The following post was written by Tracy Mueller. She’s a part of Austin Mustard Seed, a V3 Church Plant that Practices the Way of Jesus for North/Central Austin, Texas. We republish it here to give you a tangible idea of what a V3 church is like. “Peace comes when we share our home.” I’ll be honest – I didn’t catch 100 percent …
Discipleship: Compatibility is a Two-Way Street
In the world of technology, there’s a very simple (yet in reality very complex) concept called “compatibility.” For example, there are certain apps that work on iphones, but if you try to use them on an android…good luck…it won’t work. While most people’s geek quotient (or “G.Q.”) is not high enough to explain why this reality exists (I am one …
JR Woodward's Ice Bucket Challenge
The ALS Ice bucket challenge is for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS has raised 62.5 million from July 29th to August 23rd, which is quite a bit more than last year during that same time period – 2.4 million. Since I was challenged by two people I get to challenge six people. My challenge goes out to Alan …
Five Points of Bitterness Common in the Missional Church
Forging communities on mission has been a refreshing and exhilarating experience. I’m a strategist and futurist by nature, so I have the propensity to convince myself I’ve sized up all the challenges that will come my way, before they come my way. There was one issue that I was not prepared to run into so regularly and widely… bitterness. Over and over …
Four Rhythms I Learned from Jesus
My forty–first birthday was one I would rather forget. I spent it flat on my back in a hospital thinking I was dying. During my long recovery, I wondered: “Could I have avoided this?” My body was rebelling at the abuses of my fast paced, high stressed lifestyle. My life was out of sync with God’s rhythm and I hadn’t …
Don't Lose Those Brilliant Shower Ideas!
God and I have a little game we play with each other. Truth be told, I think it’s more of a game that God plays with me, and it’s called “You’re not as necessary as you think you are.” Here’s how it works: Often, when I preach and I think it goes well and I had good things to say, the …
This is the Church's Burning Bush
“God said, ‘Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. I’ve seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their groans. I’ve come to help them. So get yourself ready; I’m sending you back to Egypt.’ (Acts 7:33, 34) I’m sending you back I’m sending you back?! Why did that phrase catch my attention? I …
Three Mistakes Visionaries, Idealists and Optimists Make (and how to avoid them)
One of the most palatable tensions in any community of faith is between the past experiences of the community and the future vision for where the community “ought” to go. The arc of the scriptural narrative reveals that although things are not as they were created to be. In Christ, God is making all things new. Theologians have attempted to …
How to Pray for a Foreclosure
One of the best ways to love a community is to pray for it. Some church planters do this by prayer walking, and organizing regular prayer walks. On the ground is great! Other planters drive around communities, praying (eyes open) as they go. There are places where God has called me to drive up a hill that overlooks a neighborhood …