Church planting vision adaptability community risk Archives

Transitions in a Dangerous Time

“But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight When you’re lovers in a dangerous time.” – Bruce Cockburn, “Lovers In A Dangerous Time.” These words of Bruce Cockburn acknowledge that there is darkness. This present darkness in which we walk can be characterized…

The Church Planting Journey

Around 1995, a few pastors, and leaders (including myself) in my city began to meet to discuss church planting. The discussion starter was the resource kit known as The Church Planters’ Toolkit (1991) written by Robert E. Logan. We would read (and at least on one occasion watch a video) and discuss the principles within…

Failure is an Option

“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” – Elon Musk I stared at this quote for the last few minutes as the cursor blinked on and off on my laptop screen. I have been wondering if I agree with the entire quote. Does it represent reality? Should…

Change

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. John F. Kennedy Kennedy, or JFK, said these words in the middle of the 20th century when significant change was in the air. The rate at which things change in our current time…

What is Church? Chapter 2

In a blog on January 6th, I suggested that one purpose for gathering as followers of Christ is to search for God and allow others to do the same. Today I want to address another reason why we gather as the Body of Christ: mission. As most of us will know, Missional Church is very…

Rising Up on Wings Like Eagles

(Click on the image to enlarge it.) Twelve years ago I was in the midst of one of the biggest decisions of my life. I was sensing that God was calling me to step out into something new. It was not a demand from God; it was a divine option. God was not forcing me…

People Turn to Religion

John Stackhouse says that “People turn to religion only if they have a good reason. The instrumental reasons are gone with the wind.”1 That is, people no longer believe that they must go to church to increase their social standing or to impress their business constituents. He points out that in one particular panel discussion…

Daring Greatly

I do not know much about Theodore Roosevelt but these words of his resonate with me. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in…

Leadership Prayer Breakfast

Today, Calgary Mayor, Naheed Nenshi, spoke briefly at the 45th Annual Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast. This breakfast started as an opportunity for Christian leaders to come together to pray for the city and our country. Since those early years, Calgary’s cultural and religious diversity has increased. Today there were references to Christians, Muslims, and Jews…

Millennials

A recent conference in Calgary has me dreaming of the kind of church that will thrive in the next generation. James Penner was the guest speaker at the Western Canada Leadership Summit and he challenged us to think about the characteristics of the Millennial Generation (variously defined, but for the purposes of these talks, defined…