Let me not, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship ended and spend the day in forgetfulness of You. Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day; Keeping me chaste in thought: Keeping me temperate [...]
Archive for November, 2007
If there was any doubt about God’s heart for the poor, widows, orphans and foreigners then consider this sampling of scripture. Exodus 22:21 “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:22-23 “Do not take advantage of a widow or an [...]
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This is a prayer from Francis of Assisi that was a part of the missional images post from several months ago. I was reminded of this prayer during this season of thanksgiving. Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow [...]
Temple Church vs. Tabernacle Church
Posted: 19th November 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church, Ecclesiology, MissionalComments Off
Over the past year I have been attempting to read through each book from the Gospel and Our Culture Series written or edited by such authors as Darrell Guder, Craig Van Gelder, George Hunsberger, Lois Barrett and others. Thus far my favorites have been “Missional Church” and “Confident Witness – Changing World.” In additon to the [...]
Tim Keller and The Growth of Christianity
Posted: 19th November 2007 by Brad Brisco in Church, Church PlantingComments Off
“Isn’t evangelical Christianity growing—at least in North America? Look at all the megachurches spouting up! But we must remember that the new situation Lloyd-Jones was describing has spread in stages. It was in Europe before North America. It was in cities before it was in the rest of the society. In the United States it [...]
“What seems clear is that we have both a profound consciousness of the utter futility of life without God, and at the same time an altogether new hunger and thirst for spiritual reality. What is equally clear is that the old order of the established and organized church, relying on its structures and traditions instead [...]
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O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for living close to You, we shall see [...]
In 1999 Dr. Barry Winders resigned from the church where he was the senior pastor for twelve years. Leading up to the resignation, Winders was driven by numerical growth and consequently had become a proprietor of all aspects of the church growth movement. At the end of the day, however, he realized that his determination to grow a [...]
David Dunbar has written a great article on biblical hospitality for Allelon. He states: “Christian hospitality is the art of sharing with others the gracious welcome that we ourselves have received from God.” Read the entire article here. Joe Thorn offers an excellent post on 6 Rules of Cultural Engagement. I know several of you [...]
If you haven’t yet discovered Free Rice be sure to check out this vocabulary game that adjusts itself to your level of language skill. The more questions you get right, the harder the questions. However, the main purpose of the game is that for each question you get right 10 grains of rice are donated through [...]
We are the first generation that really can do something about the kind of “stupid” poverty that sees children dying of hunger in a world of plenty or mothers dying for lack of a 20-cent drug that we take for granted. We have the science, we have the resources, what we don’t seem to [...]
I recently finished reading Red Letters: Living A Faith That Bleeds by Tom Davis. With heart-wrenching stories Davis shines the spot light on the devastation surrounding the issues of world poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. His message to the church is that the gospel is not just to be read, but it is to be [...]
The Missionary Nature of the Church
Posted: 6th November 2007 by Brad Brisco in Books, Dmin Project, EcclesiologyComments Off
There is no other Church than the Church sent into the world, and there is no other mission than that of the Church of Christ. . . . If one wants to maintain a specific theological meaning of the term mission as “foreign mission,” its significance is, in my opinion, that it keeps calling the Church [...]
Re-Imagine: A Missional Church
Posted: 3rd November 2007 by Brad Brisco in Dmin Project, Missiology, MissionalHere is a excellent introduction to what a missional church would look like in very practical words and images by Jonathan Dove, Pastor of Mt Albert Baptist Church in Ackland, New Zealand.
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Alan Hirsch has a post up this morning on onehitwonder. Here is a bit of what he had to say: Here is a great idea that is easily achieved! My dear friends and colleagues from Third Place Communities and Forge Tasmania have come up with a way of blessing the world’s poorest. And all it [...]