lifeasmission
exploring the mystery of life and mission as one and the same
A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-04-23
- The most alluring & pervasive invitation to pain and loneliness of our era. [pic] — http://t.co/MjWGPKRQ #
- Unspeakably excited to get home tonight & see my girls. #FB http://t.co/D8hWoyUY #
- Adams Morgan. (at @trystdc) [pic] — http://t.co/IvW4hXan #
- The idea that salvation is something we "have" (as a possession) signals the American bent toward the commodification of all things. No? #FB #
- "What God longs for, and what we must long for, is the salvation of the world." — Newbigin #FB #
- "We are not called by Christ simply that we ourselves may be saved: we are called in order to be partners in his saving work." -Newbigin #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Freeing Love from the Shackles of Fear http://t.co/K5Esw3KD
#FB # - (re)reading Yoder's, "Christian Witness to the State." Publishers should just underline every other sentence for me & save me the ink! #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: The Pursuit OF and IN Marriage http://t.co/3v6xyfut
#FB # - Off to attend the home inspection for our new home! We see this as a major step toward the mission(s) God is calling us into. #FB #
- Where does my child walk to every time she holds my hand @ home? The front door! #girlwantstoexplore (or maybe escape :/) #FB #
- A new theological initiative is forming 4 those engaging issues of theology & practice 4 mission. http://t.co/yz6l7Ikv (@missioalliance) #FB #
- 230 new items in my Google reader & the next hour open. Let's see what kind of damage we can do here! #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Over the Rhine in Hollywood http://t.co/N8XPMv9m
#FB # - I can't stand bloggers who force you to visit their site to either A) drive up their traffic or B) make $ via advertising. #gagme #FB #
- Encouraging update on the state & future of @ecclesianet here in 2012. http://t.co/M9306jiK #FB #
- Chur | What America can learn from the European Church | Part 6 http://t.co/YQLEDPb9 #
- Church as family & not business?! This is why the future of the Church DOES NOT lie in American entrepreneurialism. http://t.co/YQLEDPb9 #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: A Tribute to Mark Lau Branson http://t.co/6ZrLtizQ
#FB # - I'm missing @inhabitcon & #exponential2012 but only one that I'm "Missing." Hard 2 imagine more divergent approaches 2 church planting. #FB #
- Dragged this sleepy girl downtown this AM to get her a passport. Costa Rica, get ready … (w/ Amy at @argotea) [pic] — http://t.co/EKHazeMQ #
- from the lifeasmission archives: My Roommate Ryan http://t.co/zGDoo7rR
#FB # - from the lifeasmission archives: Choosing Mission Over Affinity http://t.co/XAUTtk4E
#FB # - Hashing out the nature & practice of the church w/ fellow disciples (at Life On The Vine Christian Community) — http://t.co/TwgiTLXi #
- Reconciliation isn’t important in a culture of certainty." From a great post @ http://t.co/b801U8DW #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Young Adult Picnic http://t.co/ggL4ZAY0
#FB #
Missio Alliance: Discerning the Shape of Theology & Practice for Mission
This is a very overdue post.
A Personal Vocational Transition
At the end of last December I resigned my position at Northern Seminary in order to begin helping direct the efforts of a new theological initiative. The transition was quite seamless as Northern has actually become an early and major sponsor of this new initiative, the Missio Alliance. In this new role I get to work alongside Chris Backert (serving as Ex. Dir. & Regional Dir. for Eastern US), JR Woodward (serving as Regional Dir. for Western US), and Dave Fitch (serving as Regional Dir. for Central US).
What is the Missio Alliance?
This initiative has grown out of the Ecclesia Network, a group I’ve been privileged to be a part of for the last 5 years or so. Whereas Ecclesia has become a home and source of support, training, and encouragement for missional churches and church planters, the Missio Alliance has more to do with bringing a broader array of practitioner-theologians, missiologists, pastors and other Christian leaders together for dialogue, training, and the creation of resources. Here’s a fuller description of the origins and aims of the Missio Alliance from the initial web page that we have up…
As the Church in North America wrestles with the complex realities of an increasingly Post-Christian cultural context, there’s a need to consider afresh what God is doing and calling us to in His Mission. In recent history we have witnessed increasing fragmentation within evangelical Protestantism and sharp denominational decline. Yet even amidst these challenges, we believe there is a unique opportunity to work toward the renewal of the Church for Mission in North America.
The Missio Alliance seeks to provide a seeding ground for such renewal. We aim to bring pastors, practitioner-theologians, leaders, and missiologists together from across the spectrum of the North American Church to work for a Kingdom-driven, gospel-centered, biblically grounded theology and ecclesial practice for God’s Mission in North America. We seek to provide a place for theological dialogue, training, and the creation of resources to navigate present and future missional challenges. Grounded in The Capetown Commitment of the Third Lausanne Congress, these endeavors will emerge out of a strong and distinctive theological identity that is rooted in relationships. We will seek to cross cultural and denominational boundaries, creating by the Spirit a gospel dynamic for discerning the challenges of our time.
Dave Fitch has talked about the need for something like the Missio Alliance to emerge. As he wrote in this post…
As I said previously, and as I have said in my new book The End of Evangelicalism?, evangelicalism is at a tipping point. We are cracking. The emergent conversation started by Brian McLaren et. al. has not produced theological leadership (it seems Love Wins is another case of this). The herds of disenchanted evangelicals are left to either wander or head for the newer coalitions of the Neo-Reformed. Yet as I’ve said here, this isn’t going to take us into Mission. Based in the impulses in both of these movements, we need an alternative place for the work of theology and mission. Without it – it is questionable whether these much needed conversations can place. Without an alternative coalition (that can bring certain parts of these existing factions together into conversation with the Holiness, Anabaptist Missionals), the aftermath of traditional evangelicalism is going to devolve into defensiveness and fail to produce a missional movement. There’s some of us working toward that end (of nurturing an alternative theological coalition). In the meantime, this for me, is the lesson of the Rob Bell fiasco.
Who’s Involved & How can I Connect?
At present, we are working toward a launch conference in April of 2013. Among those who have already agreed to be a part of that conference are Dallas Willard, Scot McKnight, Roger Olson, Cherith Fee Nordling, Amos Yong, and Jo Saxton among others.
If connecting w/ this sort of community sounds of interest to you, feel free to drop your email over here to stay in the loop, or connect w/ us on Twitter or Facebook.
If you’re out West, we are planning a regional conference on Oct. 19-20 near Los Angeles featuring Alan Hirsch, Dave Fitch, & JR Woodward w/ engagement and responses from 6 local pastors. Stay tuned for more info on that as the date gets closer.
We’ve already begun to establish working partnerships w/ a handful of denominations, seminaries, and leaders of various networks, but if you represent an institution or organization that might be interested in partnering with something like I’ve described above, please be in touch via: connect [@] missioalliance [dot] org.
A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-04-16
- This is about the only thing in the world that could ever stand of a chance of interesting me in golf – hilarious! http://t.co/3R699qZd #FB #
- Good day to ask, "Is the American church even capable of producing people like Dietterich Bonhoeffer?" #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Give the Gift of Hope http://t.co/urqp7XIG
#FB # - If you think you are successful @ making disciples, yet none of them go to unreached peoples around the world, think again. #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: I'm a "Pop" Guy Myself http://t.co/fRVcaloX
#FB # - In case you were wondering, yes, you should see Hugo. It is fantastic on multiple levels. #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Tweets for the Week : 2012-01-02 http://t.co/HJ1b2Lst
#FB # - Wow, twinge of pain jumps out @ me as I kiss my sleeping baby on the way out the door for a work trip. #surprisesofbeinganewdad #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Tweets for the Week : 2010-09-06 http://t.co/L1N4ogIH
#FB # - Sad I didn't get to share these amazing scenes from Old Town Alexandria w/ @amyrozko today. This place is gorgeous! #FB http://t.co/Ryaps8jh #
- Not sure which is a clearer indication of this rental car's newness? #FB http://t.co/McJgnIpZ #
- DC. #FB http://t.co/OjA5ADgA #
- MC's, @bgumm & Aaron Kauffman kicking things off for the #OccEmp conference. #FB http://t.co/IY4GXt2j #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Back to the Cross http://t.co/evbpmNdw
#FB # - Day 2 of #OccEmp is underway w/ worship & Nakeisha Alexis-Baker on "Race, Racism, & the Nation-State." #FB http://t.co/ZnjquwWd #
- Captain David Stutzman joining the #OccEmp conference via Skype. #rockstar #FB http://t.co/cHD9FDt0 #
- Curious to me that those outside historically oriented Anabaptist groups get its missional nature more than those within. #OccEmp #FB #
- The Church. Amid many differing opinions, assumptions, & allegiances, we wash one another's f… (at @EMU_News) [pic] — http://t.co/ERlBSHev #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Lost a New Family Member http://t.co/C6hG979u
#FB # - Visiting @realaarongraham & The District Church today. Excited to experience what being the church in a place like DC looks like. #FB #
- (1/2) The notion that Anabaptists are separatists says 2 things. 1) We lack an imagination 4 the power of true church life & witness… #FB #
- (2/2) 2) That the church very often fails to live up to its calling. But neither of these things is the same as withdraw from the world. #FB #
- Dang it. Blog hacked AGAIN! Getting sick of this. Won't be in a place to try & fix it until Tuesday. #gopickonsomeoneelse #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Riches in Poverty http://t.co/OA8kQCRz
#FB #
Non-Western Reflections on Disciple-Making
Though I surrendered my life to Christ as a sophomore in high school, I don’t think the notion of discipleship really came on my radar until one of my college professors invited me into a “discipleship group.” While others (FCA leaders, my youth pastor, small group leaders, etc.) had definitely invested in me in significant ways, these relationships had more of a programatic nature to them. The group I was invited into in college had a much more personal and relational feel to it. In any case, I look back at this experience as foundational for the way in which life-on-life discipleship took center stage in terms of my own formation as well as with regard to my personal ministry philosophy. That is to say, contrary to all the popular trends of the time and the ethos of the particular church I came on staff at, when I launched out into the world of student ministry over 10 years ago now, I resolved that the central feature that would mark the structure and rhythms of our ministry to students would be relationally-oriented, life-on-life, discipling relationships.Since then, I have only grown more and more interested in the issue and practice of disciple-making (little wonder it has become the focus of my doctoral dissertation
Discipleship, as both the core feature of Jesus own life, ministry, and teaching as well as (albeit in a different way) the primary focus of the apostle Paul’s work and writing, has come to occupy a central place in my theological perspectives, my ecclesiology, even my understanding of the nature of salvation and the atonement (thanks Dallas!) However, it’s only been recently that I’ve begin to ask questions and look into non-Western conceptions and practices of discipleship and disciple-making.
I’d love it if anyone had more resources to share on this, but I thought I’d share a three-part article entitled, “Seven Paradigm Shifts in Twenty-First Century Discipling,” by Edmund Chan, a Singaporean pastor, that came to my attention.
I’m not quite sure that everything discussed in these brief articles really qualifies as a “paradigm shift” in the truest sense of the phrase, but I appreciate what he has to say nonetheless. As one who is convinced that one of the greatest needs of the Western church is to shut up and listen to our non-Western brothers and sisters for a while, I appreciate perspective like this. Here are the articles…Article 1 of 2 | Article 2 of 3 | Articles 3 of 3
Tweets for the Week : 2012-04-09
- from the lifeasmission archives: Depersonalized and Taken Advantage Of http://t.co/A74lE5LT
#FB # - from the lifeasmission archives: 1st Day of Classes at Fuller http://t.co/qZ5xlOba
#FB # - Me & this girl just finished out 1st Daddy/Daughter run. She won… but in my defe… (at Rozko's Royal Palace) [pic] — http://t.co/pEga8APm #
- Magnum & Blue Steel have nothing on Aubrey's new patented, "Revolutionary Zeal!" http://t.co/M41guGTF #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Reviewing Deep Church by Jim Belcher http://t.co/xC3lexuG
#FB # - Good words from Lance Ford "On Mark Driscoll Concerns -" http://t.co/FJsIIX18 via @readability #
- Something @amyrozko, @arozko & others may be interested in! Today's Google Offer in Chicago- Starbucks: $5 for $10 https://t.co/j0WbR5zc #FB #
- Great @sugarsync deal. 2GB free space just for letting friends know about their already awesome service – Join me! http://t.co/EPfnOXvu #FB #
- Who else wants to get in on this file storage/sync deal from @SugarSync? 5GB free + 2 more 4 inviting your friends. http://t.co/EPfnOXvu #FB #
- Finished contract 4 offer on home, put a bow on taxes, read a bunch, changed & fed Aubrey x2. How's that for the 1st 1/2 of the day?! #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Color me Uncool http://t.co/w3mHBCGn
#FB # - Already up to 10GB of free space w/ @SugarSync thanks to their generous & easy referral program. Enjoy! https://t.co/0QoxASdv #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Is This Real Life? http://t.co/U1C9dW3O
#FB # - from the lifeasmission archives: Tweets for the Week : 2011-01-17 http://t.co/IAUao2yS
#FB # - 9 times out of 10, when I leave the house to run outside, I have no clear idea of where I'm gonna go. Anyone else? #FB #
- Mr. @novelli instructing us in the ways of the Seder. #FB http://t.co/tCqqXDaf #
- Scenes from Easter. #FB http://t.co/njI21UvH #
- Easter sunrise service! Easter baptisms! Easter breakfast!. Easter worship gathering! Easter nap! #FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Discovering the God Imagination http://t.co/76nqO3eO
#FB #
- from the lifeasmission archives: Depersonalized and Taken Advantage Of http://t.co/A74lE5LT
Anabaptism, Empire, and a Missional Vision of Theological Formation
I’m traveling out to Eastern Mennonite University next week to participate in the, #OccupyEmpire: Anabaptism in God’s Mission, mini-conference that I mentioned before. Looking forward to seeing some good friends and hopefully making some others.
I was asked to offer a paper so I have been working on that for the last several weeks. Here’s the title and abstract that I am working with…
The Role of Seminaries in Subverting Empire: Toward a Missional Vision of Theological Formation
Across American evangelicalism, a rapidly growing number of pastors and Christian leaders are grappling with the realities of life and ministry in an increasingly Post-Christendom cultural context. As a result of the cultural marginalization of the Church, many are (re)discovering what it means to understand God as a missionary God and the Church as a missionary community. Inasmuch as the Anabaptist tradition holds a vast array of resources for those interested in theological and ecclesiological perspectives that reject the assumptions of Christendom from the outset, this paper seeks to bring these same resources to bear on our understanding of the nature, purpose, and shape of theological education. It will be argued that a missional understanding of God, the Gospel, and the Church calls for a correspondingly missional vision of seminary-based theological formation as a major component of the Church’s role in subverting empire.
As I’ve been preparing, I was inclined to pick back up, Reenvisioning Theological Education: Exploring a Missional Alternative to Current Models by Robert Banks. This is such a fantastic book. Crying shame that more people haven’t paid attention to it! Here’s the brief review I posted over at Good Reads…
This has to be the most sadly overlooked book on the shape of theological education out there. Banks engages with all the key influencers in this discussion and pushes beyond what has been offered toward a truly missional model of theological education. More could be said about how his proposals relate to a missional ecclesiology – something he references, but doesn’t really discuss at length. On one hand, I have a tremendous wish that those currently involved in the world of theological education would take Banks’ radical (at least from the perspective of the status quo) suggestions seriously enough to make substantive changes. But, on the other hand, as Banks himself mentions toward the end of the book, change will more than likely come, not from institutions at the center of the given system, but from grassroots experiments and movements from the margins. Perhaps what I appreciate most about Banks’ perspective and work is that he’s no mere pragmatist, suggesting changes to the structure of theological education based on external factors (though he is certainly aware of these). Instead, he addresses the topic of theological education from missiological and theological perspectives. If you are at all interested in the topic and/or practice of theological education, this book is one of the best you’ll come across.
I imagine the paper will be undergoing revision right on through the actual delivery of it, so I hope to post it on the other side of the event. Looking forward to meeting any of you out there who may read this blog on occasion and will be at this event. In the mean time, would love to engage w/ any thoughts you might have on the subject of the relationship between theological education and empire from an Anabaptist (or whatever) perspective.
recent posts
- A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-05-21
- Multiplying Missional Leaders by Mike Breen & 3DM (Book Review)
- A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-05-14
- A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-05-07
- A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-04-30
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- A Week’s Worth of Thoughts, Pictures, & Links: 2012-04-23
Recent Comments
- jrrozko on The Future of Theological Education: A Groundswell of Conversation
- Chad on The Future of Theological Education: A Groundswell of Conversation
- Fostering Creativity | Worth Wheeler on Blogging as a Spiritual Discipline
- Jamie Arpin-Ricci on Younger Missional Leaders, the Lausanne Movement, and the Shape/ing of the Church
- jrrozko on Missio Alliance: Discerning the Shape of Theology & Practice for Mission
tweets
- from the lifeasmission archives: Missional Preaching Part 2: Preaching as the Proclamation of Biblical Truth http://t.co/9QnkLjXx #FB 10 hrs ago
- Paper. (at Ravenheart Coffee) [pic] — http://t.co/D20sYKqD 11 hrs ago
- Looky what the mail man brought! Real question is if I'm man (dumb?) enough to join the @jrdkirk r... (w/ Karl) [pic] — http://t.co/aU2J4Bqw 1 day ago
- from the lifeasmission archives: Tweets for the Week : 2010-12-06 http://t.co/LFPGh4Bq #FB 1 day ago
- Incredible opportunity to work with two of the best theological programs (@FullerDMiss @fullermagl) in the country! http://t.co/9UKKKa99 #FB 1 day ago
- More updates...
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