Category: Global Impact
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Do something. Just don’t do everything.
As you can probably guess from my quotes page, I really believe that what we DO gives us much more credibility than what we KNOW or what we SAY. We can hold a lot of beliefs and ideas, but how we live says a lot more about what we truly believe. I’m beginning to realize,…
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Lifting that sail and catching the winds of destiny
Let’s be honest. Poetry is a little too heady and cultured for this blog. It just is. I write in three-word sentences. I don’t write poetry. But there’s this poem that Edgar Lee Masters wrote in his Spoon River Anthology that I think about every few months or so. The book is filled with poems…
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Learn from people with different perspectives
Maybe it’s not right to “rate” churches. Maybe it seems consumeristic. Maybe one visit to a service can’t get the feel of a community. But what if a view from the outside, from an atheist, shed some light on a few of your blind spots? What if it caused a little conversation? What if it…
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Sharing God’s love when it isn’t easy
It’s so easy to be spoiled and satisfied, isn’t it? I just received an update from some wonderful men and women who are serving God in a very tough country. It’s slow going. It’s not easy work, and it’s not safe. But through their work serving the people (working to build schools, open medical clinics,…
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Just say yes
When Bob Roberts asked Loren Cunningham what he thought it would be like to stand before God after all of the impact he’s had on the world, here’s what happened: It became real quiet for a few minutes while Loren answered in typical humble Loren fashion, “Oh, I don’t know, I just said yes. All…
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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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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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The message of change
“Ivan Illich was once asked what is the most revolutionary way to change society. Is it violent revolution or is it gradual reform? He gave a careful answer. Neither. If you want to change society, then you must tell an alternative story.” – Tim Costello I found the quote in a review for this book.…
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What does it mean to be ‘missional’?
Glenn Smith has some great thoughts here. “I’ve recently begun consulting relationships with a couple of new church plants and the leadership teams all claimed to be “missional.” As I asked them questions to understand their visions and their mental models of church, I realized very quickly that they were much more “consumer-driven” than missional.…
Jon Sampson 