“We are shaped by our stories. And these stories, or narratives are running and (often ruining) our lives.” [James Bryan Smith][1] Discerning God’s direction in life is often messy and confusing. The stories that we have picked up in life often times do not serve us well. We need regular periods of silence to help us identify these stories, examine …
Normally we think of evangelism as a process of telling. We are proclaiming or sharing something. And it is that, of course, but I’ve become more and more convinced that effective evangelism starts with listening. Here’s the thing: most evangelism strategies focus only on the telling part. They help people figure out what to say, how to present, the right things to proclaim. One size does NOT …
If you’ve been planting a church for more than a couple weeks, you’ve probably already encountered a good deal of disillusionment. And if you haven’t felt disillusioned yet… well, just wait. Sorry if that sounds ominous. Disillusionment isn’t fun. You thought one thing and it turned out to be another. You had hoped that family would join the church and …
Half of my church plant is comprised of people who’ve never really grown up with a church community. We gather monthly, and at one service I had the audacity to experiment. I broke the room up into sections based on religious affiliation. (Admittedly, I probably won’t do this again.) Nonetheless, I had people move around to a space that fit …
What is a Mid-size Community? The Church is familiar with small groups but mid-size communities are another story. We need to explore an old but new vehicle for being present in the world, for the sake of God’s mission. Belonging is easier, missional engagement is higher, discipleship is laser focused, community is happening, and leaders are developed. This is the culture of …
The way Christians die is the most contagious aspect of what being a Christian means. – William Frazier a Maryknoll Priest I can’t help it, I just love starting new things. I always love getting in at the ground level of something new—molding, forming, and building. I don’t know how much of that desire stems from my days in the …
I recently talked with a church planting couple I used to coach, and they’re planning to shut down their church plant and move on to something new. This might seem like the worst ending to a church planting story, but I actually encouraged them in their decision. Sometimes the best thing to do in church planting is “brush the dust …
A few years ago, my wife and I were packing up boxes and preparing to move to a new home. We were just about finished but we still had to pack up a few boxes of miscellaneous decorative pieces in our living room. We ended up getting into a bit of an argument because I tried to pack a small …
Consumerism states that whatever dazzles us with words, with personality, with brilliant production, is worth our time. Churches have surrendered to this powerful inertia when they seek to find the relevant hot-spots for what people want, and then use them to design their worship gatherings. Many are questioning the use of these marketplace sensibilities. Is there another way forward? Is …
Scripture is quite clear about the Church’s responsibility to the foreigner: “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Lev 19:33-34); “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the …