The future church is focused on discipleship, not membership. Shown below is a helpful set of comparisons between these two models developed by Michael Foss in Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church. MEMBERSHIP MODEL DISCIPLESHIP MODEL Pay dues Follow the way of Jesus Take care of members Equip disciples for ministry For members only For all God’s people Pastor does the praying Disciples are fervent prayers Bring a guest on occasion Inviting is a way of Read More …
The Future Church – Experiential (#0064)
Looking into the Future: The Top 10 Changes for the American Church 2. Experiential (Doing/Practicing the Faith) The future church knows Christian education is important as an empowering tool, not an end unto itself. Gone are the esoteric classes on matters of intellectual curiosity with little or no connection to living as a disciple of Christ. Christian education, faith formation, discipleship or whatever term you may prefer is a lifelong Read More …
Too Much Misinformation (#0063)
Stetzer, Ed. Chicken Little was Wrong. Christianity Today, January 2010. Meet the Author Ed Stetzer is the President and Missiologist in Residence of LifeWay Research. Ed is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine and Catalyst Monthly, serves on the advisory council of Sermon Central and Christianity Today's Building Church Leaders, and is frequently cited or interviewed in news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. Additionally, he Read More …
Review of Whose Community? Which Interpretation? (#0062)
Westphal, Merold. Whose Community? Which Interpretation? Philosophical Hermeneutics for the Church. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-8010-147-2 Meet the Author Merold Westphal is distinguished professor of philosophy at Fordham University, where he has taught for more than twenty years. He has written many books including Onto-Theology and Levinas and Kierkegaard in Dialogue. For a more complete listing of his writings, lectures and research interests, view Westhphal's Read More …
Still Hungry? Sermon Video (#0061)
Still Hungry? 2nd Sunday of Christmas Colossians 1:17-19 / John 6:24-35, 41-42 Watch the sermon below or read the manuscript. Still Hungry? from First Presbyterian Church on Vimeo. Did you know that all of my recent sermons are available here at sowhatfaith on the sermon page? Read More …
Prayer of Adoration (Second Sunday of Christmas) (#0060)
Praise to the Lord The heavenly mystery – human and divine The earthly reality – God with human flesh The holy child - born on Christmas morn Praise to the Lord The one in whom all things hold together The one who came to save all people The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Praise to the Lord The one who was tested but never swayed The one who was tempted but never sinned The one who died that we might live Praise to the Lord Who inhabits our praises and hear our prayers . . . Note: Read More …
Review of Longing for God (#0059)
Foster, Richard J. and Beebe, Gayle D. Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion. InterVarsity Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-8308-3514-0. Meet the Authors Richard Foster is the founder of Renovaré, which is a nonprofit organization that advocates, encourages, and resources intentional living and spiritual formation. Additionally, he is the author of many books including Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Read More …
Prayers of the People (Fourth Sunday of Advent) (#0058)
With childlike anticipation we watch and wait: for advent to become Christmas for light to shine in darkness for Word to become flesh. As we await the ultimate authority spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, we pray that those who lead in classrooms and boardrooms, those with power in government and business, and those who guide the faith community and Read More …
The Future Church – Relational (#0057)
Looking into the Future: The Top 10 Changes for the American Church 3. Relational For many years the trend has been that larger churches are continuing to grow larger while smaller churches continue to decline in membership. In some megachurch settings it is very easy for someone to attend worship and remain anonymous and have little or no interaction with other people. Another trend that has now spanned a few decades is that of emphasizing programs. Many congregations place Read More …
Review of ChurchMorph (#0056)
Gibbs, Eddie. ChurchMorph: How Megatrends are Reshaping Christian Communities. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-8010-3762-7. Meet the Author Eddie Gibbs is Director of the Institute for the Study of Emerging Churches at the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts. He is partially retired from Fuller Theological Seminary where he retains the position of Senior Professor of Church Growth. In his twenty-five years at Fuller, Gibbs has Read More …