All microchurches will not (and should not) look alike. Mission is the mother of adaptive ecclesiology. This simply means that if we begin with God’s mission (missiology) then there ought to be lots of wild and wonderful expressions of church (ecclesiology).
There may have been a day when we could build a cool website, rent a meeting space, send out flyers, put up banners and “launch” a church by starting a Sunday service. But those days are gone, at least in most North American contexts.
The idea of rethinking vocation must start with considering the sacred/secular divide, or what some people refer to as the problem of dualism.
When considering the theological and biblical underpinnings of the missional church conversation I find the two most helpful topics to address include the concept of missio Dei, or mission of God, and the language of “sending” found throughout Scripture.
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn. ~ Alvin Tofler
We are living in a rapidly changing context that requires a rethinking of church, mission, discipleship/evangelism, and church planting.
In the late eighties and early nineties, one of the most popular shows on American television was Cheers, set in a sport’s bar, in the heart of the city of Boston.
“It is a disastrous misunderstanding to think that we can enjoy salvation through Jesus and at the same time regard action for justice in the world as a sort of optional extra—or even an inferior substitute for the work of passing on the good news of salvation.... Anyone who thinks of salvation apart from seeking deliverance from sickness or hunger or oppression or alienation is very remote from the biblical use of the word.” ~ Lesslie Newbigin
Considering your 1st, 2nd and 3rd places is an excellent way to frame a missionary lifestyle.
Do the number of people who attend a Sunday morning gathering give you any indication of the impact the church is having on individual neighborhoods or the city?
There are at least five distinct reasons to consider being a Covocational leader as you plant a church.
With the collapse of Christendom, it is more important than ever for the church in North America to develop a Kingdom perspective. To experience Gospel transformation we must learn to collaborate with others in our cities. But what does it mean to collaborate?
Avalon is a portrait of a robust, relationally rich extended family. Life is lived with others, both in times of shared joy, along with periods of struggles and hardships.
Are you thinking about planting a church? You might first consider the benefits of starting a non-profit.
There are two books that I read this week that I found very helpful. The first is titled The Lost Art of Connecting by Susan McPherson. The second is titled You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy.
These 3 missiological principles represent three of the most foundational paradigm shifts that most Chrisitan need to experience to more fully engage in God’s mission, especially in an increasing missionary context.
American life-styles, for all the material acquisition and the seeking after comforts and pleasures, are plagued by boredom, loneliness, alienation, and a high price tag.
What would it look like for your church to provide more opportunities for belonging in social, personal and intimate space?
Most efforts at change in the church fail to deal with the very assumptions on which Christendom is built and maintains itself. The change of thinking needed in our day as far as the church and its mission are concerned must be radical indeed; that is, it must go to the roots of the problem.
In this episode, Dhati Lewis and Brad Brisco, the director of bivocational church planting for the North American Mission Board, discuss four things every pastor and church planter should be thinking about today, before COVID-19 subsides.
