“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, …
Whom God Sends
Over the last several years, I (and many others) have spent a great deal of time pondering Luke 10:1-12. We have noted how Luke’s context is similar to our own. We have wrestled with how counterintuitive, how countercultural the instructions to the seventy-two “sent ones”—and us—are. The following prayerful ponderation has come out of such dwelling on this text—actually, on …
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 …
Let’s Get Creative For Lent
Lent is the forty-day period before Easter that commemorates Jesus’ sojourn in the wilderness in preparation for the launch of his ministry. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare for baptism. Today, it is usually regarded as a season of soul searching, privation, and repentance. It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Maundy Thursday. …
New Year’s Resolutions as a Spiritual Discipline
It’s that time of the year when we all resolve to be better people, look after ourselves more, or just plain commit to doing things we have not previously had time to do. Most of us know that the resolutions we make will not be kept. By Valentine’s Day, we will have forgotten, discarded, or just plain ignored them. To …
Top Posts of 2015
V3—Equipping you to start a movement. At the end of each year we revisit resources and posts that aided our church planters and helped us continue to build this dynamic, missional movement. This past year saw an excellent variety of posts that dug deep into strategies, spiritual practices, leadership pitfalls, and shared authority to name a few. We’ve assembled the most-read …
HURRY! Sign Up for Activating Missional Communities Before Jan. 2 Deadline
V3 Movement partners Forge America and Asbury Seminary are collaborating to offer an exceptional opportunity for missional church planters this summer–Activating Missional Communities. Part of Asbury’s Doctor of Ministry Program, Activating Missional Communities will be taught by Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch, Scott Nelson, and other notable faculty. The application deadline is Jan 2. Only fifteen applicants will be accepted. Now is the time to take advantage of this incredible, …
15 Quotes That Will Help You Remember the Mission of Christmas
Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weaknesses and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself if you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; …