Year: 2010

4 Reasons I’m Excited about the GCM Conference!

Posted on August 25, 2010

Here are four reasons why I’m excited about the GCM Collective Conference, which is just two months away Oct 28-30!

(1) Practioner-tested Missional Community Training: There’s a lot of talk about missional communities but few are planting, multiplying, and leading missional communities with time tested results. Drawing on years of experience, many of the breakouts specialize in training people in missional community leadership. Whether you have missional communities or not, these breakouts will equip you to lead a more missionally effective church.

(2) Top Notch Theological Reflection on Mission: With the emergence of the Missional Church, do we truly know the state of mission in America? Who do we need to engage with the Gospel? How can we engage them effectively? Are there missional structures and approaches to discipleship that have proven effective? Ed Stetzer and Jeff Vanderstelt will address these issues from the stage, while breakouts push these insights through into everyday practice.

(3) The Collective Experience: The Collective experience has the power to equip and galvanize gospel movement well beyond the conference! It groups missional leaders together who share an affinity in their mission, i.e. megachurches, urban context, small church plants, house churches, suburban context, helping them to process GCM conference content through their similar challenges and experiences. This shared learning will encourage and strengthen people in their mission. Plus, an online community will be available for the shared learning to continue!

(4) The Centrality of the Gospel in Mission: The conference will not make best practice central to mission but our grasp and communication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We will devote an entire plenary to clarifying what the Gospel is. In confusing times, this will help us clarify and clasp this remarkable good news we have been entrusted with.

A Wife That is Hard to Find

Posted on August 23, 2010

I’m back.

After two weeks of vacation, two weeks of teaching, preaching, serving in Uganda, a weekend speaking in Phoenix, AZ, and way too many airplanes, I’m back with my family, back to my church, back in my great city, Austin, TX. I’m so glad to be back. I’m eager to work out new ideas and to spend time with old friends.

A Missional Wife is Hard to Find

But first things first. I landed at 7:00 last night, the day of my wife’s birthday, and spent a wonderful evening with her (thanks for the babysitting Jackie). Without Robie none of the above would be possible. She supports so much ministry. She does so much ministry. She loves people well. While I was gone she did an interview with Tribeza, made dresses, threw parties, a wedding shower, took care of our children, counseled and discipled others, renovated my office, and found out she was pregnant with our third!

A Wonderful Wife is Hard to Find

I love my wife. I love her for who she is not just what she does, but what she does is an expression of who she is. She loves. She puts people first. She pursue others when others don’t pursue her. She brings life, joy, and wisdom into our family, community and city. I’m excited about bringing another eternal soul into the world with her. She makes great babies. She makes for an outstanding partner in the Gospel. But most of all, she makes life great, for me and for others because she is great. She is a great woman whom I don’t deserve. And I realize, during all these travels, that a woman like Robie is hard to find. I love you, hon.

Today I’ll be enjoying my family. We’ll rejoice in the grace that God gives us. We’ll eat, laugh, tickle, play, shop, exercise and other fun stuff in the security of our Heavenly Father’s love. What more could a man ask for? I doing better than I deserve!

Non-Christians in Christian Community? (Part 2)

Posted on August 20, 2010

This is a guest post from Nate Navarro, Director of Missional Community at Austin City Life. Here is Part 1.

Travis is a successful Austin attorney in his mid 30’s who has been a part of our Missional Community for about a year. Recently, after serving together at the retirement center in our neighborhood, we had a dinner together at a central Austin cheeseburger joint. Travis, who had recently been hosting our Missional Community gatherings (without saying a word), spoke up and said:

“I don’t think it is important for married couples to both be Christians….my wife is a Christian….and I am not…..it works fine for us.”

He said it.

Though I had thought for quite some time Travis was just tolerating us for his wifes sake, now we knew it….he doesn’t believe in Jesus…in fact….he probably thinks we are crazy!

SO WHAT TO DO?

Break out the 4 spiritual laws? Take a stroll down Romans road? Throw all my best Tim Keller “Reasons For God” at him?

In a moment of sanity I looked across the table and said:

“Travis, I want to thank you for being a part of our community. It would be easy for you to just think we are crazy, instead, you have served us by hosting our gatherings at your house and even serving with us at the Retirement Center. On top of that, I think you are a cool guy and I appreciate what you bring to our community.”

Travis said, “sure…no problem….I like you guys.”

Since then Travis has been more actively involved in our community, though I am sure he still thinks we are a bit crazy with all our “Gospel-Centered” conversations.

My hope is that we will be a community who SHOWS the Gospel to Travis, and to our city…..

My hope is that we will be a community who TELLS the Gospel to Travis, and to our city….

May we do so out of LOVE and not out of the need to convince others that WE ARE RIGHT.

Missional Living Talks

Posted on August 20, 2010

The Resurgence posted on my talks at the Missional Living Conference. Several people have contacted me about the broken or incorrect links there. I sent the corrections to Resurgence but also wanted to provided the correct ones here. Hope they are helpful!

  • The Gospel & American Christianity: This message deconstructs the dualism of American Christianity in order to reconstruct a whole Gospel around Jesus Christ as Lord.
  • Community in American Christianity: This message demonstrates the communal character of the Gospel, unpacking very practical ways to cultivate “steady state community.”
  • Everyday Mission in America: This message shows how mission is not optional but essential, spending considerable time on how to live “everyday life with gospel intentionality.”
  • How a Church Renews a City: This message shows how Gospel communities on mission is God’s design to renew cities.