Francis Chan Intro at Exponential 09

Reggie McNeal: Church is Not the Destination

The Great Emergence

An interesting interview giving insight into what is happening within North American Christendom. Word of caution: Don't confuse the use of the term Emergence with the organization Emergent Village, which is digging its own doctrinal grave. Emergence is descriptive, and can be likened to an Awakening.

I think it is an encouraging discussion for existing church leaders, that they might not be threatened, but embrace and encourage this thing God is doing through these new emerging leaders.


interview with Phyllis Tickle from Eugene Cho on Vimeo.

Biblical? Appropriate?

If not in church, where else can you go and hear this message?
Give me your thoughts on this interview?

Lessons Learned From An Atheist

Although prompted by other blog posts toward this article, I felt compelled to invite commentary as well. It is a refreshing read, and a ray of hope and encouragement for the church (as if I believed the gates of hell could withstand the progress of the true church). I couldn’t help but respond to Matthew Parris’ quandary:

It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

As a Missions/Outreach Pastor I wonder it is enough to only win the ear of the world that is living in disregard for the sacrificial love of Christ. Even those of us who have moved from the door-to-door proselytizing to a community service emphasis can be accused of do so with ulterior motives. Are missions less about evangelism and more about a no strings attached living out Kingdom principles? I heard Ed Stetzer once say, "A big part of the stagnation of the North American Church is that we've forgotten the discipline of missions...Evangelism is telling people about Jesus. Missions is understanding them before we tell them"

Peter encourages, Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope (1Peter 3:15). Should our evangelistic motive be to simply honor Christ with our life, while engaging in community development with the sole purpose of…well, developing community? Is it too idealistic to assume that the church has the capability to live in a Kingdom economy prophesied by the OT prophets: Jesus in His sermon on the mount? Is mission a no strings attached Christ-honoring life simply because His love for us compels us? Is a mission’s emphasis perhaps more a matter of our behavior, than it is trying to change someone else’s behavior? Parris continues…

It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.

In regards to faith, I don’t know if we’re not living in the most cynical culture in church history. Certainly in North America it is. Our service is accused of being accompanied an ulterior motive, to grow the church (local or universal). Unfortunately true and I am, as well, guilty as charged.  I don’t condemn any sincere attempt to bring Christ to a lost world. I do believe God honors any evangelistic method, even if in contempt. But there are more effective methods, and we have an obligation to be good stewards of the Gospel and to understand what is most effective. "Missions is understanding them before we tell them."

I’m privileged to have partnered with a small but growing mission organization over the years that exemplify these values. Students International provides ongoing community development to poor communities in Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Fiji, and a great classroom for this paradigm shift of thinking. They hope to soon expand to other countries like India, Armenia, and Cambodia. Teams intentionally spend daily time in bible study, prayer and Christ-centered community. However, the working emphases in the communities of need are ‘secular’ in nature. All the while the organization provides a year-round ongoing community service, by many who are nationals themselves.

A Missional mindset: honoring Christ with our lives by subjecting all things to Kingdom living, assisting the poor and needy for their development and one ulterior motive; not to grow the church, but to know Him. "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD. Jer.22:16

Your thoughts or comments?

Back to School

Well, I'm at it again.  In the effort to finally finish out my degree I enrolled for 2 online classes; Business Communication and Information Systems & Literacy.  I regret having to take 2 classes at the same time, but I really want to finish this thing by May 2009.  Needless to say, I won't be having much of a life with ministry, family, and now school again.  The cool thing is that 3 days after I finish in May I'll be leading a '20-somethings' team to the jungles of Costa Rica, both urban and Rural.  

One of my regrets is that I won't have time to read the books I really want to read.  I have a stack of books waiting for me to get to them.  I'm an avid but slow reader.  I'm still trying to finish The New Conspirators by Tom Sine and Built to Serve by Dan J. Sanders.  I'm hoping to finish these before the workload increases.  Thankfully I have been relieved of my responsibility as the Programming Director, so I don't have to put in the many hours that go into Christmas preparation.

Any suggestions to help maintain my resolve through May?

Leadership: Organizations Are Like Teams

"Organizations are like teams, and teams attract fans.  In fact, teams are composed of players and fans.  Players represent the team everyday of the week because, whether of not they are playing, they are still a part of the team.  Players are apprised of the team's strategies and tactics, know the 'playbook,' and take ownership of their role in the overall success of each play.  players wear the same uniforms of other team members, not one of their choosing.  The rely on one another for support, and they recognize and embrace their teammates' strengths.  They win together and lose together.  They exude camaraderie, loyalty, and unity.

On the other hand, fans are fickle.  If the team is winning, they are happy.  If the team is losing, they are unhappy.  Fans like to offer advise, yet the overwhelming majority have never played the game.  They wear whatever makes them feel good that day; they have even been known to paint their faces or wear costumes in hopes of catching a television producer's attention and getting two or three seconds on camera.  Fans are like outdoor pennants fastened to stadium poles-they flutter in the same direction as the prevailing breeze.

"Successful pro athletes focus on winning, not fans.  That is part of what makes them professionals.,

Organizations are similar; only the problem is worse.  In organizations, fans actually infiltrate the team, interfering with the players' focus on getting the job done.  Often, they dress in the same uniform as the players, so security cannot readily differentiate between players and fans.  In organizations, fans attend meetings, and make sales calls, prepare reports, and even claim job titles, but they are nothing more than impostors-fans masquerading as players."

Excerpt from Built to Serve, chapter 4 "Knowing Players From Fans" - Dan J. Sanders (pp. 76, 79)

What stands out to me most in the illustration is the statement "Successful pro athletes focus on winning, not fans.  That is part of what makes them professionals."

To follow with the illustration, I see 2 pitfalls in the area of leadership that can destroy organizational unity and effectiveness.

1.  Listening to the fans.  Letting the fans influence direction, strategy, what plays to call and who runs them, etc., cuts the legs out from under the players.  This action causes the leader (coach) to lose credibility with the players, reduces the motivation and morale of the workforce, and dissolves the team component which then detracts fans.  Remember the statement at the beginning of the excerpt?  "Teams attract fans."

2.  Forcing players into the stands.  Sometimes leaders (coaches) can force players into the stands by not seriously considering the value of their input and expertise.  Treating the player like a fan.  The natural response for the player is to begin operating like a fan, independent from the team, isolated and critical.  The leader in turn begins accusing the player of being insubordinate and not 'team oriented': a response created and initiated by the leaders themselves.  Again, it is a team that attracts fans.

Comments?