Year: 2010

Porterbrook Austin: Missional Leader Training!

Posted on August 27, 2010

I’m very excited to announce the Fall launch of Porterbrook Austin, sponsored by sister church Soma Community! The Porterbrook Network was created by Steve Timmis & Tim Chester of The Crowded House, co-authors of the book Total Church.

What is Porterbrook Austin?

The Porterbrook Network is a robust, mobile, gospel-centered, training program for missional leaders. As the PBrook Austin site points out, this program is for church leaders, church planters, or simply Christians wanting to deepen their theological understanding and become more mission-focused.

Several Austin City Life people will start P’Brook Austin this Fall. Check out the website and consider joining them to grow more deeply in Gospel, Community, and Misson!

Porterbrook Austin Program Options

Registration

Sign-up by September 8th, 2010. More information and pricing can be found on the links above for each program. You can also check out ‘What Is Porterbrook Austin‘ and ‘Which Program is For Me‘.

Gospel & Culture Outlines

Posted on August 27, 2010

Here is the outline from my first lecture on Gospel & Culture at the ACE conference.

I. The Eternal Gospel is Socio-cultural

a. The Gospel is creation focused

b. The Gospel is culturally particularized

c. The Gospel is socially renewing

Key Statement: As creation focused, culturally particularized, and socially renewing, the Gospel changes where we live. Although the Gospel does not change, it does change everything.

II. The Eternal Gospel is Historical-Doctrinal

a. The Gospel is History making News

b. The Gospel is Christ-centered

c. The Gospel is Redemptive-Incarnational

Key Statement: As historical, the Gospel changes what we believe. The Gospel changes everything by not changing at all.

III. The Gospel is Personal

a. The Gospel is incredibly humbling

b. The Gospel is wonderfully transforming

Key Statement: As personal the Gospel, changes who we are. The Gospel changes everything by changing us.

Environmental Discipleship (Pt 1)

Posted on August 26, 2010

In an age of global warming, Kyoto debate, and environmental policy, many Christians find themselves unsure how to respond. Who is telling the truth about the effect of carbon emissions, deforestation, and so on? What is the environmental responsibility of a disciple of Jesus?

Authentic Christian faith requires ecological obedience.

Ecological Obedience

Steven Bouma-Prediger tackles this topic in For the Beauty of the Earth: a Christian vision for creation care. His central thesis is that authentic Christian faith requires ecological obedience. What is our ecology? Working through various words (environment, nature, creation), he settles on the term “earth” to designate the realm that God has created and that man is responsible for.

We care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience.

We Love What We Know

He explores various spheres of earthly responsibility–lakes, mountains, forests–noting in striking detail the sheer creativity of God. The Blue Creek National Park in Belize contains over 3,300 different species of birds! In Costa Rica alone there are 550 species of butterflies. Lavish! But do we care? He notes: “We care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience.” So true. So here’s some knowledge for you:

  • Deforestation rates equal the elimination of one state of Indiana a year.
  • The hungry of our world fit 18 times around the equator.
  • 11% of birds and mammals are threatened by extinction.
  • Only 53% of the global population has potable water.
  • The hottest 14 years of recent history have been since 1980.

Scientific debate is not over whether or not the earth is warming up, but how much and how fast it will accelerate and what the consequences will be. Add to this population boom, waste production, loss of biodiversity, energy misuse, and water scarcity and we have a problem. The earth is not being cared for adequately. It is groaning.