by Leonce Crump
I wanted to say something new. I wanted to say something innovative, paradigm shifting, and life-altering. In the midst of imagining what that would be, a thought captured me—held me captive really—if we’ve failed to do what we were first called to do, then something new is futile, not functional; it’s negligent, not useful; it’s ignorant, not innovative.
Something new is not what’s needed, rather we need to be reminded of our first priority: to make disciples who make disciples.
In the wake of the Jesus movement, the Church Growth Movement, the House Church Movement, the Large Church Movement, the Small Church Movement, the Urban Church Movement, the Suburban Church Movement, the Practical, Pragmatic, and Prosperity Church ...
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Evangelism and Discipleship
Church planters can do a lot of things wrong and God can still bless the new church. All pastors will confess that God often blessed in spite of their frail leadership and strategies. Still, planters need to lead and strategize for carrying out the mission of God.
Evangelism and discipleship is one of those mission critical issues that needs a planter’s attention. Evangelism does not automatically happen in a new church. Too many planters think the reason that lost people have not come to Christ is because they have not found the right church yet. Thus, a mythological equation is formed: lost culture + relevant church plant = instant harvest.
Planters sincerely set out with a new approach that will fill the local middle school gymnasium or movie ...
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Posted in: Leadership, Disciple Making
Tags: evangelism, discipleship, church-planting, church, pastor, church planter, top issues, challenges, disciple-making, missional
"As a church, if you don't believe in the present reality of the gospel, in terms of the Spirit's presence to save, even now, then you will feel like every time you're up to preach you have got to do the work to get them there. Your worship leaders will say 'they'll never worship God unless we do better songs.' Or your leaders will say, 'they'll never get on mission unless we kick their butt every week and put together a plan and tell them what to do every moment.' All it is is unbelief in the gospel power of Jesus to do its work today."
Jeff Vanderstelt spoke on the Gospel at last fall's Phoenix Boot Camp – and in particular the gospel's power over the past, present and future realities of a Christian. Here he talks about Clay, a man who recently met Jesus and is in his ...
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Posted in: Disciple Making
Tags: gospel, sanctification, gospel is the power of sanctification, phoenix boot camp, how to stop sinning, how to grow as a christian, why can't i stop sinning, do i need accountability, accountability, sin issues, discipleship, helping new christians
“[Your people are] capable, because the power that raised Jesus Christ is sitting in that single mom. The power that raised Jesus Christ is sitting in that young married couple. The power that raised Jesus Christ is sitting in that 60-year-old guy who’s wasted his life making money for himself. You need to find a way to release that…"
Matt Carter is Acts 29 pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas.
Matt remembers childhood observations of his parents' practice of Christianity: attending church services, serving in the nursery or greeting occasionally, and doing a few bible studies. "And that was pretty much it," he notes.
He says that young people today are not content with simply partaking in "the attractional church" wherein ...
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Posted in: Leadership, Disciple Making
Tags: church planting, missional, missional communities, equipping the saints, ephesians 4:12, matt carter, dallas boot camp, training, equipping, leadership development, attractional church, model, missiology, ecclesiology
By Jake Johnson The other night, over 40 people whom I’d never met—most non-Christians—partied at my house. The occasion? It was a baby shower for the daughter one of my Missional Community member’s bosses. Pregnant out of wedlock with a boyfriend who’s a nice guy but just coming out of drug addiction, this poor girl had no one willing to celebrate the coming of her baby and lacked the necessities needed for a newborn. So we threw her a shower. Jessica, a newer Christian in our community, brought the opportunity to our attention and organized the whole event, inviting all her co-workers and rallying Christians and non-Christians alike to bless this young girl with dozens upon dozens of gifts and to show her unconditional love. It was a great moment of ...
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