Category: Connecting to Culture
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Beauty. Love. Hope.
I love it when Christians use media and art to communicate truth. This resonates more than many sermons I’ve heard. From Mosaic
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Quick thoughts: Rob Bell on the church
“The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members.” – Rob Bell, Mars Hill Bible Church
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Don’t just share, engage a whole society
Bob Roberts, Jr., pastor of NorthWood Church was interviewed in the May 2007 issue of Church Executive. What’s wrong with the way most churches do missions? Well, the first thing that’s wrong is they don’t [do missions], if you look at the overwhelming amount of money that’s being spent on the church as opposed to…
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Christianity in vibrant colors
I’ve been listening to some lectures by Michael Frost, and want to share a metaphor he used. Most churches today paint in pastels, he said, but the world – life – is painting in vibrant, primary colors. A lot of times, to a lot of people, the church seems lifeless when compared to the spirituality…
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Missional linkage: on Jesus and dressing up the gospel
+ Alan Hirsch on Jesus: And then I come to that quintessential saying of Jesus in John 14:6 ““I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And I realize afresh that this is exactly how I experience my connection with God—as a relationship mediated…
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Starbucks challenges and church life
I like chain stores. I know that’s not really “cool.” But if I have a choice, a lot of times I’ll choose Target, On The Border, or Starbucks over the local, untested option. They’ve gotten big because they do what they do well. So small stores must not be doing something right … right? Well,…
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Just two more: Relevance and mission
I just can’t stop! Two more posts worth reading. That’s it. Promise. + Bob Hyatt talks about a post from Alan Hirsch on the “missional vs. attractional” approaches. An attractional church is one whose primary stance towards those it seeks to reach is couched in the expectation of a come-to-us mentality. And this expectation as…
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Weekend reading: Atheism, space, and Vietnamese art
I have a lot I want to write about, but until I do, here are a few things other people are saying that stood out this week … + Rick Warren and Sam Harris talk about Christianity and religion in Newsweek. It’s a great conversation worth reading. + Ryan Bolger talks about how our concept…
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Talking about your faith
Ed Stetzer just posted some great info on “Beginning a Conversation about Christ.” He looks at ways to start those conversations that can go beyond “If you died today…” Many seem to have lost confidence in that gospel. It is easier to tell people to come to church and live a good life, but that…
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Using money for a global impact
Check out this video from Francis Chan’s church in Simi Valley. According to his site, it explains the reason why Cornerstone decided to build an outdoor amphitheatre instead of a new sanctuary. It’s a powerful video, done in the style of an earlier Sarah McLachlan piece. It’s amazing how a global perspective can change how…
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The environment’s place in church
There’s a shift happening in culture. And churches that care about relevance and connection should watch, understand, and participate with the same gusto with which they seek out new music trends or useful sermon topics. Every day, more people are becoming concerned about the environment and how our consumption affects it. On one end, many…
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Thursday linkage: taking off, purple cows, and feeling alone
So Thursday linkage was going to be a regular thing. But I’m late. And today is Saturday, which means it’s time for some belated Thursday links! + We live in a weird media world when this pastor can become a top search on Technorati. But I like learning from people who are running hard, and…
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20-somethings and church
One of my passions right now is 20-something ministry. The church I work at has some great things happening for a lot of age groups, but those people who are post-college but pre-kid seem to disappear. I don’t think they need another program to be a part of, but they (we) do need a place…
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Engaging the world
I’ve read a few posts recently about the diversity (or lack thereof) of blogs’ audiences. It’s a good conversation to have. Here’s my take. The blog you’re reading mainly focuses on church (how it’s done, staying relevant in society, reaching out, etc.), leadership topics like creativity and planning, and my life. Unless they know me…
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On cultural change
Mark Batterson just posted some solid thoughts on cultural shifts at his blog. Here’s a part of it, but the whole post is worth a read. Here are some off the cuff thoughts on cultural shifts. These aren’t prescriptive. They are descriptive. Some are good. Some not so good.1) Incarnation is more important than Explanation…
Jon Sampson 