Category: evangelism
-
When is a Group a Church?
Church planting lives in long seasons of in between, where it is unclear whether you are forming a group or shepherding a church. Clarity does not rush that process, it gives it direction and a trajectory, so this is the minimum I think has to be true before a group is a church.
-
Why Plant Churches
The question in Austin has shifted from why not plant a church to why we even need more of them. Austin is not a city saturated with churches, it is a city unevenly served, and the growth corridors out toward Kyle, Buda, Jarrell, and Elgin are among the least served of all. The hesitation underneath…
-
Gratitude for Partnership in the Gospel
Christian community is not built on consumerism but on covenant partnership, sustained not by preference but by promise. I used to teach at The Stone that we should aim for mission over community, and I have come to think that was short-sighted. What Paul commends in Philippians is neither one first, it is partnership in…
-
Why Multiplication Feels So Far Away
After nearly twenty years of praying for multiplication in Austin, I have come to think the barrier is not our structures or our strategies. The root is fear, and we seem to be really, really scared to engage. Multiplication is not a strategy to execute but a fruit that grows in the soil of healthy…
-
Parenting, Education and Mission
Recently, I was chatting with a member of our church who has been intentionally living on mission for several years amongst unreached people groups in Austin. He has children that are similar in age to mine, so we struck up a conversation about school. In that conversation, I was incredibly challenged by his faithfulness to…
-
Soccer and the Kingdom of God
I played soccer up until high school, and always enjoyed the game, so when it came time to put Micah into sports, soccer was a natural choice. After a few stints at the YMCA, we joined our neighborhood league and I volunteered to help coach our team. It’s been an interesting few weeks in the…
-
2012 Verge Talk – Who is the Missionary?
At Verge this year, I referred to the video above from Verge 2012 as the reason why we are pursuing missional communities. It’s a simple argument for the need for new forms to engage our cities with the gospel. What do you think needs to change about how we gather as the church?
-
Refreshing Perspective | The Blueprint
I’ve really enjoyed reading Jaeson Ma’s book The Blueprint: A Revolutionary Plan to Plant Missional Communities on Campus. Jaeson is certainly cut from a different theological tree than I am, but I have been challenged and refreshed by his perspective. The book is essentially broken down into three sections: Prayer, Evangelism, and Missional Community. The…
-
Lessons in Evangelism | Gentrified
Logan is doing a quick set of posts on Evangelism at Gentrified. Below is an excerpt: I am far from gifted in evangelism, if there was such a thing as ungifted that would be me, but I’ve learned that Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to “do the work of evangelist” likely means Timothy wasn’t either, but…
-
Evangelism | TheResurgence
A funny, yet very practical tidbit on evangelism from The Resurgence. This captures the main idea of of externally focused, gospel driven community: Click here to read