Archive for the 'Church' Category

Am I a church planter?

Published
by
Todd
on Monday, June 16, 2008
in Breathe and Church
. 18 Comments

Am I one of these?My senior year of college, I got connected with a group contemplating a church plant in Los Angeles. The idea was fresh and exciting. And I liked the people spearheading the plant. Unfortunately, their plan was to move to L.A. in 2008 or 2009, and I was ready to get out of Searcy. No matter how cool a plan, how cool the people, it wasn’t worth staying at Harding.

After graduation, I knew that Hayley and I were coming back to Wichita, and that we would plug into Central cChurch of Christ – the church at which Hayley grew up and at which I interned the previous summer. I assumed that I would engage in youth ministry (as a sponsor) and Hayley would continue working with children.

That went well for a while, but I honestly had less time, energy and passion for youth ministry than I expected. I also, slowly but surely, lost my connections with the teens – both in terms of personal relationships and the desire to communicate with them as I used to (which usually involved my hitting my head on a chair or acting the fool in some other, equally creative way). I also felt much more drawn to people my own age, people who were turned off by church. Turned off by institutions. Bored by traditions.

People a lot like me.

Then I met Cliff, and as I’ve mentioned before, the combination of Cliff and Velvet Elvis led me down a path of asking, “What’s next for the church?” And obviously, today I’m exploring that through Breathe.

I subscribe to a couple of blogs from current and former, now successful, church planters. I’m impressed with their passion, commitment and thought that goes into every decision. I think their plans are amazing. I sometimes grow jealous of their success.

But I don’t feel a connection to them. I don’t feel like we’re doing the same thing. I don’t feel like I’m a church planter.

So, friends, the question I pose to you today: what makes a person a church planter?

Happy Monday.
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Breathe is breathing

Published
by
Todd
on Monday, May 5, 2008
in Breathe, Church and Random
. 4 Comments

Last night, Sunday, May 4 at 5:00 p.m., a movement was launched. For the third time.

But, as the old familiar saying goes, third time’s a charm.

It’s about time – we’ve been chomping at the bit to get going, and admittedly, the previous two attempts have been nothing if not discouraging. First we experienced an owner who didn’t want us there. Our second try failed because we were unable to sell enough food. But those “failures” were preparation for where we are now – both literally and figuratively.

Literally, we are at Club Sensations, a strip club on the southeast side of Wichita, Kansas. For our thought process behind the location, you can visit the post at Breathe’s blog. Figuratively, we are stepping ever nearer to understanding the potential of what Breathe can and will become. Already, in the short five hours we spent at Club Sensations cleaning, dancing, singing, praying and sharing, we have seen the power of the idea of Breathe and effect of the message we are proclaiming.

So, thanks to the owners of Club Sensations. Thanks to our dancers from Care to Dance studio. Thanks to Blake and Liz for rocking the original music. Thanks to Cliff for brining it with his Windows Movie Maker and speaking skills. Thanks to Hayley for using her serious ambience-enhancement skills. Thanks to everyone who stepped into an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place and to those who thought they were in a familiar place and chose to stay even when things got “weird.”

Through the partnership of these people, we encountered the spirit of God in a place where He likely hasn’t been welcome before with people who are unlikely to choose to experience Him.

It was a good Sunday. And we’ve only just begun. We’ll be back there in two weeks – Sunday, May 18 at 5:00 p.m. – and we’d love to see you there.

Any questions? Comments? Critiques?
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Is this true?

Published
by
Todd
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008
in Church, Question and Quote
. 6 Comments

The majority of churches choose not to change. They would rather die. Tragically, in most churches, the pain of change is greater than the pain of ineffectiveness.” – Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger, authors of “Simple Church“

Overstatement or frightening, frustrating reality?

I know what I think. I assume most of you know what I think.

But what do you think?
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Todd’s Theses revisited (conclusion)

Published
by
Todd
on Friday, December 21, 2007
in Church and Theses
. 6 Comments

Theses Part ThreeWay back in March 2006, I started a blog-series titled “Todd’s Theses.” I essentially listed the church- and theology-thoughts running through my head at the time. I went back to review those posts and thought it might be interesting to repost them here unedited and unfiltered. Do I still feel the same? Am I embarrassed of what I believed so long ago? Let’s find out.

Part One

Part Two 

33. Being mean or offensive isn’t the best way to point people towards truth.

34. Churches should be transformational. When people come in contact with Jesus’ love, they should never be the same.

35. God’s will isn’t unfurled before us so we can know His entire plan for our entire life. It’s revealed in small pieces so we can take next steps.

36. Every member is a minister.

37. Educational institutions, political organizations and Focus on the Family are NOT the Church.

38. We don’t go to church. We are the Church.

39. Mission work (and money) doesn’t have to occur (be spent) in another country.

40. Truth isn’t contingent upon me. Just because I believe something to be true doesn’t make it so. (Caedmon’s Call)

41. Women and men are equal in Christ. We do females a great disservice when we tell them they can be anything they want professionally, but they’re restricted in church.

42. The Bible is NOT an answer book, rulebook, instruction manual or textbook. It is a narrative, and it’s important that we understand it as such. (See #18)

43. Unity doesn’t equal uniformity.

So, what do you think? Where am I way off base?
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Todd’s Theses revisited (part two)

Published
by
Todd
on Thursday, December 20, 2007
in Church and Theses
. 4 Comments

Theses Part TwoWay back in March 2006, I started a three-part blog-series titled “Todd’s Theses.” I essentially listed the church- and theology-thoughts running through my head at the time. I went back to review those posts and thought it might be interesting to repost them here unedited and unfiltered. Do I still feel the same? Am I embarrassed of what I believed so long ago? Let’s find out.

Addendum to #2:
The Bible provides an incomplete, human picture of who God is.

17. The Bible is the perfect word of God. (2 Tim. 3:16)

18. The Bible was written to a specific group of people, with a specific purpose and a specific situation. To read the scriptures out of their historical context is a dangerous practice.

19. The mission of churches shouldn’t be to get bigger. The mission should be creating disciples and sending them out to do ministry.

20. Individualism is one of the worst things that have happened to the faith. Churches are communities. We can’t ignore the importance of community in study, prayer and worship.

21. Healing is still possible.

22. Our faith has become incredibly logical; it’s all about what you know. We need to tap into our emotions and experiences and recognize they are as valid to our understanding as cognitive knowledge.

23. We need to stop studying (so much) and start doing. We have too many classes and not enough service.

24. We should never stop learning.

25. Christianity is not a political movement. Moral legislation will not bring anyone closer to Jesus.

26. A cappella worship is not the sole way to worship from the heart.

27. Questioning God, the Bible, traditions or leaders is necessary for some people’s faith. Rather than discourage that, we should facilitate it. Church should be the most comfortable place to seek the truth.

28. If people are truly seeking for truth, they will find it. (Matt 7:7-8)

29. Tracts won’t change people’s lives.

30. Disfellowshipping entire churches isn’t Biblical.

31. Pointing out doctrinal errors of other churches is a waste of time.

32. Having nice things isn’t a sin.

So, what do you think? Where am I way off base?

Conclusion cometh tomorrow.
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Todd’s Theses revisited

Published
by
Todd
on Wednesday, December 19, 2007
in Church and Theses
. 2 Comments

Theses Part OneWay back in March 2006, I started a blog-series titled “Todd’s Theses.” I essentially listed the church- and theology-thoughts running through my head at the time. I went back to review those posts and thought it might be interesting to repost them here unedited and unfiltered. Do I still feel the same? Am I embarrassed of what I believed so long ago? Let’s find out.

1. God and His ways are bigger than human comprehension. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-18)

2. The Bible doesn’t provide the entire picture of who God is. (John 21:25)

3. The Bible is a living, breathing document that needs to be read, reread, interpreted and reinterpreted. Its truths are everlasting, but the way we understand and apply them will change. (Matt. 16:19)

4. To be a Christian requires all of our selves. There is no such thing as a “Sunday” Christian. (Luke 9:23)

5. Eternity is now. When we are baptized, we aren’t changed, cleaned and reconciled for tomorrow; we’re changed, cleaned and reconciled for the right now. We need to do everything in our power to bring heaven to earth for today, not earth to heaven for tomorrow.

6. Christ is bigger than politics. Conservative and liberal, republican and democrat, libertarian and socialist all find common ground in Christ. (John 14:6)

7. Worship is not about what I get it out of it.

8. Worship is not incorporated. Worship is life. There should be no such thing as a “worship service.”

9. The way we observe communion today is not the way it was observed in the Bible. (Acts 2:41-43)

10. God’s grace covers our mistakes, ignorance and stubbornness. (2 Cor. 12:8-10)

11. Salvation doesn’t follow obedience. Obedience follows salvation. (Eph. 4:1)

12. You cannot be a Christian and ignore the fatherless and the widowed, the hungry and the naked, the lost and the ignored. (Matt. 25:35-45)

13. Seeing people based on negative attributes is not the way God sees us. Our identity is not in our failures; our identity is in Christ. (Eph. 4:10)

14. The question of “who will be saved?” is of little importance in the life of a Christian. The question should be “How can I show Christ in my life to everyone around me?”

15. The Christian faith is not an institution; it is a movement. We should spend less time, money and energy on maintaining the institution and more on carrying out Jesus’ vision for his disciples. (Matt. 28:19)

16. For too long the great commission has been the method rather than the vision. We are to make disciples, baptize and teach others to obey. We must be creative and relevant to carry out that vision. (Acts 17:22-34)

This list is interesting in light of a current discussion I’m having with several friends about the person and divinity of Jesus.

So, what do you think? Where am I way off base?

Part two coming tomorrow…
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