Archive for category Emerging Church
Book Review: The Hole In Our Gospel
Posted by John in Book Reviews, Emerging Church, Kingdom Building on August 9, 2009
by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision
There’s a few books that I read on a regular basis each year that continue to inspire me:
Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson
A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech
As I read those books, they constantly remind me of various concepts about God and creativity that I never want to forget. I’ll be adding the book The Hole in Our Gospel to this select group simply because it is one that reminds me of what the church should look like.
I had a difficult time reading this book, not because it was a difficult read, but rather because as I read it various people were brought into my life that I felt I needed to share the book with. I gave my first copy of the book away to a denominational leader because he asked to read it. I loaned my second copy of the book to a friend so that he could read it. I bought a third copy of the book for a visiting speaker. And I finally had to steal my wife’s copy just so I could finish the book.
It’s a humbling and inspiring sense of understanding to know that as you read through this book that there are glaring points of inadequacy that exist in your relationship with God because of the blessings that the American church has received. I found myself time and time again having to put the book down and walk away simply because I was affected and convicted of some of the core values that are missing in my walk as a Christian.
I walked away from this book with the understanding that God is calling me personally not just to do something, but rather to join Him in what he is already doing and to do that which He has created only me to do. It’s that understanding that is provoking many substantial lifestyle changes for my wife and I. It’s not going to be pretty for a while, but I am fully confident that it will be worth it to step alongside God and join Him in the work He is doing.
Thomas Nelson is the publisher of this book. There’s a website for the book that you can go to and learn more about the book and it’s author. And of course, you can purchase the book at Amazon.com – I highly recommend it to you.
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Missional Evangelism Defined?
Posted by John in Church 2.0, Emerging Church, Kingdom Building on July 23, 2008
Ran across a concept tonight that I found intriguing.
Jay Rosen, one of the founders of the Public Journalism Movement, made an attempt to define Citizen Journalism. He states:
“When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”
There’s power in this statement that we in the church can use. What if the church could rewrite this phrase? What if it sounded something like this:
“When the people formerly known as Christians employ the spiritual gifts they have been given to reach the lost, that’s missional evangelism.”
It’s certainly not perfect, and there’s a couple things that rub me the wrong way about this statement, but I sense some value in it. Let me try to unpack this a little more.
When the people formerly known as Christians: This phrase really bothers me in the sense that I want to be known as a Christian. However – I don’t want to be associated with the way that the world perceives Christianity. I want to be called by my name – a follower of Christ, but maybe what I really need to be called is a servant of the Kingdom. At any rate, the phrase bothers me, but I can accept it because I understand that what the World says is a Christian and what I know is the truth is on complete ends of the spectrum.
employ the spiritual gifts they have been given to reach the lost: This phrase really excites me in the sense that it empowers and focuses the people to use their spiritual gifts for a specific purpose – to reach the lost. If for nothing else, that should be the ultimate goal of what we use our gifts for. Rather it be the gift of singing, organization, planning, preaching, teaching, or any other gift – if we’re not using it to reach the lost, then it’s of no use.
Finally, the phrase, “Missional Evangelism” is a phrase that a lot of churches and denomination, including the Wesleyan Church, is tossing around. I’ve heard several definitions as to what it could be, but never one that really makes sense to me. However, when I combine this phrase with the rest of the statement, however flawed it may be, the phrase finally begins to makes sense.
What are your thoughts? How would you rewrite this phrase? What do you like and dislike about it?
Catalyst Conference Bound!
Posted by John in Churches, Emerging Church on October 1, 2007
Hello my lone reader!
September was a busy month and so I apologize for not writing much – but based on the lack of emails and comments I received requesting more of my incoherent thoughts, I don’t think you missed me.
Update on the diet, I was not able to completely follow my diet like I wanted to, but when it came down to it, I did better then I initially thought that I would – so that’s pretty good! The best part about the diet was that my jeans, size 34/34, now are a little loose on me – so that’s pretty good!
I am taking a break from my diet for the next 16 days. My wife and I are taking a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia for the Catalyst Conference 2007! We are so very excited about this trip! We purchased our tickets back in April/May and have been listening to the podcasts leading up to the conference. If you’ve never heard of the Catalyst Conference, you should check it out!
We were talking this morning on the way into work, we don’t really know what to expect. We both are aware that we are supposed to be at the conference. We both are excited and looking forward to the variety of speakers and the knowledge that we will gain from it. Cristin is specifically hoping that the money that we spent will be worth the conference. I’m hoping that I will learn something that I can take back to the Dakota District and share with the other pastors.
Most importantly, we both firmly believe that our next step in transitioning back into the ministry will be strongly influenced by what happens at this conference. Needless to say, we are very excited!
Our plan is to leave tonight after work at around 7:30 – 8:30 PM and drive to either Omaha or Kansas City tonight. Then wake up on Tuesday and drive to Atlanta. The pre-conference starts on Wednesday morning and we are really looking forward to experiencing everything!
One thing that I am specifically trying to do is to slow down and enjoy the adventure. I often times get so caught up in the end goal of arriving at the destination, that I forget to slow down and enjoy the moment. That’s what I’m going to try to do this trip – enjoy the moment.
If you’ll allow me to unpack the point further, I believe that sometimes as Christians we get caught in a pattern of always trying to reach for our final destination, that final destination being holiness and perfection in Christ. I’ve been thinking that maybe there are times that we need to just be still and enjoy the work that God is doing in our lives and embrace the understanding that in His good and perfect will He will transition us to the next stage of our lives!
I am starting to understand in both my social and spiritual life that the value of who I am and what I do is not based off my potential or what I am going to do next, but rather what I am doing right now and how I am living my life in this moment. If I am right, then I want to purposely fill each moment of my day enjoying and embracing in the knowledge that I am exactly where God wants me to be at this point and time. I’m not going to forget His promise to me to have a plan for me, but I’m going to concentrate on seeking and trusting Him in every moment that He has blessed me with and not worry about the next steps in life.
Hope that makes sense in some way.
Have a great day!
- John
Things I don’t know about the Emerging Church Movement
Posted by John in Emerging Church on April 25, 2007
The more I learn about the emerging church, the less I find I really know. So, being the Type A person that I am, I am starting a list of things that I don’t know but am trying to learn about and understand.
I realize the concept of keeping a list and searching for definitions is very much NOT part of the post-modern minset that my ministry friends dictate that I must have, but I can’t help it, it’s part of who I am.
So, here’s what I don’t know today:
What does the term pluralistic mean?
What is Ancient Orthodoxy?
What is Heterodox Liberalism?
What are Missiologists?
What does the term Counter Culture mean in the context of the Emerging Church?
What are ancient forms of worship?
I’ve recieved alot of advice on how to discover these answers, but if you’ve got some suggestions, I’m open to it!
What is the Emerging Church?
Posted by John in Emerging Church on April 14, 2007
Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger, in their book, Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Baker Academic, 2005) define emerging in this way:
Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.
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