Great books have a way of stirring the heart and imagination, and moving the pendulum on how we think and where we need to go. David Joannes’s, The Mind of a Missionary, succeeds in all these ways.
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How a Small Group Out-Missioned a Whole Church
Recently, I have had three pastors convey how unfruitful their church has been evangelistically. One was candid enough to admit that their 120 plus church had not reached even one person with the gospel—all year. The other two scenarios were not much better. When you see inclose what is actually happening (or not happening), the tale that I […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Evangelism Got Lost
I know the title puts the skids on for some. What? Evangelism lost? That didn’t happen. You are right in the sense that God continues to reach people, and he continues to use his church, unquestionably. But what I am insinuating did happen. A shift took place that relegated evangelism from prominence. I believe such […]
Continue readingMore TagGain Heart for God’s Call
Living in Southern California, we have famous theme parks in driving distance. The last time we were at Knott’s Berry Farm, my wife and two boys had gone on most of the big rides except one. Late in the night, we stood sizing the Xcelerator ride, and from sheer intimidation, we passed. Leaving the park, […]
Continue readingMore TagMovement Starts With Us
We can observe movement in many Bible passages. Try it now. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way […]
Continue readingMore TagGod’s Globes
It’s that cinematic celebration time of year again. We are now only days away from the Oscars. I watched its precursor, the foreign press’s Golden Globes. Did you tune in? I enjoy these cultural events; there always seems to be something worth noting. And no different this year—it arrived from the words of George Clooney. […]
Continue readingMore TagNew Believer Ministry Matters
Standing before the class, the teacher asked the question: When you became a Christian, how many of your friends were non-Christians? “All of them,” replied Chris. Stop for a moment to let his statement sink in. All of his friends were outside the church. Wow! If you can’t see the missional opportunity there, you need […]
Continue readingMore TagReunion Worthy?
Been to a reunion lately? Designing a discipling path at Sandals Church, I had a light bulb moment regarding this notion, which I have deemed valuable. Trust me here. Making media history, the television show Lost became a cultural phenomenon, with a gigantic following boarding a plane to nowhere, or somewhere—it’s still hard to know […]
Continue readingMore TagLaunch Point: Moving Small Groups into Mission
Of the four Missional Engagement Series books, the largest orders have occurred with this one. Though I think each piece has equal merit for expanding influence, this vehicle has struck a chord with church leaders wanting their groups to lovingly bless and reach their neighborhoods. Being relationally glued, almost every church has small groups. Being […]
Continue readingMore TagReach Wider: By Offering an Exploratory Process
A sad broad-stroked truth about Christians is that we underestimate what’s involved in the non-believer’s journey. We like everything short, simple and sweet. And when it comes to our role as messengers, we have been exhorted to “tell” the gospel, not to get into their shoes. Book after book, pastor after pastor, have declared that […]
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