filling the spaces God gives us with the love of Christ.
INITIATIVE OBJECTIVES
Through considering & examining the spaces in our lives (our time, resources, homes, and church life), our vision is to cultivate a deeper connection to Christ & others in which we will experience:
every heart filled with the glory of God & the love of Christ
every home filled with equipped disciples
every seat filled with recipients of the Good News in word & deed
MAKING SPACE
In order to fill the spaces God gives us with the love of Christ, most of us likely need to make some space. God’s created order of time is good, but our disordered relationship to time can make it difficult to manage everything. Most of us regularly feel as though our plates are already full. If this describes you, it may be helpful to start by identifying what occupies space in your life and asking God to help cleanse & refine.
Maybe it’s cutting down on social media & entertainment screen-time for a season. It may look different for everyone! The most important thing could be to seek uninterrupted time in God's presence to help lay aside the weight of distraction, busyness and hurry.
FILLING SPACE
As we explore ways to create space in our hearts & homes, or assess space that already exists, we long to be diligent in filling those spaces with relationships & resources that can fill us with the love of Christ.
We believe that Connections are Commonplace: the reality that Commonplace exists to connect us to Christ & others, and the hope that these connections will be ‘commonplace’ (e.g. ordinary, every-day, second-nature).
Here are some resources that we hope will help you get started:
1. PERSONAL “SPACE FILLERS”
Connecting with God
Prayer
“Pray without ceasing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is a fundamental way we can personally, relationally connect with God. We have limited copies of Praying The Bible by Donald S. Whitney for those looking for an extra resource on praying through Scripture!
Request a copy HERE
People
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1
Connect Groups are a key aspect of our church community. Regardless of our spiritual maturity or knowledge of the Bible, we all need community. Anyone and everyone is welcome!
We meet in smaller groups to connect deeper with Christ and with our community. To live spiritually integrated lives together. To pursue the joy of being known. Just doing life together! Most groups meet on a weekly basis with sermon-based materials from the Scriptures we study together on Sunday mornings.
Playlists & Podcasts
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” - Colossians 3:16
Here are some playlists that we have curated to help you fill your space with praise & worship!
a playlist of our songs in our current Sunday service rotation.
a playlist of our songs that play before & after Sunday service, and music we love!
Practices
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105”
Practices including Scripture reading, hospitality, generosity, fasting, solitude & more are all great ways to intentionally clear our space of distraction and fill it with God’s presence!
Visit the Church Center app and sign up for the Fill This Space - Resources Group for access to recommended reading, devotionals & more!
A list of recommended reading plans as well as a one-year Bible reading plan starting January 2025 are coming soon!
Here are some other helpful resources on spiritual practices:
2. COLLABORATIVE “SPACE FILLERS”
Connecting others with God
The 637 circles represent the current seating capacity of Mt. Olive Middle School - 637 seats. Part of our goal is to fill each one of these seats with a recipient of the Good News of the Gospel in word & in deed.
The 637 circles also represent John 6:37, a verse that aligns with our vision & mission: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
Being Intentional: The first way we can take steps to achieve this is filling the spaces that already exist! This is an invitation to those that already call Commonplace their church home to come together, draw near in proximity on Sunday mornings & beyond to fill the existing gaps in the room.
Being Invitational: The second way we can take steps to achieve this is to extend the invitation to those outside of our Commonplace family. To love our neighbors as ourselves.
More resources on how to share the Gospel and be invitational are coming soon!
HOW DOES THIS INITIATIVE ALIGN WITH OUR VISION & MISSION?
every heart filled with the glory of God & the love of Christ
every home filled with equipped disciples
every seat filled with recipients of the Good News
OUR CORE VISION IS THE SAME
Our vision is to see the people of Commonplace:
Glorify God
Equip Disciples
Share the Good News of Jesus