Great news for training for Anglican ministry and ordination, especially young people working in pioneer urban situations. I have blogged about this a few times along the way because we have been supporting this process in a number of ways. Heres the news: CMS has been given the BIG THUMBS UP to train ordinands in…
Read MorePractices of a new Jesus movement
I visited a number of Asian countries in 2011 and was amazed at the dynamism and commitment of the young Jesus followers. One network, in a country that I will not mention, stuck out to me as an outstanding example. They have started almost a thousand new communities, many of them multiplying into the…
Read MoreGrowing Cafe Churches Singapore Style
Tim Wong flew home to Singapore yesterday but we are still talking about his cafe-churches or “missional cafe communities” as he calls them. “It costs $20 million to buy land and build a church in Singapore. For that much money, we could buy 100 coffee shops.” Tim Wong What’s interesting to me is that Tim’s…
Read MoreEmerging Philanthropy: NOW Funding, not SOON Funding
Sometimes, you need NOW funding to assist an emergency situation. When an earthquake hits, people need resources immediately. They have no house and only the clothes on their back. If its cold, their families will freeze. Rescue workers need to be fed or they will stop shifting bricks and more people will die. Fundraising takes time…
Read MoreEpoch2011 giving away $50,000
Big event tonight in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre. I received an invitation to be a part of Epoch 2011 but unfortunately, I am in the wrong part of the world tonight. From what I can see, the event is a celebration of Christian ministry and creativity. I like the idea of making the selection and…
Read MoreEuropean Church Planting Survey
Hey. If you are starting churches in Europe then we need your input. There is still time to get your information into a survey hosted by some friends of mine. Go here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/eurochurch IT’S ONLY 5 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME. COME ON!!! I noticed that most of the groups represented are European or American mission…
Read MoreJohn Stott. Gone for now.
He was one of the most important evangelical leaders of last century. John Stott passed away yesterday at age 90. I will remember him mostly as the guy behind the Lausanne Covenant – his story and influence was all over the Lausanne Congress I attended last year in Capetown – but I will also remember…
Read More3 things that have helped me be a better bridge builder.
I am speaking in a few hours on a panel that deals with Ecumenicism. 2. ECUMENISM. Friday, 3pm to 6pm Centre for Encounter: Central and Eastern Europe Ecumenism – That’s my story too. Experiences which give us courage. Story telling salon. Andrew Jones, global networker, New Zealand, Andrzej Korus, Wroclaw, Poland, Prof. Dr. Konrad Raiser,…
Read MoreI need books on emerging blogging nomadic couch surfing apostles
I need you to recommend some books for me. The creative people at Cornerstone Festival have taken my three seminars and given them a single title. THANKS! I have asked them to change the “emergent” word, which I try to avoid, but that’s fine if they want to use it. Here’s how the seminar looks on their website: Emergent…
Read MoreMission in Digital Frontiers: Learning Day in Adelaide
Next week I am doing a learning day at Uniting College, Adelaide, South Australia. Thanks to Dr Steve Taylor, Director of Missiology, for inviting me over. You might remember Steve for his EmergentKiwi blog or his excellent book The Out of Bounds Church?: Learning to Create a Community of Faith in a Culture of Change.…
Read MoreUpstream Collective in Prague: Try the cheese!
The Upstream Collective arrives in Perth for a missions/history experience that is designed to have an impact far beyond the lucky people who are on location. Welcome to Prague, everyone. My question for you to consider: As the Middle East currently goes through a political transition that mirrors Eastern/Central Europe 20 years ago, what can…
Read MoreIntroducing Fringe Expressions
You've heard of Fresh Expressions? Good. I want to introduce the idea of Fringe Expressions which is our next major project. But before I waffle on about what I mean by that strange phrase, I need to pause . . . and say . . . THANKS to our sponsors for the incredible last season…
Read MoreYWAM – Around the world in 80 days
Last night I did some teaching and storytelling at the YWAM Oxford base, just north of Christchurch, NZ. The 50 students were mostly from a new initiatve called "Around the world in 80 days". Participants in this DTS (Discipleship Training School) buy a round-the-world ticket and try to change the world wherever God leads them.…
Read MorePraxis: Training for an Emerging Postmodern Paradigm of Mission
We came to Ngatiawa Contemplative Monastery, here near Waikanae, New Zealand, for PassionFest and liked the people so much that we stayed. Its been a week now and we are having a great time. Justin and Jenny Duckworth are the main conspirators. They let me putter around in the kitchen and hassle the heaps of…
Read MoreCape Town Commitment Now Released
UPDATE. Its Friday. Here it is: The greatly anticipated . . . Cape Town Commitment The Cape Town Commitment has been given to participants of the Lausanne World Congress and will be released to the wider public tomorrow (Friday – but I am in New Zealand so Friday comes sooner). I am reading it today…
Read MoreEntrepreneurs or Leaders?
The USA is lagging behind in social innovation and social enterprise rather than leading, suggests a well-researched post released in June by Timothy Ogden. Almost all of the world-changing innovations from from the developing world and very few from USA, despite the money poured into them. Reasons for this, Ogden suggests, have to do with…
Read MoreSocial enterprise and mission-shaped mission
“Mission-shaped mission” is a phrase that came to mind a few weeks ago. If mission shaped churches no longer resemble traditional churches then mission-shaped mission also will be hard to recognize, since it takes its shape from factors other than the modern missions movement (1791 – 1991). Some of the most exciting mission projects I…
Read More25 Years and Still Lovin’ It
I am interrupting my current blog break to make an announcement . . . Today marks 25 years for me in global ministry. Thats a SILVER ANNIVERSARY!!! On May 24th, 1985, I was flying overseas on my first short term mission. I was 21 years old and had completed a few years of Bible College.…
Read MoreGreen shoots are sprouting everywhere
“I do not trust SPECTACULAR things. Give me the seed growing secretly every time.” Roland Allen ———————————————– “Did you know that couch grass and potatoes, and other rhizome based organisms, do not reproduce? Instead they find dark empty places and export their roots into them, maintaining unity, but allowing growth and new life. If there…
Read MoreA white guy and a black guy in the emerging church
Here’s a story about the emerging church if anyone cares to listen. Just one of many stories. Its not a very popular one because it doesn’t include any famous speakers or horrible heretics or ten ways to transition your church into coolness. There are also no images and no links but you might appreciate it…
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