Category: Uncategorized
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Community as Family
I am convinced that our communal Christian life must contain elements of both mission and authentic family. There is often a tension between these two: the need to be missional and focused outward and the need to be a family that is concerned for one another. Perhaps this tension is because we miss the point:…
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Testimony From Kenya – House Church Unity Protects Christians
Two weeks after we left Kenya, in December, rioting broke out following a presidential election due to accusations of vote-rigging and cheating. In case you have not seen the news on this, you can catch up here. We have been heart-broken to hear some of the stories that our Kenyan friends have shared with us:…
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Church in Starbucks Five-Days-a-Week
Jan Cowles talks about a new believer who started out in a house church and then started one with her boyfriend a few months later. Then, while reading her Bible at a Starbucks another person asked her what she was doing and then joined her, along with a third person, to become a Starbucks house…
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Suggestions from a Consumer-Driven Church-Goer
An excerpt from a fun post by Bill Kinnon: I’m a consumer. So. You want me in your church. Here’s how to get me. 1. Parking. I need lots of space for my big SUV. And it better be close to the doors. Don’t want to do much walking. So if it isn’t – how…
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Building Ministry on Jesus Rather than on Men’s Personalities
A quote from Oswald Chambers that speaks for itself: When we say, "What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, and what wonderful insight!" then what opportunity does the gospel of God have through all of that? It cannot get through, because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person…
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It’s a Way of Life Not a Service to Attend
I often say that we need to get the focus off of the structure of our church gatherings or who our leaders are or what movement we are part of and onto the lifestyle that we, who are organically connected to the Vine-Jesus, are meant and empowered to live. Our church-gatherings are meant to support…
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U.S. Conferences in 2008
Someone recently asked me if I knew of any U.S. house church conferences in 2008. I know of the following. Please use the link below to add comments regarding other conferences that you are aware of anywhere. 1. Southern California in February is the Organic Church Movements Conference (Neil Cole): http://www.cmaresources.org/conference/ 2. Central California…
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The Virus Can No Longer Be Contained
My wife, Brooks, wrote the following observations following our return from a ministry trip in Kenya: The Revolution is happening – it’s happening all over the world. We are in a Reformation. Acknowledge it or not. Be a part of it or not. Jesus longs for his church to come alive, to become a living,…
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Without a Vision, People Perish
This statement, from Proverbs 29:18 (“Where there is no vision, the people perish”) is used over and over to put forth a corporate church vision by “church leadership” asking everyone to fall into line and support “what God is doing” in the church. I have used this verse myself in just this way. How freeing…
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Practical Tools: Questions for Participatory Bible Study
I love the following questions from Ray Kemp that can be used to involve every person in exploring a passage of Scripture together. After reading the passage through, each person can share: 1. What did you hear?2. What does it mean to you today (in your life)?3. What does it cost you to live this…