The beginning of planting our first church was a time of passionate vision, excitement about possibilities and anticipation about what God would do through our emerging community. Dallas Willard’s quote about the church and discipleship stirred our hearts: We must be disciples, we must intend to make disciples, and we must know how to bring people to believe that Jesus really is …
You Won't Like Everyone in Your Church Plant, and That's Okay
I was talking with a first-time church planter about how things were going. As we were talking about some of the difficulties he was facing, he blurted out, “I just don’t like the people who are coming to my church! I wouldn’t choose to hang out with these people, and it’s hard to create a community with people you don’t enjoy hanging …
When Clinton and Bush Go to Church…Together
A few years back I had two separate events occur in the same month that started an inner storm in me. First, I had a parishioner, dear to me and dear to others, decide to leave. The circumstances around her departure have left me scratching my head ever since. She kindly shared with me, “Dan, I don’t feel safe in this …
Pearl Jam, Prophets, and Their Importance to the Church
The other day, while driving to some meetings a couple hours away, I was thrown back to my high school days when an early Pearl Jam song came on the radio. As I listened to the once billboard-charting tune “Jeremy,” I heard the pain of a generation ringing through the intricately woven lyrics. Later, after a quick Google search, I …
We Must Prepare for Change—and Opportunity
We begin 2017 by racing into a new decade that is likely to change at warp speed. As a consequence, leaders in our churches need to learn from the business world how to prepare for change and anticipate a host of new challenges before they arrive so that we all have lead time to create new and innovative responses. One …
A Place-Based Missional Learning Experience
Our friends at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary have created a place-based missional learning experience any serious church planter can benefit from: The Graduate Certificate in Church Planting and Revitalization. The Graduate Certificate in Church Planting and Revitalization forms pioneer leaders attentive to God and God’s world. Participants will learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and their communities, they will practice leading teams in …
The Striking Disconnect Between Knowing and Doing
The pastor asked an earnest question: “Why don’t we do this?” The teaching had been compelling. He was stirred, convicted, convinced. Of course, love of neighbour is central to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Of course, care for the communities where God has placed us is a reflection of God’s Kingdom’s desire—human flourishing, the redemption of …
4 Keys to Individual and Congregational Disciple Making
It’s the beginning of a new year, and, like many of you, I am wondering how to grow both my own faith and that of those I disciple over the coming months. Sometimes I think we get it all wrong. We want to tell people how to live without really asking them about their lives. We unwittingly add to their …
UK’s Innovative Church Planting Edge
Ash Barker welcomed me at the door of the Newbigin House in Birmingham, England. As I entered this enormous house, Anji, his wife, handed me a large mug of coffee. I walked into a huge living room and was greeted by two alpacas, three lizards, seven adults sipping coffee and a half a dozen kids playing hide-and-seek behind the furniture. …
The Christmas Hospitality Challenge
We are in the midst of one of the most festive seasons of the year. Family gatherings, church pageants and Christmas feasts are all around us. Yet, in the midst of it all, it is easy for us to forget the real meaning of hospitality and the commitment it calls us and our churches to. Ancient Hospitality Hospitality in ancient …