Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Engaging in Story Teaching
We have posted the training I did with Soma MC leaders. If you are interested go here to check it out.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Engaging in Story Handout
If you are interested in the handout for the Training: "Engaging in Story" you can get it here.
I will post the link to the audio next week.
I will post the link to the audio next week.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Training Leaders Exercise
This post is the assignment I ask our Missional Community leaders to fulfill prior to our training this Sunday. We will post this training the following week. So, if you want to join us in some training or use this with your leaders, feel free...
MC Leaders,
We are beginning a new format for training this year. Each month on the second Sunday we will have training, 5:30-7:30 pm. The week prior to that training you will receive an assignment that you are required to complete prior to the class. Then, you will worked through your assignment in tangent with the training. After the training you will be given another assignment to work on for the 1-2 weeks following.
Our desire is to effectively equip, not just dump info your way. However, this form of training requires your participation. So, please read and begin working on this week’s assignment…
Gospel Engagement in Story…
Every person and culture has a storyline that includes…Creation, Fall Redemption and Restoration. They don’t all have the same stories within these movements, but they all have these movements in some form:
CREATION: Everyone has a fundamental belief about their Origin – who or what gave them their existence, made them who they are. For some this is another being, god, process, etc… for others, they believe each person is really a self-made person.
The Key Question here is: Who or What do you credit for who you are?
We believe God is our Creator and we are made in His Image.
FALL: There is a reason for why people, community and the world is broken. Each person has a fundamental belief about the cause of brokenness. Some blame their parents, family, friends, boss, government etc… Others blame evil forces, demons, etc…
The Key Question here is: Why are things and people not the way they are supposed to be?
We believe it is because of our sinful rebellion against the Creator God
REDEMPTION: Everyone has a solution they believe in, a remedy they look to or savior they believe in to redeem the brokenness in their life and world. Many are looking to a philosophy. Others look to a plan for self-improvement. Many believe some kind of reform in education or politics will change things. Everyone believes in a Redeemer.
The Key Question is: Who or what will rescue me and redeem what is broken?
We believe only God can rescue us from our sin and redeem our lives from brokenness. We believe Jesus is THE REDEEMER who came to save us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.
RESTORATION: Every person has a picture of the future when everything is as it should be. Some see a utopia with humans all living at peace with one another. Others believe Mother Earth and humanity will be one. Still others see another world they will go to where they will be at the center. Some people’s future hope is to be married…have children…get a job…be rich…etc…
The Key Question here is: What will the world or your world look like when all is as it should be AND Who or what will be the focus of this world?
We believe Jesus will return and make all things new – a New Heaven and a New Earth – and He will be at the center of everything with us worshiping Him.
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Ask another believer to share their story with you. As they share their story listen for CREATION, FALL, REDEMPTION and RESTORATION making mental notes along the way. You will need to listen carefully and ask key questions along the way, like…
Tell me about yourself…how did you become who you are today?
What has most significantly impacted you? How? What kind of impact did that have on you?
What are your hopes, dreams, etc…?
What do you think must take place in order for those hopes or dreams to be realized?
If everything we’re as it should be, what would your life be like…the world be like?
(You get the idea…)
After you have listened well, take some time later to journal what you believe their story line is.
2. Repeat this same exercise with someone who doesn’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ yet.
MC Leaders,
We are beginning a new format for training this year. Each month on the second Sunday we will have training, 5:30-7:30 pm. The week prior to that training you will receive an assignment that you are required to complete prior to the class. Then, you will worked through your assignment in tangent with the training. After the training you will be given another assignment to work on for the 1-2 weeks following.
Our desire is to effectively equip, not just dump info your way. However, this form of training requires your participation. So, please read and begin working on this week’s assignment…
Gospel Engagement in Story…
Every person and culture has a storyline that includes…Creation, Fall Redemption and Restoration. They don’t all have the same stories within these movements, but they all have these movements in some form:
CREATION: Everyone has a fundamental belief about their Origin – who or what gave them their existence, made them who they are. For some this is another being, god, process, etc… for others, they believe each person is really a self-made person.
The Key Question here is: Who or What do you credit for who you are?
We believe God is our Creator and we are made in His Image.
FALL: There is a reason for why people, community and the world is broken. Each person has a fundamental belief about the cause of brokenness. Some blame their parents, family, friends, boss, government etc… Others blame evil forces, demons, etc…
The Key Question here is: Why are things and people not the way they are supposed to be?
We believe it is because of our sinful rebellion against the Creator God
REDEMPTION: Everyone has a solution they believe in, a remedy they look to or savior they believe in to redeem the brokenness in their life and world. Many are looking to a philosophy. Others look to a plan for self-improvement. Many believe some kind of reform in education or politics will change things. Everyone believes in a Redeemer.
The Key Question is: Who or what will rescue me and redeem what is broken?
We believe only God can rescue us from our sin and redeem our lives from brokenness. We believe Jesus is THE REDEEMER who came to save us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.
RESTORATION: Every person has a picture of the future when everything is as it should be. Some see a utopia with humans all living at peace with one another. Others believe Mother Earth and humanity will be one. Still others see another world they will go to where they will be at the center. Some people’s future hope is to be married…have children…get a job…be rich…etc…
The Key Question here is: What will the world or your world look like when all is as it should be AND Who or what will be the focus of this world?
We believe Jesus will return and make all things new – a New Heaven and a New Earth – and He will be at the center of everything with us worshiping Him.
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Ask another believer to share their story with you. As they share their story listen for CREATION, FALL, REDEMPTION and RESTORATION making mental notes along the way. You will need to listen carefully and ask key questions along the way, like…
Tell me about yourself…how did you become who you are today?
What has most significantly impacted you? How? What kind of impact did that have on you?
What are your hopes, dreams, etc…?
What do you think must take place in order for those hopes or dreams to be realized?
If everything we’re as it should be, what would your life be like…the world be like?
(You get the idea…)
After you have listened well, take some time later to journal what you believe their story line is.
2. Repeat this same exercise with someone who doesn’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ yet.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Welcome Church to Our Gathering
A while back I shared at a seminar how we welcome people to our Gatherings on a weekly basis in order to remind them that they ARE THE CHURCH...Here's what we generally say...
"Welcome to Soma's Gathering. We believe because of what Jesus has accomplished through his life, death and resurrection that we have become His Church saved BY His work FOR His work. We no longer GO to church because we ARE the church. In fact, we believe that We, the Church, go to the world as God's sent people to bring the good news of Jesus in word and deed so others might believe and become Jesus' Church.
If you don't yet believe in what Jesus has accomplished on your behalf to make you right with God, then you are GOING to church today. You're welcome to attend this gathering as one who is GOING to church as long as you need to...our hope is that you will one day come to believe and become part of Jesus' Church.
If you have already believe this Gospel of Jesus, then we're calling you to stop GOING to church and join us in being equipped and sent to Be the Church today."
"Welcome to Soma's Gathering. We believe because of what Jesus has accomplished through his life, death and resurrection that we have become His Church saved BY His work FOR His work. We no longer GO to church because we ARE the church. In fact, we believe that We, the Church, go to the world as God's sent people to bring the good news of Jesus in word and deed so others might believe and become Jesus' Church.
If you don't yet believe in what Jesus has accomplished on your behalf to make you right with God, then you are GOING to church today. You're welcome to attend this gathering as one who is GOING to church as long as you need to...our hope is that you will one day come to believe and become part of Jesus' Church.
If you have already believe this Gospel of Jesus, then we're calling you to stop GOING to church and join us in being equipped and sent to Be the Church today."
Saturday, October 3, 2009
How should we define the Church?
I was recently asked to clarify how I would define the church...
Many people define the Church primarily by what she does, not who she is. Unfortunately, this leads to an understanding of the Church that defines her not by God’s work, but by man’s work, leading to a view that man builds the Church instead of Jesus.
With this understanding, anybody who simply implements the forms or activities of “church” can call what they do the Church of Jesus Christ. This is “church” based upon works of man and not Church based upon the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus said he would build his Church, not us. This sometimes stems from a man-centered Gospel (It is my decision – my work – that saves me) OR can lead to a man-centered church (It is all about what we do that defines us, not what Jesus has done).
We must remember: We Are Who We Are Because of What Jesus Has Done and Is Doing…Our Being comes out of His Doing…and Our Doing Proceeds from Our Being in Christ
However, some people mainly define the Church by what God has done, not also who He saved her to be and what He saved her to do. In this case, the Church is a confessional people primarily, but not an obedient people who do what God commands and displays what God is like.
We need to define the Church in light of: 1) Who God Is and What God has done; 2) Who He has made the Church to Be; and 3) What He has saved and created her to do.
Think about it in Familial terms…Do we define a family based only upon what they do? “We are a family because we sleep in the same house, eat together, do dishes, share a budget, etc…” (Defined by activity). By who they are? “We are a family because we have the same parents, the same last name, belong to one another, etc…” (Defined by being). Or because of how we came into being? “We are a family because our parents gave birth to us or adopted us”(Defined by Origin).
A Healthy family would be defined in all three ways: 1) Our parents birthed us or adopted us – so we belong to them. 2) We are all related and share identity – so we belong to each other. And, 3) We do what families do together – life lived together defined by love.
The same is true of The Church: 1) We are the Church because the Father has made us His Children through the life and work of Jesus giving us new birth by His Spirit. 2) We have a new identity as Children of God. 3) We live out lives of love and good deeds because we are His Children who are deeply loved.
We aren’t defined by what we do. We are defined by what God has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ. What we do is based upon and motivated by what God has done and who God has made us to be. This is all the outworking of faith in God. We must distinguish between defining a Church based upon what God has done and Who We Are because of His work AND describing how a Healthy Church lives out God’s purposes showing herself to be God’s Chosen and Redeemed People.
The Church is God’s People (who we are) saved by God’s Power (what He has done and is doing) for God’s Purposes (the good works he created us in Jesus Christ to do)
I understand that there is much more detail I could then provide in each of the three areas...describing who we are more fully (Family of God, Missionaries, Servants, Disciples, etc...)...identifying what God has done in the person and work of Jesus to make us His Church (The Gospel power and work)...and articulating the key activities of the Church (Word, Sacraments, Worship, Commmunity, Evangelism, governed by biblically qualified elders, etc...), but for now I'll keep it simple.
Many people define the Church primarily by what she does, not who she is. Unfortunately, this leads to an understanding of the Church that defines her not by God’s work, but by man’s work, leading to a view that man builds the Church instead of Jesus.
With this understanding, anybody who simply implements the forms or activities of “church” can call what they do the Church of Jesus Christ. This is “church” based upon works of man and not Church based upon the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus said he would build his Church, not us. This sometimes stems from a man-centered Gospel (It is my decision – my work – that saves me) OR can lead to a man-centered church (It is all about what we do that defines us, not what Jesus has done).
We must remember: We Are Who We Are Because of What Jesus Has Done and Is Doing…Our Being comes out of His Doing…and Our Doing Proceeds from Our Being in Christ
However, some people mainly define the Church by what God has done, not also who He saved her to be and what He saved her to do. In this case, the Church is a confessional people primarily, but not an obedient people who do what God commands and displays what God is like.
We need to define the Church in light of: 1) Who God Is and What God has done; 2) Who He has made the Church to Be; and 3) What He has saved and created her to do.
Think about it in Familial terms…Do we define a family based only upon what they do? “We are a family because we sleep in the same house, eat together, do dishes, share a budget, etc…” (Defined by activity). By who they are? “We are a family because we have the same parents, the same last name, belong to one another, etc…” (Defined by being). Or because of how we came into being? “We are a family because our parents gave birth to us or adopted us”(Defined by Origin).
A Healthy family would be defined in all three ways: 1) Our parents birthed us or adopted us – so we belong to them. 2) We are all related and share identity – so we belong to each other. And, 3) We do what families do together – life lived together defined by love.
The same is true of The Church: 1) We are the Church because the Father has made us His Children through the life and work of Jesus giving us new birth by His Spirit. 2) We have a new identity as Children of God. 3) We live out lives of love and good deeds because we are His Children who are deeply loved.
We aren’t defined by what we do. We are defined by what God has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ. What we do is based upon and motivated by what God has done and who God has made us to be. This is all the outworking of faith in God. We must distinguish between defining a Church based upon what God has done and Who We Are because of His work AND describing how a Healthy Church lives out God’s purposes showing herself to be God’s Chosen and Redeemed People.
The Church is God’s People (who we are) saved by God’s Power (what He has done and is doing) for God’s Purposes (the good works he created us in Jesus Christ to do)
I understand that there is much more detail I could then provide in each of the three areas...describing who we are more fully (Family of God, Missionaries, Servants, Disciples, etc...)...identifying what God has done in the person and work of Jesus to make us His Church (The Gospel power and work)...and articulating the key activities of the Church (Word, Sacraments, Worship, Commmunity, Evangelism, governed by biblically qualified elders, etc...), but for now I'll keep it simple.
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