Ministry's Most Commonly Forgotten Secret

My week had been particularly hectic, stressful and busy. But honestly, so had the week before! After thinking more about it, I realized that actually we hadn’t taken a day off in more than a few weeks now. Things just kept popping up. I’d say to myself, “This is just a season. It’s how it is now, but it won’t always be …

5 Good Decisions I Made as a Planter

Of course it’s helpful to reflect on mistakes, especially if it will help prevent new ones, or if it can be an instructional tool to those follow after you. With grace, we reflect on those things, and we learn from them. But every now and then, a decision stands the test of time. Here are five good decisions I’ve made …

5 Lessons from the Front Lines of Church Planting

I am the last person anyone would expect to become a church planter.  I grew up in the traditional church, majored in Religion at a denominational college, went to a denominational seminary and served three churches around the country as an ordained pastor.  This was going to be what I did for my entire career, but God had other plans, …

4 Church Planting Mistakes I've Made

I don’t like making mistakes. I’d rather do things well the first time, and get praised for it. Who wouldn’t? But of course I’ve made mistakes. I’ve planted a couple missional churches where we sought to root our work in discipling people into participating in God’s mission, and then multiplying from there. All throughout this journey, up until this very moment, …

6 Tips for Celebrating Earth Day

It’s time to get ready for Earth Day. This important celebration April 22nd, is often neglected by our churches, but I think should be at the forefront on our yearly rhythms. God created us from the earth and for the earth. In Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating, theologian Norman Wirzba says: When we become strangers to the earth …

The Missional Potential of the Five-Fold

Find out more about the Learning Cohort 2017 here:  This is JR Woodward explaining what God’s design might mean for you and your ministry. The five-fold method uses Ephesians 4 to show a beautiful outline for what our gifts could be for the church. “People aren’t given the gifts; they are the gifts.” Ephesians 4:7 shows a five-fold ministry profile, composed of apostles, …

Do Over: 5 Church-Planting Fixes

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about do overs.  Any baseball fan knows that you often wish you could get another pitch.  In golf you call it a mulligan and take a dropped ball. In a great game of Horse, you may even take a second shot.  If you’re specifically a Cleveland sports fan you wish you could have a …

Finding Home in Your Neighborhood

What does it mean to be at home? That question is difficult for many, especially those who have been affected by political turmoil, those called on to serve in wars, those who are uprooted and transferred as refugees into societies with mixed feelings about their presence. Here’s Dan White Jr, co-author of The Church as Movement, discussing his experience in Kenya working …

Pain with Poise: Learning to Suffer Well

So, in my last blog I shared my difficulty in accepting this current season in my life, and how it’s pushed me to re-embrace a theology of suffering. Our culture, like most cultures, rejects suffering, because of our propensity to be in control, reject trust and dependence on God and interdependence with each other. Like Peter, we take our suffering …

Watch: Understanding the Missional Community

Maybe you’ve already seen the previous posts where Dan White was able to speak about a few elements of his co-authored book with JR Woodward. (If not, it’s available to watch for free here.) This week, JR Woodward is bringing a good word, centering our missional values with a reminder that at His heart, God is a missional God. Don’t …