Every now and then, we are blessed to have a conversation that changes the way we think -- leading to unforeseen changes down the road. For me, one such conversation happened when I was in college. My roommate, Brad, and I were talking about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and what it meant for us and for the church as a whole. I'm not sure who came up with this great insight (so I'll give the credit to Brad), but here it is: God never commanded the world to go to church; he did, however, command the church to go to the world. Granted, scholars and others had known this for centuries. But to two eighteen or nineteen year-olds, this was ground-breaking, earth-shattering news. We didn't know it back then, but this was a call to be missional in how we lived and approached ministry. For Brad, this led him…
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Today (Friday) is my normal day off and I decided to take a road trip to Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Sedalia. Unfortunately, so did a high school group of about 50 loud teenagers. I gave reading and contemplating the old college try but finally gave up. So, I packed up and did something I've not ever done before: I went to mass. (I think I was in a reflective mood and a bit disappointed by my Sacred Heart experience). I arrived in downtown Denver just as the noon mass was beginning. The audience was an urban garden of people. Without a program, I followed the lead of an elderly Filipino lady to my right. She knew what she was doing. Or, everyone else was following her lead, too. After a homily and a few responsive readings, it was time for communion. I took my spot in line and watched…
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“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela Are you playing small with your life? Truth be told, many people are. Whether it's an addiction to mediocrity or a fear of failing, too many people live life in the small-to-medium range. And it's acceptable. So, how do you know what kind of life you are capable of living? You try ...
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The minute you stop moving, you start settling. If you stop pursuing better communication with your spouse, you are settling for the level of discourse you have now. If you stop reading books that stretch your mind, you are settling for the knowledge you have now. If you stop exercising, you are settling for the health you have now. If you stop pursuing your dreams, you are settling for your present achievements -- soon to be past accomplishments.
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As Mountainview plans to launch a campus this fall in Westwood, an economically depressed, racially diverse, part of Denver --I thought the following article from Artie Davis to be insightful. ---------- multi-ethnic church doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional in your ministry approach. If you are not intentional, you probably will never have a true multi-ethnic church. Here are a few things to keep in mind: It must be a core value – Put it down on paper that your church values being multi-ethnic. If it’s important enough to think, it’s important enough to write down and become a guiding principle. It will not occur organically – It is human nature to migrate to people like ourselves… people that have fun like us, look like us, and dress like us. We must find ways to break that tendency. You must be balanced in all areas of ministry –…
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