Creation Project » missional churches

How Not to Be a Missional Church

Jonathan Dodson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:58:34 +0000

Austin City Life in the Austin Statesman

Jonathan Dodson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:14:48 +0000

The Austin Statesman ran a piece on downtown churches that are committed to renewing the city. The cool thing is that Eileen connected it to other church planting efforts in our local network PlantR.org. About a third of the article covers our church, Austin City Life . Here�s an excerpt:

Some are part of a local church planting network that includes about 40 leaders who aim to spread the message of Jesus throughout the city � not just within the walls of already established churches � and to be a renewing presence both socially and spiritually. These churches are cropping up all over the Austin area, but for some leaders, downtown venues hold a particular appeal.

Similar efforts are happening in cities such as Minneapolis and Seattle where church leaders have established sanctuaries in downtown bars, coffeehouses and warehouses.

Jonathan Dodson, pastor of Austin City Life, said his congregation chooses to worship on �common cultural ground,� the idea being �the church goes to the city. The city does not go to the church.�

Read the rest here.

Roland Allen on Church Planting

Jonathan Dodson — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:55:59 +0000

Roland Allen is basic reading for a church planter, Missionary Methods: Paul’s or Our’s, in particular. People like Tim Keller, David Hesselgrave, and Ed Stetzer have relied on Allen’s foundational insights. J.D. Payne offers a guided tour through Allen’s life and thought in the following article: The Legacy of Roland Allen: Part One-His Life. An excerpt:

In 1912, Allen published his classic work Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? The title of the text revealed much about the book’s content. Allen advocated that the missionary methods of the Apostle were not antiquated but rather to be applied to missionary endeavors in any day and time. Allen stated that “I myself am more convinced than ever that in the careful examination of his [St. Paul's] work, above all in the understanding and appreciation of his principles, we shall find the solution of most of our present difficulties.” Toward the end of the work, Allen poignantly wrote that “at any rate this much is certain, that the Apostle’s methods succeeded exactly where ours have failed.”

The following year saw Allen’s publication of Missionary Principles. In this work Allen advocated that the indwelling Holy Spirit provides the missionary zeal. For Allen, the end of all missionary desire is a worldwide “Revelation of Christ.” It was his desire to discuss principles not only related to foreign missionary work, but principles that “could be applied to any work anywhere.”

New Website for our church – Austin City Life

Jonathan Dodson — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:09:27 +0000

Check out the new, vastly improved website for our church, Austin City Life. We are launching it in stages and will be working out the kinks, so its not all filled out. However, there’s plenty to check out and its pretty cool

Design and photography by Jen Cota (also a calligrapher).… {keep reading}

Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commission (new article)

Jonathan Dodson — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:48:24 +0000

Boundless has published my new article, “Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commissions.” This is a timely publication with my recent post on the Manga Bible, an example of what Andrew Walls‘ calls distinctive discipleship. From the conclusion of the article:

We’re called not to mere soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship: heralding a worldly gospel of a fleshly Christ who humbly accommodates human culture and understands the human condition.
… {keep reading}