on the bus – mobile blog
Posted by Todd Engstrom in missions on March 15, 2009
i hopped on a bus this morning at 430 am with 30 students from the austin stone to head to mephis. we are working with an organization there called service over self, a ministry dedicated to urban renewal through home repair. they are located in the binghampton neighborhood of memphis (google search it to find out more), and god has certainly done some amazing things through sos and the other ministries there.
i am genuinely excited for students to gain exposure to the ministries in the neighborhood, and praying that god will change the course of lives this week and call each one of us on the trip to radical obedience. please pray that our week would drive us to cling to the gospel more fully, and that christ’s love would flow out from that.
also, please pray for our students who are serving in the st. john’s community in austin this week as they put on a day camp for children in the neighborhood. pray that god would use them powerfully!
Ethereal Thought Train Review
Posted by Todd Engstrom in review on March 13, 2009
Here’s a review of some of my favorite and your favorite posts from the last month:
- The highest hit rate came from Coffee Kills. This post had absolutely no content or thought, which tells me that by and large most people could care less about what I have to say…maybe I need to rethink this blog.
- God struck me with gospel driven forgiveness in Forgiveness in Marriage as I was preparing for Nearly/Newly Wed, and it struck a chord with some readers as well.
- Attractional and Missional generated some great discussion about missiology and ecclesiology in mega and micro church contexts.
- God used Scriptural Election: The Third Way to shape some language for me about the doctrine of election.
- We have some pretty awesome students at The Austin Stone Community Church (Clay got published in Relevant, Jackie got recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative and is highlighted by MTVu, almost 1000 students came to The Austin Stone on Campus, and Andrea headed to North Africa)
Thanks for hanging with me, and I hope you enjoy the next few months of Ethereal Thought Train.
The New Calvinism | TIME
Posted by Todd Engstrom in christianity, theology on March 12, 2009
Time has added “New Calvinism” to its top 10 ideas changing the world right now.
Although the article leaves a bit to be desired in how it paints the basic foundations of the Reformed faith, it highlights the growing influence in Evangelicalism that the Doctrines of Grace are having.
As a person transformed by these great doctrines, and as a minister in a church body who teaches these doctrines, I pray that sound biblical teaching would continue to grow in influence in the Church.
Check out the Time Article here.
Choosing Who to Mentor | Touchpoint
Posted by Todd Engstrom in discipleship, leadership on March 11, 2009
The more I read David Watson’s Blog, the more I am enjoying his insights. He has some excellent words in a post about who to choose and mentorship/discipleship, and what he looks for before investing in someone.
His six points of evaluation are below:
- Christ-like
- Christ-centered
- Character
- Capability
- Competency
- Capacity
- Chemistry
Read how he expands on these points here.
This is a great framework for leaders as they seek to reproduce themselves in ministry. I continue to pray that God would use the men that I am investing in to advance His kingdom, and ultimately they would be faithful to reproducing reproducers (2 Timothy 2:2).
Preparing Young Men to be Husbands | Pure Church
Posted by Todd Engstrom in marriage on March 10, 2009
This was a great thought from Voddie Baucham’s book What Must He Be…If He Wants to Marry My Daughter on preparing young men for marriage (via Pure Church).
Imagine a family who did not prepare their children for college. This would be unthinkable in today’s world. Everyone prepares their child for an academic future. Day-care programs boast about the head start they will give children in their “academic careers.” We buy houses in neighborhoods with “the best schools.” Beyond that, many families place their children in expensive preparatory schools, enduring tremendous financial burdens, incurring debt, and commuting hours each day in an effort to give their children an edge in that all-important race for the apex of academia.
However, little thought is given to preparing our sons to be husbands. Thus, they meander through life without the skills or mind-set necessary to play this most important role until one day, having met “the one,” they pop the question, set a date, and—in the rarest of cases—go to the pastor to learn everything they need to know about being the priest, prophet, provider, and protector of a household in four one-hour sessions. In the words of that great theologian Dr. Phil, “How’s that workin’ for ya?”
via Pure Church: Are We Preparing Boys and Young Men to Be Husbands and Fathers?.
As I am involved in ministering to nearly and newly married couples, I am acutely aware of the deficiency of many men, myself included, in effective spiritual leadership of the home. I am grateful for the mentors in my life who have shaped my marriage, and pray that I will set an example of being a godly, biblical husband (Ephesians 5:25-33) for my son and the men to whom I am called to minister.
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