Thursday, March 17, 2011

Articles

(2/8/11) A recent issue of Mission Frontiers (Jan.-Feb. 2011), published by the U. S. Center For World Mission, was dedicated to the theme of discipleship and why it is not working in the USA. Several of the featured articles offer a critique of our predominant "church systems" and their lack of success at developing disciples who can disciple others. Are they failing? See what you think. You can read any article at the following link - http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/archive/discipleship-revolution. In case you're interested, you can listen to a podcast I did about this dated February 7, 2011. There I talk about some practical things to think about when considering discipling others.

(1/4/2011) Here's an interesting article about a group that has elected to meet outside the box of organized religion in homes. You can also glean some pratical examples regarding how they are learning to love and encourage one another in their God journey. Click on this link to read about "Home church: Fellowship in the living room"...
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http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/08/home-church/

(12/27/10) The George Barna Group offers some interesting insight into how the religious landscape is continuing to morphe into something new in the following article - "Six Megathemes Emerge From Barna Group Research in 2010". Good reading! You can access the article by simply clicking on this address - http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010

(1/21/10) Georga Barna recently published his "Year-in-Review Perspective". This article summarizes four themes that surfaced from all of the research his firm conducted regarding religion in 2009. It seems to reflect upon the effectiveness of, and disenchantment with, the discipling methods currently practiced in the body of Christ. Click here to read or copy it - http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/325

(1/21/10) Newsweek published a brief article in December 2009 that continues the discovery of shifting patterns in America's spirituality. This is their lead sentence for their article "House of Worship, Finding Spirituality At Home" - "Seven percent of Americans say they attend religious services in someone's home." The shaking and shifting continues unabated within God's family. I am not enamored with "house churches" but with the evolution of the spiritual landscape away from organization and institutional expressions to more family and organic expressions. I don't think this shift is a fleeting phenomenon - but rather it is continuing to gain momentum. Click here to read or copy the article - http://www.newsweek.com/id/228722



Here is what the relational journey with Christ can be like. Check out this article by Wayne Jacobson - Friends and Friends of Friends: Living in the Relational Church - Part 11. "Participating in the Life of the Church has less to do with rituals and doctrine as it does relationship. Here's a way to define the church that transcends all the organizations in which people try to contain it." Click here to read or copy it - http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=55

Below are some other very informative articles written by Wayne Jacobson that provide a great deal of insight regarding the relational journey. Click on the web address to go to the article. (Added 10/19/09)



  • Living In The Relational Church - Part 1- What would happen among believers who really saw the church in the same way God sees her? http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=21

  • Living In The Relational Church - Part 2 - A continuation of our look at the church as God views her and how we can truly participate in its life. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=22

  • The Spirit of Family: Living In The Relational Church - Part 3 - Why we don't experience more family life with other believers and what we can do about it. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=28

  • Why I Don't Go To Church Anymore: Living In The Relational Church - Part 6 - Questions and answers about the nature of the church in our day and how it is that we can relate it with life and vitality. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=32

  • Why House Church Isn't The Answer: Living In The Relational Church - Part 7 - Those who look to House Church as a panacea for what ails the church may be sorely disappointed when they get there. What do we really have to fix for church life to be productive and powerful? http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=35

  • We Already Have A Shepherd! Leadership In The Relational Church - Part 8 - How did Jesus intend leadership to function in his incredible family. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=39

  • Shared Dependence: Living In The Relational Church - Part 9 - Unless our dependency is squarely on Jesus and not on each other, we'll never know the beauty of church life. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=40

  • The Church That Jesus Builds: Living In The Relational Church - Part 10 - Unless Jesus is our focus and passion we'll never discover what life can be like between believers who are sharing that passion together. Here are ways you can connect with the church Jesus is building around the world. http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=46

This February 2008 article from The Barna Group - "Americans Embrace Various Alternatives to a Conventional Church Experience as Being Fully Biblical" - provides some insight into the major shifts taking place in people's spirituality. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/19-organic-church/47-americans-embrace-various-alternatives-to-a-conventional-church-experience-as-being-fully-biblical

Newsweek published an interesting article in March 2009 entitled - "A Christian By Any Other Name". It provides some insight into the reasons many believers are abandoning the identity statement "Christian" and embracing the description "a follower of Jesus" instead. Here is the link to the article - http://www.newsweek.com/id/188198





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