imagining how the church can reorient around mission

CA Invitation from Christian Associates on Vimeo. read more

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"Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ." — Francis Xavier, missionary to India, the Philippines, and Japan

In an era where we are wonderfully recapturing the realization that each and every person is a missionary, in context, I am also seeing a bit of a shrinking away from the idea of leaving land and family for the sake of the Gospel.  In my situation, I am seeking to inspire and recruit people to a very unchurched land – Europe.  I know, it is not seen as needy like India or Asia, but the stark reality is western Europe, in the words of the late missiologist Lessilie Newbigin, is the last great mission field. I am just going to say it: will you pray about involving yourself in missional/incarnational church planting in Europe?" read more

Despite a rich heritage of revival and global missions, Sweden is now one of the most secular societies in the world. The past 100 years have seen significant transformations, resulting in a surge of materialism, isolation, and relational fractures. Equally dramatic is the perilous decline in church participation. Sadly, the Swedish state church is seen as a mere cultural stepping-stone, lacking tangible spiritual vitality and influence. read more

These are some reflections of a middle man.  I have as many friends now who would consider themselves outside of the church as in – or outside of the Christian world view in a sense.  It is strictly 50/50.  So, I can understand and in a sense, advocate for two sets of people.

 

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Here is a talk I gave yesterday at New Community.  We were commissioning Ryan Miller and David Von for 

 church planting.  Ryan is starting Branches and David is starting Emmaus.  It is such a joy to be able to watch a dream happening before my very eyes.  

The mp3 is of the whole service (worth listening to), but my part starts about the 28:30 mark. read more

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 One person has stated that hospitality is resistance.  In a world that caters to the rich, uber gifted and best looking, true Biblical hospitality is a prophetic voice.  When the larger empire disregards and dishonors certain persons, small acts of respect and welcome are powerful gestures of a greater Kingdom!  The apostle Paul commanded the Christian as part of what it means to “offer our bodies a living sacrifice…” to “…practice hospitality.”  This is not an option.  That really is what is amazingly attractive about Jesus for me.  He was not a respecter of persons.  I find myself in this dual processing battle daily on how to mete out my “precious” time, but Jesus seemed to sashay through the daily with an ease and acceptance of the moment…that each person he met held the same value and importance as the next and he stopped and ate.  He broke bread and drank (Luke 5:30) with people who probably could or would never repay him.  Counter-culturalism at its finest.

Luke 14:12-14 (The Message) – Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be—and experience—a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God's people."

I would like to invite you to join us for the INFUSE training for missional pioneers.  Infuse is designed to equip existing and prospective missional leaders and churches in the theology and practical expression of “missionality” in Western culture, while seeking to identify and mobilize pioneers to embark on the journey of creating missional communities locally and beyond. read more