Craig Gross & Being the Church in Sin City

Thought this was a really cool snippet of what Craig and The Strip Church are doing to be the Church in Las Vegas.


Craig Gross on Ministry in Sin City from Url Scaramanga on Vimeo.

Thoughts...

Continuing The Missional Convo...

Below is Alan Hirsch's reply to the earlier post by Dan Kimbal and the conversation we've been having.

Dan, as someone who comes out clearly for the missional reframing of church, I do share some concerns about reproduction (fruitfulness). Anyone concerned with Jesus’ commission should be.

The comments so far are excellent and so I will just add a few more.

* I certainly don’t believe that attractional is not working. What I have said is that it has appeal to a shrinking segment of the population, and that persistence with a church growth style attractionalism, is in the long run, a counsel of despair. Are you suggesting that we simply stay with what we have got? Surely not bro?

* If we persist with our standard measurements for mission, we will miss the point. The issue is what idea of church is more faithful to the Scriptures. Genuine fruitfulness, surely, cannot simply be measured by numbers but by ‘making disciples.’ How does one measure that? By all accounts, current churches are made up largely of admirers of Jesus but few genuine disciples/followers–this is not a biblical idea of fruitfulness!

* Besides, the early church would not measure up to the current metrics!! If Rodney Stark is right, there was only 25,000 by year 100AD. Not exactly mind boggling church growth. Some attractional churches are larger.

* If we stick with the prevailing measures, we will miss the level of incarnational engagement with quantitative measures alone. How do we measure that? Incarnation takes time and loving presence (witness) among a people. Working with post-Christian folks ain’t easy because we have lost our credibility and have to work darn hard to regain it. I think there is much work to do here.

The only other thing I will say is that we as believers, live by a vision of what can be…we cannot allow ourselves to be constrained by pragmatics alone. Vision precludes that and is driven by holy discontent to see a greater manifestation of the Kingdom.

With love and respect.
AH

Thoughts...

Missional Fruit

The following are thoughts from Dan Kimball on the 'not-yet-proven' status of the missional movement.

I hope I am wrong. For the past few years, I have been observing, listening, and asking questions about the missional movement. I have a suspicion that the missional model has not yet proven itself beyond the level of theory. Again, I hope I am wrong.

We all agree with the theory of being a community of God that defines and organizes itself around the purpose of being an agent of God's mission in the world. But the missional conversation often goes a step further by dismissing the "attractional" model of church as ineffective. Some say that creating better programs, preaching, and worship services so people "come to us" isn't going to cut it anymore. But here's my dilemma—I see no evidence to verify this claim.

You can read the whole article here.

He raises some interesting points, but I think the greater question is, "Who is your church trying to reach?" The answer to that question can lead to harder, less traveled paths of ministry. It can also lead to a more relationally based ministry that is hard to quantify in attendance, but is no less impacting.

Thoughts?

If S*Bucks Marketed Like The Church...

Jave-lujah!

Thought this was an interesting perspective on how unnatural we make the church experience for people.



This was posted by Mike Foster over on the Ethur blog:
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NOTHING I DO IS “CHRISTIAN”
Posted November 6th, 2008

I’ve been very fortunate to work on and create some successful projects. I am always humbled to have been a part of creating initiatives that engage people.

While many of the projects have influenced people of faith, I consider none of them Christian projects. I do not create anything specifically focused on that particular target market. I rarely consider them in the generation of a concept or a project.

And before I scare you off let me just say that I am a follower of Jesus. I love the Church. I hope everything I do honors my creator.

So here is my tip for launching a successful idea. Market to humans. Not Christians.

If what you are doing doesn’t communicate or connect to God haters, people of other faiths, or those who don’t subscribe to your beliefs, then you’re in for a rough ride.
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Thoughts?

The Christian, the Artist and the Gardeners

It has been a while since anyone has posted on here - including myself. I am painfully trying to finish collecting my thoughts for two good posts. In the mean time I read this article off of the 'Out of Ur' blog and loved it.

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The Fall 2008 issue of Leadership contains a new feature: The Golden Canon book award. One of our finalists was Andy Crouch's Culture Making: Recovering our creative calling (IVP), the much-praised contribution to the ongoing conversation about the relationship between Christianity and culture. Here's a taste of Andy's prose, a tidbit to spark conversation.

The postures of the artist and the gardener have a lot in common. Both begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there. The gardener looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun fall on the land. The artist regards her subject, her canvas, her paints with care to discern what she can make with them.

And then, after contemplation, the artist and the gardener both adopt a posture of purposeful work. They bring creativity and effort to their calling...They are creaturely creators, tending and shaping the world that original Creator made.

I wonder what we Christians are known for in the world outside our churches. Are we known as critics, consumers, copiers, condemners of culture? I'm afraid so. Why aren't we known as cultivators--people who tend and nourish what is best in human culture, who do the harsh and painstaking work to preserve the best of what people before us have done? Why aren't we known as creators--people who dare to think and do something that has never been thought or done before, something that makes the world more welcoming and thrilling and beautiful?

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Thoughts?

It's Not About Titles - It's About The Way

So I read an article called 'R.I.P. Emergent Church' (here), and it made me realize something; I think we get so caught up in the who's doing what and how, that we lose our Way.

This article is saying that the Emergent Church movement is dead, at the least the term is dead. Why? Because the term 'emergent' has become so convoluted and means too many different things to the individuals that claim it. It's kinda like saying 'I'm a Christian' - which means exactly nothing. The statement 'I'm a Christian' does not necessitate the Romans definition (10.9-10), nor does it mean you are pursuing the Way, the Kingdom of God, the God-design path for you life, etc, etc, etc. But it is no surprise that the emergent movement is dieing and it won't be when 'whatever comes next' dies too.

So, this relates with an earlier post (actually a re-post of some Mark Batterson thoughts) about how leaders often aren't true to themselves and how important that is for the missionally minded leaders. We mix up the Way of Jesus with the way that is working for this church or that leader.

But it brings me to a humble realization - the changes I want for Tomorrow's Church are at best for me and my generation. Realistically, probably more for a small demograph of my generation. My dreams are based on areas of the Church that have been found wanting in my life and the friendships that have pointed those areas out. But those dreams will drive me to answers that are not universal for all people and all churches - but for me and a community that agrees.

So I must continue to wrestle with Karli's challenge (earlier post) and not come up with another title for a movement, or another denomination or start going to a another church or plant another new chruch - maybe I just need to be the change and follow the Way.

I don't have universal answers, strategies or leadership - which is exactly why I follow the Way, the One. And that is why I'll never author a book on the 'Ways of Kevin', because at best, my life will be a poor representation of the One Way. So the best thing I can do as a leader is follow the One Way with all of my heart, mind and soul. And secondly, in pursuit of showing the Way to my neighbor, I can not afford to get caught up in the titles and terms - just the pursuit of the Way lived out!

LeaderMan vs. ServantLeader

I stole this from Ann Jackson, she stole this off brant hansen’s blog.

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LeaderMan: Wants a platform on which to say something

Servant Leader: Has something to say

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LeaderMan: You almost feel you know his family, because he’s your Leader

Servant Leader: You allow him to influence you, because you know his family

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LeaderMan: Wants you to know he’s a Leader

Servant Leader: You’re not sure he knows he’s a leader

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LeaderMan: Loves the idea of the Gospel, and the idea of The Church

Servant Leader: Loves God and the actual individual people God brings across his path

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LeaderMan: A great speaker, but self-described as, “Not really a people person.”

Servant Leader: Makes himself a people person

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LeaderMan: Helps you find where God is leading you in his organization

Servant Leader: Helps you find where God is leading you

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LeaderMan: Gets together with you to talk about his vision

Servant Leader: Just gets together with you

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LeaderMan: Resents “sheep stealing”

Servant Leader: Doesn’t get the “stealing” part, since he doesn’t own anyone to begin with

———–

LeaderMan: Wants the right people on the bus

Servant Leader: Wants to find the right bus for you, and sit next to you on it

———–

LeaderMan: Shows you a flow chart

Servant Leader: Shows you his whole heart

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LeaderMan: A visionary who knows what the future looks like

Servant Leader: Knows what your kitchen looks like

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LeaderMan: If it’s worth doing, it worth doing with excellence

Servant Leader: Not exactly sure how to even calculate “worth doing”

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LeaderMan: Talks about confronting one another in love

Servant Leader: Actually confronts you in love

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LeaderMan: Impressed by success and successful people

Servant Leader: Impressed by faithfulness

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LeaderMan: Invests time in you, if you are “key people”

Servant Leader: Wastes time with you

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LeaderMan: Reveals sins of his past

Servant Leader: Reveals sins of his present

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LeaderMan: Gives you things to do

Servant Leader: Gives you freedom

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LeaderMan: Leads because of official position

Servant Leader: Leads in spite of position

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LeaderMan: Deep down, threatened by other Leaders

Servant Leader: Has nothing to lose

Missional [Part 3]

I'm re-posting one of Mark Batterson's recent post, as it adds to the Missio conversation. It adds to the 3 phases in Missional [Part 2].

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Imitation is Suicide

I just read the latest issue of Outreach magazine and the feature was an interview with Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic in LA. He said something that was so profound. Really made me think. "I think a lot of pastors have a dream that matches the life of the pastor who is the living the dream they want." Man, that stopped me in my tracks.

I think there is a such a temptation to copy when it comes to ministry. I wrestle with it as much as anyone else. I think we need models. I've got my fair share, including Erwin McManus. But I remember reading something Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in Self-Reliance: "There is a time in every man's education that he arrives at the conviction that imitation is suicide. He must take himself for better or for worse."

I think there are two simple principles that ought to guide us:

1) Keep Learning.

2) Be Yourself.

At some point, most of us stop learning and start copying. It's so much easier. We stop living out of right-brain imagination and start living out of left-brain memory. And that is when we stop creating the future and start repeating the past.

Just a simple reminder. There never has been and never will be anyone like you. And that isn't a testament to you. It's a testament to the God who created you.

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Your thoughts...

Missional [Part 2]

Hugh Halter, one of the founders of Missio, gave these three phases to missional life and church/community formation:

3 phases are...

1. Cultural engagement - The church planter must think like a missionary and find ways to engage the community in means that are fitting for the context.

2. Community Formation - Once the planter has found the means to serve and love in their context they will begin to function in ways that bring people together to form communities.

3. Structuring congregational forms that stay missional - These missional communities started by the church planter are then structured in a way so that they continue to stay on mission.

Taken from a Dave Ferguson post - here.

I like this as a beginning point for thinking through missional/third place ideas for the church.

Critiques? Thoughts?

Missional [Part 1]

I found this organization called Missio. They have been having the same kind of conversations and have been forming some philosophy around missional churches.

Here's what their site says their philosophy is:

"We don’t believe that missional ministry is tied to a specific form of church. You can be into 'mega church, house church, multi-site church, emerging, traditional, or cell model.' It doesn’t matter. They can all be ineffective and sterile, or they can be faithful and fruitful in engaging the world with a tangible presence of the Gospel.

The difference lies not in our programming, presentation, or how we choose to gather. The difference is how we 'go' and the habits of those who go with us.

Being 'missional' means being incarnational instead of attractional. We are not trying to attract non-believers, but instead engage them. If we are incarnational, then people will follow us and the Church will grow. "

Your thoughts.