Ranking the Big Church Websites

Outreach Magazine has started a new series that is ranking THE WEBSITES of the top 100 American MegaChurches and GigaChurches. Well written by John Vaughn (Church Growth Today which does NOT have a good looking website) who has been fascinated with large churches for decades. Link

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Fishing last night

Last night the weather was perfect and we went out fishing on James Stockan’s boat. Hannah caught her first fish ever (pictured, she caught 8, actually) and Samuel caught 21. I caught about 9. Cindy Blick came with us and caught . . hardly any.

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Happy Birthday Debbie

My lovely wife has a birthday today. Tonight we will feast on scallops and many of her friends will come over for dessert. Her blog is the best motherhood blog in the world. Happy birthday Debbie!!! (Photo taken 2 days ago at a friends farm)

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The Skinny On Our Cruelty-Free Diet

There’s a lot of confusion about cruelty free diets, and most websites are not very helpful if you are not vegetarian or vegan. So | will briefly describe our understanding of a Biblical, ethical meat eating diet. I told you at the beginning of the year about our commitment to a cruelty-free diet in a…

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A Baptist Historian on Emerging Church

Baptist Standard interviews Bill Leonard: The emerging church offers hope for Baptists, Leonard insisted. “I’d rather be Baptist in the postmodern period than anything else.” Baptists should reassert ritual, particularly the “danger and decisiveness” inherent in the ordinances of believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, Leonard said. With their emphasis on religious liberty…

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Festival Report: GOCHA in Japan

Å lot of great festivals have already happened this summer. Gocha Unity Fest in Japan and FreakFest in Czech Republic, I think Contra Corriente just happened in Spain, and reports are coming in from Cornerstone in USA. The Japanese festival intrigued me most. From Mika (Japan): Hi, this is Mika–(^0^)/// GOCHA UNITY FESTA was held,…

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The Desert Books: Jesus Creed and Perimeters of Light

Two books arrived this week and I kid you not . . they look like twins, despite coming from different book publishers. Both have deserts on the cover. One book (The Jesus Creed) goes for the old-skool-Lawrence-of-Arabia desert aesthetic and the other (Perimeters of Light) draws a glassy cyber-desert. Do these companies spy on each…

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I have sinned . . .

Not a headlining blockbuster sin like Jimmy Swaggart, but an unfortunate missing of the mark. I blew our commitment to a cruelty free diet today. We have gone all year successfully avoiding suspect meat from fast food outlets and cheap supermarkets. But i recently found a large post-easter turkey (neither organic nor cruelty-free) for a…

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Ballad of a Thin Man

New banner on top with a quote from Ballad of a Thin Man, by Bob Dylan (1965) (i thought it had some interesting parallels) . . . And you go watch the geek Who immediately walks up to you When he hears you speak And says, “how does it feel To be such a freak?…

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Emergent Village on PBS

That guy looking stumped into blankness is not meditating nor being hypnotized but is actually thinking about how to answer the questions about his church Solomon’s Porch. And yes, that guy is Doug Pagitt and his birthday was this week. Some leaders of Emergent Village get interviewed at PBS online which is worth a read,…

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The Skinny on the London Bombing

I wonder what London’s most famous street evangelist will be preaching about today? When I photographed him last week at Oxford Circus, he was preaching on the evils of materialism and the need to receive Jesus. (Which is a good message, relevant to that location, and spoiled only by his insistence on wearing Calvin Klein…

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Prayer for London after bombings

Thanks for your emails and concern. I left London on Sunday to come back up to Scotland. But I was on those trains, and at the same train stations. Aldgate. Kings Cross. We all feel for those who have lost family and friends today. And we pray that God will speak tenderly to them and…

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Edinburgh: Was That Our Woodstock?

I stayed up late last night watching the Long Walk to Justice concert in Edinburgh – decidedly the best out of all the concerts over the past week. Huge kudos to Bono for his diplomacy behind the scenes, for connecting with George Bush (a possible traditional church/emerging church metaphor) and for the focus on justice…

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Elizabeth

Last night we had a special lasagna dinner for our 12 year old daughter Elizabeth. She finished primary school and is about to enter high school so we gave her a special necklace also. Elizabeth will be leaving in a week or two for Spain to walk the 6 week pilgrimage trail in Spain. She…

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Teachings From The Custard Factory

People are asking me what I taught last weekend at the Custard Factory. Well, there are no secrets in today’s connected world – a small heresy whispered in a dark room is now shouted from the loudest blogs. Phil GoodAcre has the best summary of what i taught. Andrew Dowsett has some good notes. Jonny…

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Europe Pilgrimage on a Budget

Summer time is here and many of you are doing missions trips in Europe or your own pilgrimage with friends. I know you don’t have much money, and your currency might not hold up very well against the Euro or the Pound. Here are some thoughts that could save you money. – CouchSurfing.com is a…

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12 Tension Points in the Emerging Church

I have noticed there is still a lot of tension in the relationship between emerging church and the traditional church. Not as much as you think, but there is certainly a lot of heated discussion, mud-slinging and tabloid criticism. There is even the threat of physical abuse and organizations withdrawing favor, or young people leaving…

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My Kids Making Poverty History

My kids made the biggest and best banner for today’s march in Orkney to benefit the Make Poverty History cause. I am very proud of my kids and my wife (on right, with the wooly dreadlocks) for their efforts. As for me, I am watching the G8 concert on TV. I don’t have tickets to…

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Back in London

I met with Paul Roberts in London yesterday, then went out to Jonny Bakers to spend the night. Things went well – good crowd in Birmingham – 70 people. The year program kicks off again early next year and it will be a good one. Back in London now and settling down for the evening…

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