Tag: Church

The Call for Courageous Leaders

Photo by Alexis Azabache on Pexels.com

The global west is now on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. The epicenter of the novel coronavirus has shifted from our distant shores to our communities. After a sudden two-week blitz in the United States of implementing extreme social distancing measures that included closing stadiums, canceling large events, shutting our borders, closing schools and offices, reducing restaurants to carry-out only, and preventing the doors of our church buildings from opening, we now enter a critical week.

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Resources & Strategies for ‘Going Micro’

How to adopt a micro-site or micro-church approach to your ministry.

Updated Friday, March 20, 2020 with new resources.

As churches and ministry leaders face a shocking new reality in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a pathway forward on meeting the spiritual needs of our congregations and finding creative ways to remain on mission for the Kingdom are needed now. I hope you find the following free resources to be a benefit as you seek to continue participating in the message, mission, and movement of God in these challenging times.

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Dear Church, This is Our Moment

As cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) begin to rise across the globe, governments are instituting travel restrictions, encouraging social distancing, canceling major community and social events, establishing quarantines, and in some cases imposing large-scale lockdowns. Such disruptive measures to daily life in the free world are naturally upsetting and worrisome. Anxiety is already high for many. In the days of social media, fake news, polarized politics, and ideological tribalism, it’s hard to know who or what is trustworthy. One thing is for certain, COVID-19 is here, and governments are taking unprecedented action not seen in generations.

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Discover God’s Passion for Movements

I first met Michael in the spring of 2018. My wife, Mary, and I were in the thick of planting a new church in the suburbs of Chicago with a heart to serve the community and share the gospel of hope and restorative grace in Jesus Christ. We were filled with the Spirit, driven by our faith, and ambitious about what the Lord might do through our new ministry. Even our sending organization was optimistic in our vision, experience, and the possibilities of what might come of starting a new evangelistic community of faith. But optimism gave way to discouragement, confusion, and deep theological questioning.

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Reimagining a Church for the Future

The Christian church, regardless of denominational affiliation, doctrine, or methodology is being faced with the reality of a coming paradigm shift. There are significant disruptions already at play and forecasted to continue well into the future. Socially, financially, and theologically, the present day church in North America is generally unprepared to grapple with many of these disruptive shifts already making waves through the church.

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The Search for Community

What is community? Is the church still relevant today? And what sort of imagination will be required by those who follow Jesus for the future?

Hear the answers to these questions and the evolving story of Restoration Church in a message given to First Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN on September 22, 2019.

Follow the entire series on “Defining Community: Restoring Life with God and Others” on the Restoration Church Podcast. http://restorationlz.org/podcast/