Has the social/political culture deteriorated because the church has as well?

The late and great John Stott says this in his treatise, Christian Mission in the Modern World:

To sum up, we are sent into the world, like Jesus, to serve.  For this is the natural expression of our love for our neighbors.  We love.  We go.  We serve.  And in this we have (or should have) no ulterior motive.  True, the gospel lacks visibility if we merely preach it, and lacks credibility if we who preach it are interested only in souls and have no concern about the welfare of people’s bodies, situations and communities.  Yet the reason for our acceptance of social responsibility is not primarily in order to give the gospel either a visibility or a credibility it would otherwise lack, but rather simple uncomplicated compassion.  Love has no need to justify itself.  It merely expresses itself in service where is sees need…

…When any community deteriorates, the blame should be attached where it belongs: not to the community which is going bad but to the church which is failing in its responsibility as salt to stop it going bad.  And the salt will be effective only if it permeates society, only if Christians learn again the wide diversity of divine callings, and if many penetrate deeply into secular society in order to serve Christ there.

May we, as sent ones, continue to seek the welfare of our cities.

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COMMENTS OR CONTACT:  I am always glad to hear from readers.  Leave a comment or contact me here.  Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregrgibson

How Do Word and Deed Ministry Fit Together?

In this month’s 9marks eJournal, Timothy Keller attempts to answer the question, “How Do Word and Deed Ministry Fit Together for a Church?”  I love Keller’s answer to this.

He states that his church, Redeemer Pres. in NYC, gives more resources toward Word ministry.  They take primarily two special offerings for deed ministry throughout the year.  He says this in response:

If the church is giving a priority to Word ministry, will our city think us useless?  No.  We have shown how a church can give priority to the Word and nonetheless show great concern for the poor in its message and raise lots of financial and human resources for the poor in its ministry.  And the better the church’s ministry of the Word, the more it will fill the city with mature Christians doing “salt and light” work, tackling the needs of the needy in sympathy and service (emphasis mine).

Keller gives much emphasis here to Word ministry being the primary ministry of the local church.  This is interesting to me because I hear all the time that their must be a balance between Word and deed ministry.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe Jesus teaches somewhat of a balance between Word and deed ministry.  I do, though, think we often focus on this balancing of Word and deed and maybe even forgo the primacy of the Word for the pursuit of balance, and even sometimes raise the primacy of the deed.

At Foothills Church, Word ministry is primary.  As the Missions Pastor, most of my budget for local missions, like Keller aforementioned, comes out of a special ‘missions offering’ in November.  We have, however, not treaded lightly on local missions.  At this point, we have both programmed local missions and an emphasis toward organic and responsive local missions.  We have partnerships with both the Pregnancy Resource Center and the largest Food Bank in our area.  We also have a great partnership with an inner city Community Center and a developing partnership with the largest homeless ministry in our area.  And we have a great mentoring program for one of the city Elementary schools in our area through a ministry called Kids Hope.

It really is amazing to see how these partnerships have developed over the course of a year, as well as the stories I hear of how our people from Foothills Church have been serving at one of these ministries without us even having to ‘program’ something for them to do so.

In all honesty, I believe it is because of their responsiveness to both the Word ministry of our church and the intentionality of our application in our sermons as they both hear their mandate and see the need.

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COMMENTS OR CONTACT:  I am always glad to hear from readers.  Leave a comment or contact me here.  Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregrgibson

If You Want Deep Roots for Jesus, then Water the Affections that Stir Your Heart for Him

I recently heard Matt Chandler preach a message at Student Life Camp on sanctification and he said this:

If you want deep roots for Jesus, then water the affections that stir your heart for him.

This was worth the entire price of the camp for me and my students.  As I have thought about this quote since then, my entire view the ‘obligation’ of spiritual disciplines has changed.  Before you cast me as a heretic allow me to explain myself.  I absolutely believe that the common spiritual disciplines such as bible reading, bible meditation, a fervent prayer life, scripture memory, fasting, journaling, fellowship with other believers, service in the local church, and the like, are all primary ways one grows in sanctification as a follower of Jesus.  I also think, though, that God could possibly give us each different things that stir our affections for Christ in different ways.

For instance, nature AND cities are two of those things for me.  When I am in God’s creation, my heart stirs with Psalm 19:1.  And quite the contrary, when I am in big cities, my affections for Jesus are stirred in different ways.  I think of the mandate to cultivate the earth in Genesis 1 and the Great Commission attached to that mandate by Jesus.

This understanding of growing deep roots for Jesus by watering the things that stir your affections for him has really become a staple in my life lately.  It honestly has made sanctification, at least in my own heart, change from duty to delight.  In my own mind, spiritual disciplines have become left to the consciences of believers… to the liberty of what stirs our hearts for him.  Although we are all to be in our Bibles daily, we all have different things (i.e., nature, cities, etc) that stir our affections for him in quite different ways as well.

On the other side of the coin, we all also have different things that rob our affections for Jesus.  We all have things in our life that make our affections for Jesus more passive and less stirring.  I am not necessarily talking about sin here either.  Maybe they are things, or mediums, that might cause sin but aren’t actually the sin themselves.

Here is my list of things that stir my affections for him, followed by my list of things that rob my affections for him.  The point of this being that I must water the things that stir my heart for Jesus and kill, or moderate, the things that rob them.

Stirs Affections for Jesus:

• Fellowship and meals with friends and family.  When I sit down for a meal with close friends and family, my affections for Jesus are almost always stirred.  Even when we do not necessarily open Scripture or talk about the gospel, I am reminded of the evidences of grace he has given me in these people.  Because this is something that waters my affections for Jesus, then I try to do this thing often.
• God’s Word early in the morning.  I have recently been waking up at 5am to get in God’s Word.  I am simply reading a couple of Psalms and meditating on the riches they bring.
• Books about God.  When I find myself reading books about God (i.e., theology books or Christian living books), then I find my mind thinks about the things of God more than when I am not.
• Nature and cities.  Nature and cities are quite opposites but they both stir my affections for Christ in different ways.  Because this is the case, I try to venture to big cities and to the campsite as much as possible.
• A disciplined day.  When I find myself going to bed early, waking up early to spend time in God’s Word, and giving myself enough time in the morning to get ahead, reply to emails, workout, and spend time with family… all before I head to the office… then I find that I am more likely to stay disciplined with the rest of my day, as well.
• Good worship music.  Good Christ-centered worship music also stirs my affections for Jesus.
• Good heroic movies.  I don’t watch a ton of movies, but movies that have good conquering over evil with an iron fist almost always stir my affections for Jesus.  Movies such as Braveheart and Act of Valor, in all honesty, stir my affections for Jesus.  It always reminds my heart of his ultimate victory over sin and death.
• Working on my house and yard.  The discipline of stewardship allows my affections to stir for Jesus.  When I find myself working on my home with my wife or taking care of our yard and landscape outside, my heart is almost always stirred for Christ.

Robs Affections for Jesus:

• Competition.  Competition is something that definitely robs my affections for Jesus.  I don’t find myself playing much competitive basketball anymore because this is a constant reality.  I have not found a way yet, at least in who I am as a believer, to play competitive basketball and still love Jesus as I ought.  I find myself in idolatry more often than not.
• Television.  TV robs my affections for Jesus if I am watching it too much.  If I water my desire for entertainment all of the time then I find my heart longing for evil things.
• Popular music.  Same concept applies here.  If I water my desire for popular music often then I find my heart longing for evil things.
• Most Movies.  In all honesty, most movies created today are not Christ honoring.  When I find myself watching a lot of movies, then I find my heart wandering from the things of Christ.
• Staying up late.  I have recently switched from a night person to a morning person.  This has given me greater discipline to water things that stir my affections for Christ and kill the things that don’t.  When I would stay up late, I would find myself watching more TV and movies that don’t honor Christ than I should be watching.  I would sleep in, feel lazy, and be grouchy and grumpy for most of my day.
• Sleep in too late.  This just makes me feel lazy.  My wife gets up with our daughter at 7am.  I want to be up with them leading the way in watering our affections for Jesus.

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COMMENTS OR CONTACT:  I am always glad to hear from readers.  Leave a comment or contact me here.  Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregrgibson

 

Welcome All Doubters — It’s Okay to Doubt

I often talk with many young Christians, and even seekers or self-proclaimed agnostics, about the mysteries of the Christian faith.  We talk through hard questions like the problem of evil, the tension between sovereignty and injustice, posed inconsistencies in Scripture, and other hard teachings and doctrines to understand.  Most of the time in our churches though, these types of conversations are avoided… and sometimes even frowned upon.

They either scare us off because we don’t know the answers or we are simply afraid of the tension it might bring.  Whatever the reason, we often times roll our eyes and turn our heads on those who are asking the hard questions.  Jesus, however, does it quite differently.  He welcomed and extended grace to those who were having trouble believing.  Bryan Belknap, in the latest issue of MORPH Magazine, says this about doubt,

Interestingly, Thomas isn’t necessarily rebuked for his unbelief. Instead, Jesus commended those who believe without seeing. (John 20:29) I think we’ve sometimes gotten this misconstrued, like doubters are to be shunned, or at the least punished for their unbelief, rather than stood alongside and encouraged in their momentary weakness of faith. You know the classic line – “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

If one needs proof, consider recorded history’s most shocking instance of doubt (in my opinion) tucked inside Matthew 28:16-17:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (emphasis added)

The disciples were standing with Jesus in the (new) flesh, and yet they still can’t believe. Those guys knew Jesus, walked, ate and talked with him, heck, saw him die and come back to life. Not only did they still have doubt, but Jesus used these guys to build His Church! Makes me think we should go a little easier on the doubters in our midst.

I think he is right on the money here.  May we extend a hand of grace to those who are in doubt.  Even some of the strongest Christians that I know personally have a struggle with unbelief.  When looking at Scripture and the life of the disciples, I think they are in some pretty good company though.

Gospel-Centered Relationships: A Garden of Eden and New Creation Perspective on Living in Community Together

About a year ago, about 25-30 twenty-somethings would come over to my tiny little apartment to eat a meal together, fellowship, and spend time in God’s Word.  We started with four people:  My wife, me, and another guy and gal.  From its inception, however, the group grew very fast—both vertically and horizontally.  They grew in their relationship with God through our weekly discussion of God’s Word (vertically) and closer to each other through our genuine and authentic fellowship with one another (horizontally).  It was pretty fun to watch.  At Foothills Church, this is the core of our philosophy of ministry.  We want to make mature disciples of Christ in relational environments, and we do so through small groups meeting in homes all over our city each week.

I have many relationships with persons all over the world.  Some are friends that I see or talk to only every once in a while; some are friends I see everyday; some are family members; some are lifelong friends; some are friends that I would consider best friends, or part of my inner circle, who I would share prayers with and seek out for counsel; still others are just acquaintances.  My relationships are on many different levels, but none impact me more than the people with whom I would spend my Monday nights.

This, I believe, is because of the intentional gospel-centered focus of these relationships.  We come together ultimately for one single purpose: to become more mature disciples of Jesus.  I call these Monday-night relationships “Gospel-Centered Relationships.”  As I said, I have differing levels of relationships with people all over the world and the gospel is the center of many of them.  Yet I think the focus of a true Gospel-Centered Relationship should be upon its foundation: Gospel-Centered Community.  As we look at what Gospel-Centered Relationships are, I want to focus on three things.  Gospel-Centered Relationships should 1) reflect the Garden of Eden, 2) revolve around a well-developed understanding of the gospel, and 3) move continually toward a picture of what relationships will look like in the New Heavens and New Earth.

A Reflection of Eden

In Genesis 1-2, we have a glimpse into what all relationships were supposed to be like.  Relationships were to be perfect.  They were to revolve around direct communion with God, which led to perfect communion with one another.  Adam and Eve’s relationship was without sin, and though it gives us a beautiful picture of what marriage is supposed to look like, it also has great implications for all types of relationships.  In Genesis 1-2, we see gender roles established.  We see the foundations of biblical manhood and womanhood played out in Adam and Eve’s relationship with one another.  The man had dominion over all of creation (1:26-27).  He was to work the ground (1:27).  He was to work hard.  Adam named the animals (2:20), continuing to show his dominion over God’s creation.  He then named Eve when she was formed out of him (2:23).  Eve was created to be a helper for Adam and Adam was to lead her well (2:20).  The biblical mandate for marriage was then given (2:24), and they were both naked without any embarrassment, guilt, or shame (2:25).  Again, there was as yet no sin in the story of redemptive history.

Genesis 3, however, portrays the fall of man into sin.  Upon Adam and Eve’s disobedience and consumption of the fruit, the created order was fractured.  The Garden of Eden, in all its perfection and beauty, was no longer perfect.  Sin had entered the world.  Everything was broken, including relationships.

Gospel-Centered Relationships reflect this truth under the reality that sin exists and all relationships, no matter the level of importance, are not as they are meant to be.  They are meant to reflect the Garden of Eden in all of its purity and perfection.  They are meant to reflect an Adam and Eve-type of relationship in which sin does not exist and direct communion with God (vertical) is the medium through which human relationships work perfectly (horizontal).

A proper understanding of sin also points to the fact that relationships are messy.  When people live in community together it is no different.  Actually, it magnifies our sin and our need for a Savior.  This brings us to the nucleus of Gospel-Centered Relationships.

Gospel-Centrality

Again, living in true community together magnifies our need for a Savior.  The beauty of the gospel is that it not only restores our relationship with our creator God but it restores our relationships with one another as well.

In John 13:34-46, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Now that the grave is empty and Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, the way that the world will know us as a disciple of Christ is through our love for each other.  The gospel is the core of living in community together.  It brings sinful people into the family of God, it brings sinful people with all of their baggage into a redemptive community, it brings restoration and hope, it brings a true understanding and magnification of our sin, and it brings true fellowship and true purpose and true meaning to life.

New Creation Living

Finally, Gospel-Centered Relationships should reflect and point forward to the truth that Jesus is coming again.  And he will not come empty-handed.  He will come with a sword and completely defeat sin and death.  He will come as Warrior King.  Upon his coming, he will also bring with him a new city, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).  In the New Heavens and New Earth, there will be no more sin and death and our relationships will be perfect.  In a way, they will again be like the Garden of Eden was before sin entered the world.  Indeed, it will be even better because Jesus will be the center of it all, and all of God’s purposes will be accomplished (Revelation 21:21-27; 1 Corinthians 15:24).

Gospel-Centered Relationships must reflect this truth.  We were once broken and sinful and in need of a Savior (the Fall).  Christ has redeemed us by his blood (Redemption).  This points us toward how we should now live (New Creation).  This is “new creation living.”  Our relationships should reflect the way relationships will be in the New Heavens and New Earth.

Every tribe, tongue, and nation will live in community together under the eternal reign of King Jesus.  Therefore, our relational communities should be from every tribe, tongue, and nation.  Race and language should not be a barrier.  We should spur each other on to be more like Jesus.  True communal repentance and a hatred for sin will be displayed in our relationships.  The day Christ returns, there will be no more need for repentance.  Sin will be defeated.  Relationships will be restored.  All will be perfect, once again.  Until then, I pray that our small little group that meets on Monday nights will continue to paint a picture of what the New Heavens and New Earth will be like.   We have many different ethnicities already: White/Caucasian, Thai, and Mong.  But this is only a reflection of what it will be like.  It will truly be every tribe, tongue, and nation.

May our relationships be Gospel-Centered, and may we begin to develop authentic communities that reflect a proper understanding of what it will be like—when all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.

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COMMENTS OR CONTACT:  I am always glad to hear from readers.  Leave a comment or contact me here.  Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregrgibson

A Pastoral Perspective on the Denver Shootings: May the Church, simply, be the Church!

Last night marks another tragic divot in the list of evil atrocities in our nation.  80+ people shot, at least 12 killed, and even more wounded.  That was the news that I awoke to at 6:30am this morning as I scrolled my Twitter feed.  Upon reading every major news source’s tweets concerning the tragedy, I immediately felt sick to my stomach.  I then instantly found myself asking God the very same question that the Psalmists pose throughout the Psalter:  How long O LORD?

This question, “How long?” is quite different from the one we most often ask, which is:  Why LORD?  You have probably heard it said before:  Why does God allow these things to happen?  Or, the all-too-often introspective question:  Why did this happen to me God?  The question, How long O LORD? gives present credit, or a stamp of victory, to the truth that Christ has already defeated sin and death during the events of the cross and resurrection.  This question already rightly acknowledges Christ’s triumphant place at the right hand of the Father.  What’s more, this question shows that one understands suffering, even though defeated, to still be a present reality, as we await our future hope in the New Heavens and New Earth.  It is here where suffering, sin, and death all get their final blows to the head.  It is here where suffering no longer becomes a reality.  It is simply a question of the duration of suffering.

This question — the problem of evil — has plagued humanity for thousands of years, and I will not attempt to answer it here.(1)  I will, however, seek to give heed to the conversation concerning the evangelical Christian response.  When our world, our nation, our community, or our families find themselves experiencing suffering, the church must respond boldly, carrying both love and the sword of truth in the same hand.

We must not be afraid to extend both hands in these situations.  We must extend love.  We must also extend truth.

We see in Scripture and in the nature of the universe the overwhelming goodness of God’s character.  He is good.  He is sovereign.  He is merciful.  He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere.  He is just.  He is relational.  And he is no much more.

As Christians, we look toward the cross and come to see rather quickly that God’s love for us is overwhelmingly lavished upon us through the death of his Son.  We secondly come to realize that God has not righteously wiped out all evil (including us humans) and is faithful to his promise in Genesis 3:15 that he will crush the head of the Serpent — which he has.  We then find that he is moving all things and all of history to one final telos when he comes again.  And as the church, we find ourselves right smack dab in the middle of the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus.  And what is our calling again?

As the church, our calling is to not only love each other and live in relationship together, but our calling is also to love the world and to go and make disciples of all nations (evangelism and discipleship).  These two things almost go hand in hand though.  Jesus tells us in John 13:15 that the world will know us as his disciples by our love for one another.  May this awful and gut-wrenching event allow us to do just that, yet even harder.

May we love each other, despite our flaws, even harder.  May we serve one another, despite our selfish inclinations, even harder.  May we live in community together, despite our bent toward the American dream, even harder.  May we share the gospel with our words, despite our lack of courage, even harder.  May we share the gospel with our deeds, despite our laziness, even harder.  And may we love the world, the lost, the hurting, the afflicted… and the mass murderer, despite their disposition, even harder.

May we remember that Christ’s victory over sin was enough victory for even the most vile of men.  As the church at large, may we pray for the local churches in the Denver area to serve their city well during this time.  May the church in Denver love the families of the victims by extending both love and truth.(2)  And may we, even when it gives us the deepest of pits in our stomachs, pray for this young man, the newest 24-year -old mass murderer on that disgusting list of evil atrocities, to find Jesus.  It may be in a prison cell.  It may be in his last moments.  Who knows, but God?  Maybe on that day, when we see King Jesus face-to-face, surrounded by his grace, there he’ll be.

May God save this man.

May the Church be the instrument.

And tonight, may we pray, or even yell, the question that should put us on our knees:  How long O LORD?  How long?

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NOTES:

(1)For a pastoral perspective on the Problem of Evil, I have attempted to give a small shot at it elsewhere.  You can find it here.

(2)Jesus extended both love and truth everywhere he went.  Even during his last earthly conversation while he hung on the cross, he extended both love and truth to the thief who hung there beside him.

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COMMENTS OR CONTACT:  I am always glad to hear from readers.  Leave a comment or contact me here.  Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregrgibson

I’m a New Christian, Now What?

Often times in our churches, new believers simply fall through the cracks.  More often than not, it is simply from a lack “know-how.”  What’s next?  What am I supposed to do now?  Where do I go from here?  How should I talk now?  How should I dress now?  These are all questions that I have heard in the last year from new Christians.

When Jesus saves someone, he saves them into his church; they become a part of his bride.  And when that person is grafted into the church, they are grafted, in reality, into a lot of newness.  In fact, everything is new.  Yes, they are a new person soteriologically.  The old has gone and the new has come.  Yes, they were once blind but now they see.  But I’m talking more about the praxis of what’s new.  The language and terminology are new.  The commitment levels are new.  The disciplines are new.  Much is indeed new.  And much becomes overwhelming if we are not careful.

All of this newness can be a bit overwhelming for the new Christian.  However, as many have stated before me, I want to pose only few things to get you started on your life-long journey with the Creator of the Universe.  These few things are the building blocks of spiritual growth and your sanctification (<— a word you will need to know) in Jesus.

1.  Join a gospel-centered, community-centered, and mission-oriented local church.

Gospel-Centered:  Join a church that preaches the Bible.  For the new believer, almost any church you walk into might “seem” like it preaches the bible, but you must be able to use wisdom to see if they actually are preaching it in a way that “preaching is the most important mark” of its existence.  Visit the Gospel Coalition Index and the Acts 29 Network for a good list of these types of churches.

Community-Centered:  A community-centered church is a church that focuses on relationships and discipleship.  Does the church have small groups that meet weekly?  Does the church facilitate other types of relational environments for growth and relationship to take place?  Make sure to join a local church that will allow you get involved in a weekly small group that will bring this type of gospel community.

Mission-Oriented:  Is the church outward focused?  Does it place a high emphasis on the Great Commission?  Is the church well thought of by the community?  These are all questions to ask when seeking a local church.

2.  Begin to develop the delight of spiritual disciplines.  

Spiritual disciplines are exercises that allow you to grow in your Christian faith.  Things like daily bible reading, prayer, fellowship with believers, worship, and listening to preaching are all spiritual disciplines that a new believer can begin to practice.

It is important to understand that these “disciplines” should be viewed through the lens of delight instead of obligation.  Spiritual disciplines bring us into relationship not only with God, the Father, but with fellow Christians, as well.

3.  Begin serving.

It is not enough to simply join a local church, but you must begin to get plugged into the life of your local church.  A great place to start is to simply ask your pastors or church leaders where they need the most help.  I promise, you service will absolutely lead to growth as a Christian.

10 Simple Ways To Be Missional… without adding anything to your schedule

This article was posted by Tim Chester at the Verge Network.  It’s a great little read, and I hope you enjoy it.  If you like this article then check out Tim’s personal blog.

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10 Simple Ways To Be Missional

…without adding anything to your schedule

 by Tim Chester

1. Eat with other people

We all eat 3 meals a day. That’s 21 opportunities for church and mission each week without adding anything new to your schedule. And meals are a powerful expression of welcome and community.

2. Work in public places

Hold meetings, prepare talks, read in public spaces like cafes, pubs and parks. It will naturally help you engage with the culture as work or plan. For example, whose questions do you want to address in your Bible studies – those of professional exegetes or those of the culture?

3. Be a regular

Adopt a local café, pub, park and shops so you regularly visit and become known as a local. Imagine if everyone in your gospel community did this!

4. Join in with what’s going on

Churches often start their own thing like a coffee shop or homeless program. Instead, join existing initiatives – you don’t have the burden of running it and you get opportunities with co-workers.

5. Leave the house in the evenings

It’s so easy after a long day on a dark evening to slump in front of the television or surf the internet. Get out! Visit a friend. Take a cake to a neighbor. Attend a local group. Go to the cinema. Hang out in a café. Go for a walk with a friend. It doesn’t matter where as long as you go with gospel intentionality.

6. Serve your neighbors

Weed a neighbor’s garden. Help someone move. Put up a shelf. Volunteer with a local group. It could be one evening a week or one day a month. Try to do it with other members of your gospel community so it becomes a common project. Then people will see your love for one another and it will be easier to talk about Jesus.

7. Share your passion

What do you enjoy? Find a local group that shares your passion. Be missional and have fun at the same time!

8. Hang out with your work colleagues

Spend your lunch break with colleagues. Go for a drink after work. Share the journey to work.

9. Walk

Walking enables you to engage with your neighborhood at street level. You notice things you don’t in a car. You are seen and known in the neighborhood.

10. Prayer walk

Walk around your neighborhood using what you see as fuel for prayer. Pray for people, homes, businesses, community groups and community needs. Ask God to open your eyes to where He is at work and to fill your heart with love for your neighborhood.

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Tim Chester is director of The Porterbrook Institute; a church planter with The Crowded House in Sheffield, UK; and the author of over a dozen books including Total Church and You Can Change.

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Join the conversation!

What are some simple ways that you have been able to be missional in your context? Comment below:

Veritas Spring Reader / Sign-up for Free

I am really excited about our first ever Reader at The Veritas Network.

Veritas Readers are designed to cultivate an online community of people who desire to grow in their understanding of Scripture, engagement in mission, and love for their local church. Two times a year, we will host a 3-month, 6 book journey about the gospel, the church, and mission. You must register to participate. Upon registration, you will receive a password and link to enter our Veritas Reader page. There you will have the opportunity to interact with one another, watch videos, read reviews on the books, and connect with folks from all over the world.

The Spring Reader will begin May 1 and end July 31.  Sign up here!

Here is the schedule:

THE CHURCH / May 1-31:

• May 1-15: Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel & Community, by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis
• May 16-31: Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods,by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears

MISSION / June 1-30:

• June 1-15: The Shadow of the Almighty: The Life & Testament of Jim Elliot, by Elisabeth Elliot
• June 16-30: Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support, by Brad House

THE GOSPEL / July 1-31:

• July 1-15: The Explicit Gospel, by Matt Chandler
• July 16-31: Gospel Wakefulness, by Jared Wilson