Avatars do not need to look like us. The best avatar to create for a metaverse church experience (this is from the Q&A session after my message on Sunday) is an elderly grandmother because grandmothers rule the church. They can turn around on the pew to shush the young people giggling during the sermon, they…
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Before The HashTag
“I once was lost, but now am found.” [famous quote, a line from a hymn, origin now lost but some say ancient literature] When my first blog (Andrew’s Tea Salon) was built in 1997, only a quarter of the internet was dredged by the search engines (Yahoo, AltaVista, etc) so it was hard to find…
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Church in the Metaverse
I would like to do a short blog series on the topic of the Metaverse and church, ministry and mission that happen in it and are affected by it. Maybe next week. The Metaverse did not suddenly fall from the sky and land on our foreheads. Online virtual spaces have helped us launch religious environments…
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David Nicholas and Acts 29
In regards to this morning’s Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast, yes I got a few mentions. Thanks Rick. Glad to see David Nicholas honored. He was a great man. He often turned up at our Young Leader events on the search for potential church planters. 2 memories of David stand out. At an…
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The Emerging Church Term Makes a Comeback
After being dormant for ten years, the term “Emerging Church” is being used to describe the strategic efforts of the Church of England. “The Emerging Church of England is the name for four strands of work which together will help leaders in every diocese to discern the shape, life and activity of the Church of…
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The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Church
Mike Cosper at Christianity Today has been dropping an amazing weekly podcast on the history of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (1996 – 2014) and what we can learn from it. Quality is superb and it includes a lot of voices from the church and from observers. If I can add a little correction the…
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Blogiversary: 20 Years of TSK
OK . . . I admit I have not blogged for a while, preferring my small intimate group of friends on Facebook, who do not beat me up so badly with nasty comments, and if they do, I know who they are. But I do want to both acknowledge and celebrate this blog that started…
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Zoombombing Church in Historical Perspective
In our current crisis of social/physical isolation due to the Covid-19 lockdown, and attempts to connect to each other digitally, Zoom has emerged as the preferred platform for online group conversations. In the past month or so, Zoom users have gone from tens of millions to hundred of millions and shares in the company have…
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Transcoding Church: Intro
And just like that, the global church was thrust into the biggest house church experiment ever seen in human history. Not quite the same as previous house church movements, most of our new aggregations of media-connected believers came about suddenly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessity of isolation. But we find ourselves at…
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Venezuela and the Conversation at Menlo Church
I am being asked about Venezuela. Last year we hosted an event at Menlo Church which outlined the historical issues and economic problems with Venezuela. We thought the problems would be somewhat short-lived with the possible and immanent replacement of President Nicolas Maduro with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Then things went south. Guaido has been…
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The Prodigal Project: Journey into the Emerging Church
In 2000AD an amazing book was published. All three authors just came on to my Facebook post to offer some thoughts. I thought I might bring that conversation over here before it gets lost inside FB. The book ‘Prodigal Project: Journey into the Emerging Church’ was published in 2000. It was written by Kiwi alt.…
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Eggs McKnight
Today my friend Scot McKnight moved his blog over to Christianity Today and just launched it. Jesus Creed. I thought I would use this as an encouragement to start blogging again after 18 months away. I also created a breakfast for my kids today and named it Eggs McKnight. Eggs McKnight is a toasted muffin…
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Willow Creek and Bill Hybels on Twitter
UPDATE (April 11, 2018) The Bill Hybels controversy was trending today on Twitter and Google searches. Rev. Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek Church, one of the largest and most emulated churches in the country, retired last night, months before his planned retirement later this year, as a result of the controversy regarding sexual accusations. The…
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Special Gift for Monthly Supporters
Ohhhh that was so much fun!!!!!!!!! My special gift for monthly supporters of our mission during 2017. This is what I said: “I am inviting you for a 5-day holiday with me and my family. I will take care of accommodation and food and will pick you up from the airport and drop you off.…
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Thanksgiving from the Upside Down . . . and Stuffing
Today I am preparing a message for New Day Community Church in Stockton that has a special Thanksgiving Day Service tomorrow, followed by a Thanksgiving meal, and I have been invited to speak. I am not sure if I am more excited about talking during the service or presenting my Thanksgiving stuffing at the meal.…
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Thor: Ragnarok and understanding Kiwi Humor
Tonight I am going to see Thor: Ragnarok with my daughter who has already seen it twice. The selling point for me was the humor – Kiwi humor, or “humour” as we would say, of director Taika Waititi. I lived in New Zealand until I was 17 and I not only fully understand and appreciate…
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Cross Vision, Violence, and the Warrior God
The best book I read all year was Greg Boyd’s The Crucifixion of the Warrior God. Two huge volumes dealing with the smiting verses in the Old Testament and offering a fresh way of viewing them through the non-violent work of Christ on the cross, our fullest revelation of God. Loved reading this book but…
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Philanthrocapitalism
At a New York Social Enterprise event called the Feast I had the privilege of hearing Matthew Bishop, author of Philanthrocapitalism which is about the “head and the heart coming together” in a new model of capitalism. We should use the present financial crisis to build something worthwhile, said Matthew, and shared with us that more will…
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Resourcing Missional Entrepreneurs
Reblogging this post today because I get requests how to find my presentation. ————————————— Prague. Yesterday I spoke to a group of Christian business professionals and Foundation leaders from USA about how to resource missional entrepreneurs in Europe in a sustainable way, ie, without creating eternal charity cases. These people, all of them very friendly, are…
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Losing Debbie
Sorry this post is so late. I have not been well. I posted on FB but this is for my friends outside. Debra Diane Jones, my caring partner and wife for 29 years, best friend, my conversation partner, my critic, my fashion consultant, my travel companion, my co-conspirator, my right hand, my lover . .…
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