Mark Boone’s Chapel and My Bible Study Group

Posted on by March 14, 2017avatar

"We will build an underground chapel, carved from granite, for prayer, meditation and everyone."-Mark Boone

I thought I might share with you one of the unique features of my small group that has been together since 2002. We met in one church and now we attend different churches. We have been together through the death of a dear member as well as family members, the marriages of children, serious illnesses, etc. We all share the responsibilities of teaching in this group (including women). However, we usually get together at the home of Mark and Joanne Boone. Can you imagine hosting the lot of us year after year? They do it with a smile.

We support each other in job changes as well as projects. One couple in this group helped my son with his Eagle Scout Project. Now, Mark has a project. As usual, it is a selfless goal, something that is a hallmark of the entire Boone family.

I do not post this to raise money. Instead, I wanted to demonstrate how groups develop their own dynamics.

Mark told me that it his hope that this chapel will be available to those who have been abused. He plans to set it up as a place of meditation as well as for gathering. This will be on his own property, the place where we gather for our group meetings. However, it will be open to the public as a place of peace and meditation.

Here is an overview. Without Mark, I am not sure our group would have held together. He is one committed sort of guy. Now you get a chance to meet him.

Mark Boone's Ebeneezer Chapel–Underground Origins & 3,000 Yr Vision… from Mark Boone on Vimeo.

Here is a link to his page at Indiegogo.

Comments

Mark Boone’s Chapel and My Bible Study Group — 24 Comments

  4. Dee,

    This story is a ray of sunshine in a storm of church abuse cases. Thank you for this sweet story.

    I know you’ve frequently talked about your Bible Study group, still strong after fifteen years. That is just awesome.

  5. Less frivolously… I love this. It won’t be easy to do – granite is a proverbially hard material – but it’s great when people dream of something worthwhile that others will benefit from.

    Oddly enough, it made me think – our own dream is for “god’s jobcentre” and it occurs to me that it, too, may need some form of space in which stressed-out, impoverished, excluded people can come and simply find peace. Peace is underrated.

  8. ” …. it his hope that this chapel will be available to those who have been abused. He plans to set it up as a place of meditation as well as for gathering. This will be on his own property, the place where we gather for our group meetings. However, it will be open to the public as a place of peace and meditation.”

    the link was interesting to watch, and I got the feeling that the underground place to pray might be something like it was for the early Christians who prayed in the catacombs underground at the burial sites of their dead …… peaceful and thoughtful in the midst of a natural setting

    that this man has this vision of something to share with others is lovely, and I hope it proves to be a blessing for him and for many who can come there to pray

  10. This man has a vision. Scripture says that “Without a vision, the people will perish.” The church used to have more men and women who acted on what they sensed from God to merge heavenly visions into the Kingdom of God on earth. The organized church has become stale and exhausting because we have settled into religious tradition without fresh vision. I pray that Brother Boone will live to see this revelation become reality.

    Dee, you are blessed to know this family and to study Scripture with them. I am encouraged for you.

  11. @ Max:
    is possible God give to each of us some kind of gift for us to unpack and allow to unfold in this world in order to bring blessing to share with others ….. whether it’s a vision or a talent, or just a gift of compassion for someone less fortunate that we are privileged to help in some way

    that this man’s understanding was that he wanted to help abused people with this project says much

  12. Christiane wrote:

    God give to each of us some kind of gift for us to unpack and allow to unfold in this world in order to bring blessing to share with others

    Amen. Too many church folks allow the cares of this world to get in the way of unpacking what we’ve been given.

  15. Beautiful idea. I hope it comes to fruition. But, I get the feeling that the chapel is already there ……. it just needs the building.

  16. Nancy2 wrote:

    But, I get the feeling that the chapel is already there ……. it just needs the building.

    You put it so well, Nancy2!

  17. Dee Thank you for letting the Warburg Watch faithful know about Ebenezer Chapel. Nancy2 put it correctly. The chapel is already there. God completely formed the 3000 foot layer of granite under the ground here. Our job now is to reveal the interior space by excavation. People will then be able to see God’s creation up close in a way that will be fresh and inspirational. Every church that has ever been built has been crowd funded. I am not aware of any worship structure that has been crowd funded on the Internet. I think it woud be exciting to see the same technology that allow us to interact with each other on this blog be used to create Ebenezer Chapel. The whole project will cost about $5 million. If this idea were shared with enough people construction could start this Spring.

    I go inside the chapel in my mind on a daily basis. I can’t wait to go into the rock in person. The Indiegogo link for crowd funding is https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ebenezer-chapel-an-underground-sanctuary-meditation-architecture#/

  18. I’m taking something of a liberty here, and Deebs/GBTC are cordially invited to delete this comment.

    But I propose a small challenge to Wartburgers.

    As I type this, it will be the 17th comment on this thread (there may be someone else composing a comment simultaneously somewhere else). Now, obviously, some threads attract more comments than others and there are undoubtedly many reasons for this. But, just as there are sociopaths – wolves, to use a biblical metaphor – prowling around the church and killing off the sheep when they can, there are also believers, in step with the Holy Spirit, doing things that reflect honour on their King. This is another Christian Trend worth Dissecting.

    Can we break the magic 500 with, broadly, inspirational stories about believers who aren’t famous, shepherds who actually lay down their lives for the sheep and not vice versa, and actions that all christians (with or without a church-funded paycheque) can in principle actually emulate?

  20. Fabulous idea. When I am in Raleigh next (first week in July?), I would love the opportunity to see where this will be and visit the spring. I am a fan of springs.

  21. What an amazing idea! A place for drawing near to God’s creation, a place for healing. Would be so welcome in this world. Thanks for sharing this, it encouraged my soul.

  22. This is such a wonderful idea! I would love to come and sit quietly and a wonderful place like this. Well thought out Mark Boone. May God prosper your plan.