Today Georges Boujakly continues his series on ”keys” to spiritual transformation with key number five: There is only one speed on the highway of spiritual formation: slow. Speed rules. Speed is everywhere. We expect all our services speedily. We expect our technology to respond faster all the time. Speed’s pervasive presence has affected our view of [...]
Archive for July, 2007
Spiritual Transformation – Key #5
Posted: 31st July 2007 by Brad Brisco in Missional, Spiritual Formation8
Comments Off
God’s transforming presence will change us, not so we can transform the world, but so we can experience God’s presence more deeply and be restored to God’s image more completely. When fully human people do God’s will, they move into the neighborhood as a loving, transforming presence, like Jesus did. If there is to be [...]
When discussing church planting issues the question of revitalizing existing churches will often be raised. In fact just this week I had a guy ask if I knew of any “dead or dying” churches in our network that were open to making changes to be more “externally focused” and “evangelistic.” I shared with him that in [...]
Engaging Neighborhoods Where We Live
Posted: 23rd July 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church Planting, Dmin Project, Gospel, Incarnational, MissionalHere is a link to the latest podcast of the Roxburgh Journal interview with Pete Akins titled “Engaging Neighborhoods Where We Live.” Roxburgh highlights a creative lay church planting movement taking place in the towns and villages in the UK. I would highly recommend taking 30 minutes to listen and be encouraged by what God [...]
Comments Off
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your servant who calls upon you, and grant that I may know and understand what things I ought to do, and that I also may have the grace and power to faithfully accomplish them; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy [...]
The Trinity & Missional Ecclesiology
Posted: 20th July 2007 by Brad Brisco in Dmin Project, Ecclesiology, Kingdom of God, MissionalIn an excellent article in Word & World Journal titled “Rethinking Denominations and Denominationalism in Light of a Missional Ecclesiology” Craig Van Gelder discusses the significant developments in the past few decades in trinitarian studies regarding an understanding of mission, specifically in the area of ecclesiology. He highlights two streams within trinitarian studies that inform [...]
Comments Off
“It is not the church which ‘undertakes’ mission; it is the missio Dei which constitutes the church.” – David J. Bosch in Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission
Comments Off
In April 1992, two years before the end of apartheid, Bosch tragically bled to death after a head-on traffic accident in a rural area of South Africa. Passersby called for an ambulance to bring the “jaws of life” and cut his feet free so the bleeding could be stopped. When they called a second time [...]
The Mission Shaped Church Interview
Posted: 16th July 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church, Ecclesiology, MissionalComments Off
Alan Roxburgh interviews Rev. Graham Cray, a bishop in the Anglican Church in the UK and the chair of the working group who published the “Mission Shaped Church” report which is available for download at Fresh Expressions. Bishop Cray talks about what is happening in the UK around fresh expressions of church and how they are trying to connect with [...]
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into [...]
I want to make you aware of the Missional X conference coming up September 20-22 in Tucson. The conference will feature Jim Henderson, author of Evangelism Without Additives and Jim and Casper Go to Church and Darrin Patrick, pastor of The Journey in St. Louis and Vice-President of Acts 29. For more information, including workshop topics be sure [...]
Comments Off
I recently began reading Dick Staub’s The Culturally Savvy Christian, subtitled “A Manifesto For Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in an Age of Christianity-Lite.” In chapter one Staub emphasises how popular culture is crippling the souls of people. He then contends that the only real answer is a transformed American Christianity. Here is a short excerpt [...]
Comments Off
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. – A blessing from [...]
While in LA a few weeks ago I became aware of a great ministry called NightLight. NightLight is based in urban Bangkok (and now they have a “branch” in LA) that combats the sexual exploitation of women and children. I have to admit that I was not fully aware of the extent of human trafficking [...]
Spiritual Transformation – Key #4
Posted: 6th July 2007 by Brad Brisco in Missional, Spiritual FormationComments Off
The goal of spiritual transformation is conformity to Jesus Christ. In light of the last post it is important to recognize that God’s telos is not nebulous. It is specific. It is love but it is love of a specific kind. It is particular. It is as particular as the life of the trinity: a [...]