Category: church
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When Planning Fails Churches
This quote from an article in Church Solutions Magazine adds some fuel to the fire from our conversations as a staff and implementing our strategy as a church. The statistics tell the unfortunate truth. Eighty-seven percent of American churches have either plauteaued or are declining in attendance. We can and should innovate until we are…
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Attractional and Missional | TheResurgence
Below is quote from a post a The Resurgence on the Attractional vs. Missional “debate”. People often set up attractional church and missional church as polar opposites. Attractional has a come-to-us mentality. It’s about drawing people to the church. Missional is a go-to-them mentality. We take the gospel to people, meeting them on their terms…
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Another Wells Excerpt
Another great selection from Above All Earthly Pow’rs by David Wells here. This is probably the best book I have read in the past two years…
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Top 3 Innovators @ Innovation3 | Catalyst
Matt Carter, our Senior Pastor, was named as one of the top 3 innovators at Innovation3 by CatalystSpace. Good stuff! Top 3 Innovators @ Innovation3 January 30, 2009 The Innovation3 conference was this week and it was cool. Did you go? There were over 100 speakers, but here are my Top 3 picks for most…
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Consumerism and the Church
A great quote from David Wells: Churches which preserve their cognitive identity and distinction from the culture will flourish: those who lose them in the interests of seeking success will disappear. In our churches we may have made a deal with postmodern consumers but the hard reality is that Christianity cannot be bought. Purchase, in…
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Missional Authors | The Forgotten Ways
This image from The Forgotten Ways has a great breakdown of some authors who have influenced my thinking. From: the missional family tree according to leadership journal : The Forgotten Ways.
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unChristian 6
The thesis of Chapter 6 is that Christians must move from being perceived as naive and disengaged (“Sheltered” is the title of the chapter) to informed and involved with sophisticated nuance. The creation of Christian subculture has done great damage to the overall integration within the culture at large, and therefore diminished influence and the…
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Gospel and Method | TheResurgence
As a minister in a megachurch focusing on assimilation where the ministry strategy is small missional community, I consistently wrestle with the tension of model. This article by Jonathan Dodson is a very helpful, short statement on the balance. Gospel and Method | TheResurgence.
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The Holy Spirit and the American Church
Just read thought provoking post at Church Planting Novice discussing history of the early church and the comparative deficiency in the American church of demonstrations of the power of the Holy Spirit. Give it a read and see what I had to say in response.
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unChristian 5
Chapter 5 is title “Anti-homosexual”, and the thesis of the chapter is that Christians must become known more for there love of individuals regardless of sexual brokenness, rather that against the sin itself. I understand the basic premise, and agree with the conclusions, yet the latter half of the chapter is subtitled “A Biblical Response”…
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Mission as organizing principle from The Forgotten Ways
This blog articulates well the idea of mission as central to small group and church sustainability. I consistently wrestle with the concept of assimilation into mission rather than ministry, and the most effective means to accomplish this end. I’m not sure I’m ready to abandon wholesale assimilation to ministry as a pathway to mission as…