The Authenticity Era

OK, I’ve finally figured out what I think about Taylor Swift. I know you’ve probably been hanging on for years wondering, “Gee, I wish Noel would just let us know what he really things about Taylor.” Well, here goes… I respect the boldness of reinvention TSwift has shown in her music career—leaving a very lucrative …

Attending a Church With 50 Members is Good For You (You Just Don't Realize It)

If you talk to church leaders – it won't matter what tribe you ask – they will likely tell you that attendance is down in their local congregation. Very few churches these days report numerical growth and many are in steady decline. That's bad news right? The problem with this issue is that there is …

A Webinar on Sabbath Rest

A post for my preacher buddies. What an awesome age we live in!  We don't have flying cars or robots that make supper but technology has brought some amazing blessings that can be used for ministry. I attended an online conference this morning (right from my desk) that was hosted by Forge Canada, a missional …

Re: Why Churches of Christ are Shrinking

I recently figured out how to get people to read my blog!  Two blog posts recently addressed the flagging fortunes of my tribe and got massive amounts of feedback – Good, bad and ugly.  So all I have to do is talk about the Churches of Christ disappearing and the readers will come!  🙂  I …

The Gospel of Generosity

I was sorry to read a viral story this morning about a waitress who posted a receipt online on which a pastor crossed out an automatic tip of 18% and wrote in 0% with a comment "I give God 10% why should you get 18%." Lots of ink has already been spilled on this today …

No One Knows How to Make Mouse

If you've got two and a half minutes free and want to acquire a splinter in your mind then watch this. That's a cool thought! No one on earth has all the knowledge to make a computer mouse.  In the (post)modern world we are necessarily dependent on each other.  So what does this mean? This …

Does the Church have a Control Fetish

Blogger Craig T. Owens tweeted a couple of weeks ago, “Jesus didn't say, 'Poor people and other outcasts, find yourself a church!' but 'church people, find yourself the poor and the outcasts.'”  I love that quote.  It captures what I meant a couple of  weeks ago when I said that the missional shift requires churches …

Evangelism in the 21st Century

One insight for churches and church leaders caused by the missional shift is how they view evangelism; not how the DO evangelism, but how they see it. Missional churches have a clearer picture of what evangelism looks like in the 21st century. Communications has changed in the past 50 years. Transportation has changed in the …

What does "Missional" mean?

What does it mean to be a missional church? A missional church participates with God in what God is doing in the world.

You Don't Want a McMansion?

It's amazing how huge shifts in cultural attitudes can sneak up on us. In the July 14 Issue of The Economist (I had some time at Chapters OK?) Steve Klineberg says that people's attitudes about housing and life are changing, and changing fast! He writes that, In 2008 59% in the US said they would …