At the recent Advance the Church Conference in Raleigh, NC, I sat down with Ed Stetzer (Missiologist Extraordinaire) to talk about a number of topics. In part one of this conversation, we talk about his concerns and excitement about the recent rise in popularity of church planting. As always, Ed has good things to say.
by Alex EarlyFour Corner's Church Newnan, GA Church planting in the 21st Century is a bold task. Being a gospel-centered, innovative church planter implies that you are going to have to have some entrepreneurial aptitude. When I think of the terms “entrepreneurial aptitude” I don’t ever think of boring, vapid, mundane or lackadaisical people. Entrepreneurs are anything but boring.[1] Entrepreneurs are attractive, engaging and stimulating people. They are interested in anything, but preserving the “status quo” (Latin for “keeping things the way they presently are”). The ever-controversial Italian photographer, Oliviero Toscani once commented on an shocking image he created. One side of a the page contained Christ’s crucifixion and the other ...
By Brent Rood The emerging church movement is not as new as it used to be. As with every movement, it has reached a point in its trajectory where as it matures, the ideals of the movement have given way to the reality of the movement. Theory birthed practice. The ideal was that good substance should replace good management. Gospel-centered preaching, authentic and transparent relationships, and incarnational ministry should replace synthetic programs, simplistic and linear discipleship processes, and cold task- driven business models. The emerging church set out to accomplish this and in many ways it has, but as the movement is maturing there is a large wave of disillusionment. On one hand, we are seeing the gospel restored to the pulpit. We are seeing true conversions taking place ...
Posted in: Entrepreneurial Aptitude
Matt Adair is replanter of Christ Community Church in Athens, Georgia. He wrote earlier this month on Embracing Your Unique Gifting and Leveraging it for Jesus’ Mission. Here he looks at the power source for the church’s employment of their gifts. Entrepreneurial Aptitude - A Sacred Trust Church planters are gluttons for punishment. The spiritual soil of the cities we dig around in often feels like petrified clay. The first people to jump on the bandwagon as we plot world domination will most likely abandon us. The stress that comes from denominational agencies, our families and the deepest recesses of our souls is a force powerful enough to stop a charging rhino dead in his tracks. And now I’m asking you to take another whack of the paddle by leading with ...
Posted in: Entrepreneurial Aptitude
