Month: November 2008

Missional Core Team Resources: Bootcamp Follow Up

Posted on November 24, 2008

At the Acts 29 Bootcamp last week, I mentioned a number of resources during our workshop on Developing Missional Core Teams. Here are links to some of those resources:

  • The Rise of the Creative Class: A book written by Richard Florida on the remarkable cultural and economic impact of Creatives. See my critique here.
  • Missional Practices: Core values are worthless unless they are held accountable to expression in the local church and in missional communities. Here is post on Five Characteristics of Missional Communities and a little on how we developed our Practices.
  • Three-strand Evangelism: This is the community-focused, gospel-centered approach to evangelism that we use. It was developed by Tim Chester and is explained further in Total Church.

coldplay's new EP

Posted on November 24, 2008

Coldplay has released a new EP called Prospekt’s March. It features six brand new Coldplay songs, plus two reworked versions of existing ones (the Lovers In Japan Osaka mix and Lost+ ). The EP is available on CD, vinyl and download. At the same time, a two-disc Viva La Vida (Prospekt’s March edition) has been released, featuring the album and the new EP. you can download from Amazon MP3 for $.99 here.
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Keeping Down's Babies

Posted on November 24, 2008

In the UK, a recent study shows that, despite the emergence of prenatal screening, parents are keeping their Down Syndrome babies. In an age of increasingly Huxleyian possibilities, it is refreshing to hear of parents selecting less than “perfect” children. That rate is on the rise. Such an act is so against-the-grain. Why do it when you could abort and get a “perfect” child?

The study shows that: “A fifth said they had known somebody with Down’s, a third cited religious or anti-abortion beliefs and 30% felt life had improved for people with Down’s.” It is good to hear anti-abortion in the context of pro-life action. So often anti-abortionists are more concerned with decrying laws, policies and clinics that they fail to actually act in any tangible pro-life manner.

And if Christians are among the largely pro-lifers, I would hope that this wonderful, redemptive, life-giving trend in keeping downs babies, adopting orphans, and helping the helpless will continue.

Church Planting or Gospel Planting?

Posted on November 22, 2008

Alan Hirsch has suggested that we move away from the term “church planting” in order to advocate a more biblically faithful term–“gospel planting.” Is Hirsch correct? Do you think the terminology should be changed? Does it matter?

HT: BH