I am sitting here at Exponential New Church conference. The buzz this year seems to be "missional". There are some good conversations going on around this.
One thing I believe is that we need to make sure "mission" is a part of missional. I think a lot of us are talking missional. We are working at how to engage our communities in an incarnational way but how often are we crossing the cultures within our communities and furthermore how are we ministering in other cultures in distant lands. A key part of being a follower of Jesus is being an active part of the Great Commission.
You can find some short video clips of this conversation from Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch from Upstream's dinner the other night here in Orlando. Check it out at our blog
More later.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Exponential Conference - Orlando
I am in Orlando this week for the Exponential Church Planting Conference.
It is good to be here with all of these church planters. We (The Upstream Collective) hosted a dinner last night featuring Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch. We had a great time and just barely enough food. I kept having people wanting to come to the event. I just could not say no.
As I have been thinking about our event last night and various conversations that I have had since being here I am really excited to see new church plants thinking towards being involved globally from day one. As you know this is a lot of our passion that fuels the Upstream Collective. We see the church as missionary. It is a both / and proposition. It is both being involved locally and being involved globally. I think church plants have much to offer overseas. We want to help in that journey.
We have another dinner that we are hosting on Wednesday evening. It is a free dinner so if you are here and you want to come and join us stop by our booth and get a ticket. We will be talking about ways churches can be involved in church planting partnerships in Scandinavia. Or you can send me an email at larry@theupstreamcollective.org
It is good to be here with all of these church planters. We (The Upstream Collective) hosted a dinner last night featuring Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch. We had a great time and just barely enough food. I kept having people wanting to come to the event. I just could not say no.
As I have been thinking about our event last night and various conversations that I have had since being here I am really excited to see new church plants thinking towards being involved globally from day one. As you know this is a lot of our passion that fuels the Upstream Collective. We see the church as missionary. It is a both / and proposition. It is both being involved locally and being involved globally. I think church plants have much to offer overseas. We want to help in that journey.
We have another dinner that we are hosting on Wednesday evening. It is a free dinner so if you are here and you want to come and join us stop by our booth and get a ticket. We will be talking about ways churches can be involved in church planting partnerships in Scandinavia. Or you can send me an email at larry@theupstreamcollective.org
Friday, April 17, 2009
Led.. The Antioch Church
2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. 4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. Acts 13: 2-4
I have often thought of God’s call on a person’s life. I think I have been guilty of thinking of “calling” or “being sent” as an individual’s response to God’s call on their life. When I read Acts 13 I see the church doing what was normal to them: worshiping the Lord and fasting. The Holy Spirit spoke to them and gave them an assignment.
You (the church) should dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the work in which I have called them do. This “leading” was to the church. It was in community. It seems that the church doing what was normal to them received instructions on how to be responsible to the Great Commission. They were to send out two of their very gifted men.
The church continued to pray and to fast on this matter and then they laid hands on them and sent them out.
I wonder what conversations did they have as a church during that time?
What conversations did they have with Barnabas and Saul while they were going through this process?
Did they have a church planter assessment done? (I had to write that since that was my job some years back.)
We do know is this was the first missionary journey of Paul. They were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They were confirmed by the body of believers known as the church. The two (Holy Spirit and Church ) should not be separated in our missionary ventures.
I have often thought of God’s call on a person’s life. I think I have been guilty of thinking of “calling” or “being sent” as an individual’s response to God’s call on their life. When I read Acts 13 I see the church doing what was normal to them: worshiping the Lord and fasting. The Holy Spirit spoke to them and gave them an assignment.
You (the church) should dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the work in which I have called them do. This “leading” was to the church. It was in community. It seems that the church doing what was normal to them received instructions on how to be responsible to the Great Commission. They were to send out two of their very gifted men.
The church continued to pray and to fast on this matter and then they laid hands on them and sent them out.
I wonder what conversations did they have as a church during that time?
What conversations did they have with Barnabas and Saul while they were going through this process?
Did they have a church planter assessment done? (I had to write that since that was my job some years back.)
We do know is this was the first missionary journey of Paul. They were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They were confirmed by the body of believers known as the church. The two (Holy Spirit and Church ) should not be separated in our missionary ventures.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Led ... The Story of Phillip
Perhaps one of the most concrete examples of being "led" comes from the Story of Phillip and the Ethiopian official.
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[b] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. Acts 8:26-31
I love this story. I pray that my life will be as finely tuned as that.
Here we have a preacher who instead of being led to the city was led to go on a road away from town. I get this picture of a man walking (Phillip) and a man riding (The Ethiopian Official). So the Spirit tells Phillip “go walk beside the chariot”. Phillip must have been in shape enough to do it. I think my tendency would have been to go over and ask for a ride but the bible tells us that Phillip ran over there.
The story concludes with the Ethiopian coming to faith in Christ. I think the obedience that Phillip had in following the leadership of the Holy Spirit was crucial. The Spirit provided the opportunity for the gospel to be explained to this man in a way in which he could understand and ultimately accept.
There are two important points to this passage (I am sure there are more).
1. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading
2. Being obedient to the Holy Spirit once he leads
Phillip did both and we can learn from this.
More soon.
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[b] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. Acts 8:26-31
I love this story. I pray that my life will be as finely tuned as that.
Here we have a preacher who instead of being led to the city was led to go on a road away from town. I get this picture of a man walking (Phillip) and a man riding (The Ethiopian Official). So the Spirit tells Phillip “go walk beside the chariot”. Phillip must have been in shape enough to do it. I think my tendency would have been to go over and ask for a ride but the bible tells us that Phillip ran over there.
The story concludes with the Ethiopian coming to faith in Christ. I think the obedience that Phillip had in following the leadership of the Holy Spirit was crucial. The Spirit provided the opportunity for the gospel to be explained to this man in a way in which he could understand and ultimately accept.
There are two important points to this passage (I am sure there are more).
1. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading
2. Being obedient to the Holy Spirit once he leads
Phillip did both and we can learn from this.
- How does this affect us as we live our lives missionally everyday?
- How does this apply to a church in how it lives out the Great Commission?
- How can this apply to mission organizations or church planting teams who sometimes have long-term strategy plans?
More soon.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Led... Continued
I hope you had an super Resurrection Sunday yesterday.
It is now Easter Monday here in Europe so much of Europe is on holiday today. I hope your Monday is great wherever you happen to be reading this.
I want to pick back up on my LED series which is about the role of the Holy Spirit in missions.
I would miss a key aspect of the Holy Spirit and missions if I did not include this in my series.
5 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 6 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Acts 7:55-56
Amidst intense pressure and imminent death Stephen did not run and take cover. He stood with boldness and power and he gave the Message. I do not think he did this on his own. I believe this was beyond his human competency. This was the power of the Holy Spirit as was promised in Acts 1:8. This was a demonstration that the Holy Spirit can give us boldness in our witness no matter what our circumstances.
Sometimes we need that boldness in a hostile crowd. Other times we need that same boldness as we talk to a friend or neighbor or family member that does not yet know Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us boldness.
It is now Easter Monday here in Europe so much of Europe is on holiday today. I hope your Monday is great wherever you happen to be reading this.
I want to pick back up on my LED series which is about the role of the Holy Spirit in missions.
I would miss a key aspect of the Holy Spirit and missions if I did not include this in my series.
5 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 6 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Acts 7:55-56
Amidst intense pressure and imminent death Stephen did not run and take cover. He stood with boldness and power and he gave the Message. I do not think he did this on his own. I believe this was beyond his human competency. This was the power of the Holy Spirit as was promised in Acts 1:8. This was a demonstration that the Holy Spirit can give us boldness in our witness no matter what our circumstances.
Sometimes we need that boldness in a hostile crowd. Other times we need that same boldness as we talk to a friend or neighbor or family member that does not yet know Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us boldness.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday Morning
Sunday is about the empty tomb.
What Jesus did on the cross was accomplished!He conquered sin and the grave.
He is risen!
The Bible says it best:
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Wait
Two nights ago I took my son camping. Actually the truth be told our friends took us camping. I am so clueless about such matters. I did remember to bring food but forgot to bring anything to eat on or with. This is one such example.
Camping out to me is like flying across the Atlantic in coach class. I am not talking about the fireside time or eating. That is the fun part. The not so fun part is trying to sleep on the hard ground and in this case with five 13 year old boys. The ground is hard, you hear a lot of noises in the woods plus you hear boys trying to see who could make the loudest and grossest noises from their bodies.
I always enjoy the morning after a camp out.
This day was no different. It reminded me about a time when I was college student. I was participating in an outdoor wilderness adventure. We were on the Appalachian Trail for 10 days. We had to do a 24 hour solo experience. No food, No one around you and overnight in the mountains. I noticed at the spot they dropped me off at had a sign that read - Warning: bear sanctuary. That was a sign of comfort. NOT!
I figured the best way to get through the overnight part of this was to sleep through the night.
I found the safest and highest place. I settled in. It was dusk so I figured I would go to sleep and wake up at daybreak. No problems. Life is rarely that smooth for me. I was able to go to sleep without problems and I woke up and felt refreshed. Plus, it was bearly (no pun intended, smile) light. The problem was that instead of it getting lighter outside it was getting darker. I had taken a 20 minute nap. I could not go back to sleep. So the rest of the night was quite difficult. I longed for the daylight. I anticipated the morning where I could see what was around me. I kept reading the sign about the bears in my mind and I know I heard footsteps (it was probably a large squirrel)
This to me is Saturday after Good Friday. Waiting for Daylight and what comes in the morning.
Camping out to me is like flying across the Atlantic in coach class. I am not talking about the fireside time or eating. That is the fun part. The not so fun part is trying to sleep on the hard ground and in this case with five 13 year old boys. The ground is hard, you hear a lot of noises in the woods plus you hear boys trying to see who could make the loudest and grossest noises from their bodies.
I always enjoy the morning after a camp out.
This day was no different. It reminded me about a time when I was college student. I was participating in an outdoor wilderness adventure. We were on the Appalachian Trail for 10 days. We had to do a 24 hour solo experience. No food, No one around you and overnight in the mountains. I noticed at the spot they dropped me off at had a sign that read - Warning: bear sanctuary. That was a sign of comfort. NOT!
I figured the best way to get through the overnight part of this was to sleep through the night.
I found the safest and highest place. I settled in. It was dusk so I figured I would go to sleep and wake up at daybreak. No problems. Life is rarely that smooth for me. I was able to go to sleep without problems and I woke up and felt refreshed. Plus, it was bearly (no pun intended, smile) light. The problem was that instead of it getting lighter outside it was getting darker. I had taken a 20 minute nap. I could not go back to sleep. So the rest of the night was quite difficult. I longed for the daylight. I anticipated the morning where I could see what was around me. I kept reading the sign about the bears in my mind and I know I heard footsteps (it was probably a large squirrel)
This to me is Saturday after Good Friday. Waiting for Daylight and what comes in the morning.
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
Lamentations 3:22 - 24
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