Category: Uncategorized

Mike Breen, in an article here, describes the slow death of the American church if it continues to give in to these three enemies: Celebrity Consumerism Competition The article quotes Martin Luther King, Jr., who said: If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit…

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:3 The simple/organic church lifestyle opens the door for every believer to step into his unique…

I have been reflecting on what it takes to keep my organic connection with God alive and full of passion. All things tend toward a loss of vitality and freshness, and my relationship with Jesus Christ is not immune to this. How quickly I replace vital connection with repetition of activities. How easily I adopt…

This is a blog about "church," so-to-speak, but maybe we miss the mark a bit if we don't keep putting the focus back on the One who precedes the church and everything else.  The church is, no doubt, meant to be a much more radical movement than we have understood it to be.  How much…

'Missional' and 'missional communities' are the buzzwords these days, and I am deeply appreciative of that. But let's not forget that the flip side of the same coin is the community of believers: learning to love and care for one another, providing a place of safety and healing, speaking into one another's lives in word…

(Originally posted in 2005, but perfectly relevant today) The Christian world, the entire Christian world, is permeated with a religious spirit.  It's in me, in others, in traditional churches, in house churches.  It is such a pervasive dysfunction that it's no wonder Jesus addressed it so forcefully. The religious spirit is not just "them," it's…

I have noticed a similar morphing taking place within some organic/simple church participants as well as some traditional church participants. The movement seems to be toward disciple making and missional communities as the core shape of the church. Some might suggest, myself included, that the simple/organic church emphasis has helped pave the way for this. But…

Jesus Jesus Jesus Make disciples who are followers of … Jesus. Not followers of doctrines, opinions, or church visions. Not reciters of creeds or religious points of view. But followers of the One. Followers who follow because they know Him. They have tasted, touched, and encountered Him and now they want to continue to develop that closeness,…

Thanks to Guy Muse’s blog, I was reminded of Reggie McNeal’s book “The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church.” Although this book is over ten years old, it still addresses key issues that the church, if we are willing to be honest about who/what we are meant to be, must continue to face…

My friend shared his experience with simple/organic church and discipleship in the context of authentic community life. There is nothing like real-life examples to draw from: "What does a "living" gathering look like verses a sterile "man-made" gathering look like?" I'm not sure there is a standard "look" to this. It's more of a lifestyle…