Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
January 13, 2010
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
Jim Cymbala's book on how prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit was the foundation for the amazing story of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
In notes. Blog comments here.
December 24, 2009
November 26, 2009
Theological vision for ministry
"A statement of how we intend to discharge Christian ministry and interact with our culture in biblical and theological faithfulness" from the Gospel Coalition. Asks five questions:
- How should we respond to the cultural crisis of truth? (The epistemological issue)
- How should we read the Bible? (The hermeneutical issue)
- How should we relate to the culture around us? (The contextualization issue)
- In what ways is the gospel unique?
- What is gospel–centered ministry?
March 25, 2009
What the church is for
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on what the church is for:
The primary task of the Church is not to educate man, is not to heal him physically or psychologically.... I will go further; it is not even to make him good. These are things that accompany salvation; and when the Church performs her true task she does incidentally educate men and give them knowledge and information...she does make them good and better than they were. But my point is that those are not her primary objectives. Her primary purpose is not any of these; it is rather to put man into the right relationship with God, to reconcile man to God.
The primary task of the Church is not to educate man, is not to heal him physically or psychologically.... I will go further; it is not even to make him good. These are things that accompany salvation; and when the Church performs her true task she does incidentally educate men and give them knowledge and information...she does make them good and better than they were. But my point is that those are not her primary objectives. Her primary purpose is not any of these; it is rather to put man into the right relationship with God, to reconcile man to God.
January 22, 2009
The world needs more...
PJ Smyth's series available to download here.
The world needs more apostles.
The world needs more elders.
The world needs more preachers.
The world needs more small group leaders.
The world needs more apostles.
The world needs more elders.
The world needs more preachers.
The world needs more small group leaders.
January 21, 2009
'Go and tell' evangelism strategy
John Piper comments on the incarnational model of evangelism in this preach:
"Bethlehem's mission in Minneapolis must never be mainly a come and see mission. It must be a go and tell mission. Suppose that all 1,000 of you had just arrived on the scene in Minneapolis as a team of tent-making missionaries. You know what they are—people who will work at secular jobs to support themselves and their families and to penetrate a given population with the gospel.
"Bethlehem's mission in Minneapolis must never be mainly a come and see mission. It must be a go and tell mission. Suppose that all 1,000 of you had just arrived on the scene in Minneapolis as a team of tent-making missionaries. You know what they are—people who will work at secular jobs to support themselves and their families and to penetrate a given population with the gospel.
And suppose that we all got together and said, Well, here we are, and we have no jobs yet and no place to live and there are 1,000 of us. What should we do to reach this metropolitan area for Christ? I think the answer would be, Let's all go out and find jobs. All different kinds of jobs all over the cities. And let's pray and let the Spirit guide us to houses and apartments all over the cities and the surrounding suburbs. Let's not all live together in one apartment complex. And let's not make a Christian industry. But let's live among the nationals and get jobs where they work. In other words let's develop a go and tell model of penetration instead of a come and see model of concentration. Great idea! Terrific strategy!
Well isn't it encouraging that that's just what God has already done. We are a church of 1,000 tent-making witnesses to the gospel of Christ. We don't live or work at church. We live and work among the natives. And that is just where God wants us."January 19, 2009
Transition
Terry writes about change:
1. Beware fear or nostalgia.
2. "Hang loose and keep your eyes on the Lord!"
3. Biblical leadership.
4. Leadership is rooted in integrity.
5. Leadership listening and working with others.
6. Calling for faith and handling negativity.
1. Beware fear or nostalgia.
2. "Hang loose and keep your eyes on the Lord!"
3. Biblical leadership.
4. Leadership is rooted in integrity.
5. Leadership listening and working with others.
6. Calling for faith and handling negativity.
January 15, 2009
Questions for church leaders
Driscoll asks twenty questions "for building a city within the city" from Nehemiah.
1. What has God revealed to you (1:1-11a)?
2. What must you walk away from to pursue God's calling (1:11b)?
3. How will you communicate your vision to others (2:1-3)?
4. Who must you ask for what resources (2:4-10)?
5. What research must you do to realistically assess the total cost (time, money, energy, emotion, etc.) of the mission (2:11-16)?
6. Which leaders must be strategically recruited first (2:17-20)?
7. Where is the best place to begin the work (3:1-32)?
8. Where are your gates (3:1-32)?
9. How will you respond to your critics (4:1-23)?
10. How can you show the gospel with mercy (5:1-19)?MarkD07
11. How will you handle escalating opposition and threats (6:1-14)?
12. What is the generational legacy you are laboring (7:4-73)?
13. How will you connect your ground war and your air war (8:1-18)?
14. Will you courageously and continuously call your people to repentance (9:1-38)?
15. What are your terms for covenant membership (10:38-11:36)?
16. How will you track and assimilate those whom God is bringing to your city (11:1-36)?
17. Who are your trustworthy priests who can work in the mission while you work on the mission (12:1-26)?
18. How will you celebrate your wins (12:27-47)?
19. How much will you demand of your men (13:1-22)?
20. Which closed-hand, practical life issues will you go to war (13:23-31)?
1. What has God revealed to you (1:1-11a)?
2. What must you walk away from to pursue God's calling (1:11b)?
3. How will you communicate your vision to others (2:1-3)?
4. Who must you ask for what resources (2:4-10)?
5. What research must you do to realistically assess the total cost (time, money, energy, emotion, etc.) of the mission (2:11-16)?
6. Which leaders must be strategically recruited first (2:17-20)?
7. Where is the best place to begin the work (3:1-32)?
8. Where are your gates (3:1-32)?
9. How will you respond to your critics (4:1-23)?
10. How can you show the gospel with mercy (5:1-19)?MarkD07
11. How will you handle escalating opposition and threats (6:1-14)?
12. What is the generational legacy you are laboring (7:4-73)?
13. How will you connect your ground war and your air war (8:1-18)?
14. Will you courageously and continuously call your people to repentance (9:1-38)?
15. What are your terms for covenant membership (10:38-11:36)?
16. How will you track and assimilate those whom God is bringing to your city (11:1-36)?
17. Who are your trustworthy priests who can work in the mission while you work on the mission (12:1-26)?
18. How will you celebrate your wins (12:27-47)?
19. How much will you demand of your men (13:1-22)?
20. Which closed-hand, practical life issues will you go to war (13:23-31)?
Clarifying the purposes for the church
Article by Tim Keller:
- Worship & Prayer
- Learning & Edification
- Fellowship & Community
- Outreach & Evangelism
- Mercy & Social Concern
- Worship & Prayer
- Learning & Edification
- Fellowship & Community
- Outreach & Evangelism
- Mercy & Social Concern
Leadership responsibility vs freedom
Craig Groeschel prays:
- I pray you have the freedom to make decisions that are best for God’s Kingdom, your family, and your ministry.
- I pray you will feel the responsibility to make wise decisions and be a righteous example.
- I pray you have the freedom to make decisions that are best for God’s Kingdom, your family, and your ministry.
- I pray you will feel the responsibility to make wise decisions and be a righteous example.
A leader's priorities
Noted by CJ particularly in regards to leader who is only person on staff:
1. Own soul
2. Wife and children
3. Sunday meeting
1. Own soul
2. Wife and children
3. Sunday meeting
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