What do 105 churches planted in one of the most post-Christian cities in the U.S. have to teach us about the new thing God is doing in our time? Join Rev. Dr. Christopher James, Associate Professor of Evangelism and Missional Christianity at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, as he unpacks five actionable findings from the groundbreaking research behind his book, Church …
If you took a tally on what Jesus talked most about, we would see that his conversations were oriented around one thing: the Kingdom of God. He connected how the Son of Man is connected to the Kingdom of God, who is a part of the Kingdom of God, and what the Kingdom of God is like. And he told …
Glory. It’s a word in the Christian tradition that most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, skip right over. We sort of have a framework for what it means to “give glory to God,” which is akin to praise, honor, and worth, but apart from sing-song words, we don’t really know what to do with it — particularly when …
A 6-week Immersion in How Jesus Used the 4 Spaces of Belonging to Make & Multiply Disciples w/ JR Woodward & Eun Strawser About this Immersion Do you know if the life of your church helps to grow CONSUMERS or DISCIPLES? Have current church structures frustrated you? Are you looking for concrete and practical ways to multiply disciples that uses …
There’s no need to revisit the history of how we got where we are today. We know all the facts surrounding COVID and the struggles that churches are facing in the midst of the pandemic and shutdown. Some of you reading this are dealing with these tensions on a daily basis and my heart truly goes out to you. Almost …
COVID-19 is helping write endless questions right now. But I’m guessing yours sound something like this: How are we supposed to curate a community that can’t commune? What are the best ways to maintain ecclesial rhythms online? How do I best keep my community connected as we journey a forced disconnection? What do we do when we’re able to have …
There’s a story from American folklore that Henry Ford, after launching the Model T, declared consumers could pick any color they wanted…so long as it was black. To me this sounds like the same approach Christian worship has taken. It comes in basically one color. There are two main versions: sing songs and listen to a preacher, or follow some …
A couple weeks ago I woke up, ate breakfast with the family, and walked my son to elementary school. From there, my 3-year old daughter and I walked to the local cafe, as we usually do. After properly caffeinating, I responded to a few emails, texted a new friend to hang out, and got to know the person sitting next …
The year was 250 CE and Rome found itself facing, invaded even, by a different kind of enemy. It was not an army it could simply defeat on the battlefield, but a plague that swept through parts of the empire. Most historians think the invader was akin to Smallpox or Bubonic Plague, based on the early descriptions of symptoms. Whole …
In a previous post I discussed why new plants (or any church for that matter) should have neighborhood presence as a central identity piece. Easier said than done. There are challenges to make this reality including: leaders who are figuring it out themselves, no active connection to the neighborhood, superficial relationships, or unrecognized activity. Sometimes we need help to turn …