In the scriptures we see examples where Christ prayed through the night. A friend challenged me to try the same thing. I had never cultivated this as a practice (although once or twice in a trial I prayed through the night) but the thought got stuck in my brain and kept simmering. Eventually I had the opportunity to visit a …
God’s spirit is awakening us to the beautiful mess of being a diverse church together. Everybody seems to be talking about being a Multi-ethic church. But what does that mean? Are we using consumeristic tactics to build multi-ethnic churches? Is this leading to a new colonialism rather than shared-life in community? We need to move beyond cool church practices and dive deep into neighborhood-rooted …
The design of a space is never neutral; it always communicates some specific value. For example, what does it say about someone’s values if they set their living room T.V. off in a corner, while all the furniture is turned towards a window looking out into the backyard? The way a room is set up communicates certain values. Physical spaces …
As a kid growing up in Southern California, I spent a lot of time in the water. I loved the adventure of swimming in the ocean and the challenge of making it out to the recreational buoys and back again. They were just far away enough to feel a little dangerous. Maybe it was the hard work of swimming or …
You’re a church planter. You’ve been working on your vision documents for months. You’ve been spending lots of money having coffee and meals in your home with potential team members. You finally feel like you’re gaining some momentum. It seems that this is the culmination of a lot of things God has been doing in your life for years, and …
When I moved to California to plant a church I knew that I needed to have some kind of goal. I didn’t want that goal to be one that measured how fast we would grow numerically because I felt like that would put unhealthy pressure to grow at any cost and, potentially, hijack the vision for the church. But I …
WE NEED A UNITED VOICE. One that understands from experience, the plight of communities of color and seeks to channel that understanding to make lasting positive change. The Voices Conference experience is created by leaders of color for leaders of color. The marginalized and isolated need a space for collaboration and communal support. V3 is delighted to sponsor The Voices Conference …
Some church planters want to go “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (the title of the second pilot episode of the Star Trek television series). If you would prefer to go with something biblical, try the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 15:20: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I …
When forming a leadership team in your church, choose non-representative governance! WHAT??!! This statement may seem scandalous for those who live in a representative democracy, and certainly, most leadership teams combine members representing either departments (adults, children, worship, outreach, etc.) or segments of the congregation. Yet, in my book, Made to Flourish: Beyond Quick Fixes to a Thriving Organization, I …
I remember the first morning I woke up after I had moved to Syracuse, NY. My family had spent the previous year discerning the Spirit’s voice with friends, family and our faith community. My wife and I had served in full-time vocational ministry for 15 years, and we were sensing a growing call to start a new faith community in …