World populations are growing. Cities are growing. It is predicted that by 2030, 80% of the world will live in cities. Because of this ever-increasing urbanization, it is vastly important that the church learns how to best reach a city. Cities today are pretty good at masking the glory of God. Society generally does its best to keep God on the hush, but keep the desires of a sinful heart in the open. Urbanization has allowed this to flourish, at least in America.
The church, therefore, is a powerful tool, not intended for condemnation but rather for grace and salvation. And the church needs to reach the cities if we want the gospel to be shared to all the nations.
One way that cities are reached is through the "City Parish Model." Under this model, churches of a particular city come together on a periodic basis and stand united in faith. They each regularly, however, serve different local areas and reach out to different people. There are also smaller missional communities and lifegroups that facilitate intimacy within the church body.
The city parish model is a great way to prepare the Jesus follower of the future because it allows us band together and realize that no matter where we come from, we are united under One true king, Jesus Christ.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Catalyst One Day
What an awesome way to spend a Monday! Today I was blessed to attend Catalyst One Day at my home church, Grace Community Church. The conference included some key talks and seminars on leadership development and momentum within the church, and was led by speakers Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. Leaders from evangelical church movements all over the region were present, which bloomed some pretty awesome conversations and new connections. It was a day unlike many I've experienced lately. I was able to laugh harder than ever, contemplate and think until my brain hurt, and feel God's calling for the group deep within my heart. As my friend John and I were standing in the lobby before the event, we simply felt amazed by all of the deep thinkers, leaders, servants and catalysts for God gathered in one place. Here are my top ten points that I took out of the day:
1. New things create sustained momentum, while minor tweaks will not last.
2. We can't change the things God has taught us in the Bible, but we can use different presentations to make the Word adapt to the cultures we minister to.
3. Limitation is a breeding ground for innovation.
4. The difference between where you are and where you want to be is the pain you need to endure .
5. We need new mindsets to reach new people. We can't let what we did limit what we do.
6. Only you can seek God on your own behalf, and its a necessity if we want our lives to bear fruit. We have to be full-time Christ followers, not full-time workers.
7. We need to eliminate all the clutter in our lives to find brokenness before God.
8. Programming is answers to questions or specific needs. It is circumstancial and can always change.
9. We need to be more committed to the mission of reaching nonbelievers than the programming.
10. Jesus didn't say how to make disciples in the Great Commission, he simply told us to make it happen.
Of course there are so many more great things that were said, but it would take me all day to list them all. Overall, it was a great time, and an awesome way to gain more understanding and appreciation for what God wants each of us to do. We all play a role in the Plan. We are all Catalysts.
1. New things create sustained momentum, while minor tweaks will not last.
2. We can't change the things God has taught us in the Bible, but we can use different presentations to make the Word adapt to the cultures we minister to.
3. Limitation is a breeding ground for innovation.
4. The difference between where you are and where you want to be is the pain you need to endure .
5. We need new mindsets to reach new people. We can't let what we did limit what we do.
6. Only you can seek God on your own behalf, and its a necessity if we want our lives to bear fruit. We have to be full-time Christ followers, not full-time workers.
7. We need to eliminate all the clutter in our lives to find brokenness before God.
8. Programming is answers to questions or specific needs. It is circumstancial and can always change.
9. We need to be more committed to the mission of reaching nonbelievers than the programming.
10. Jesus didn't say how to make disciples in the Great Commission, he simply told us to make it happen.
Of course there are so many more great things that were said, but it would take me all day to list them all. Overall, it was a great time, and an awesome way to gain more understanding and appreciation for what God wants each of us to do. We all play a role in the Plan. We are all Catalysts.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Missional-Incarnational Impulse
In Alan Hirsch's novel "The Forgotten Ways" he points out four sides to the Frame that makes up the the incarnational church. The sides of the Frame are presence, proximity, powerlessness, and proximity. Each of these terms is absolutely biblical in terms of Jesus Christ's ministry.
Presence - Jesus Christ's physical body being part of the world. He was God in human form, and not a representative of any sort.
Proximity - Jesus Christ was accessible to his followers. He surrounded himself with people who needed him, befriended them, and guided them.
Powerlessness - God comes down to our level and humbles himself before us by taking the form of a human, becoming one of us. We can understand the love and humbleness of God through this.
Proclamation - Jesus Christ's actions incited us all to spread the gospel to the nations, inviting everyone to respond to God in repentance and faith.
We, as followers of Christ, can implement these sides to the frame by understanding the ways Christ carried out these out himself, and performing the works he calls us to do. This month I'd like to practice powerlessness. The world proclaims that we ought to do all we can to reach the top, and gain power. God tells us to surrender and let grace be all the power we need as we humble ourselves.
Presence - Jesus Christ's physical body being part of the world. He was God in human form, and not a representative of any sort.
Proximity - Jesus Christ was accessible to his followers. He surrounded himself with people who needed him, befriended them, and guided them.
Powerlessness - God comes down to our level and humbles himself before us by taking the form of a human, becoming one of us. We can understand the love and humbleness of God through this.
Proclamation - Jesus Christ's actions incited us all to spread the gospel to the nations, inviting everyone to respond to God in repentance and faith.
We, as followers of Christ, can implement these sides to the frame by understanding the ways Christ carried out these out himself, and performing the works he calls us to do. This month I'd like to practice powerlessness. The world proclaims that we ought to do all we can to reach the top, and gain power. God tells us to surrender and let grace be all the power we need as we humble ourselves.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Waking the Dead: The Eyes of the Heart
John Eldredge hits several interesting points of thought in the next chapter of his novel. The one point that speaks to me with the greatest clarity, however, is the notion that we all have a crucial role to play. Through this point we begin to understand how important we are to God and why we should live a life for Him alone.
Eldredge touches on a few examples from the Bible of how people that were insignificant in the eyes of men, did amazing things through the grace of God. We have the story of David, the young boy, who defeats Goliath, the skilled warrior. There's the 12 apostles, who start out as poor fishermen, and later ignite the christian movement. And of course there is Mary Magdalene, the prostitute, who later turns her life over to Christ and is remembered for heart of gold.
But although we have such evidence of this truth, Eldredge points out that the idea of us all having a crucial role to play still brings on more doubt than any of the other eternal truths. We get so caught up in the mundane nature of each day that we doubt they can be extraordinary. Until we start looking through the eyes of our heart, this is the fate we will suffer. But once we start to see that there is a glory to our lives that Satan fears, and we know in our hearts that God wants us to be extraordinary, everything will change. Eldredge describes that "the story of our lives is about the assault on our heart by the one who knows what we could be and fears it." Its through this assault that our heart hardens from bringing the proper glory to God.
This point is energizing to me. And I think to an extent, it can be energizing to everyone because we all want to know that we are important. By God giving us the potential to do extraordinary things that would bring Him glory, we have a wide open opportunity to play a crucial role in his awesome plan. I want to personally turn on the eyes of my heart by actually "getting" what God tells me to do. Too often, we let ourselves go through the motions without feeling, but God expects more out of us. Knowing that I am crucial to God's plan allows me to see the importance of where I personally take my faith. It means that I am not wasting my time, but actually bringing God glory when I study scripture, praise in worship, or share the word to my friends. God offers us worth, but its our job to see it and take it.
Eldredge touches on a few examples from the Bible of how people that were insignificant in the eyes of men, did amazing things through the grace of God. We have the story of David, the young boy, who defeats Goliath, the skilled warrior. There's the 12 apostles, who start out as poor fishermen, and later ignite the christian movement. And of course there is Mary Magdalene, the prostitute, who later turns her life over to Christ and is remembered for heart of gold.
But although we have such evidence of this truth, Eldredge points out that the idea of us all having a crucial role to play still brings on more doubt than any of the other eternal truths. We get so caught up in the mundane nature of each day that we doubt they can be extraordinary. Until we start looking through the eyes of our heart, this is the fate we will suffer. But once we start to see that there is a glory to our lives that Satan fears, and we know in our hearts that God wants us to be extraordinary, everything will change. Eldredge describes that "the story of our lives is about the assault on our heart by the one who knows what we could be and fears it." Its through this assault that our heart hardens from bringing the proper glory to God.
This point is energizing to me. And I think to an extent, it can be energizing to everyone because we all want to know that we are important. By God giving us the potential to do extraordinary things that would bring Him glory, we have a wide open opportunity to play a crucial role in his awesome plan. I want to personally turn on the eyes of my heart by actually "getting" what God tells me to do. Too often, we let ourselves go through the motions without feeling, but God expects more out of us. Knowing that I am crucial to God's plan allows me to see the importance of where I personally take my faith. It means that I am not wasting my time, but actually bringing God glory when I study scripture, praise in worship, or share the word to my friends. God offers us worth, but its our job to see it and take it.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Waking the Dead: Arm Yourselves
In chapter one of "Waking the Dead," by John Eledredge, we get insight from the author on two topics. The first is the idea of man being alive, and it is based off of a quote by Saint Irenaeus, "The glory of God is man fully alive." The second concept is clarity.
Eldredge speaks about how we often fail to see God because there is so much fog covering our sight of Him in our lives. We often make assumptions when things don't go the way we had hoped or prayed. We assume that either we messed up or God is holding out. Eldredge points out that we need eyes to see what is happening - we need clarity. Without clarity we can't even begin to understand what God is doing.
"The glory of God is man fully alive." This quote gives way to a notion that God gives us life through Jesus Christ, and although we often interpret that to only mean eternal life, Eldredge points out that it means more. Eternal doesn't mean "after life," it means it means "unending," which indicates that this life we are given through Jesus starts now, and is not being held captive until we die.
In my life, I could say that I am crystal clear on the fact I have a bed to sleep in and food to eat every day. Because I am so clear on these things, I feel alive in the sense that I do not have to worry about my personal survival. I can pursue my interests because I know that I am physically sustained every day.
On a deeper note, I can use this analogy to explain how being clear with Christ shapes my life. In times when I am confident that Christ will provide for me and pull through, I am apt to taking bolder moves, such as going on a missions trip, giving to the poor, or sharing my faith with someone. These bold moves make my faith relevant to my life, so I can understand it and feel alive.
When I have doubts or do not see Christ clearly, I shy away from opportunities to feel alive, and this creates a presence of apathy and boredom in my life. My faith is not tested so it slumps, and I wonder where God is.
Extremes in life plans inhibit many people from being fully alive. When I say extremes, I mean to say that they are either so set in their plan that they will let nothing get in the way, or they have no direction at all and are too open to anything. Those that are too set in their goals have a hard time feeling alive because they are always doing what they expect, and life becomes predictable because it is all planned out. Those without direction may not feel alive either because they don't have clear idea of who they are and where they should be.
Someone I respect a great deal is my bible study leader, Matt M. He lives alive because he knows how to find a balance between the extremes. He has ideas for what he wants in a plan, but is open to change and adaptable when things do not go as expected. In this manner, he is an effective leader by keeping engaging others to help in the leadership, while maintaining a sense of order to prevent chaos.
Eldredge speaks about how we often fail to see God because there is so much fog covering our sight of Him in our lives. We often make assumptions when things don't go the way we had hoped or prayed. We assume that either we messed up or God is holding out. Eldredge points out that we need eyes to see what is happening - we need clarity. Without clarity we can't even begin to understand what God is doing.
"The glory of God is man fully alive." This quote gives way to a notion that God gives us life through Jesus Christ, and although we often interpret that to only mean eternal life, Eldredge points out that it means more. Eternal doesn't mean "after life," it means it means "unending," which indicates that this life we are given through Jesus starts now, and is not being held captive until we die.
In my life, I could say that I am crystal clear on the fact I have a bed to sleep in and food to eat every day. Because I am so clear on these things, I feel alive in the sense that I do not have to worry about my personal survival. I can pursue my interests because I know that I am physically sustained every day.
On a deeper note, I can use this analogy to explain how being clear with Christ shapes my life. In times when I am confident that Christ will provide for me and pull through, I am apt to taking bolder moves, such as going on a missions trip, giving to the poor, or sharing my faith with someone. These bold moves make my faith relevant to my life, so I can understand it and feel alive.
When I have doubts or do not see Christ clearly, I shy away from opportunities to feel alive, and this creates a presence of apathy and boredom in my life. My faith is not tested so it slumps, and I wonder where God is.
Extremes in life plans inhibit many people from being fully alive. When I say extremes, I mean to say that they are either so set in their plan that they will let nothing get in the way, or they have no direction at all and are too open to anything. Those that are too set in their goals have a hard time feeling alive because they are always doing what they expect, and life becomes predictable because it is all planned out. Those without direction may not feel alive either because they don't have clear idea of who they are and where they should be.
Someone I respect a great deal is my bible study leader, Matt M. He lives alive because he knows how to find a balance between the extremes. He has ideas for what he wants in a plan, but is open to change and adaptable when things do not go as expected. In this manner, he is an effective leader by keeping engaging others to help in the leadership, while maintaining a sense of order to prevent chaos.
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