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 …
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 …
Telling the Easter Story: Unconventional How-Tos for Churches
Many years ago, we invited a friend to lead some simple music at the Easter service at a community center. He was early, so he sat outside strumming his guitar. The next-door neighbors heard our friend’s music and invited him into their home to play for them. He told them that he only knew how to play Christian music, but …
Place Based Community and The Necessity of Listening
“This community has changed a lot since I was a girl,” Beatrice explained as we sat on her front porch. “The library used to be just up the block. We used to have a grocery store and lots of things within walking distance.” “Where do you get your groceries now?” I asked. “Wherever I can get a ride,” she said. …
Turn Your Church Planting Models and Methods Inside Out
As I write this, I am on my way to a church planter assessment center where I will meet potential planters and be part of a process that helps them determine some best next steps regarding their church planting models and approaches. As I prepare to meet them, I am praying for wisdom, insight, and God’s best for each of …
Confessing Church Planter Guilt
I’ve been going at this church planting thing for a few years now. I must say that it’s taken more years off my life than my previous decade in ministry. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is a plethora of expectations pummeling a church plant. Many nights I’ve experienced myself tossing and turning over the projected …
Confession: How I Get Church Wrong
I have confessed that I have been guilty of three leadership assumptions that work against the missional work of God. In case you missed it, here are those assumptions (the more I confess, the better it is for my healing): We just need to find the right program. More is better. Hub-and-spoke leadership is effective for missional leadership. The truth …