Church

Lots-o-Links 5.14.08

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Good to hang for a couple of hours with Darryl Dash of DashHouse last night.  He is in a city just north of me for a conference and decided to look me up, so we found some time for coffee.  Great guy.

Care to buy Scott Lamb's 6,000 book library? 

Jonathan Dodson isn't starting new ministries.

Learn how worship teams practice at Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY.  They use The Planning Center.

Scott Hodge describes The Orchard's critiquing culture.

Joe Thorn pointed me to this video: "From Russia With Hate."  Wow.  Awful.

JD Greear is describing the missions strategy of Summit Church: Part 1, Part 2.

Resurgence interviews Matt Chandler.

Important values for Christian artists as summarized by Justin Taylor.  The whole PDF.

Jeremy Pryor continues his explanation of The Story-Formed Life discipleship class...

Lots-o-Links 5.6.08

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I'm really sick at the moment (102 temp) and I thought a lots-o-links post would be therapeutic.  And away we go.

A Cubs website: Just One Bad Century.

Really appreciate Jeremy Pryor making some videos about a discipleship strategy called The Story-Formed Life.  First video.  Second video.  More to come.

JD Greear: Multi-Site = Multi-Opportunity.

From The Economist: Nomads at Last: Wireless communication is changing the way people work, live, love and relate to places—and each other.

Multi-site Exposed Media.

Top 10 Memory Hacks.

The Empire Strikes Barack...

Lots-o-Links 4.28.08

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I'm on Twitter now.  Put it off for many months but am enjoying it so far.  Some "essential tools," "twitter links," and "benefits."  Twitter in plain English.

I've opened an Amazon bookstore for my blog.  I'm building up all my recommended books there.  When you buy through it I get something back. 

Bob Franquiz: 10 things churches could learn from Disney.

Tim Chester: When Gideon gave a seminar on church planting.

Audio/Video of the Multi-Site Exposed conference in Seattle.

Bart Ehrman vs N.T. Wright on suffering.

Trevin Wax interviews N.T. Wright on Surprised by Hope.

The Church I Pastor: ILT

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Leadership1Because our church has adopted a new direction including some pretty dramatic changes, I have led them toward adopting an Interim Leadership Team (ILT). 

Today our church changed our constitution to add the ILT, and upon my future recommendation will vote in a few men to be on the ILT.  This essentially is a transition team of leaders who will lead us through our changes, primarily toward a new constitution and the appointment of elders.  While the ILT won't be elders, they will be a much more like elders than what we have now.  Once the church adopts a new constitution and appoints elders, the ILT will dissolve.

The Church I Pastor: The Missional Triad

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Here is what I call The Missional Triad (a tweaked version of this by Joe Thorn and this that Joe and I fleshed out together).  Forgive the handwritten sloppiness, but it's what I have for now.  It's essentially a missional paradigm for our church to think through what we do and where we do it.  The mission is a very central part of the paradigm.  (Click the diagram for a larger version.)

Missional_triad_423 If you are familiar with Joe's paradigm the next few points will help you see the changes I've made for my version, as well as explain a few things I thought you might have questions about.

1. The order of the shapes is different.  I changed them to a left to right flow for unbelievers and right to left for believers.
2. I've changed the titles of each shape.  I have included something of each shape in the name (example: tri-formed discipleship).    I can still use "table, pulpit and square" as designations, and have done that, but I felt it helpful to give each a name that is slightly more descriptive.  That also allows my "table" to lose the Lord's Supper confusion.
3. The "Circles of Friendship" is fleshed out so that hospitality is seen in three different spheres:
        neutral >> semi-private >> to private
It also moves beyond the home into third places (why?).
4. Under Tri-Formed Discipleship I have used "Equipping Ministries" to explain all discipleship, from one-on-one to seminars, short-term classes, membership class, leadership training, etc.
5. Our small groups are transitioning toward being "Missional Communities."  These will be more than small groups but less than house churches.

If you want to know something more, let me know.  It's basically still the same three shapes, the same basic approach, the same goal of simplicity.

Lots-o-Links 4.23.08

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Check out Ed Stetzer's post about the current decline of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Joe Thorn and I have been blogging on these issues for years, and Ed offers some very good commentary and critique.  I'm very thankful for guys like Stet who are speaking to the convention honestly and directly.  Here's a snippet...

Baptisms are at their lowest levels since 1970 with seven of thelast eight years showing annual declines. Even though some might hope the decline in membership numbers is due to lack of reporting, the inescapable conclusion is that baptisms by individual churches is falling off. (LifeWay Research will provide more analysis in the next month.)

For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline. Some of you were born into an SBC church; others of us chose it of our own accord. Either way, it is dear to us all. Our responsibility before God is, then, to urgently consider how we should respond.

Also worth checking out is the New Evangelism Research.

Bob Hyatt shares a great photo of what a church that packs out a coffee shop looks like.  Love it.

Tony Morgan says that changed lives is what creates buzz about a church (more here).

A Cubs hater (meaning, someone who likes another team) sent me a video filmed from the bleachers of Wrigley Field.  In it two fans, who probably had too much to drink (it's a Cubs game, duh), decided to have a hot dog eating context.  The result is worth watching.  There is at least one word that is not for kids, so please heed the WARNING: Not for kids or judgmental Christians...

Lots-o-Links 4.9.08

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Sbcvoices_win_crop_3I have now won the second blog voting contest!  That has picked me up, between the two contests, $175 in online bookstore gift certificates: $50 for Westminster Seminary bookstore, $50 for Amazon, and $75 for Eisenbrauns.  Woohoo!  I will order The Reason for God copies from Westminster and Amazon.  Eisenbrauns was a late addition to the first place prize and doesn't carry Keller's book, so I will be picking up some books for my personal library.   Thanks for all your effort!  And thanks to Scot McKnight for his effort to find some votes for me.

On a side note, the total official vote count for all blogs was "666" as you can see by the screen capture.  While some might find that a bit off-puttin', I think it's awesomely hilarious.

O Lord, let there be a blog contest for the cost of hotel, airfare and conference fee for the Total Church North America Conference.  I WANT TO GO!!!

Carolyn Mahaney: How to Help Your Husband When He is Criticized

John Piper on C.S. Lewis on writing.

Al Hsu on "The New Suburbanists."

Scott Hodge has some advice for those who are thinking about change.

Makoto Fujimura: A Wedding and the City.

10 Questions Every Leader Should Ask

Growing Sustainable Suburbs

Top 10 Myths About Networking

Joe Thorn is now making my voicemails on his cell a matter of public consumption.  I want to be upset, but it represents such a positive side of me that I can't help but propagate it...

Plans, Strategies & Fasting

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A real quick post tonight to update on some blogging plans and church plans. 

I'm pastoring a church that is nearly 50 years old.  Some original members are still here.  And I just spent two months preaching about some really big changes that are going to start happening very soon.  I'm going to share those changes with you in a future post.  They are very significant and exciting.

One of the new things I'm working on is an evangelism strategy to reach out to our whole county.  It's something that I'm looking forward to explaining here when I get the chance. 

Because of those changes I have called our church to fast and pray on Wednesdays for the next 6 weeks.  We are fasting from dinner Tuesday to dinner Wednesday.  We are having a prayer meeting on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm and then breaking our fast together with a quick meal.  We are pumped to see what God does as we seek Him together.  Because I've been so sick I'm not going to fast from food tomorrow.  I'm fasting from my laptop/internet instead, starting after this post goes up. 

Lots-o-Links 2.13.08

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I have two orders pending (Amazon and Westminster) for Tim Keller's The Reason for God.  I have a book and audio copy coming for me, and several copies to give away. Amazon's is on the way!

The WGA writer's strike is over.  I've been following the strike online and through some podcasts, and was hoping the writer's would get a fair shake.  It appears they are content, and now we can get back to watching some well-written new TV and movies.

Al Hsu has enjoyed Juno and reflects on the movie's suburban flair.

I recently rented The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, a documentary of one man's effort to beat the high score of Donkey Kong from a guy who you want to see lose it.  It's a very entertaining movie that I highly recommend.  Rent it and then tell me what you think.  Here's the trailer...

I met Jonathan Dodson, an Acts 29 church planter, at the Chicago boot camp.  Good guy.  Check out two recent articles he has online on Community and Missional Discipleship.

Pitchers and catchers reporting today for the Cubs.  Very good news.  I've briefly visited HoHoKam Stadium, where the Cubs have spring training, in Phoenix a few winters ago when on a golf trip with my dad and uncles.  My rabid-sports-nut-7-year-old, Elijah, reported as a pitcher last Sunday here in Woodstock.  They have a handful of pitcher's and catcher's training sessions at our local rec center.  He's shorter than most kids his age, but has an arm on him.  AND he is accurate.  I often have to encourage him to throw harder because he's afraid the kid across from him will not catch it and get hurt, or something.  And since I'm helping to coach his team this year, I'm considering trading him to another team for a case of Schlitz!

Some of you know I have an autistic son.  My wife enjoyed this video recently, so I thought it was worth sharing...

Evangelism 2008: Calm Before the Storm

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Z38466040I haven't posted much on evangelism lately, but that should change soon.  The main reason is that I'm doing a ton of work on some strategic planning for the next two years (and beyond) at our church.  I've had some extra meetings and lots of sketchy ideas and plans that are starting to gel.  Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll have some things nailed down and can share more about my evangelism plans for the rest of 2008.  Some of them are directly tied to our church's plans.

Here are a few books I'm currently reading, rereading, perusing, etc

Promoting the Gospel by John Dickson (info here): To be fair, I haven't gotten past the table of contents.  But that's because I just got it in the mail today from Lisa at Narwee Baptist Church in Australia.  Thanks Lisa!

unChristian by Kinnaman and Lyons: Used some stats in last Sunday's sermon.  Good resource.

Love Walked Among Us by Paul Miller: A book I reread or reskim at least yearly on the compassion of Jesus.  You can get it used for about $4 at Amazon.  Well worth it.

Redeemer Church Planting Manual by The Godfather (Tim Keller): How can you NOT own this?  It's simply outstanding.  Been using it a lot for church strategy and planning, but also pulling much on evangelism, ethnographic interviews, etc.  I'll be blogging on a few things from the book soon.

Also worthy to note is the short New Church Initiatives (NCI) paper on "The Work of an Evangelist."  Check out NCI and their other resources.

I'm curious about the Mulit-Site Exposed Conferences.  I'm not a video venue kind of guy, but I'm very open to thinking multi-site if we are growing and it makes sense for our area.  Keller's approach is my favorite, with live preaching at all locations.

Keller Sermons on The Reason for God

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Lots-o-Links 1.19.08

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Justin Taylor has an interview with Tim Keller about his new book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.  I think this book will be a great resource for skeptical friends, due in February

OnMovements (first posted by Sam Metcalf) let's us know How to Kill a Movement.

Nelson Searcy's assimilation book is now out: Fusion: Turning First Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church.  Get some free resources from the Fusion Site.

More free Jerram Barrs' resources (audio, pdf) from Monergism.  Covenant Seminary stuff.

People are talking about Neil Cole's Organic Church (which just came from Amazon today).  Tim Chester has a thought-provoking post, Seven Principles for Planting Organic Churches.  Chester has another great quote on making new believers evangelists and church planters.  Church Planting Novice explains How to Grow a Missional Church.

SUBURBIA: Watch some James Howard Kunstler on YouTube.  He is often very helpful on issues of suburbia.

Lots-o-Links 1.9.08

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Sorry for the lack of suburbia links.  I have many to file through and some will be on the way soon.  I'm halfway through The End of Suburbia, which is disturbia-ing.  Ok, not really, but I wanted to try a new word.  It's interesting, to say the least.  Worth watching, no question.

This is why my best friend is better than your honor student.

You need some good business books, via Fast Company.

Brian Hedgeson elder training.

David Fitch: Confessions of a Missional Pastor (Wannabe?)

Carl Trueman: What Can Miserable Christians Sing?

Is Al Mohler the best choice for SBC President this year?  Many think so.  Some don't.  My question is: Should we have the most recognized face and voice of cultural criticism among SBC'rs be the most recognized face and voice of the Convention as a whole?  As much as I love and respect Mohler, I think the answer is clearly no.  What do you think?

2008 is the year of evangelism for me.  It's the year of discipleship for others. 

"The Tyrannus Effect" is a good example of how to get me thinking on issues of evangelism, discipleship and ecclesiology. 

Speaking of evangelism...
Roger Carswell's site, author of And Some Evangelists
BeThinking.org - Engage with Culture
Tim Chester PDF: "The Kingdom of God is at Hand: Eschatology and Mission"
(Chester's blog is one of my favorites.)

Evangelism 2008 books I've picked up...
Questioning Evangelism and Corner Conversations

Lots-o-Links 12.28.07

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Trevin Wax has done some excellent work on N.T. Wright.  Here's an interview with Wright, and a list of links to Trevin's 18 part review of John Piper's critique of Wright.

There's a new book coming out called Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be).  It seems from the sample chapter I read and blurbs on the back of the book that this book is going into the pile of folks who miss the point and encourage others to do the same.  I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like I'm not.  Look for yourself.

Satan fears small churches more than megachurches.

Looking forward to some new Schreiner: New Testament Theology.

M'Cheyne Bible reading plan with resources.  Don't forget the ESV online Bible reading plans with Scripture, including M'Cheyne.  The Crossway folks have also provided a way to read the Bible/devotions/reading plan on your mobile phone.  Great resource.

Glocalnet Turbo Training

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Glocalnet (Bob Roberts' ministry) is putting on a conference in February.  If I were anywhere near the area I would make the effort to be there, not only because I think Roberts is an important missional leader, but because the other main speaker is Matt Chandler.  Here's some info, but find all of it at Glocalnet. 

What is it?

Glocalnet, in partnership with Glocal Ventures, Inc. and Vision360 DFW, trains Church Planters, Senior Pastors, Mission Pastors, and Business Leaders how to instill a Kingdom mindset in those whom they lead. Turbo Training combine the best of Glocalnet’s Church Planter Training and Glocal Ventures’ Global Engagement training in a two-day intensive.

Who is it for?

Turbos are specifically designed to train Church Planters first and foremost. However, Pastors of existing churches and business leaders have discovered the benefits of the Turbos.

What are the benefits?

Church Planters: Starting your church with a missional DNA that focuses your people not just on their neighborhoods and cities, but their state, their nation, and other nations around the world. (Acts 1:8)

Pastors: Tired of urging your people to get out of their seats and do something, only to have them stare at you like a deer in headlights? Turbos will equip and excite you to move your people forward into their “glocal” community!

Business Leaders:  God called you to use your business to make a Kingdom impact.  We live in a flat world today. With technology and communications making huge strides, there is no reason why you should not be engaging societies around the world with your vocation. We’ll teach you how!