The Eight Practices of a Missional Church
Some time ago I ran across a bare list of practices of missional churches by an anonymous person. The list has been sitting in my “to do” box until this morning when I decided to add my touch to them. Because it’s clear to me now that the missional approach to the meaning of ecclesia is firmly […]
An Interview with Frank Viola
I had a chance to chat with Frank Viola recently. You may recall, Frank has published some very controversial books lately. Then along came Jesus Manifesto coauthored with Len Sweet, a long time friend. When I asked Frank if he would talk with me about the book, he was gracious to talk to me. Here are […]
Mergers, Past and Present
According to Leadership Network, 2% of all U.S. Protestant churches have merged in the last two years and 8% more are planning on it within the next two years. That represents some 30,000 churches. Is this a trend or a blurp? In 2003 Dave Travis and I wrote briefly about mergers in our book Beyond […]
You Reflect Yourself Better Than You Think
I’m in the final throes of writing a recommendation report for a congregation I did a consultation with. While making a recommendation for the church to better define their values, I got distracted by discussing the difference between one’s beliefs and one’s values. I’ve long said that beliefs drive values and values drive beliefs, but […]
Some Thoughts about My Methodist Friends
I just finished reading the Call to Action by the Bishops of the United Methodist Church. It’s good stuff. In fact, it’s great stuff – to a point. The five aspects of a vital church it proposes are right on target. Look at what it says. “Vital congregations are Spirit-filled, forward-leaning communities of believers that welcome […]
A Hybrid World
This first part of the 21st century may well be remembered as a “hybrid world.” Cars are morphing from purely gas to both gas and battery. Communication is morphing into email and text. Phones are morphing into all sorts of communication options. Let me define “morph.” When something morphs it is neither this nor that […]