Missional Church
There is a lot of talk today about “missional” vs. “attractional” church. This short video gives a bit of a synopsis as to the difference. Not that attractional ministry is wrong or ineffective overall, but evidence does seem to indicate that, the attractional model is struggling amongst younger generations who are looking for something authentic and relational. If anything it demonstrates that attractional event driven ministry is not the only way to do church.
What does it mean to be missional?
Ed Stetzer briefly explains the concept of missional…it’s pretty simple really.
What Does It Mean to Be Missional? from The Resurgence on Vimeo.
Matt Chandler Suffers Well
Pastor Matt Chandler was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor back in December…since then he has had opportunities to bring glory to God and advance His kingdom in ways that he would have never imagined. He wouldn’t have wished this trial upon himself but He has embraced God’s sovereign plan and in so doing he stands as a great example to us all.
The AP ran an article on Matt and his family and it’s being published around the world – pray that God uses it well.
How Can a Loving God Allow Suffering?
With the recent events in Haiti and with the intense suffering that takes place in so many of our lives it leads one to ask…why?
Scott Thomas, director of the Acts 29 church planting network, answers this question in an article found here.
How Can a Loving God Allow Devastation in Haiti (and in my life)?
Pat Robertson doesn’t get it: (more…)
Missio Dei Schedule
Here is a Sunday service schedule for Missio Dei from January through our Easter launch date -
All Sunday Evening gatherings are held at the Evangelical Covenant Church
All Sunday Morning pre-launch services are held at the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge (more…)
Christmas Tips for Dads
Mark Driscoll gives 16 Daddy Christmas Tips in this article on the Resurgence blog -
’Tis the season for Dad to drop the holiday ball, stress out as the money is being spent for presents, and miss yet another providential opportunity to lovingly lead his family. So, this blog is intended to help dads not fall into the same old rut of holiday humdrum, sitting on the couch watching football and eating carbs, but rather intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season. Our children grow quickly and if we miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families, everyone suffers and we set in motion generations of missed opportunity.
Dad needs…
- a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?
- to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family. In Seattle it’s here.
- to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?
- to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?
- to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?
- to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?
- to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?
- to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?
- to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?
- to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?
- to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?
- to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?
- to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?
- to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?
- to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?
- to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?
Ambition Conference Audio
Last week I attended an Acts 29 Conference (church planting bootcamp) at Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY. As I said in my summary of the conference the messages were amazing and well worth listening to.
The audio of the sessions is now available
If you only listen to one message then make it Matt Chandler’s wrap up session on Ministry for the Long Haul.
Chandler Interview – Part 1
Dustin Neeley, Pastor of Crossing Church in Louisville, KY interviews Matt Chandler about church planting , preaching, and leadership.
How ‘Not’ to be a Missional Church
Jonathan Dodson (Acts 29 Pastor in Austin, TX) has written a series of articles called “How Not to be a Missional Church”.
I think they are well worth the read if you have a desire to understand the missional church and it’s heart to reach the culture for the gospel.
What is the Gospel?
A few of us from Missio Dei hit the streets of Old Town Fort Collins asking people that very question. The video is prelude to our next Theology Pub where we will discuss this same subject.
Acts 29 Conference in Louisville
I just returned from Louisville, KY where I attended an Acts 29 conference called Ambition at Sojourn Community Church.
I have been to a lot of ministry conferences over the years and not that those weren’t good because many of them were, but this event was simply amazing.
The theme of the conference was:
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not known.” Romans 15:20 NIV
And that’s pretty much all that was talked about…in the sessions, the workshops, and the casual conversations. It was all about Jesus, and the gospel and how to bring it to a lost world that desperately needs Him.
No one asked me how large my church is…in fact it is more likely that you’ll be asked how large your family is before you’re asked how large your church is in Acts 29 circles. The lone hero of the conference was Jesus…I only heard Mark Driscoll’s (founder and president of Acts 29) name a few times from the stage and that was only in admonition; exhorting pastors to not try to be like Mark Driscoll, Darrin Patrick, or Matt Chandler (the big dogs of the movement). Driscoll was not venerated nor was Mars Hill propped up as the prime paragon of how to do church.
In fact the only model we were told to follow was Jesus (the model missionary), Paul (the model church planter), and Scripture (our mission model)…nothing else! Just go to your city and contextualize the gospel.
What does that mean? Contextualize the gospel.
Does that mean we compromise the gospel by making it palatable to the masses? Absolutely not!
Does it mean we make the gospel cool with edgy preaching, hip music, and cutting edge graphics? Uh no…not that those things are wrong but contextualizing the gospel is much bigger than that. It’s following the example of Paul who said that he became all things to all men that he might save some (1 Cor. 9:22).
It’s about decoding your city, your “context” by understanding their idols (what they worship) so that you can bring the gospel into their world by addressing the issues that are keeping them from Jesus.
Do you know your city? Do you love your city? Do you know what the idols in your city are?
It takes work. It means that we have to build relationships with unbelievers. It means that we can’t isolate ourselves into a Christian subculture expecting the lost to flock to our buildings where they will fall down at the altar (now that happens and when it does we rejoice) because let’s face it; many of the people we are trying to reach will not step foot into our churches. It’s too big of a step for them. We must go to them. We must understand the questions they are asking, the things they are worshipping, and bring the gospel into that worldview.
The harvest is plentiful, but unfortunately we aren’t willing to put in the hard work of bringing it into God’s storehouse (Luke 10:2).
Pray for laborers…at Missio Dei we pray at 10 and 10 for just that; people to be sent into their context with the message of the gospel that we might preach Christ where He is not known.
Will you join us?
Seasons of a Church Life
Mark Driscoll (Pastor of Preaching at Mars Hill Church in Seattle and President of Acts 29) wrote a great article about the different seasons in the life of a church. I liked it so I thought I would it post here for your reading enjoyment. (more…)
Challies on Acts 29
Blogger Tim Challies interviews Scott Thomas, the chairman and director of Acts 29 (one of the great networks that Missio Dei is partnered with).
You can read the article here to learn about Acts 29’s history, principles, and vision.
Great Article by Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll is now writing for the Washington Post and here is his first article…it’s about the fact that Christianity at its core is about Jesus.
Period.
You can read the article here.
New Logo
Here is the updated logo for Missio Dei. We will integrate this into the new website, and all of our marketing materials.
Let me know what you think.
The Scoop
Just wanted to give you a heads up regarding what is going on with The Bridge church plant.
In June I was contacted by Aaron Santini, a church planter planting “The Crossing” with CrossWay Chapel (a local church planting network associated with Mountain View Com. Church in Fort Collins), he wanted to meet like minded church planters and he had heard about me through Acts 29. After meeting a few times and discussing our vision, goals, and plans we began to discuss the idea of joining our efforts for the sake of the Kingdom. It is almost uncanny how similar Aaron and I are in theology, philosophy, and vision. So after a few months of praying and getting to know each other Aaron and I have decided to join The Bridge and The Crossing…in fairness to one another we have decided to change the name of the new church (which was really difficult for me because I absolutely love the name The Bridge =)
That is however a small sacrifice for what this joining of efforts is going to bring to the Kingdom. The new name will be “Missio Dei” which means mission of God in Latin. Both Aaron and I felt that this name encapsulates our theology and the vision of our church plant very well and will also create some great opportunities to share the gospel when people ask what in the world “Missio Dei” means. =)
The Crossing has been meeting in Aaron and Rita Santini’s home for about 6 months and they have about 40 adults and 20 children attending. Starting this Sunday evening we will begin meeting together at the Evangelical Covenant Church at 6pm. We will continue with our plan of holding a series of preview services (third Sundays of Oct, Nov, and Dec) and launching on Sunday January 17th at 10am at the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge. The joining of The Crossing and The Bridge will instantly give both groups critical mass and great momentum as we will now have approx. 60 adults and 30 children to launch the church with, not to mention the multiplication of servants, gifts and leadership abilities that both groups will bring each other.
Aaron and I are a lot alike but we are also very different in our gift sets. Aaron is passionate about small groups (we will call them Life Groups), discipleship, and pouring into men (the ground war). I am gifted as the big picture guy and overseeing things like administration, media (website, audio video stuff), marketing, and our mission will be my responsibilities (the air war).
Aaron and I will share the preaching duties and work together to formulate a preaching schedule ahead of time. We will teach through books or passages of Scripture so it will be very easy to keep continuity while also creating some variety in preaching style and perspective.
Aaron and I are both passionate about church planting and our vision is to plant churches up and down the 1-25 corridor and beyond. There are approx. 4.5 million people in the front range region and we believe that church planting is the most effective method in reaching these people with the gospel. In order to make this vision happen we must train young men to be pastors and leaders and therefore Missio Dei will have a Pastor’s School where men can be equipped to lead as elders both at Missio Dei and elsewhere as church planters.
Please keep Missio Dei and all that is involved here in prayer. We have some other big decisions to make in the near future and we are excited about all that God is doing and is going to do!
What Is Missional Christology?
This is an article from The Resurgence blog taken from a class being taught by Dr. Bruce Ware, on this subject, at the Resurgence Training Center. (more…)
Are you a Church Planter?
Those that read this blog with any regularity know that I am passionate about church planting. And while that is true the reality is that I am passionate about the local church in general, and its mission to glorify God and make Jesus famous in whatever context she finds herself.
In order for the local church to function properly it needs strong male leadership. Without qualified male leaders the church will flounder and fail to achieve its mission of being a powerful gospel influence in its city.
The article is entitled Ten Qualifications of a Church Planter…and while its focus is church planting, the principles therein apply to all men who desire to lead God’s people. (more…)
Great Trip
My family and I just returned from a quick trip to Fort Collins. Well our time actually spent in Fort Collins was short but the 18 hour drive each way made it seem like a journey.
We had a great time meeting with people, looking at homes to rent, and exploring the area. The kids absolutely love it there and Andrea and I are becoming more familiar with the city with each visit. On Tuesday we traveled up to Estes Park in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. All I can say about that is wow!
I had an extremely busy week meeting with contacts and people that are interested in the church plant. Each visit we’ve had there has been full of divine encounters that continue to serve as confirmation for God’s call upon us to pull up stakes and begin a new work in Northern Colorado.
One of the most amazing things about Fort Collins is the unity amongst the pastors in the city. I have met with a few of the pastors, and have received several emails from others, and one thing is consistent among each of them; they are Kingdom minded. Not one of them has said, “Fort Collins has plenty of churches.” or “What do you think you’re going to do that we aren’t already doing?” I applaud these men for putting Jesus and His Kingdom first…it’s sad that it’s so rare but in a church climate where pastors fight over church hoppers like two dogs with a bone, these men stand out as unique examples of what the Church should really look like. One such man is Reza Zadah. Reza is the young adults pastor at Timberline Church in Fort Collins. He has gone out of his way to welcome me to the city and offer his help in whatever way he can. Thank you Reza!
Oh…on the home front we did find a house to rent that is available at the perfect time, and the owner is allowing us to live in the house for 2 weeks rent free! The home is located in West Fort Collins…about 5 minutes from Old Town and 5 minutes from Horsetooth Reservoir. Perfect!
I anticipate that the next 6 weeks in Prineville will go by extremely fast. Rory and I will work together in transition for about a month. It should be a great time working together and learning from one another. I hope that I can pass a few things along that I’ve learned in my time here and then before you know it we’ll be off to our next adventure.
It’s sad, exciting, and scary all at the same time.
What If?
For the last few months my preaching in the gospel of Luke has centered on the concept of mission. That is being on mission with God. As someone who has been involved in pastoral ministry for over a decade now, I think it is safe to say that many Christians are not on mission. They’re on a mission…career advancement, more money, bigger house, living vicariously through their child’s athletic achievements…but it’s not God’s mission.
What if every Christian, or even most Christians, were on mission? What if Christians were as passionate about Jesus and the gospel as we are the myriad of other activities that choke the life out of us (can anyone say farmtown?).
Please don’t get me wrong…I love sports (just ask my wife). I’m passionate about the things I enjoy but what if we could direct some of that passion toward the Kingdom?
My family and I are moving to Fort Collins to plant The Bridge Church in mid-August. Part of my focus is going to be reaching young men, getting them on mission, and then setting them free to use their God given masculinity, drive, and passion to further the Kingdom of God in Northern Colorado. I’m praying for 100 young men to make Jesus famous in Fort Collins and on the campus of CSU.
Will you pray with me? Will you join us in being on mission with God in your community? Will you begin investing your God given time, talents, and treasures in things that will advance His Kingdom instead of your own? (Luke 12:13-34)
What if…