No Imagination For Our Culture?

"While in reality we are in a post-Christian context. The Western church still operates for the most part in a Christendom mode. Constantine, it seems, is still the emperor of our imaginations."

(The Shape Of Things To Come. Michale Frost, Alan Hirsch. Hendrickson, 2003. pg 9)

Much Work To Do About Slavery!

After reading this note, from a confidential source I can't name, it makes one realize that slavery is not only an issue for the rich, but also about slavery of the mind too. This is for real!

"Senegalese people are obsessed with wanting to go to America.  They think we’re all super rich, and that by coming here, they can be super rich too.  Recently one of my friends was talking with his family about slavery in America.  His description was somewhat as follows: “yeah, boats would come to Africa, and fill up with Africans that were to go to America to work.”  Well his family was so keen on the idea that they asked him if boats like this still existed, and if so, how they could get on one."

My Dream Church

Is there more people like this? I want to walk with you. I would even consider ministry full time for a church people with this desire.

"(missional)..... Such a church makes it's mission its priority and perpetually asks itself, 'What has God called us to be and do in our current cultural context?' ... the missional church shapes itself to fit the context in order to transform it for the sake of the kingdom of God....missional church is always outward looking, always changing (as culture continues to change), and always faithful to the Word of God. In many places it is so radical it barely resembles church as we know it. In other cases it might appear conventional but is in fact incarnating itself into its community in surprising and exciting ways."

(The Shape Of Things To Come. Michale Frost, Alan Hirsch. Hendrickson, 2003. pg 7)

Why Would They Choose You?

I have found this to be true.

".....the best and most natural way to win someone’s heart is to model a way of life that’s attractive to them.

In old Christendom, leaders got to pick their followers. In the post-everything, no-authority world, followers now choose their leaders. They won’t be picking leaders based on the leaders’ ability to preach or organize a religious institution. They will be following people they want to be with and live like."

(Tangible Kingdom. Hugh Halter, pg 78. 2008, Jossey-Bass)

Oh Come, Come, Come, ........What's Up With That?

I really, really, despise that song.

First for the very unbiblical usage of the word "Church". Church is not a building its the people of God in the NT. The church never had Church Buildings" for the first 300 years.
Secondly, it bothers me because Church is about "coming", coming to a brown building, for an event, more than it is about "being" in relationship with others while on a journey or mission of the kingdom.

The hymn reflects the "Attractional Model" we have been using for some time now. Come to us! Come to Where We are! When its suppose to be come to Jesus, and discover what we have discovered in Him.

"The danger we speak of regarding the paradigms of the contemporary church isn’t that we’ve lost our heart for the world or that we do bad church. The problem is that our present evangelical “Come to us” paradigm of church has not been an appropriate missiological response to the paradigms that exist in our world."
(Tangible Kingdom. Hugh Halter, pg 62. 2008, Jossey-Bass)

"The Gospel says, "Go," but our church buildings say, "Stay."

The Gospel says "Seek the lost," but our churches say, "Let the lost seek the church." (Howard Snyder "The Problem of Wineskins")

"...the disobedient Jonah sleeps in the bottom of the boat, oblivious of the fact that the storm is directed at him. At times the Church, too, sleeps right through the storm of God’s judgment passing over the world, assuring herself that the wind outside has nothing to do with her."

(Verkuyl. Pg 46. Perspectives. 2009, William Carey Library

"Jonah is lesson in educating person to be a missionary: it reveals the need for radical conversion of one's natural tendencies and complete restructuring of his life to make it serviceable for mission......The author of Jonah warns his readers against this intolerant attitude and sets before each of them the question of whether he or she is willing to be transformed into servant who works to accomplish the mandates of God."

(Verkuyl. Pg 45. Perspectives. 2009, William Carey Library)

Life Choices For The Poor!

Statistics show that by the end of grade 4 in Mali, only 23% of boys and 10% of girls can read a simple sentence in French. Mali ranks at the bottom of the United Nation's literacy rankings. .....Can you imagine sacrificing an extra pair of able hands on your farm and paying for your child's education only to have them come home having learned nothing? That's what happens in Mali.

God is Great! Beer is Good!

Chorus to a Song on the Radio today.

GOD is Great!

BEER is Good!

And people are crazy!

Song "People Are Crazy"by BILLY CURRINGTON

There have been days where I might have "amen-ed" this. But, my I really can't get into country music.

No Results!

"It just flat hurts when you've given generously of your time, money, and emotional energy to missional efforts without seeing results."

(Hugh Halter "Tangible Kingdom"Jossey-Bass, 2008. pg 16)

Why Plant your feet in Africa?

"It is the responsibility of your feet to take you places it was not obvious to your heart that it should go."

Tuareg Proverb

Are People Reached?

Missional or Attractional is not the issue, are people reached......

"I hope my perception based on my interaction with the missional movement is wrong. But for now, I would rather be part of a Christ-centered megachurch full of programs where people are coming to know Jesus as Savior, than part of a church of any size where they are not."

Missional Misgivings, Dan Kimball
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/fall/14.112.html

Missional Means?

"A missional theology is not content with mission being a church-based work. Rather, it applies to the whole life of every believer. Every disciple is to be an agent of the kingdom of God, and every disciple is to carry the mission of God into every sphere of life. We are all missionaries sent into a non-Christian culture. Missional represents a significant shift in the way we think about the church. As the people of a missionary God, we ought to engage the world the same way he does—by going out rather than just reaching out. To obstruct this movement is to block God's purposes in and through his people. When the church is in mission, it is the true church.

"

Alan Hirsch. "Defining Missional" http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/fall/17.20.html

Church Planting Is Planting What?

Do you see the difference?


"In fact, it's more often than not been the case that Sunday services are planted rather than missional Jesus communities."

(The Shape Of Things To Come. Michale Frost, Alan Hirsch. Hendrickson, 2003. pg 18)

Where There Is No Doctor!

Getting ready for NGO community development & Church planting work among an Islamic group of people in Mali, West Africa.

Health in the bush 8 hours & 500 miles from adequate health care is a reality. What do you do of you get very sick. A sickness in the bush is a real possibility, and concern , as locals are not always able to get you on a transport quickly.

So we have some good bush medical guides for tropical African diagnosis and treatment in the bush. One classic is " Where There Is No Doctor" which I am re-reading right now in preparation for going back to my second home, Africa.

There are about a dozen top notch free books to help people in rural areas isolated from health care.
Get these books for free.

http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php

Get Out Of Church, Or The World Gets Nothing

John Bowen, director of the Institute of Evangelism at Wycliffe College in Toronto says,

"We need to recognize there are a lot of people who will only encounter the gospel if Christians go to them."

The need to go missional. Sept 1, 2010. http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=1040&cat=vitalsigns

Here we sit in our churches trying to get people to come to us. Mission (going) is actually easier, and more fruitful, than attraction (come to us). We are killing ourselves doing it the hard way.
The most fruitful times in my ministey life have been those times I was operating outside the local church ministry structure. Basically, when living like a missionary in stead of preacher. It's too much about what happens inside the church.

The Best Satan Video Ever!

We need to read this.