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George Patterson talks about the difference between Rabbit and Elephant churches. Pay close attention:
Thanks to Justin Hroch for putting these clips together!
I’m doing some blogging on the Q Conference. There have been some powerful moments during this conference, the least of which was not Ted and Haggard’s transparent, gospel-gripping testimony about their post-excommunication journey. Unfortunately, we’ve been asked not to blog on it, so suffice it to say that what he said was profoundly biblical and gospel-centered. I was brought to tears and to praise.
The upcoming Acts 29 Texas Regional will be a highly strategic meeting for A29 members and candidates only. We will share vision for the Texas region and ask you to participate in pioneering strategic initiatives to “develop reproducing, gospel-centered churches that engage all the peoples of Texas.” If you are A29, I hope you can make it!
Acts 29 Regional | Texas
Monday, May 11, 2009, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 2:00 PM
Title: Acts 29 Texas Region Gathering
Description: A time for Acts 29 members and candidates in the Texas region to gather together to network, fellowship, worship and pray with one another. It will also be a time to discuss the direction of the region and what part each planter plays.
When: May 11th-12th
Where: The Village Church at the Highland Village Campus
Schedule:
May 11th – 9 am to 8 pm
May 12th – 9 am to 2 pm
RSVP: churchplanting@thevillagechurch.net
We just finished a class called Interpreting Scripture and Culture in a church that is very unchurched. The goal was for people to learn how to read their Bibles well, while also reading their culture well. In short, we are trying to plant a self-theologizing church.
It was a six week course that laid out a Trinitarian, Christ-centered approach to interpretation, followed by five weeks focusing on genres. This method taught them to depend on the Spirit, begin with the Text, move to Theology, and end up at Culture/Life.
Here is the syllabus for the course. I drew from various resources, many of which are just rolling around in my head, but the actual books and articles I returned to included:
Biblical Interpretation
- How to Read the Bible as Literature – Ryken provides a literary perspective that is typically neglected by hermeneutics books. He helps every genre come to life, to activate our imaginations, to enter the world of the text with intrigue and anticipation.
- A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible – Stein has decades of experience and offers a basic, accessible approach to reading the genres of the Bible well.
Cultural Interpretation
- Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Smith
- Is There Meaning in this Text? Vanhoozer
- v.Culture Dodson
- Counsel Ephesians – Powlinson’s article, now in Seeing With New Eyes, is marvelous. It is a tour through exgesis, biblical and systematic theology, ending up at practical theology. Although it assumes a certain level of knowledge of hermeneutics, its worth reading several times.
Pointers
Although it was a small class, we all learned a great deal, worshiped during our study, and grew in our understanding. Here are a few things I learned:
- Don’t call it Interpreting Scripture and Culture and people will be less intimidated. Call it Reading Bible and Culture Well or something.
- Use Fee & Stuart’s Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth for required reading again. It was well received.
- Continue to insist on homework and have the students run the last class.
Some of Mark Driscoll’s most recent talks have been packed with pastoral wisdom. Do not miss his talk A Call to Endure which deserves to be heard or watched by pastor and wife together. He calls us to endure: emotionally, physically, spiritually, parentally, spiritually. Some of his insightful points include:
- The only person that can truly pastor you is your wife.
- Your personality calcifies as you get older apart from the gospel you will become a calcified version of yourself.
- The one idol your church will let you worship is ministry. Don’t lose intimacy with Jesus.
In his 1 Timothy address at GC, Driscoll lays out three types of people pastors are called to interact with: positives, negatives, neutrals. He reaches deep into his own experience to bring pastoral empathy and ministry wisdom.
Read his notes here.
Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. A lot of things have been happening, which take priority over blogging, like counseling, preaching, teaching, studying, being on mission, writing a book(let) and board meetings. A few things I’m excited about:
PlantR: The continued growth and direction of PlantR, our local cross-denominational church planting network, is generating cross-denominational partnerships, missional impact, equipping and gospel advance! We will be posting video clips from George Patterson’s insightful address very soon.
Acts 29: We are currently developing an official Acts 29 Regional Network for Texas. The provisional vision statement is: The Texas Region of the Acts 29 Network exists to develop reproducing gospel-centered churches that engage the peoples of Texas. The Regional vision will be shared with all Acts 29 planters on May 11-12 at the Village Church in Dallas.
CCEF: I am currently taking the second of three courses for a certificate in Biblical Counseling. The course Counseling in the Local Church, is deepening my understanding and ability to apply the gospel to all situations and to create a culture of shared counseling in Austin City Life.
Fight Club: I am finishing up the book(let) Fight Club: Gospel-centered Discipleship. Thanks to all who voted on covers. I have also posted a table of contents here.
The first chapter lays out a brief biblcial thelogy of fighting leading us to the hope of having the Divine Warrior fight with and for us in the fight of faith. The second chapter shows how we have fought incorrectly as the church, fighting as wimps or bullies via cheap grace or legalism. A gospel-centered approach to following Jesus is offfered that emphasizes the role of the Spirit in making us like Christ. The final two chapters emphasize the role of community and actual practice of forming a Fight Club.
Vote on the proposed covers for my forthcoming Fight Club: Gospel-centered Discipleship here.
Here.
Mark Driscoll gives some helpful thoughts on how to prepare to preach during Easter. He points us to Wright’s great work The Resurrection and the Son of God, as well as to Keller’s chapter on the resurrection in Reason for God. I have found both immensely helpful. For a more devotional study on the resurrection, check out:
- Living the Resurrection, Eugene Peterson
- Resurrection (Truth and Imagination), Alistair McGrath
Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope”. We can be missional in everyday ways without even overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:
- Eat with Non-Christians. We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations (Mighty Fine Burgers, Buca di Peppo, The Blue Dahlia, etc). Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.
- Walk, Don’t Drive. If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox, convenience store, or apartment office, walk to get mail, groceries, and stuff. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, taking a 6-pack (and share), bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spend an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with 3-4 neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet.
- Be a Regular. Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places. Get to know the staff. Go to the same places at the same times. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of left over pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use for church gatherings and occasionally give to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a Regular.
- Hobby with Non-Christians. Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try City League sports. Local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons. Teach sewing lessons, piano lessons, violin, guitar, knitting, tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.
- Talk to Your Co-workers. How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form mom’s groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.
- Volunteer with Non-Profits. Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!
- Participate in City Events. Instead of playing X-Box, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, clean-ups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.
- Serve your Neighbors. Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!
Don’t make the mistake of making “missional” another thing to add to your schedule. Instead, make your existing schedule missional. Check out this related article on integrating Gospel, Community and Mission into everyday life.
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