Intersected

They touch on grace, legalism, mercy ministries, hiring staff. Fabulous stuff.

mind-blowing MI illiteracy – 44% adults read < grade 6 lvl, 1 in 3 (1.7 mil) lack skills 2 get family-sustaining job http://is.gd/1Weff

From Zac Allen of Austin Bible Fellowship as shared at the July PlantR Meeting. PlantR is a Austin, Texas-based “trans-denominational network committed to helping church planters plant and reproduce healthy missional churches”

• Celebrate every season that God gives you
  you are never more of a church just because you are bigger
  what assets do you have with 20 people that you won’t have later?
• Church planting will cost you your life
  you kind of go undercover and off the radar for 12-18 months
• Raise enough money
  you think you’ll gather a group of people faster than you will
  once you launch, you want your focus on the ground, not with one foot in support raising
• Learn your voice
  If you teach the way you were taught, the best you will ever be is high mediocre.
  Worry more about saying what will change people’s lives than about saying the right thing.
• Sniff out wolves
  People come with agendas to fulfill their life long dreams.
  Say no to a network that might cause you to compromise the vison that God has given you.
• Humility should be the defining characteristic for your life.
  Book recommendation: Humility by Andrew Murray
• Success is found in faithfulness
  We are completely dispensible
  If your church does not survive, that needs to be okay.
  Some of you don’t need to plant. Some of you won’t survive. And that’s okay.
• You can’t reach an area that you don’t live in.
• Hold people with an open hand.
  God has not called anyone to your church for life.
  If people leave your church, it’s because of you. Learn to be okay with that.
• Unity is the most understated apologetic of the church.
  Unity = spiritual power. It holds huge weight to a watching world.
  Will not walk with unresolved conflict with anyone in this church.

From Bob Thune of Coram Deo in Omaha, Nebraska

I believe that being a good learner (and therefore a good teacher) doesn’t mean knowingwhat to think, but knowing how to think.

…

So read the what-to-think stuff. But dwell in the how-to-think stuff. The three books below are a great place to start. I’m sure thoughtful commenters will recommend others. But I’m writing this, so my opinion gets front page.

Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal by Richard Lovelace – a theology of renewal… one of the best books you’ll ever read on how the gospel brings renewal to people and churches.

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin – don’t be throwing around words like ‘missional’ until you’re familiar with Newbigin’s work and understand why it’s a watershed.

Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ by Dallas Willard – Willard isn’t the most Reformed of theologians, but he’s a master of spiritual formation. And if your goal isn’t to form people spiritually as Jesus would want them formed, then you shouldn’t be planting a church. Don’t read Willard as a how-to manual; read him as a wise mentor who will force you to think about spiritual formation.

Great time with D-group tonight. Blessed to jaw godly brothes in my life.

“Proven leaders mentor potential leaders who mentor possible leaders” Harry Reeder http://is.gd/1UMkT

finished reading an incredibly sad article http://is.gd/1T1Iv “can one person really satisfy every need?” No, but God can

Yet another incorrect ABC News Article http://is.gd/1SXI0. Paul Stanley isn’t an evangelical christian – see his own site http://is.gd/1SXJU

Interesting research and notes from Sam Rainer

Our research has debunked the myth that the influence of the secular university pushes young adults out of the church. No significant difference exists between the dropout rates of those who attend at least a year of college and those who do not. For those that attend college, 69% of active churchgoing youth stop attending church for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. Yet 71% of active youth who do not go to college stop attending church during the same period.

So overall, the college itself is not to blame for the dropout issue. What about analyzing different majors? New research from the University of Michigan reveals some surprising results on religiosity and the college major. They measure religiosity by religious attendance and how important students consider the importance of religion in their lives. Here are some highlights from the study:

• The odds of going to college increase for high school students who attend religious services more frequently or who view religion as more important in their lives.
• Being a humanities or a social science major has a statistically significant negative effect on religiosity.
• Students in education and business show an increase in religiosity over their time at college.
• Majoring in the biological or physical sciences does not affect religious attendance of students.

Very helpful information, especially when ministering in an college town.

got my Re:Train syllabus and course schedule today. Time to start reading tomorrow. School’s back in session.