Here is a link to a good article by Tim Stafford on church planting in the latest issue of Christianity Today. Here is a sample: Perhaps most important, studies show a consistent difference between old and new churches. George Hunter of Asbury Theological Seminary says, “Churches after 15 years typically plateau. After 35 years, they [...]
Archive for September, 2007
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Here is a link to part one of a series titled “Thirsty Planet” presented on NBC Nightly News this week. Part one discusses the very disturbing state of the Ganges River in India and the lack of fresh water for the 1.1 billion people who live in India. My question is why are there not water purification [...]
If you have any doubt about the waning influence of the church in America read Barna’s latest update here. A new study conducted by the Barna Group among 16 to 29 year olds shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a [...]
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May the God of peace, justice, and hope lead you on the pathways of mercy and compassion. May you have the heart of God, the eyes of Jesus, and the leading of the Spirit as you seek to join with the work of those who have gone before you. And may you grow in grace. [...]
A couple of months ago I posted here on a ministry based in urban Bangkok called Night Light that combats the sexual exploitation of women and children. The devastating amount of pain and hurt those trapped in this trade experience is unfathomable. Yesterday we received an email prayer letter that illustrates the deep spiritual warfare that is [...]
Rethinking Worship Evangelism?
Posted: 21st September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church, Ecclesiology, MissionalComments Off
There is probably a good chance you have already seen this article from Sally Morgenthaler, author of Worship Evangelism. Morgenthaler’s article was first published in Rev! Magazine but recently was offered on the Allelon website as well as this month’s Next Wave ezine. I used a portion of Worship Evangelism as part of the curriculum for a course on [...]
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for [...]
Spiritual Transformation – Key #8
Posted: 19th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Missional, Spiritual FormationComments Off
Today Georges Boujakly completes his series on “keys” to spiritual transformation. Earlier posts in the series can be found here: key #1a, key #1b, key #1c, key #2, key #3, key #4, key #5, key #6, key #7. Spiritual formation is plural. The Bible is plural. It was born among a people, a community. Its truths [...]
Next Missional Network Gathering
Posted: 17th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Books, Missional, NetworksComments Off
The next Missional Network gathering will be Thursday October 18th. For this gathering we will be discussing The Sacred Way by Tony Jones. The Sacred Way offers a helpful survey of the practices of the spiritual life. I like how Jones categorizes the practices into contemplative approaches to spritiuality including such practices as silence and solitude, [...]
Spiritual Transformation – Key #7
Posted: 16th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Missional, Spiritual FormationSpiritual formation is not a luxury for the most spiritual among us. It would not come as a surprise to know that Jesus did not have an elite club. Would it? Those we might consider elite as we read the gospels, were not so elite in Jesus’ book. Sure they had their special place as [...]
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Last night I was revisiting Leonard Sweet’s Out of the Question . . . Into the Mystery which I read a couple of years ago. Here are a couple of good quotes from chapter one which is titled “Where Did We Miss the Person and Get the Point Instead?” Over a two-thousand-year period, but especially [...]
Spiritual Transformation – Key #6
Posted: 13th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Missional, Spiritual FormationGeorges Boujakly continues his series on the key principles to spiritual transformation. These eight “keys” include the following: 1. Spiritual transformation is an inside job. 2. Spiritual transformation requires deliberate effort. 3. Spiritual transformation has a specific goal. 4. The goal of spiritual transformation is conformity to Jesus Christ. 5. The progress of spiritual transformation is always [...]
The Sky is Falling
Posted: 10th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Books, Dmin Project, Gospel, MissionalComments Off
This morning as I was reflecting on just how different the church would look if it was really shaped in terms of the missio dei, I ran across these words from Alan Roxburgh: “Throughout Western societies, and most especially in North America, there has occurred a fundamental shift in the understanding and practice of the Christian [...]
I spent the majority of this week with a group of denominational leaders discussing various issues dealing with congregational health and the need for rethinking denominations and judicatories to be better equipped to coach and resource churches. The bulk of our discussion centered around the book “Hit the Bullseye: How Denominations Can Aim the Congregation [...]
You Might Be Missional If
Posted: 5th September 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church, Kingdom of God, MissionalLarry Chouiard provides a bit of humor (and a lot of truth) over at Spiritual Conversations with a post titled “You Might Have Missional Tendencies If:” 1. You talk more about the Kingdom of God than you do your local church. 2. You are more in awe of the radical Jesus than you are the charisma of [...]