Archives For Mission

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Five Unsexy Details of Church Planting

Chris —  August 28, 2014

From the outside, Church Planting seems sexy.

You don’t have to deal with stuffy old churches. You can be creative and share the gospel with people who might otherwise be ignored.

Every week I hear about a new church planting conference or training organization. More and more individuals are considering “church planting” a realistic and important direction for their life. More churches and denominations are getting into the game.

I believe that Church Planting is so vitally important that in 10 years, it may be the only thing we have left. It’s also hard work. In fact, I can’t think of a single book, resource or speaker who doesn’t say “this is the hardest thing you’ll ever do.” The fact is that forming a community of Jesus followers in a certain time and place is full of normal, day-in and day-out realities, just like any other vocation.

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Church Planting is also a long game. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Those of us who embrace this vocation need to be prepared for five unsexy details. Continue Reading…

In Church, Mission
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What Will It Take to Become a Church for the Depressed?

Chris —  August 13, 2014

The sting of Robin Williams’ death strikes a sore place in the cultural subconscious next to the memories of Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Mitch Hedberg.

All death is tragic. Suicide especially.

The death of Robin casts a particular shadow on those of my generation. Aladdin and Hook are the stories of our childhood. Patch Adams, Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting taught us how to grow up.

Depression is tragic. When it affects someone like Robin, we are all hurt.

Depression is also normal, natural and must be responded to within the church.

We can’t eliminate depression or suicide. But we can, and we must, become a refuge for those who experience it.

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Let’s admit we have a problem

Depression has been a lifelong companion for me. It makes up some of my earliest and strongest memories. It hovers on the horizon of my future.

Continue Reading…

In Church, Culture, God, Mission , ,
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Six Bold Moves for Resurrecting a Dying Church

Chris —  July 31, 2014

There’s nothing quite like the sadness of being a part of a dying church.

There’s the burden of maintaining a big, empty and often very dated looking building. There’s the ghost of happier days that seem constantly to haunt their memories and gatherings. There are the aging saints who struggle to make it out on Sundays, who seldom find friendship or support throughout the week.

Many churches feel stuck. This can be due to a lack of ideas or energized leadership. Sadly, it is often due to specific individuals, committed to maintaining their power or preferences.

Why do we sit around asking “why is my church dying?”

We need to remember that we serve a God of resurrection! If we are willing to die to ourselves, including our fond memories of the church that used to be, we can be resurrected to become something new.

Here’s are six bold moves I’ve seen or studied that  can be used by God to resurrect your church.

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via Forsaken Fotos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/55229469@N07/8547113318/)

The Cost of Apostleship

Chris —  July 16, 2014

“I don’t know how you just talk to people like that, Chris.”

This subtly offensive statement was one I have heard a lot. For a little while, I hosted a weekly dinner where I invited some non-Christian friends from a nearby Starbucks to eat with a few from my church.

It didn’t go very smoothly. For these church friends, talking to people outside our church community was pretty hard. Some saw it as a challenge to grow. Others saw it as an unattainable “gift” I had.

“I just can’t imagine taking the risk of starting something.”

This one I hear all the time from pastors and teachers, searching through an ever shrinking pool for the perfect church job. These statements depict the reality of today’s church for so many. We are constituents and employees of the institution.

Many churches seem to have forgotten the two most basic impulses of an organism: reproduce and adapt.

Or to use more Biblical language:

We have forgotten how to be an Apostolic movement.

THE COST OF

Continue Reading…

In Church, Life, Mission
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Louis C.K. Makes the Case for a More Boring Church

Chris —  July 10, 2014

In his album “Hillarious,” Comedian Louis C.K. rails against the over stimulation of children. He laments that television and video games have made it impossible for children to enjoy everything from the taste of an apple to the pleasures of a sunny day.

(Warning: Explicit)

 

We know that we will never “out-entertain” the world. Fewer of us will have the finances to try.

An increasing number of people today are arguing for a “slow church” or a hyper-localized church. Both of those are helpful, but I would suggest going one step further.

How about a really, really boring church?

Continue Reading…

In Church, Life, Mission
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