Recently, I became convinced we needed to expand the online conversation happening around the Church. It seemed there were (in general) three types of posts being written by bloggers. There are harsh critiques, sometimes prophetic, other times just mean. There were academic ideas that were hard to grasp. There was cheesy stuff no one wanted to read.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of those. I’ve been guilty of writing all three on this blog.

What I think we need is a third type of discussion, which I’m calling “Boots on the Ground.” By that, I mean sharing real life stories and practical, actionable ideas. This probably won’t gather as much traffic, but maybe it will provide some missionaries the encouragement they need to keep going.

Last week, a Facebook group was launched to share these stories. Now, we’re prepping for our first ever synchroblog. Here’s how you can participate:

1. Write a post on the prompt “Share a story about one moment where you experienced what you think Jesus had in mind for ‘the church'”.
2. RSVP here, or email Chris Morton if you want to participate.
3. Use the graphics here.
4. Publish the post on April 8.
5. Post your URL on the Boots on the Ground Facebook page.
6. Promote each other’s posts via email & social media on April 8.

I hope you’ll join in!