Emergent Brethren

From Reggie McNeal’s book Missional Renaissance….

“The missional church is not a what but a who. When we think of church in what mode, we focus on something that exists apart from people, some “out there” that people join and attend and support. We try, then, to build great churches, believing that this is God’s primary strategy to engage the world. Inevitably, this preoccupation leads to discussions of how we can “do church” better. Thinking about church in who mode focuses on what it means to be the people of God. The central task is developing great followers of Jesus, believing that God has created people to demonstrate his redemptive intentions to the world in and through them. This perspective frames an agenda so that the community of faith may encourage all its members to be faithful to God and to his mission as they live out being the church in the world.”

“The missional church believes it is God who is on mission and that we are to join him in it. As Bishop Leslie Newbigin says, ‘It seems to me to be of great importance to insist that mission is not first of all an action of ours. It is an action of God.'”

I am reading Reggie McNeal’s book “Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church.” And it is timely in light of the Impact Ministries we want to develop at Community of Joy… where we encourage teams of people to see needs and meet needs as expressions of God’s love and avenues for developing and deepening relationships.

Here are some quotes that support this move…

“In a kingdom oriented worldview, the target of God’s redemptive love is the world, not the church (“For God so loved the WORLD,” Jesus said; not for God so loved the church). This means that God is always at work in the world, not just in the church, prosecuting his redemptive mission. His efforts are not shrink-wrapped down to church activity, nor is he hamstrung in his progress by waiting for the church to join him in what he is doing.”

“A Kingdom oriented approach seeks to leverage the gospel into people’s lives right where they live, work, and play. The church is wherever followers of Jesus are. People don’t go to church, they are the church. They don’t bring people to church, the bring the church to people.” This idea goes right along with our idea that the body of people is the church not the building. The building is our Ministry Center not church!

“When the Church thinks it’s the destination, it also confuses the scorecard. It thinks that if people are hovering around and in the church, the church is winning. The truth is, when that’s the case, the church is really keeping people from where they want to go, form their real destination. That destination is life…. the church is the connector, linking people to the kingdom life that God has for them. Substituting church activity as the preferred life expression is as weird as believing that airports are more interesting than the destination they serve.”

This year at Annual Conference, there will be an insight session focusing on media and worship. Assisting in the presentation will be a multi-media pastor from a church in San Diego. During this insight session, I would like to show on how congregations can use of media to enhance worship and highlight the best of how congregations are using multi-media in worship. For more information, you’re invited to download the Information Form. If you would like to submit something you’ve created for worship for possible use in the insight session, please submit it with the Submission Form.

I would really like to give the media artists in our church the opportunity to show-off their best work. I would also like for the members of our congregations to be inspired by the work of others to develop their own ministry. This insight session will help people to network with one another, in addition to being inspired. A DVD of the best submissions will be distributed during the insight session.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you! Please refer this information with anyone you know who is developing media for worship! Please check back to this announcement, as I will be updating it in the future.

Thanks!

Jeff Glass
jglass_gb@brethren.org
888-826-4951

Near the end of his book, Organic Leadership, Neil Cole writes… “We often approach church and ministry with a theology of SAFE.

Self-preservation = our mission
Avoidance of the world and risk = wisdom
Financial security = responsible faith
Education = maturity

Interesting thought!

NOW compare this to Neil’s theology of Death….

“Perhaps it is time we embrace a theology of death.

Dying daily to who we are
Empowering others (not self) as our life
Accepting risk as normative
Theology as not just knowledge but practice
Holding tight to christ and having an open hand with all else that we posess

I have long hated altar calls… since a boy in growing up in church… they seem so manipulative. And frankly, I don’t think they work anymore these days. In fact, let me say that stronger… they DON’T work!

Here’s why I say that so strongly… three weeks ago on Feb 22, I offered an altar call in both of our worship gatherings… NO response. None… Nada… Zip! Then the very next Sunday – March 1, I introduced a response card in each bulletin. I got 7 responses that day from people wanting to commit their lives to Christ, be baptized, and/or join the church. The very next week, I got 3 responses.

Go figure!

I think the day of the altar call in USAmerica is over!

Thoughts?