unchurched

Live Into the Calling You Received!

Live Into the Calling You Received!

One of the most comprehensive and instructive selections on the church found within the Bible is the great passage from Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4. 

It provides the follower of Jesus with the tools necessary to understand the foundational mission and purpose of the church, the real, active presence of the Body of Christ in our world. 

I believe in the church. As one prominent Pastor once said, "The local church is the hope of the world!" I agree with it so much that I have staked my life and vocation on it.

Below, I have posted an excerpt from my sermon this past Sunday. It is rooted in Ephesians 4, and it contains a worked out response to living into the call that you received from Christ, the head of the church!

May you come to see the church as the hope for the world and the primary means through which one discovers the grace of our Lord and works out her or his redemption!

Starting a Church for Unchurched Families #OC14

Starting a Church for Unchurched Families #OC14

One of the most relevant and stimulating breakout sessions that I attended at the 2014 Orange Conference was Carey Nieuwhof's discussion on "Starting a Church for Unchurched Families."

I am not a church planter, nor do I want to become one. I doubt that I will ever start a church for unchurched people. I signed up for this session because I respect Nieuwhof and desired to hear him speak in general, regardless of the topic. I was not sure if he would be addressing church planting or culture shifting, but Nieuwhof is an expert on the topic of post-Christianity and post-modernity. I knew that he would deal with this issue well, no matter what lens through which he discussed it. In fact, I highly commend his blog to you: careynieuwhof.com, a great resource on leadership and pastorship in a post-modern, post-Christian context. 

It turned out that this session was pertinent for anyone who desires to create a culture within their community that welcomes unchurched families, not just for planters. That's my heart, and I hope it is yours, as well.