One of the difficult practices that has saved my bacon on more than one occasion—even though it is challenging to do—is that I’ve refused to be told by those who steward our church’s finances who it is that gives to our church financially, how much they give, and who doesn’t give. I simply can’t handle the knowledge. There are two …
One of my favourite places in the world is the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. It seems so remote now, requiring a journey from Glasgow by train, ferry, bus and another ferry to get there. Once however, when most long distance travel was done by sea, it was a thriving centre of spirituality and education. It …
A Tragedy “We don’t regularly take communion,” the pastor confessed with a confident tone of contemporary conviction. “Many weeks we just can’t fit it in.” These were the words I heard just before guest preaching at a large, influential church in a major American city. My soul cried. He was right. In addition to staples like the sermon and songs, …
“Theology is autobiography.” This short phrase, which I heard from a young divinity school student at Duke University, drifted through the classroom and forever cemented itself in my memory and understanding of my calling as a pastor theologian. He echoed the words of Frederick Buechner who said that “theology, no matter how abstruse, no matter how metaphysical and subtle, is an outgrowth of …
I’m glad to announce that Asbury Theological Seminary, one of V3’s partners, is introducing a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies with a specialization in Church Planting degree in the fall of 2014. The beauty of this degree is that it allows you, the practitioner, to remain in your city where you are planting, while you pursue your Master’s Degree. …
Several years ago when I started asking people What makes you feel close to God? The responses astounded me. Most people did not mention prayer or bible study. Their intimate encounters with God occurred not through reading the scripture or going to church, but through the ordinary every day activities that fill their days. Of course this is not an …
G.K. Chesterton’s All Things Considered is a collection of short columns written for the London Daily News in the years prior to World War I. One of the articles entitled “The Fallacy of Success” challenges the letter and the spirit of the how-to books Chesterton was finding on the shelves of his local book store. It is worth quoting at …
Are you heading to Inhabit Conference? Be sure to say hi to JR Woodward and Dan White, Jr. Hear’s a taste of what you’ll get at their talk “Subterranean: a relational rhythm for submerging into the neighborhood.” DAN WHITE – THE TWO QUESTIONS YOUR COMMUNITY SHOULD ALWAYS BE ASKING from The House Studio on Vimeo.
An illusion is an error in perception. Over time we subtly rename perception, “reality.” And it is not uncommon to believe we are living in God’s reality when we are actually steeped in personal illusion. The tragedy is that church planters are equally as susceptible to living in illusion as anyone else. I know I am. The 20th century, Serbian …
This article is based on my book, Creating a Missional Culture. Download a free chapter here. One of the most overlooked elements to making missional disciples is recognizing how the culture of our group shapes us. It either pulls us down toward our base instincts or lifts us up to our redemptive potential. We create culture and culture in turn …