every direction communities

well the big news has dropped and is public, I have decided to put the missional church ideas that i have been reading and speaking about for the last 3 years into practice! I have the blessing of my church to start a new missional community and to experiement with a new way to be and do church.

I must admit this is a scary thing but i am excited about the potential!

Please feel free to check out the website www.maroubrabaptist.net/directions for more info. I will be blogging there regularly as well and will evaluate the use of this personal blog over the next few months.

Mike Frost on Missional Church

I have just finished watching a talk by Mike Frost given at the Presbyterian Global Fellowship Conference in Houston.

It is a great description of the "Missional Church" its about 50min so grab a cup of tea or a beer and watch it... very good....

Songs for mission

Here is the lyrics to the song, it is still in development but should be finished soon.

Also see the thread on Matt Stone's blog here

Love Wins

Verse
Let us be patient,
Let us be kind,
Let us not envy,
nor be boastful and proud

To seek not selfishness,
To not anger fast
Not pile up sins
Nor rejoice in evil

Pre Chorus
All else fades away
All else fades away

Chorus
Our preaching will finish
Our singing will stop
We have seen the end
Love Wins!
Love Wins!
Love Wins!
Love Wins!

UPDATE: we did this song on sunday and well i think it kinda rocked.... look out for some sorta demo soon....

heart of worship liturgy

Sunday night as a part of a series called "Experience" we did a communion liturgy based on the book of hebrews. I thought i would post it along with a few pics....



Intro Video:



Reading: Hebrews 1:4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Response (Together): I’m coming back to the heart of worship, for you are greater than the angels, greater than all created beings, Jesus you are great!

Song: How great is our God (Chorus/Bridge) (Chris Tomlin)

Reading: Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
Let us bring the bread to the table

Action: {The bread is brought forward to the table}

Response (Together): I’m coming back to the heart of worship, for you body was given for us, you shared in a fully human life, you know what we go through

Action: {Lift up the bread and break it then say} “The body of Jesus given for us”

Reading: Hebrews 3:1-4, 4:14-16

Talk: Focusing in on the OT sacrificial system and how Jesus replaces/ fulfills / is greater than The Angels, Moses/Law, the high priest and the sacrificial system.

Reading: Hebrews 9:8-9, 9:12-14

Response (Together): I’m coming back to the heart of worship, for you came to fulfil the promises of old and create a new, direct way for us to worship.

Song: Nothing but the blood (Matt Redman)

Action: {During the song the wine is brought to the table…}

Communion:

Reading: Hebrews 10:1-10

Response (Together): I’m coming back to the heart of worship, for your sacrifice was once for all, we remind ourselves each time we come to your table, but it is finished, our sins are forgiven, thank you Jesus.

Song: The heart of worship (Matt Redman)

Benediction: So may Jesus remain at the heart of your worship, may you know that his death was once and for all, let us boldly approach the throne of grace knowing that it is finished, and he has won!

If I say you're Lord

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to say that “Jesus Is Lord” to allow him to be the Ruler, King of our lives both individually and corporately.

The earliest Christians, when they proclaimed “Jesus Is Lord”, were being intentionally counter cultural. In the first century Roman world you were made to say “Caesar is Lord” which meant that you believed Caesar and the Roman Empire was the thing that was going to save the world.

So for those early christians to say “Jesus is Lord” meant that they were also saying “Caesar is NOT Lord”

What is it in our lives that gives us meaning, that gives us purpose? Is it money, career, possessions? For if we truly claim that “Jesus is Lord” then all these things are NOT Lord.

In thinking about this I wrote a song…

Lord of the heavens
Far above us, watching over
Lord of the Earth
Come among us Come to save us

You said your kingdom come
On Earth as it is in heaven
You said your kingdom come
So here is my life, my God and King

And if I say you're Lord
Then all else is but naught
And if I say you're Lord
Then everything around me fades away

This is a cross-post with www.maroubrabaptist.net

church ecosystems

I have been thinking a lot about church systems and structures the last few weeks, as i read through the forgotten ways. One thing that has struck me is the importance of viewing the way we do church as an organic model, as opposed to a rigid system.

This means that we understand the interconnectedness of relationships, groups, missions and people.

It is funny that we are starting to understand this more and more as the church, but tech company's have been using this organic terminology for years. When Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were recently interviewed at the all things digital conference they both spoke about there products being a part of an "Ecosystem".

My understanding of this term is that if a product that they produce can feed the development of other products it increases the market of their core product. i.e. the iPod drives iPod accessories, Music Sales, Video delivery, Broadband Access... the list goes on. These two smart guys also understand that without the ecosystem then their products will not have as big a market.

If we are to continue to view church as a big amorphous blob of conformity where everybody looks and thinks the same and meets at the same time then we are not an organic church, but a fortress who's walls are not easily bridged by "Not-Yet-Christians". When we move to an organic system the core "product" ie the Gospel of Jesus is able to reach and impact more people in many different ways.

There has been some talk over at signposts about this (where i got my original idea). I am keen to keep exploring this idea of church as an ecosystem.

music to change the world by

i have read through both of Mike Frost's books (The shaping of things to come and Exiles) and love a lot of what he has had to say... one point of contention has always been about his views on music, especially against those "Jesus is my boyfriend" type songs....

now i am not keen on songs with bad theology, nor am i keen on over sentimental songs (i am thinking back to one more for Jesus.... if you have done 40days of purpose then you know what i mean...)

but i do like songs of tender devotion, songs that do draw us to the intimate nature of God...

but i have been uncomfortable with some of the themes absent from Church songs today.... I first sung "God of Justice" at a Soul Survivor conference a few years back and i thought to myself "here is something missing... songs about social justice! Songs about Mission!"

After that a few more songs popped into the scene like "Missions Flame" by Matt Redman... but nothing prepared me for the song i heard while browsing over at Mars Hill Bible Church...

Bridges are more beautiful than bombs are
Bridges are more beautiful than bombs
Listening is louder than a lecture
Listening is louder than a shout

But love
Love can change the world
Oh do we still believe that
Love
Love can change the world
Oh do we still believe in
Love love
God is love our God is love and
Love can change the world


An open hand is stronger than a fist is
An open hand is stronger than a fist
Wonder is more valuable than Wall Street
Wonder is more valuable than gold

2005 AARONieq Music (Admin. by Mars Hill Bible Church)

I think this is the sort of song that Frosty has been talking about.... that song that wakes us up to mission, that song that wakes us up to social injustice, that song that is critiquing our host empire, that song that recaptures the fact that God is LOVE not "we fall in love with God"

I like it and will keep it in our setlist for a while.... oh did i mention it is hooky as heck as well... you cant get this song out of ya head!! oh yeh... it also rocks!!

teens have changed the world

i have been following a really good series of posts over at Out of Ur blog, about how teenagers and "Youth Ministry" have changed the face of the church as we know it.

one of the big elements i see within these articals is that youth ministry has been allowed to innovate, to focus on relationships and is good at getting peoples attention.

as an example of how i have seen this at play in my own life... at one of my previous churches we used to run a youth program before our evening church... it was not to dissimilar to church but we innovated our buts off... we had license to sing different songs, have interactive discussion, do all sorts of cool stuff and we ended every gathering with a shared meal....

there were some of us leaders started to say things after this program like "Ok we have had church now lets goto the after party" (meaning the evening service.... )

now we said this in jest but i truly believed that our pre-church group was being more "church" than the evening service....

now unfortunately due to a number of reasons this didn't end up changing the church completely.... but it did change me... i truly hope that those lessons learned with a bunch of rough teens will shape how i am able to "do" church.... but i hope i will also be able to change and adapt as the next generation is ready to change!

Below are the links to the 3 part artical

How Teenagers changed the church Pt1
How Teenagers changed the church Pt2
How Teenagers changed the church Pt3

digital care

the last few months we have been doing a weekly roll for church and have worked out this is a great way to know who is with us and who needs follow up and all the "pastoral" stuff. I can totally see the benefit of this but i must admit it feels a little "clinical" a little systematic... all those things that i perhaps am not.

So why is it today i am reviewing and downloading church CRM software?? to track manage family data, attendance etc....

Now it does seem clinical and "mega-church" like.... but i dunno i reckon it might actually be good... i mean why not use the advantages of technology to better care and connect people in church...

just a thought

new podcast

I have given up on switchpod and moved things for my podcast over to the wonderful sermon cloud. It is now a weekly podcast from the evening church that i am looking after so there will be sermons in the feed from other members of our community, as well as guests.

The podcast will also feture over at the new Maroubra Baptist website.

So click away and subscribe to the new feed.

I have been busy working on our churches new website and it has just gone live! so check it out

frustration

its amazing how quickly you can become frustrated in "pastoral" ministry.... as my first experiment in what it means to be a "pastor" (whatever that means) i am finding that there is always more to be frustrated with than to be excited about....

there are many beacons of hope on the horizon but they seem so distant, so far, so unreachable.... still i will press on....

an interesting set of statistics posed on signposts gives a bleak picture of this whole crazy job....

· 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
· 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.
· 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
· 75% report they’ve had significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
· 58% of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.
· 56% of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
· Pastors who work fewer than 50 hrs/week are 35% more likely to be terminated.
· 40% of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

its sad but true ..... hey another Metalica reference....

its friday but sunday is coming

today we remembered the death of Jesus with a much more "liturgical" gathing than you would find in most baptist churches.... i thought i would post the series of reading and responses... after each reading we said together "Its friday but sunday is coming"

Reading: Isaiah 53:6-7
Response: Kids Song - Son of God
Reading: Isaiah 52:13-14
Response: How deep the Fathers love for us
Reading: Luke 23:26-43
Response: Thief - Third Day
Reading: John 19:28-30
Response: Silence followed by three bell tolls
Reading: 1Cor 11:23-26
Response: Communion
Reading: Mark 15:42-46
Response: Video - Its friday but sunday is coming

am i a baptist?

well right now i find myself at the 3rd baptist church in a row on my journey with Christ... so does that mean THIS is my fate?

bubble church part 1

well here is some food for thought and some ideas i want to put out for people to think about, as you know i have just taken a job with a baptist church, as it is now its pretty standard sort of church with 2 services youth group small groups and kids ministry... i have been thinking about how a church which is more "contemporary" can move to being more "missional" without dismantling things and thus creating pain for all involved (mainly the leaders trying to hold things together)

anyway when thinking through some things i started to see bubbles.... yes bubbles we have all seen them, sometimes one big one floating through the air, sometimes small and frothy like the head of a beer, anyway i would like to share my bubble theory of church.

A few things about bubbles, they join and share there "stuff" they grow shrink and pop....

So i want to talk about some different ways churches are or can be like bubbles...

The "All in one Bubble Church" this is the simple model of church, one worship gathering and that’s about it, it is small and not that outward focused, the only way into the bubble is through the wall, the boundaries and programs are simple, one gathering, one group...
When an all in one bubble church grows it develops a need to see smaller community happen within the "big group" we see the formation of small groups, youth groups, children’s ministry all these things servicing the needs of those within the bubble. this model provides the community needed but fails to remove the barrier of the wall, there is still a big shift in culture to move "inside" the bubble. Most modern churches are like this, God will quite often still provide growth but we see a very homogenous culture as the people coming in "fit" the bubble.

next post i will share a way to move beyond the single bubble into a missional model of church.

why church can be like your gym

ok so this is not my new body shot, i still have a sizable gut, but i have started working out at our local gym. The cool thing is that not many people look like this guy.... in fact who does?? talk about a condom stuffed with walnuts!

Anyway......

I have noticed some parallels between the modern gym and the modern church and here they are in no particular order.


1.The motivation to go to church/gym : I got off my ass to the gym because well i know that i need to lose some weight and i wont be able to do it "alone" some sort of vain self improvement i guess... So why do most people join a gym? usually they want something for themselves a better body, more fitness or perhaps it is motivated by fear, one guy i met in the change rooms said "my girlfriend said i better get down here because im 50 and i wont be around much longer if i don’t do something"
To often the modern church offers the "self help" gospel the "you can live a better life" message where we go to church because we want to get "better" have less sin, perhaps become a buff and ripped "super christian"

2.the professionals V the rest: Ok i have only been at the gym for a little bit but i don’t think its the guy on the bike next to you that designs your fitness program in fact usually its only the staff that give you any advice or encouragement, they teach you how to use the machines and get you started... but of cause because the staff to user ratio is so high you don’t even see them that much.
So to in the modern church if we are all driven by the "self help" reason for being at church we tend not to have anything more than a surface relationship with other people, sure the people in positions, the senior pastor, the small group leaders all try there best but once again the staff to user ratio is up there (unless your at a small pentecostal church where everybody tends to be a pastor?? i just don’t get it)

3.when you give up: now im sure that if i stoped coming to the gym i might be lucky if i got a call wanting to know where i was. in fact because my direct debit comes out each month im sure it doesn’t matter if i am there or not.
So to in the modern church when we get large or just to focused on the unimportant things we lose track of who "isnt" there we are constantly trying to bring in new "members" but the backdoor stays wide open and we sit back and wonder why we haven’t grown.

now i dont know if churches need to stop being like gyms or if gyms need to be more like churches, either way we need to capture a greater sense of community arround what we call church. It is not a business and i am not a consumer....

king of the hill goes to the MEGA church!