» 2006 » March

I’ve been reading Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger on the Emerging church. From the story they’re telling, here’s what’s in and what’s out this season for the EC.

Out: Church as a place, a meeting, or a time.
In: Church is a way of life, a rhythm, a community, a movement.

Out: GenX and Seeker Services with their [...]

The fourth characteristic of dynamic movements: Rapid Mobilization.mp3.

I was in Prague last week.

We’re ran three days training on how to recruit and select church planters for five teams from around Europe.

Prague is a beautiful city. Took this photo of a church converted into a tourist hotel. They kindly left Christ crucified out the front. Most of the church buildings in this city [...]

Leaders don’t make it alone. When the Empire Strikes Back, every Luke Skywalker needs his Yoda.

My Yoda was Terry Walling.

He never tired of saying, “I know things are tough but I believe in you, and God has his hand on your life.”

Broke me up every time.

Check out his blog at leaderbreakthru

May the Force be with [...]

If you’re a church planter you wouldn’t want to miss this.

2006 National New Church Conference

The Aussies will have to forgive the hype about the “largest gathering of church planters in North America” even if it is true. We are such a humble people.

Can’t afford to get there?

1. Ask God
2. Ask some of his people who [...]

Gary Rohrmayer coaches and resources church planters. You can find him and his wisdom at Your Journey.

Church Planting

Is the age of the missionary over?

Not according to Sam Metcalf: Are cross-cultural goers out of date?
Missions

Will the last Presbyterian please turn out the lights?

The Presbyterian Church USA is hemorrhaging.

According to the number crunchers at denominational headquarters, membership loss for the denomination in 2005 was estimated at sixty-five thousand, followed by an eighty-five thousand projected loss in 2006.

The projected 2006 loss would represent a single-year decline of 3.7 percent, the highest [...]

The latest edition of the movement is out.

Tim Keller has been thinking about how reach the world’s great cities. Here’s his strategy:
1. Engagement with secular people.2. Christian community which is countercultural.3. Holistic ministry for the entire city and especially for the poor.4. Equipping people for cultural renewal through the integration of faith and [...]

Veteran observer of church life, Lyle Schaller on why larger churches are larger:
Larger churches tend to have higher expectations for their members’ active participation than smaller churches.Larger churches tend to be more conservative in theology and more liberal in practice, while smaller churches are often more liberal in theology and more conservative in outward practice [...]