» 2007 » January

Here’s an email I received recently from “Tom” and my response to it.

Steve

I’m reading through your ebook and curious about something. I looked at Ridley’s 13 characteristics in preparation for some training in North Africa, but while there I sensed that while there are a few pioneer church planters like that, most people aren’t and [...]

For the supernatural, entering a human soul, opens it to new possibilities of both good and evil. From that point the road branches: one way leads to sanctity, humility; the other to spiritual pride, self righteousness, persecuting zeal.

And there is no way back to the mere humdrum virtues of the unawakened soul. If the Divine [...]

Just picked up Ed Stetzer’s Planting Missional Churches. Some great insights for church planters wanting to get the basics right. What are the basics? Glad you asked. Here’s a summary:
1. Missional
Establishing a missional church means that you plant a church that’s part of the culture you are trying to reach.

Because we’ve heard so much about [...]

How important was Paul in the early spread of the Christian movement? He made a major contribution to the New Testament as both a writer and the subject of half of the book of Acts. Yet his direct impact on the spread of early Christianity may have been overstated according to Rodney Stark’s latest book.

Stark [...]

Paul’s missionary work, therefore, should not be thought of as the humble efforts of a lonely missionary. Rather, it was a well-planned, large-scale organization. Helmut Koester
Rodney Stark’s new book argues that Paul quickly developed a standard approach to his church planting mission.
He typically began to visit a community by holding privately organized meetings under the [...]

Off to Tathra on the NSW Sapphire Coast. Michelle, the boys and the pop up trailer. Metres from the beach.

I’ve set a few posts to drop over the next couple of weeks. Approval of comments will have to wait until I get back.

What will I be reading on the beach? Here’s the serious stuff. Here’s [...]