Pentecost is coming. This celebration (May 15th) marks the end of the Easter season, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the infilling of Jesus’ disciples with the power to go out and change the world. Traditionally, many churches pray for the peace of our world at this time. In a world divided by culture, race, and social strata, Pentecost …
A Practical Guide to Having Missional Vision
Bill couldn’t wait to share the good news. He had just received word that a donor had offered five acres of beautiful, wooded land along with seed money for building a new church campus just outside the city. He would share the news at the elders’ meeting that night. As pastor of the downtown, inner-city church, Bill had struggled with …
The Difference Between Being Missional and Doing Good Works
What is missional? And how do we know if we’re doing it? Is missional just about good works done in the name of Jesus? Is it sharing the gospel? Or does it entail something deeper and more substantial? Charles is in leadership at a larger church south of the Mason-Dixon line and has been thinking and talking about how to …
How to Build Community: What the Real Cost Is
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you. -Romans 15:7 Building community is hard work. It takes intentionality and risk; requires energy and planning. And there is always the possibility of rejection as we put ourselves out there. However, making room for others in our lives is an essential practice for those in the community of faith. A Difference Between …
Knowing Where It's Worth Planting a Church
I am a product of privilege. In general, I expect to be acknowledged, treated with respect and to have my voice heard. I walk with confidence, use the language of a person who has had the opportunity for a good education, flash my insurance card that gets me good medical care and eat food, wear clothes, and attend events that …
How to Spot an Immature Evangelist and What To Do About It
“How to Spot an Immature Evangelist” is the third in a series of five articles on recognizing immaturity in fivefold ministry and what to do about it. If you have no idea what fivefold ministry is, check out Alan Hirsch’s brief descriptions here, or JR Woodward’s video introduction here. Missional church planting isn’t easy. You’re trying to grow something from the ground up …
5 Tips to Become a Place-Based Church
What if God is inviting us to let go of some of our defaults in order to join the Spirit in our neighborhoods? As those on the Neighbourhood Life (NL) journey in Edmonton attempting to do just that, we are discovering, among other things, a number of shifts in our thinking and doing that illustrates for us the new ways God …
4 Steps to Artistic Pastoring
Recently, a designer friend of mine and I started a creative collective called The [un]Commons. Through various conversations and connections, there seemed to be this common desire amongst creatives in our city to have a shared space to process the creative and artistic life, so we created this space as the premier space for this collective desire to be fulfilled, …
How to Practice an Everyday Resurrection
Easter is over. We have celebrated the Resurrection and many of us are back to life as usual. These pivotal days of our faith seem to make little difference in the way we live. It’s More than a Day In the church calendar, Easter is a season, not a day. It extends from Easter Sunday until Pentecost, this year celebrated on …
Restorying the World: Connecting in a Disconnected Age
British journalist George Monbiot has declared that we live in “the age of loneliness,” and despite all our technology, we live increasingly disconnected and lonely lives. So, what are we to do? How do we begin the work of restorying the world, of giving shape to new stories that help us live more connected and more meaningful lives? A Thread …