nice to know.