Vox Culture Pubs in Sacramento: The Mission

IMN Global Network
Eric Sweiven
IMN Senior Field Operative
Vox Sacramento
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When Alex initially explained to me the idea that was then Voxtropolis, I was immediately attracted to two parts of the vision. First, as an art/community center, Voxtropolis represented a way to earn a living without draining a church community as it’s “pastor.” Second, I was interested in the mission he expressed (God’s) and how a portal like Voxtropolis as a cultural pub can become a connection point for people who are desperately searching for God.

Voxtropolis represented a way where I (as a “church planter”) could become part of the community, NOT as a “pastor,” but as an Artistic Director or Community Activist or Director of Development. VOX was a way to step into the context of everyday life and begin to share life with others. VOX provided a venue to step into real-life situations and extend myself into the messy reality of human-ness. A quick overview of Bible personalities reveals stories about people in the workplace (not the religious establishment) making a difference and contribution to the world. I’ve found that the more I distance myself from being a “pastor” the more relevant and genuine I become to others. Let’s face it, pastors are probably the least relevant people out there!

Before hearing about Voxtropolis, I knew God wanted me to go and plant a church. I knew He was calling me out. But I really didn’t know what that meant. See I thought I understood the New Testament. I thought I understood what it meant to “go and plant a church.”

How does it work for us? The previous conversations have generated great questions, important questions about how we “evangelize.” I’m not sure that evangelize is the right word.

What if we rephrase the questions: As Christ followers, how are we being relevant to the lives of those searching for God? How does our community bring meaning and love to the city? How do we engage people outside our own comfort zones, people who may not agree with us, look like us or even think like us? How do we serve others in our cities? How are we making meaningful contributions to the world? These are the questions we ask ourselves.

The answers come in many ways, mostly we just get new questions. We’ve found that to be relevant we need to understand the culture. This is a hands-on process for us. We talk to people and listen to them. We admit we don’t have all the answers or a corner on creative ideas. We’re ready to get a little messy. We make mistakes, we take risks and through this process we make friends and encourage new, emerging artists to take the first steps toward a potential career in art. Along the way we invite them to join us.

Jesus’ example was to invite others to “follow me” — not to be come Christians. Then those he invited, left and went, not because he was God in the flesh, but because he called them out to do something significant. Only then, on the way, did they learn who he really was and his larger mission. There seems to be some sort of expectation that if we don’t immediately invite a person to be a Christian, then we are failing at evangelism. I propose we invite people to mission, share our lives and then allow Christ to reveal himself to people in his own way. Then I must be prepared to do my part as Jesus leads me.

We established our core values to be all about helping, caring, encouraging and empowering people. The hope is that as we move and invite others to join us, our core values will establish an environment that will bring Jesus to the top of all we do, his values, his passion, and his mission. Our community continually comments on the feel of VOX, how it is unique and different than other spaces and galleries. I believe this is all because of Christ living in us and though us, with our core values acting like an amplifier; the “feel” of VOX is not based on any stylish interior or amazing decorating ( we are proud of our eclectic look) but rather the very real and tangible presence of Christ at every event we host.

What do you think?

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