Disciple-Making Today

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) has disciple-making at its heart. But today’s culture already disciples people in other ways that compete with the way of Jesus. Watch Alan Hirsch on this subject:

The Church And Starbucks

Do we want the church to learn lessons from Starbucks and other commercial concerns? Watch this spoof video and make up your mind.

Church Policies For World Mission

World Map – Abstract Acrylic by Nicolas Raymond on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Does your church have a world mission policy? Eddie Arthur suggests some important elements, and his thinking behind them.

Social Entrepreneurs: Jenny Dawson And Rubies In The Rubble

So – you have a Masters degree in Maths, you’re raking in a large City salary as a hedge fund manager. What do you do?

If your name is Jenny Dawson and you’ve been affected by the teaching at your church, you start a business making chutney from food waste and you employ homeless people. You sell your produce everywhere from Borough Market to Fortnum and Mason.

The Daily Mail covered her story a year ago, but didn’t mention her faith. The interview below, from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, does. You’ll hear other stories, too. Make a coffee, and settle down to be inspired.

Evangelism: Going Beyond Awkward

‘An awkward moment between strangers is still an awkward moment’ by mendhak on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Evangelist Beau Crosetto on how we need to step into the awkward in evangelism.

As he says,

In evangelism, the awkward usually precedes breakthrough.

How Netflix Is Changing The Church

Netflix bu Dekuwa on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Canadian pastor Carey Nieuwhof again today – this time on how Netflix and other services are changing social habits, with implications for how we do church. While there is a danger that in adopting these changes as far as we can needs to be done in a way that guards against an individualism that destroys community, do we need to listen carefully here?

Near the end of the article, Nieuwhof says:

A church that has a white-hot sense of mission will almost always have the resources it needs to do what the church is called to do. But churches who want to prop up what used to sort of work, won’t.

How are our churches adapting? Indeed, are they adapting?

Discipleship And Application

Making disciples involves more than just information, says Richard Jacobsen, it involves application. I’m not sure whether he’s entirely fair to history teachers in what follows, but see what you think:

Read more of Richard’s thoughts on this subject here.

How Should We Evangelise Churched Youth?

Shane Claiborne by Lars Verket on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

If you still have teenagers in your church, you might want to think about this quote from Shane Claiborne of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia. I found it in Philip Yancey‘s new book, ‘Vanishing Grace‘:

I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it’s because we don’t dare them, not because we don’t entertain them. It’s because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult. Kids want to do something heroic with their lives, which is why they play video games and join the army. But what do they do with a church that teaches them to tiptoe through life so they can arrive safely at death?

Mission Conference: Wrestling With Objections To The Christian Faith

Here is a day conference we are running on Saturday. It promises to be thought-provoking and helpful.

Bookings are steadily coming in – why not join us? Just email (details on the image) and pay on the day.

Was Francis Of Assisi Wrong?

Wood statue of Saint Francis of Assis by Peter Hodges on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

“Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary use words.” These words are often attributed to Francis of Assisi, although their origin is unknown.

But whatever their source, this quotation is often cited with approval. The idea seems to be that the Christian can live a good life as an authentic witness, but does not really have to work up the courage to speak about Jesus Christ and faith. Thus Christians can still believe they are witnessing to their faith, but they avoid the embarrassing parts.

Maybe the approach of the Australian teacher Michael Frost is better. He speaks of the need to live a ‘questionable life’. Yes, of course Christians should live a good and holy life before the watching world, but it should be such a life as provokes questions – questions that we should then be prepared to answer.

Watch Frost expound on this idea here. You will need to register for a free Exponential account, but it is well worth it.