Thoughts on class today 10-17-11
I liked Dr. Bolger’s five practices (Yoder) he taught his
children, as they were growing up and how he contextualized it for their
different ages. Peacemaker, economic sharing – communion, baptism – including
others, recognition of gifts – everyone has something to give, everyone should
have a voice. Because these things were
so internalized to them – this is how they reasoned. It formed a very core part
of their identity. We can relate this
example when we consider inviting people to church who do not have parents who
went to church or those who did not grown up in Christendom, as not having the
influence or even the language to comprehend the culture in which we are
inviting them to. To someone who has
some church background, they would be able to reason or understand at least the
language in the church culture. It
surprised me that to hear Dr. Bolger share that many in the postmodern
generation in Europe have only vaguely heard of Jesus. If this is the trajectory that Europe and the
US is on, then church as we consider it today in the West must change. I am interested to learn more about the new
monastic movement as well as research New Expressions. I love Tribal
Generations method of counting members by those that attend a discipleship
group and the Seattle church that asks people to commit to a mission project
every year if they want to be counted as a member. Counting Kingdom actions instead of people in
the seats – I love it! I’d like to
propose that to our church. A few years
ago we started to make the shift of empowering and encouraging church members
to lead and do what God is calling them to do.
It’s been tough and slow to move from a consumerism mentality to a
leader/participant mentality. We have
lost a few people as we have worked to become a missional church instead of a
spectator church. As I sit and listen
and learn in class I see those that are just starting out on this journey with
the possibility of planting a church and believe that it would be easier to
start from scratch than try to change an existing church. There is always a lot
to ponder after each class.
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