church (Page 3)

church (Page 3)

DNA – The Missional Strand

Today’s American society has many similarities to the culture which surrounded the first century church: People are spiritually sensitive and hungry but they are not looking to the Christian church. The culture is pluralistic but intolerant of the exclusive claims of Christ. The Christian faith is politically maligned and culturally held in disdain. That first century culture was God’s incubator for the genesis of the Church. We know the sect of Christ followers grew rapidly. The Church multiplied at an…

Look Out – We`re Contagious

If you examine the New Testament and church history, it is clear that there is no one “right” form of the church. Part of the church’s sustaining power and the mystery of it’s effectiveness is its ability to morph its form to reach a culture. There are several forms of the church that are present in North America today and we’re going to look at them to help us at NineSevenZero Church know who we are and how we fit…

Relationship – It`s the context

One of the questions that we must always be asking ourselves as we go forward in the process of launching NineSevenZero Church is, “Is what we are doing or intending to do promote a relational connection to God or people?” If the answer to that question is “No” then that’s also the answer to the question of whether we should do it. Relationship is the context in which life and mission is done. It’s the pot that holds the stew.…

The View from the Other Side of the Fence – Part 3

Through the Eyes of a Visitor This is the final set of observations from my recent foray on the other side of the fence. It’s a list of perspectives as a visitor that will hopefully help us create a church that that is inviting and welcoming. 1. How do I get there when you are there? It was surprising to me that in the www days that we live in how many churches do not have any web presence. I…
peering over fence

The View from the Other Side of the Fence – Part 1

I’ve had a couple opportunities in recent years to observe churches from a different perspective. The first was the two years I was in Springfield, Missouri attending seminary. It reminded me of when Sue and I moved to Massachusetts to start my professional career. We were like resident tourists enjoying the varied geography from the ocean of Cape Cod to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We delved into the historical events and people that were part of the formation…

First Thing – Count the Cost

Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason. -Jerry Seinfeld Despite what the purveyors of the prosperity gospel say there is no escaping the New Testament reality that following Jesus is costly. Jesus said it would be. He never hid this fact and laid it out plainly to all that might follow him. The cost involves death to self and total commitment to God. The demand is all encompassing including relationships, wealth, position, possessions and life itself…