PomoTheo – Missional Perspectives: Join the emerging missional conversation from Canada.
Bart Ehrman's popular 'Jesus Interrupted' is now coming out on paper back and I'm letting you know cause of some ulterior motives. You can read my original review here. You can also pick up a copy of Ehrman's book here. The real reason I'm bringing up this release is because I'll get my hands on another Ehrman book called 'God's Problem' which discusses the issue of theodicy (problem of good v. evil). Why is this important? More »
From pastors.com comes an article describing the most common mistakes church planters make that lead to failure. The list is nothing new (which is a bit unfortunate since it would be nice to see some innovation on church planting from the past 20 years), but it does beg a pretty obvious question: if the premise is true, that 1000s of churches are planted every year and 1000s fail, maybe we're doing the whole planting part wrong?
Their list reads like a strategic checklist for launching a new corporation/business. Everything is about tactics and strategies. There are so many things wrong with trying to get vocationally trained ministers to act like entrepreneurs and CEOs that it's NO surprise 1000s fail every year.
Perhaps 50% of the article had some merit, but the other half was a reflection of the attractional church model that struggles to maintain cultural significance. It's time we adjust the way we approach church plants. More »
I'll say what Bene Diction has articulated in his latest post about the scam CTS is running. Read his blog for more.
I was debating on whether to toss out a response to some questionable comments made by an attractional/mega church pastor in the States. I don't know much about him nor his church, and simply be blogging gives the issue more attention, but the comments forced me to offer something brief.
On the topic of discipleship Micheal writes:
Some of the most selfish Christians in the world are sitting in living rooms they call missional communities, while the world around them spirals out of control.
Sounds like he's hanging around some cranky missional minded people. More »
A huge opportunity is available especially to our attractional/traditional churches. Haiti had brought ordinary people out of the woodworks and into action. Others are looking for an outlet to help, express, and make sense of the calamity. What is your church doing about the devastation? Do you have a response? Are you only going to briefly mention Haiti in a blanket prayer to God during service? Will send people to your denominational HQ to give? Does it even change what you're going to do Sunday?
For most, Haiti will merely be a blip on the overall theme for our churches Sunday. It certainly will be mentioned, but the schedule of church (sermon series) won't be bumped by the plight of the poorest nation.
It shouldn't be like this, and I pray my description above the complete opposite of what your church is doing. More »
Mark Galli wrote a piece in Christianity Today musing about the future of the organic church movement. Although he's on the outside looking in (would have been better coming from someone who's actually participated in the movement), he does raise some interesting questions about the viability of the movement. I noticed in particular his thoughts on the current leaders of the various organic churches (whom cover a wide spectrum of 'church'), and echo his sentiments on the potential of losing many unhappy people in the future.
Organic church. The term is fluid, but it contains at least three ingredients: Frustration with the-church-as-we-know-it, a focus on people (vs. programs) and mission (vs. institutional maintenance), and a vision to transform the world.
Doug Koop, editor of Christian Week in Canada, offers his perspective on the emerging discussion surrounding the missional church. This is one of many videos on the missional church dialogue taken from the Renov8 congress in Calgary back in November.
As promised, here is the entire series of videos with Cam Roxburgh from the Renov8 Congress in Calgary (Nov 09). Cam is the national directory of Forge Canada and Church Planting Canada. Topics include missional church worship, differences between missional and conventional church, and some additional thoughts you'll appreciate after the jump (assuming of course you have any interest in the missional church dialogue). More »
Just to let you all know that I'm working on completing some more videos from the recent Renov8 conference in Calgary. We have more videos from Cam Roxburgh, a series with Joe Manafo (One Size Fits All? and thestory.ca), Nick Brotherwood, Doug Koop, and Scott Cripps. Stay tuned for the roll out in the next few days....and no I'm not an expert producer so they may look like junk but at least the content is rad (to me).
The Justice Project, Edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla, & Ashley Bunting Seeber, is a must have in the conversation of social justice for today's Christian audience. Thus far, this has been by far the most engaging and relevant book in theOoze viral blogger library, and certainly the one worth glowing reviews.
Enter the Justice League. The book is a collection of essays from a wide spectrum of writers and thinkers in the contemporary Christian ‘justice conversation,’ including voices from evangelical, mainline, and emerging contexts:
* Rene Padilla
* Peggy Campolo
* Will and Lisa Samson
* Sylvia Keesmaat
* Bart Campolo
* Lynne Hybels
* Tony Jones
* Richard Twiss
* many others
More »
