The phenomenon of the ‘Embarrassed-Christian’ syndrome, is in line with recent congregational surveys that show that when asked to select from a list of 14 priorities that they thought their congregation should invest in, ’starting a new missional venture’ came in a dismal 13th, or 2 percent of those surveyed.
‘Christian beliefs provided the rationale, and faith the motive energy, for western technology’
For two hundred years we had sawed and sawed and sawed at the branch we were sitting on. And in the end, much more suddenly than anyone had foreseen, our efforts were rewarded, and down we came. But unfortunately, there had been a little mistake: The thing at the bottom was not a bed of roses after all; it was a cesspool full of barbed wire . . .It appears that an amputation of the soul isn’t just a simple surgical job, like having your appendix out. The wound has a tendency to go septic.’
‘The fount of beauty, peace, and love, from God’s heart flowing, The Shaper of a World for us. Life-giving, from Death arising, Tho rejected, despised, mocked. Beauty’s fragrance by Degradation consumed, Dystopia dawns, Hell’s Abyss Gapes Insane ‘truths’ abound, Yes. But, in Nietzschean parallel Truth is Dead, and We have Killed Him’.
So how do we think about mission to our local community? Are we still we relying on ‘invitation to special church services’; one off ‘event evangelism’ activities (e.g., men’s breakfasts, women’s dinners etc); infrequent local doorknocking; strategies that have been very low fruit for a long time? Or is it time to establish ‘long game’ strategies,
Most of us at times have had a bit of fun throwing a stone into a pond and seeing the ripples spreading outwards. It has often seemed to me that this, what we might call the ‘Ripple Effect’, is a very good analogy for Jesus’ instruction to his followers in Acts 1:8 where he says- … Continue reading Gospel Ripples
How have you acted as a Kingdom Agent since we last met? That is engaged in conversations or actions, whether great or small, that might point somebody to God.
The life of Jesus, the most pivotal figure in the history of Western culture, is virtually forgotten today, as is the meaning of Easter. One of the many consequences of this new ignorance is an uncoupling of morality from its traditional moorings ‘
Many Christians find it difficult to get into a conversation about their faith with a non-believer. One way that is almost certain to start a conversation at Easter time is to give them a packet of what I call 'Hot Fish Buns'. The general loss of the Christian story in society and the fact that … Continue reading Time to Give Away Hot Fish Buns Again!
A five-year-old post. Even more relevant now!
