Good Weekend
I had a great weekend. Saturday I didn't get up until 10:30. My eyes opened around 7:30ish, but my body commanded them to close. So they complied and didn't open again until 10:30. I haven't slept that long in I don't know how long. It was well needed and well appreciated.
Spent the day catching up on some reading. I'm going through our EE (Evangelism Explosion) class this semester. My teacher is, get this, Billy Graham!! No, not the Billy Graham you see on TV. Though this Billy Graham was, at one time, a full time evangelist, he is now our pastor of missions and evangelism. What makes him so amazing is how he allows God to use him, his passions, and his giftedness in spite of the fact that he's blind and in a wheel chair.
Our staff has also begun to read Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer and David Putnam. It's premise is that churches need to begin - and some have begun - seeing their communities as mission fields. We need to evaluate our communities in the same manner missionaries evaluate and prepare for the mission field. We need begin to understand what they value, how they dress, how they speak, and use that to minister to and meet the needs of our communities. What did work, even as recently as the 90s doesn't work anymore because of the change and difference in cultures. Stetzer and Putnam believe that churches and pastors are finally realizing that what works for Saddleback and Willow Creek may not work for their own churches. It could, then again, probably not.
When it was time, I finally got out of my lounging clothes and into some going out clothes and met some of our singles for dinner.
Yesterday was a great day in the Lord. Restful, exciting, and just plain ol' good.
Looking forward to this week. Hope you are as well.
Mike
Spent the day catching up on some reading. I'm going through our EE (Evangelism Explosion) class this semester. My teacher is, get this, Billy Graham!! No, not the Billy Graham you see on TV. Though this Billy Graham was, at one time, a full time evangelist, he is now our pastor of missions and evangelism. What makes him so amazing is how he allows God to use him, his passions, and his giftedness in spite of the fact that he's blind and in a wheel chair.
Our staff has also begun to read Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer and David Putnam. It's premise is that churches need to begin - and some have begun - seeing their communities as mission fields. We need to evaluate our communities in the same manner missionaries evaluate and prepare for the mission field. We need begin to understand what they value, how they dress, how they speak, and use that to minister to and meet the needs of our communities. What did work, even as recently as the 90s doesn't work anymore because of the change and difference in cultures. Stetzer and Putnam believe that churches and pastors are finally realizing that what works for Saddleback and Willow Creek may not work for their own churches. It could, then again, probably not.
When it was time, I finally got out of my lounging clothes and into some going out clothes and met some of our singles for dinner.
Yesterday was a great day in the Lord. Restful, exciting, and just plain ol' good.
Looking forward to this week. Hope you are as well.
Mike
Comments
and yeah -- bring it on, wise-guy!
;-)
Then again, you do have Seth, Aubrey, and Spence!!! :)