They Like Jesus But Not The Church

I just finished They Like Jesus But Not The Church by Dan Kimball. Thanks Robb for the recommendation. This book adds so much to my internal conversation about evangelism. How do we share Jesus with people today? Is it different for just a few years ago? What do people think about the church, and why? These are all valid questions, that most pastors and church leaders - myself included - have neglected.

After reading this book I have to ask myself two questions, how many non-Christians do I know? and how many of them am I developing relationships with? I am challenged with these questions because I ask students and lay people of the church to constantly be a missionary in our community and I wont or haven't done it myself. I have led by example.

This book opened my eyes to understanding our culture as a mission field all the time. We need to be prepared to have conversations with non-Christians in order to just build relationships with them even if they never come to Christ. It's not about notches in our evangelism belt, but about loving others the way that Christ loves us.

A New Kind of Youth Ministry

I just finished Chris Folmbee's A New Kind of Youth Ministry, he obviously is trying to focus on using Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian identity to associate himself with Emergent thinking, but never actually claims that he is coming from that perspective. He does, however, mention that he and Brian talk quite frequently.

Chris is the president of Sonlife Ministries.

I felt as though he had some great thoughts on where Youth ministry should head. I personally enjoyed his thoughts on how we should teach students. No one learns anything great when somebody just stands in front of you and speaks. He called for youth pastor's to become more learner-centered instead of teacher-centered.

He called for the youth ministry to change the way it does evangelism in order to teach students to evangelize rather than just bring unsaved friends and relatives to an appropriate program where the gospel is being presented. He actually asks the question. If all we do as youth pastors is give students opportunity to bring lost friends to evangelistic events when will the students learn how to witness to their friends.

His perspectives come from a wide variety of experience and conversations. Chris gives some very practical ways in which youth leaders, workers or pastors can make some greatly needed changes in youth ministry.

All in all I would recommend this book to any who have an interest in serving in Youth Ministry. I believe that he asks questions that each youth worker must answer in conjunction with their involvement in youth ministry.

Dear Church

So, I just finished reading a book called, Dear Church. It is writen by Sarah Cunningham who is from Jackson, Michigan and was 28 at the time she wrote this book.

Its an interesting look at the "twentysomething's" view of the church in our culture. She wrote each chapter as if it were a letter to the universal church at large, spelling out her critisms and frustration with the church. She also wrote it from her experience and therefore wrote it to those who are "twentysomething." I found it engaging and enlightening. I found that it helped me articulate my thoughts, feelings, and critisms toward the church. What I found that I didn't really expect was that it was that it was challenge for me to start working on the holes that the church has and that gaps that the church is not filling. I feel as though my cynicism was not needed. And therefore, is something I should be apologizing for.

This book gave excellent and practical ways that we can minister to those who are "twentysomething" and also challenges those who are "twentysomething" to get involved in authentic Christian community.

Overall its a good read. I'd really recommend it to everyone in church ministry, as well as those who are "twentysomething".

The Irresistible Revolution

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001; it came out that these "extremists" bombed the United States because it is a Christian nation. I laughed at that statement thinking, "don't they know anything about seperation of church and state..." or some other ignorant thoughts. Then the presidential election of 2004 came along and it seemed as though the conservative Christian minority was really a slight majority. I was a little shocked to see that Bush was reelected (even though I voted for him), but soon afterwords we see mainstream companies focusing attention on this Christian majority. New blue laws were passed, Hollywood has started to produce "cleaner" movies. It has been interesting to watch as events have unfolded over the past couple of years.

The Irresistable Revolution begs me to answer the question why not just forgive them? Why not hold a press conference and extend grace to Osama Bin Ladin? If we called off the search and made it widely known that we weren't going to hunt him down, take him off the 10 most wanted terrorist list, offer him anonimity and an open invitation to dinner at the White House, would it accomplish the end of the war on Terror? I struggled with that on the day of the terrorist attacks. I was asked that question and almost hated the person for saying it. I was so upset and confused and ready to join the army. As I ask myself that question, I want to say that if I were in the White House today that I would not only extend grace to Osama, but I would pray daily for his salvation (as I do now). Would that be the end of the war on Terror - if I had anything to say about it - yes! But it wouldn't end terrorism, or even terrorism in the United States. But it seems to be the teaching of Jesus. Forgive them no matter how many times they offend you.

The book makes me want to stop what I am doing and change the world one relationship at a time. An ordinary radical is a person who lives their life fighting injustice here and around the world - one relationship at a time. It is honestly the best book so far of 2007. I really don't know what to do with it. I really don't know what I should say or do after finishing such a thought provoking book. I am amazed at how much I can learn about the bible and not learn anything from the bible.

Lord, cleanse me of inactivity. Help me to use the authority given me to make this world a better place. The place you originally intended it to be. Thank you Lord, for making me new everyday. Thank you for your challenges and your trials. Thank you for sending people into my life to lovingly confront me. Lord thank you for creation, without it we wouldn't understand what life is really all about! Amen.

Sex God

I just finished reading Rob Bell's new book - Sex God, and it was absolutely fantastic. I had a chance to sit down with Nate Dawson, yes Mom it is who you're thinking it is, and he first told me about the new book. Nate is one of Rob Bell's Disciples as well as a community Pastor at Mars Hill. He told me that this book was about how we live in a society that is under sexed. Meaning that sex is around us all the time (advertising, magazines, tv, the internet, etc.), but we don't see anything about true sex in our society. We are under sexed because the true meaning of sex is not being shown.

I honestly felt as though that was a little bit of a stretch. I welcome your opinion, but I think that it could have been better stated that we misunderstand the definition of intimacy. Rob told the stories of several people he has come into contact with that are deeply connected to a program, people group, ministry, or way of life and came to the conclusion that these people are sexually connected to their particular program, peapole group, ministry, or way of life. I guess I would say that they are intimately connected, or deeply connected. Much in the same way that a husband should be connected to his wife intimate.

Right out of the gate we get to here that if we talk about "this (sex)" we have to talk about "That (God)." Which is so true. It really isn't possible to discuss sex without talking about God. They are so deeply connected. Sex is such a spiritual act because God designed it!

All in all I liked it better that Velvet Elvis. It was well thought out and deeply moving. It brought things concerning my spirituality that I had not considered. It challenged me to be more and more connected to my wife.

Rob again challenged me to rethink my Christianity. Which is something that we will never completely figure out, so we should be constantly rethinking Christianity.

Thank you Rob for developing resourses that thouroughly challenge us to deeper faith, and deeper relationships.