The largest category because it is the call of God upon my life to stimulate a church planting movement
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations,if you live near him.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit ( Ballantine Books, 1937, 1938, and 1966 ) p. 207. This post relates to all planning but I have church planters in mind most particularly. I love church planters because of what they are … More Planning Pitfalls
This week, I lost one of my longest mentors and friends when Paul Becker, 70, went home to be with Jesus after a long battle with cancer. Paul was the founder and President of Dynamic Church Planting International. We met around 1989 when I was an instructor at the International School of Theology in San … More Lost a Mentor This Week
Years ago while living in California I had a number of experiences with sheep. We lived at the base of a place called Little Mountain in San Bernardino and there was a shepherd who annually grazed his flock of about 200 sheep on its hillsides. (Bit of Trivia: Little Mountain is the site where Sammy … More What Does it Take to Be a Shepherd?
Musing on a Thursday Morning Nothing lasting happens for the advancement of God’s Kingdom without prayer. In October, I hope to organize a series of prayer-walks in the community of our new church. Groups of two people will be walking around strategic buildings in our community, praying for our neighbors and for God’s blessings upon … More Prayer Walking has Little Biblical Warrant
Some of you know that I have had a long time association with Dynamic Church Planting International. In my opinion, they may be most prolific and effective church planting accelerators in the history of the Church. That is a big claim but I think the numbers and impacts are there to back it up. One … More Church Planting Training Opportunities
On Tuesday I was involved in some on-line mentor training led by Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI). All of the presenters were friends of mine and they did a fantastic job of sharpening our focus on how to mentor the church planters with whom we are working. And like any good mentor, each of them … More How to Start Church
Monday Discussion I don’t know if the question was real, if it was directed specifically at me, or a set up by another Christian who wanted to know how to counsel someone else. I just know that it is a good question. It came to me as a question on Quora.com. How did you get … More “My relationship with God is cold.”
Here’s one of those stories that demonstrates the kind of creativity and commitment to blessing our neighborhoods that is so needed in the secular age we live in. The article is short and worth your time. This would make a great start to a brainstorming session of a home-group that is missionally focused on reaching … More “Planting Goodness in the Neighborhood”
Ministry Can be Exhausting. Many who start don’t finish. Many others who start well, don’t finish well. Too many fall by the way side because of faulty perspective on how to prepare and sustain long-term health in ministry. A little background to give context for this post. I have taught at three seminaries. The International … More Confession of a Church Planting Mentor
Just found a letter to my prayer team at New Song Church from January of 1998. It is a great stroll down memory lane but also a great testimony to the greatness and power of God. Mountain Ridge Community Church in Redmond, Washington, one of our church plants had just had their first service (We … More A Church Planting Church’s History
ChosenRebel's Blog 