from here to there

So at a recent conference I heard a very compelling communicator give a passionate talk that was all about Jesus. That is precisely the problem: the talk seemed to be more about the idea of Jesus than the person of Jesus. He spoke as if Jesus was a simply a great historical figure whose teachings ought to influence the shape and mission of the Church. He spoke lots about mission, about incarnation, about cultural engagement. I am not so sure he even attempted to lead us to the person and not just the idea of Jesus. At one level that might be fine and good…and I don’t mean to cast judgment on another based simply on my perception… but should not our teaching, preaching, service and leadership be more about a person than the idea of a person?

Continue reading →

I am strangely drawn to the following prayer these days…perhaps you will be too.

Travelling at 73 miles per hour on my motorcycle neither my son nor I had any warning of the deer sprinting across the Montana highway directly in front of us.  We were facing a head-on collision with potentially catastrophic consequences.  A lot can happen in a half second and even more thoughts can run through one’s head.  I braked as hard and as safely as I could Continue reading →

We used to be missional without using the word.  Our doctrine was thin and our engagement with society was wide.  Now we have become Creedal – defining ourselves by what we say we believe over how we actually participate in the Mission of God.

We used to shape culture.  We used to be known as the people who best served the poor and acted as agents of justice and compassion in society for the sake of the Gospel.  Now society shapes us – as we are too often distracted with what we think society wants us to be, rather than offering what the poor and destitute need and the simple proclamation of the Gospel. Continue reading →

A few months ago a friend showed me a copy of the earliest documents that formed what has now become known as the Christian and Missionary Alliance. I believe the convictions of our forefathers expressed in this document provides a wake-up-call to us all today in the CMA in terms of our mission, theology, gender issues and form. Continue reading →

As I interact with leaders (especially younger) I hear a desire to be mentored; desires to have others build into their lives. I resonate with this and see it as genuine motivation, on the part of these leaders, to get better, to become wiser, and to possess healthy perspectives on a variety of issues in life. I also sense a certain level of frustration in their experience in not finding others to provide this needed role in their life.

Continue reading →

I was recently inspired by an emerging leader ~ husband and wife ~ in our tribe as we sipped coffee together.  They are sensing a kind of stirring in their hearts wondering if the Lord is awakening a call to serve in a different context and a different city.  They were wrestling through the myriad of dynamics that such a move would produce; loss of close family proximity, new network of friends, unknown schools for children, unfamiliar city and so on and so on. Continue reading →

I received a phone call from a pastor recently who said, “A few of us from various churches have been talking and we have an idea we wish to share with you.”  These pastors are from three churches whose ‘parishes,’ in a sense, border one another.  Their dialogue has risen from the fertile soil of friendship to that of engaging in mission together.  This emerging and compelling idea of theirs may very well serve to advance the Gospel of Jesus in their region in ways that none of them would be able to do on their own.  The phrase that caught my attention most of all was simply that of “We’ve been talking….” Continue reading →

Dave Logan describes how leaders can nudge ‘tribes’ forward. I wonder how much more effective the church could be if our many clusters of relationships simply functioned at higher levels.

This guy shared authorship of a great book titled “Tribal Leadership.”
http://www.triballeadership.net/

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Forgotten Voices tells the stories of 40 amazing women who had a significant role in the history of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.

Accompanied by nearly 90 photos, this well-researched book is a compelling and inspirational read for anyone interested in the role of women in the church today.