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Category Archive: Missional Living

How To Livestream Your Worship Service

Posted by on March 22, 2020

Most churches are already working through all of these practical issues but wanted to post just in case someone could be helped. So many challenges lie ahead but we are reminded more than ever that the church is not the buildings but the people. We can still leverage technology for eternal purposes and use this time to learn to trust the Father through all of this disruption. This post by The Gospel Coalition will be helpful:

“Among the many ramifications about the spread of COVID-19 is a sudden need for churches everywhere to rethink their Sunday services, moving from a physical to an online gathering for a season.

But livestreaming a sermon or Sunday service can be a daunting challenge, especially for small-to-medium-sized churches that lack the budget and team to execute such a production. The following is a practical guide for how small- or medium-sized churches can get started in livestreaming.”

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9 Reasons Our Families And Friends Don’t Believe The Gospel

Posted by on March 7, 2020

The gospel by its very nature is good news. Maybe we need to remind ourselves as Christian leaders why. What is the problem we are solving and the need we are meeting? Ultimately, security and significance can only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We must constantly be sharing with each person the right amount of grace and truth so they can see how much the Father loves them. This post by Chuck Lawless is a good reminder:

“Southeastern Seminary, where I teach, is emphasizing “Who’s Your One” this semester. We want all of our administration, faculty, staff, and students to seek to pray for and share the gospel with at least one person during the next couple of months. Based on my years of sharing Christ with family members and friends, here are my thoughts about why folks struggle with believing the gospel.”

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We Need Prophets, Not Partisans

Posted by on March 5, 2020

Christians must understand that the stewardship of the gospel is significantly more important than the government. We are citizens of another country and our calling is to represent Christ as His ambassadors. We care deeply about many social issues but none of them rise to the level of the ministry of redemption we have been given. This post by Brett McCracken is an important read:

“We live in “all or nothing,” “us or them” times. You’re either all with us—toeing the party line on every front—or you’re with them. You’re either trustworthy because you agree with us on everything, or you’re totally untrustworthy and a dangerous threat—even if simply because you dissent from us 5 percent of the time.”

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How To Know If You Have Made An Idol Out Of Politics

Posted by on February 23, 2020

If you as a Christian leader have more of a passion for the kingdom than you do America, you could be the target of persecution. The gospel has always been the primary mission of the church and not the government. Yes, we are to be salt and light but to what end? I am sorry if I care more about finding the elect than elections. This post by Joe Carter is worth the read:

“Have you considered you might have made an idol of politics?”

Here we go again, I thought. I wasn’t surprised by the question. Idol-hunting, after all, is a favorite pastime of my fellow evangelicals. But I was caught off guard by the candidate for the potential idol.

It’s certainly possible I’ve made an idol of money. And I’d reluctantly confess that I’ve often made an idol of comfort or security. My wife might say I’ve made an idol of my smartphone, since I always seem to be staring at it in adoration and obeisance. But an idol of politics? How is that even a question? I hate politics. I consider politics to be, at best, a necessary evil, not something I would put ahead of God.”

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4 Responses To Cultural Change

Posted by on February 2, 2020

I can identify with Lot in that my spirit is tormented as I live in this increasingly toxic culture. On the one hand I want to run away and hide and the next minute I want to scream at someone. I have learned that the culture is clearly not our friend as Christians but it is not our enemy either. Ed Stetzer is spot on again:

“As followers of Christ, we won’t always fit into the world in which we live. In fact, we’ll often find ourselves going against the flow of popular culture in certain areas of life. It’s necessary for us to have a solid biblical foundation to stand on in the midst of a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.

We need to know how the eternal Word of God shapes our understanding of current issues and how we can share the gospel compassionately and courageously with the people around us.

Here are four possible responses to cultural change.”

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The Rise Of The Dones: The Done With Church Population

Posted by on January 28, 2020

There can be no doubt based on our own personal experience and great research by Barna and others, that the majority of three entire generations are not coming to church. The days of build it and they will come are over in this post-christian America. Another very alarming trend is those who were once active in church are indeed done and are not coming back. This post by Thom Schultz is a must read for all church leaders:

“John is one of the Dones even though he’s every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately.

But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event.”

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7 Things Christians Should Give Up To Reach Unchurched People

Posted by on October 19, 2019

There are so many things pulling Christians and churches away from their core message and mission. When Christians chose government over gospel we have lost our voice to speak truth into a culture that desperately needs Jesus Christ. This post by Carey Nieuwhof gives great examples of this critical problem:

“So you want your church to reach unchurched people. That’s wonderful because that’s basically the mission of the church: to share the love of Christ with the world in hopes that everyone will come into a relationship with Jesus.

The challenge is that unchurched people aren’t exactly flocking to most churches, and many Christians seem stumped as to why that is. There are many reasons, but a surprising number center around one thing: Christians who treat the church as if it’s their private club.

The gravitational pull of human nature is toward self, not toward others, and churches behave the same way. You will focus almost exclusively on your needs and wants unless you decide not to.”

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Be A Light For The Gospel By Supporting Your Child’s Teacher

Posted by on September 25, 2019

Helping Christians live out the gospel in the church scattered is my passion and calling. As we learn to merge the secular and sacred, we will find many opportunities to share grace in the most common everyday patterns of life. One great opportunity is to invest into the lives of the people who are responsible for investing into the lives of your children. This post by Heather Spinger is very helpful:

“We support things that are important to us. For instance, we speak of our support, or lack thereof, in a sports team or a politician. However, conversations seem rare regarding the support of our favorite toothpaste. Why? Because the type of toothpaste does not seem to be as important. So what about our child’s teachers—are they worth supporting?

As a teacher myself, I have had many conversations about the vital role teachers play in a child’s life. In reality, you as a parent are asking the teacher to partner with you in educating your child. This is an extremely important position, and your support to them is vital to their success. And for followers of Christ, this is not merely an opportunity to help a teacher but an opportunity to be a light for the gospel. Given that many teachers face pressure and criticism from parents, your support can stand out all the more.”

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How To Be A Pastor To Your City

Posted by on July 20, 2019

There is no biblical evidence that the command to make disciples requires them to be members of your church. The fields are indeed white unto harvest if you don’t care who gets the credit other than the Holy Spirit. It is critical that your members be active in this harvest and beginning in your city is a great place to start. This post by Lizzie Ng is excellent:

“There’s more happening in your city than meets the eye. It can be easy to think God’s activity is confined to what we see in our single church congregation or non-profit organization. But do you know how to view God at work at work to reach your city? Our team—City Gospel Movements at Palau—champions leaders who are not content running programs in the four walls of their church. These leaders are restless to see local churches unite and work together for the peace and prosperity of their city.”

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Christianity Isn’t Cussing Less And Giving More

Posted by on April 17, 2019

The biblical tension of being in the world and not of the world is a daily battle. However, we must understand that culture is not our enemy, it is simply the context through which we do ministry. As we do our daily ministry at home, work and in our neighborhoods other people should notice something completely different about our lives. This post by J.D.Greear is convicting:

“The study showed that 84 percent of non-Christians said they personally knew at least one Christian, but only 15 percent thought that person’s lifestyle was significantly different than their own. Non-Christians don’t think we’re different because we’re not different. But we should be.”

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