Time’s Best Photos of the Year 2005
powerful images … mostly tragic, at times redemptive.
Crash course in learning theory (via Rich Melheim)
A consistent side interest of mine …
Manual for consensus procedures
the word “consensus” is one I seek to understand better and practice more.
The churches and the church: Why ecclesiology matters
This closing story and comment struck me, “… an elderly parishioner in Ghana, whose village was fed by the priest of a neighbouring village during a famine. When the famine was over, she went to the neighbouring village to thank the people there for what they had done.
But when she attended the priest’s church to greet and thank him personally, she was unable to take communion because their respective churches did not agree on some points. So the woman went to her bishop and asked the following question:
“How can we share the material food which keeps us from starving, and not share the spiritual food which Christ himself offers us? I think when Christ comes again, he will feed us himself – and then he will do what is right!”
“Ecclesiology” is about the churches doing “what is right”. It is about the churches being “what is right”, being the one church, confessing, worshipping, witnessing and serving together with one heart. “
Strategic Planning for Missional Churches
One thing I noticed about myself is the temptation to “over-react” to anything that smells “corporate” and company-like. After 5 years of planting and pastoring BLC, I can see better where we’ve done well (esp. in trying to emphasize the family and community accent of church), but I also realize that we may have missed out of being more effective due to a lack of focus and “strategic thinking” processes together. Thus, I agree with Pat here, “I’m still committed to leading a community of faith through a model that is emphatically not the corporate, CEO-driven style. I believe a church could be run this way, focusing on market share and sales techniques and leader-inspired vision. In fact, many churches in the last century were lead this way; many continue to be. I also don’t think it’s the best model for church leadership; I don’t see Jesus as a CEO but as a foot-washer and cross-carrier.
So I find myself in two worlds – seeing this tool set as incredibly helpful for the corporate world; and seeing the tool set also as translatable, with a good deal of effort and systematic prayer and contextualization, into the world of Kingdom leadership. “
Gazelles Strategic Planning Resources (via Pat Loughery)
Useful tools …
What does a pastor, minister, vicar do?
On one hand I might say I’m just praying and playing (useful metaphorically), but on the other hand the reality is it’s more than that.
