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.
Continue reading “Reimagining a Church for the Future”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/
Tom (not his real name), sat up from his position on the couch opposite me, exhaled deeply, and asked the group, “So, what should we do about it?”
Continue reading “How Should Christians Respond To The Challenging Issues Of Our Day?”
Exhaustion, fatigue, and apathy are worn today like it’s poorly in style and there’s a good chance you are wearing it too. We all are, and it’s a tell-tale sign we as a humanity are hurting and unhealthy. It’s about time for an overdue wardrobe change. Continue reading “Rest for the Soul”
Mary tucked the colored eggs away in preparation for some morning fun with the kids and I got the first pot of coffee started. In just a few hours our house would soon be transformed from a quiet sanctuary to a bustling gathering filled with food, conversation, music, and prayer. It was Easter Sunday and the body of Christ was preparing to meet, as we do every Sunday morning, in a simple and purposeful setting.
This week I had the privilege to be part of a 4-day “Church Intensive” with We Are Church, the church-planting network founded by Francis Chan in San Francisco, California. We learned first-hand the heart behind their ministry, the ‘why’ behind their methodology, and caught a powerful vision of what the church can and should be in our communities. The following is one story from my time with them.
Movements and causes come and go all the time. But there is one movement that has withstood the test of time because its founded in truth and spiritually empowered. Regrettably, the statistics have been in for quite some time: Christianity has plateaued and begun a slow decline in North America, not because its been proven false, but because we have lost sight of our mission.
