It's been a long time since I've been able to write a BLOG entry. You see, I'm really nervous about putting things out here on the web. I already really question and disagree with myself on some points in past BLOG entries.



But my site meter came back today and last week with well over 60 hits! That means that a lot of people are coming here to see what's going on, so:



GK Family:

This week we closed on the Chase Mission House- a huge funeral home in Northside, Cincinnati. This place will house the Ross Clan (2nd floor), the Weisses (1st floor), John Parran and his ministry machine of hospitality (third floor), and two foreign exchange students (third floor).

We will base the house meeting for the Church in the Great Room on the first floor, and love our neighbors and live out the call to passionate disciplemaking, there.



Northside is kind of divided into three parts:

1. the nice, historical houses--beautiful!

2. the downtown part--cool shops and coffee nooks! bohemian.

3. the 'hood-- blatantly urban in culture



We're on the far side of the 'hood, deeply embedded where we are. We are excited about the tough love of Jesus! His love was so cool! We're committed to modeling our lives and ministry after Him, living in connection with the Father for dailys...



Ross Family:

Judy and Lew saw a funny movie the other day about a girl who was thirteen that wished herself into her thirtieth year. very funny to me. I don't like chick movies, except for Sleepless..., and you've got mail, and Notting Hill, and... uh... the list goes on much farther than I care to admit...



Aaron and Seth are hilarious and trying as we homeschool and place foreign exchange students, and found a ministry, all out of our living room.



Seth is two and Blond and cute (somebody show me how to put pics in this thing!) and Aaron is blond and 9 years old. Not so cute anymore, he's learning how to be a kid. I think he is the one who is the most frustrated of us all, lately, between his school load and trying to ALWAYS be outside playing. He is a real leader among his friends.



The Church:

Well, I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. When people ask me how "your church" is going, I'm quick to say something that will highlight that: WE DON'T HAVE A CHURCH. We simply host The Church of Jesus in our home. We are equipping leaders in their gifts, as the gifts of Jesus to His Church to get us all mobilised in serving HIM...

And the ministry of hosting and equipping the Church is very pleasing to us. People are becoming active ambassadors. People are being strengthened and sent and healed and equipped.



We are always on the lookout for who's next and where the next God-meeting will be. I spend a lot of time in the coffee shops and campus area, dropping my net. We are feeling a pull in our hearts to love those who are cast aside by American Cultural Christianity. This brings our hearts to have a lot of room in them for Muslim people. We love them.



We have recently met a young man from Bahrain, Sunell. He is a true Believer and disciple of Jesus, the son of a southern Indian missionary to Bahrain. He loves deeply and has a great grasp on the truth. He is shacked up with JP, and joining with us to equip the saints here.



I also recently met a guy who was cut from the team of a local "ministry to the city". He was pushing the limit, insisting on loving the poor and the lost with integrity to the Gospel, not in word only. He told me, "There are a lot of people who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but don't preach the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached". That is, there is a lot of pinning the name of Jesus onto our religious ideas and trips, but not truly "teaching them to obey" Him.



This is what it's like out there, in American Cultural Religion Land. A gospel of Jesus in the Suburbs, driving his SUV out of his two-car garage, down to his church that serves starbucks... ouch. It's a gospel that affirms complacency and feeds our greed. It is so subtle. We are all so guilty. Daniel 7 has a great prayer for us all to pray. We're all inthis together! None of us is untouched by the sin of the Church in America.



Lew Ross grubbykupp@msn.com