For a fresh perspective, check out the Ideavirus!

“Fact is, the first 100 years of our country’s history were about who could build the biggest, most efficient farm. And the second century focused on the race to build factories. Welcome to the third century, folks. The third century is about ideas.” Seth Godin.

I had the pleasure of reading another ebook by Seth Godin who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Seth never ceases to amaze me with his different takes on the seemingly ordinary…he looks at everything from a fresh vantage point. His books are not about theology, ecclesiology, the bible, church history, liturgy or practically anything that a "church person" would take notice of...rather he is about communication and "idea popping" something that people who lead ministries need to pay attention to...communication, shaping people's imagination, and calling people into a new way of living are all aspects of ministry to which Seth has something to say.

The book, The Ideavirus, is only available online. You can check out Seth’s website for more information. His point is clear – “the Holy Grail for anyone who traffics in ideas is this – to unleash an ideavirus….an idea that just sits there is worthless. But an idea that moves and grows and infects everyone it touches…that’s an ideavirus.”

How does an idea manifest itself? Where does it live? What does it look like? How does it grow? These are some of the things that Seth addresses. What’s an ideavirus? According to Godin, it’s a big idea that runs amok across the target audience. He writes, "It’s a fashionable idea that propagates through the section of the population, teaching and changing and influencing everyone it touches. And in our rapidly/instantly changing world, the art and science of building, launching and profiting from ideaviruses is the next frontier."

Some of the Key elements of an ideavirus:

1. Concentrating on the message. If just 1% or even 15% of a group is excited about your idea, it’s not enough. You only win when you totally dominate and amaze the group you’ve targeted.
2. People in contemporary culture are actually resisting "marketing"…Seth says, "stop marketing people"…rather create an environment where people will market to each other...basically, find ways to create movements of information.
3. Figure out how to make an idea worth spreading…spread it properly...and you will influence people.
4. Give attention to Velocity – measure how fast the idea spreads from one party to another.
5. Give attention to Smoothness – how easy is it for an end user to spread this particular ideavirus? How quickly do people get ON board with a new idea?
6. Be a person of Persistence – figure out how an idea can “bug” a person into submission.
7. Study the Vector of an idea – in other words, notice how an the idea “move” through an organization – where did the idea come from? Who resonates with it? Who and what are easy adapters to the idea?
8. Understand an ideavirus LOVES a vacuum...when something fresh hits a stagnant organization, it spreads like wildfire.

One more aspect of the book I thought was fascinating is that Seth says that the heart of an ideavirus are people he calls, "sneezers" – they are the ones who when they tell 10 or 20 or 100 people and people believe them. Sneezers are people of value in an organization...they are trustworthy and will be listened to...Seth says, "you want an idea to spread, carefully choose your sneezers and then let them loose."

Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with being a person committed to God's Kingdom and to the call of Jesus...well, aren't we trying to discover new ways to influence people? Aren't you praying, thinking, dreaming, and brainstorming of new ways that you can share a vision...a compelling picture of what God wants to do in each Christ follower's life as we live and manifest the good news of God's grace? Don't you wonder how to see paradigms shift and how to get new ideas to people that just might influence them in their desire to be transformed by the Holy Spirit? You might want to check out the Ideavirus! Maybe you have a few ideas of your own that need to spread in your context to God's glory!

Moving from the Assumptions of Christendom into a Post-Christendom, Mission-focus Praxis (Part 2)

In part 1 of this two-part post, I made some general comments about the realities of Post-Christendom. In sum, Post-Christendom is the culture that is emerging as the Christian story loses its primacy as that which shapes lives and institutions...Post-Christendom is a reality that includes the following transitions:

• From center to the margins – the Christian story no longer holds a preferred place in culture.
• From majority to minority – Christian population is no longer the undisputed majority of population.
• From settlers to sojourners – Post-Christendom creates a community of people who feel that they are exiles and aliens.
• From privilege to plurality – Post-Christendom sees the inclusion of other stories and faith systems as equally valid.
• From control to witness – no longer able to coerce society, Christians now influence via witness and lifestyle.
• From maintenance to mission – with the demise of the status quo, post-Christendom wrestles with a new understanding of mission.
• From institution to movement – there is a new understanding of the power of movement and the fluidity of a non-reliance on institutionalism.

I ended that initial post by writing, "Some may see these transitions are a tragedy. Others, including myself, see this age as an age of excitement and opportunity. Christ-followers have not had to deal with these dynamics since the early days of the Christian movement. It is not an easy environment to live but it does provide a chance to see faith and life from a radically new perspective. It also demands new ways of thinking about mission, discipleship, leadership development and theology as the movement of Christianity enters one of its most challenging eras in history."

Now, in this post, we are on to the “So what?” That is the question I try to pose to myself as I encounter any new information or try to learn something that could have the potential of impacting my life. If we have moved into an era of Post-Christendom, what are the “take aways”…what lessons do we need to learn as we attempt to be faithful to the call of our Lord Jesus and track His Spirit’s movement in our lives and the lives of others? Below are some "suggestions"...a place to start a dialog on how to proceed and how this "new playing field" may be that which the Holy Spirit uses to challenge the Body of Christ for a new era of ministry.

Possible Action Steps for a Movement of followers of Jesus

1. Discourse in the vernacular.

In Christendom there was little difference between the language inside and outside of the Church. In fact, because of a unified foundation of understanding/frame of reference, there was little need to engage in the language of culture. When Martin Luther himself completed his translation of the scriptures and the penning of hymnody utilizing the songs of local fare he was a full participant in the benefits of Christendom. But times have changed…in a movement of followers of Jesus in today’s culture, what appears to “us” to be common religious, theological or biblical terms must be explained and translated. The movement must avoid 'tribal' language, stylized or parochial language, and unnecessary pious jargon. The movement of mission needs to consider avoiding “we-them” language, disdainful jokes that mock divergent politics and beliefs, and dismissive discourse. The church needs to begin to avoid ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your “whole neighborhood” is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way into relationship. As one missiologist wrote, “Unless all of the above is the outflow of a truly humble-bold gospel-changed heart, it is all just 'marketing' and 'spin.'”

2. Enter and re-tell the culture's stories with a biblical narrative perspective.

In Christendom it was entirely possible to simply exhort Christianized people to "do what they know they should" or “just be a good Baptist/Lutheran/Methodist/Catholic/etc.” in order to “correct” errant behavior or practice. There was no need for real relational engagement, listening, or persuasion. Church history is littered with communication permeated with exhortation, challenge, as well as a heavy reliance on guilt and legalism. In a Post-Christendom faith community, preaching and communication should always assume the presence of skeptical or irreligious people, and should seek to engage their stories, not simply talk about "the good ole days” when living the faith was perceived to be easier. To "enter" the story of the culture means that ministry “architects” show sympathy toward and deep acquaintance with what one author calls, “the literature, music, theater, etc. of the existing culture's hopes, dreams, 'heroic' narratives, fears.” To "re-tell" means that we take seriously how to communicate the reality of the Kingdom of God, the redemptive heart of God in Jesus, and the power and presence of God through the Spirit where the biblical narrative not only embraces and convicts but transforms the formed stories of those to whom we minister.

3. We have to intentionally “tackle” the perceive separation between the clergy and the laity. Faith Communities MUST theologically train lay people for public life and vocation.

In a Post-Christendom world, we must begin to take a “hard look” at the perception of the “ministry divide” between the clergy and laity. Not only do few people in the culture understand or appreciate the role of the clergy in the formalized Christian experience (i.e. institutional church), but there still is a void in the “ownership” of ministry by the laity. Most believe that they are not trained, called, gifted, or empowered to do the work of Jesus (like that of the pastor). We must also understand that despite all our words that highlight the biblical proclamation of the “priesthood of all believers” that the symbols, offices, roles, the public experience of most followers of Jesus within local faith communities underscore the experience of a specified “religious class” that solely handle the precious gifts of faith. In Christendom, the Church could afford to train people to be religious professionals – to see the acts of prayer, worship facilitation, Bible study, ministry leadership, even evangelism as private world skills. Christendom needed its “experts” because they are not facing radically non-Christian values in their public life…in other words, it seemed to make more sense to have a religious caste system in a world that was dominated by religious institutions and worldviews. But times have changed…in a “mission-minded” community, the laity needs to have not only access but also the permission to engage in the deep, transformational experiences of the life of faith. The culture needs to see followers of Jesus who are not being “paid” to be “professional” representatives of the Kingdom of God. Relevance, authenticity, and transparency are the call words of a new era. In order to facilitate and inform a growing experience of ownership in ministry, theological education and an intentionality of discipleship training need to be the passion of leadership in regards to the laity. All followers of Jesus need an opportunity to grow in “thinking Christianly” about everything and work/live with faithful, biblical distinctiveness. They need to how to discern cultural practices were experiences of common grace could be embraced as well as what practices are antithetical to the gospel and must be rejected. Post-Christendom marks a new day for lay people who are on the “front lines” of renewing and transforming the culture through a distinctive understanding of Christian vocation where everyone takes their place at the “table” of real “kingdom work” and ministry alongside those committed to the traditional ministry of the Word and Sacraments. Finally, Christ followers will need to learn how to use the gospel to demonstrate true love and “acceptance” in "the public square" toward those with whom we deeply differ. Acceptance should equal or exceed that which opposing views show toward the Jesus following experience.

4. Create Christian community that is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive.

In Christendom, “ekklesia” became the foundation of personal faith nurturing, support and accountability. In the 20th century, the onslaughts of the values of consumerism have further promoted the “individualistic ingestion” of the Christian experience. In a Post-Christendom culture, those dynamics continue to be a necessary aspect of the faith community. However, the realities of Post-Christendom demand that the Christian community go beyond personal encouragement and relational development. As in the book of Acts, a community of followers of Jesus must begin to embody a “counter-culture” which demonstrates to the culture at large how radically different a society transformed by the Spirit is God is. This kind of church is profoundly “counter-intuitive”to cultural observers. The community that lives the “Sermon on the Mount”, that takes seriously the “Fruit of the Holy Spirit”, and the ethic of the Kingdom of God is truly one that will stand in diametrical opposition to the culture at large. In a Post-Christendom world, followers of Jesus in community must make the faith and life of a disciple so evident that it refutes cultural dismissal and marginalization.

5. Practice and promote Christian unity as much as possible.

In Christendom, the understanding existed that “everyone was a Christian” and that “brands” of the Church could exist, on the one hand, to act as a leaven to heresy but also as unique expressions of the faith within ethnic or even personal preference boundaries and understandings. Many regarded the diversity of “church”/denominational experience as necessary as a plethora of followers of Jesus sought to define themselves and underscore their experience within the flow of history. Within the Christendom paradigm, Christian identity was clarified by denominational preference. Denominational preference led to a diversity of ekklesia that enabled people to experience “church” within theological and practical comfort zones but also led to an explosion of ecclesiastical pride and arrogance. As Christendom was falling, a once helpful diversity of religious experience in denominationalism led to public condemnations over differences, turf wars, and a radical, exclusionary differentiation of the faith journey furthering the breakdown of any understanding of Christian unity. In a Post-Christendom culture, denominational is the ecclesiastical equivalent to “white noise”. The “brands” of Christianity make no sense to the culture…those driving by buildings with a denominational or even non-denominational titles mean nothing. One religious institution equals that of another. It is past the time to call our churches to a new sense of partnership in embodying the Kingdom of God in today’s world. It is very important that we not spend our time bashing and criticizing other kinds of churches, movements, and ministries especially if those expressions of the faith fall under a commonality of understanding and passion for the truth of the Gospel. While we need to uphold some practices that align ourselves in denominations that share many of our specific distinctives, at the local level we need to incarnate a renewed passion to cooperate with, reach out to and support other congregations and faith communities. It is time we obeyed the words of Jesus who, in the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, challenged all to allow the “Lord of the Harvest” to be the One who brings any charge, condemnation, or exclusion to the fruits of the fields of life that are ultimately His.

“The church gets in trouble whenever it thinks it’s in the church business rather than the Kingdom business. In the church business people are concerned with church activities, religious behavior and spiritual things. In the Kingdom business people are concerned with Kingdom activities, all human behavior and everything God has made, visible and invisible. Kingdom people see human affairs as saturated with spiritual meaning and Kingdom significance. Church people often think about how to get people into church; Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church; Kingdom people work to see the church change the world. When Christians put the church ahead of the Kingdom they settle for the status quo and their own kind of people. When they catch a vision of the Kingdom of God their sights shift to the poor, the orphan, the widow, the refugee 'the wretched of the earth' and to God's future. They see the life and work of the church from the perspective of the Kingdom. If the church has one great need it is this: to be set free for the Kingdom of God, to be liberated from itself as it has become in order to be itself as God intends.” Howard Snyder


Comments or questions: rdugall@apu.edu

Another Video worth watching...

Ed Stetzer is a missiologist from Lifeway Resources...this is a video from a recent conference on ministry and mission. Here's a snippet of what he says: "When we do for people what God has called them to do, everybody gets hurt...we have taught people to KNOW and not DO!" It is worth the 9 minutes of your time...

Moving from the Assumptions of Christendom into a Post-Christendom, Mission-focus Praxis (Part 1)

Moving from the assumptions of Christendom into a Post-Christendom, Mission-focused praxis.

“In a London school a teenager with no church connections hears the Christmas story for the first time. His teacher tells it well and he is fascinated by this amazing story. Risking his friends’ mockery, after the lessons he thanks her for the story. One thing had disturbed him, so he asks: ‘Why did they give the baby a swear-word for his name?’”

When I was growing up in Detroit, Michigan in the 1950’s and 60’s, there were a few cultural realities on which we base the rhythm of our lives. One of which was that everything was closed on Sundays except local churches. You could not buy groceries, shop at department stores, look for a new car, or even go to the movies. Everyone assumed that it was the Sabbath day…one to keep “holy” by clearing it of the mundane. In my neighborhood, everyone made his or her way to one of two local churches. You were either Roman Catholic or Lutheran. If you did not make your way to church, you hid out in your home as to not be regarded as overtly “irreligious”. Other realities included the unchallenged habits revolving around issues of faith – the recitation of the Ten Commandments in my third grade class at Von Steuben Elementary School and the unapologetic celebration of distinctively Christian holidays. Most people that I knew could articulate a good portion of the Christian story. The meta-narrative of Christendom had been fully integrated into daily life.

Over the decades of my life, times have been changing. Christianity, though still influential in a cross-section of Western culture, is not as prevalent as it once was. The Christian story is not central in life. Christians no longer dominate the majority of people in local neighborhoods. Many people who trust and follow Jesus Christ no longer feel like they are at home in culture but now experience daily existence as more of an “exile” or aliens in a foreign land. For the first time in many centuries, Christ-followers in western culture are able to tell the story of the faith to people who have no idea of its prime content. Ignorance of Christianity is increasing and church buildings are becoming as alien as mosques or gurudwaras. This is the phenomenon that some have labeled “Post-Christendom”.

In order to understand Post-Christendom, we must at least give a brief description of the observable fact of Christendom is history. Most church historians would agree that the foundation of Christendom began with the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century A.D. Whether Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was sincere or politically motivated will be debated for centuries to come. Undoubtedly, his insistence that Christianity be adopted as the imperially favored religion of the Roman Empire made a huge impact on the Church. His reign as Emperor was long enough to establish a history sweeping solidification of Christianity’s preferred status. Even with Constantine’s influential edict thrusting Christianity to the forefront, it was not until a theologian and bishop by the name of Augustine brought theological clarity and innovation that Christendom actually took shape. Augustine wrote prolifically and defended the Church against its earliest, substantial foes. In addition to his monumental contribution to the theology of Christendom, during the time of Augustine, the western and growing eastern expression of Christianity began to institutionalize what has become known as the “Christendom shift”. Some of the factors in this shift included:

• The movement of the Church from the margins of society to the center.
• The assumption that all citizens were Christian by birth.
• The development of a society where there was no freedom of religion.
• The development of a society where political power was divinely authenticated.
• Where orthodoxy was not only protected by Church leaders but by the state.
• Where morality was legislated.
• Infant baptism became the norm for most of the population as an obligatory incorporation into society.
• Where clergy became separate and not equal from their counter-parts, the laity. Clergy were distinguished as “more faithful” and enjoyed the “highest calling”.
• No distinction between the “world” and the Church.
• No need for the world “pluralism”. Everything was united in the institution of the Church.
• “Conversion” was a term exclusive to those individuals taking monastic orders.
• “Evangelism” became that movement by which foreign cultures were coerced into the Church by whatever means necessary including “holy” war.
• The Church’s role moved quickly toward maintenance and not mission.
• Loving the enemy was replaced by the “just war” or “holy war” justification for battling the enemy.

Lesslie Newbigin, foremost theologian and missiologist, commented about the breakdown of Christendom when he stated, “in this phrase I mean Christendom’s dissolution by which Christianity had become almost the folk-religion of Western Europe.” His clarification of the influence of Christendom is helpful,

“That (Christendom) synthesis was the work of the thousand-year period during which the peoples of Western Europe, hemmed in by the power of Islam to east and south, had the Gospel wrought into the very stuff of their social and personal life, so that the whole population could be conceived of as the corpus Christianum. That conception is the background of all the Reformation theologies. They take it for granted. They are set not in a missionary situation but in this situation in which Christendom is taken for granted. This means that in their doctrines of the Church they are defining their position over against one another within the context of the corpus Christianum. They are not defusing the Church as over against a pagan world. It is not necessary to point out how profoundly this affects the structure of their thinking.”

Post-Christendom is the culture that is emerging as the Christian story loses its primacy as that which shapes lives and institutions. In societies where the Christian worldview dominated for centuries, the demise of Christendom involves dramatic changes. Power structures and mindsets are changing. Cultural shifts occur as new stories are adopted and/or as skepticism rises about any or all-explanatory or culture-shaping meta-narratives. Post-Christendom is a reality that includes the following transitions:

• From center to the margins – the Christian story no longer holds a preferred place in culture.
• From majority to minority – Christian population is no longer the undisputed majority of population.
• From settlers to sojourners – Post-Christendom creates a community of people who feel that they are exiles and aliens.
• From privilege to plurality – Post-Christendom sees the inclusion of other stories and faith systems as equally valid.
• From control to witness – no longer able to coerce society, Christians now influence via witness and lifestyle.
• From maintenance to mission – with the demise of the status quo, post-Christendom wrestles with a new understanding of mission.
• From institution to movement – there is a new understanding of the power of movement and the fluidity of a non-reliance on institutionalism.

Some may see these transitions are a tragedy. Others, including myself, see this age as an age of excitement and opportunity. Christ-followers have not had to deal with these dynamics since the early days of the Christian movement. It is not an easy environment to live but it does provide a chance to see faith and life from a radically new perspective. It also demands new ways of thinking about mission, discipleship, leadership development and theology as the movement of Christianity enters one of its most challenging eras in history.

“So what?” That is the question I try to pose to myself as I encounter any new information or try to learn something that could have the potential of impacting my life. If we have moved into an era of Post-Christendom, what are the “take aways”…what leassons do we need to learn as we attempt to be faithful to the call of our Lord Jesus and track His Spirit’s movement in our lives and the lives of others? Part 2 (practical implications) coming later this week!

Comments or questions: rdugall@apu.edu

Bibliography:

Lesslie Newbigin, "Household of God - Lectures on the Nature of the Church"
Stuart Murray, "Post-Christendom"
Rodney Clapp, "Peculiar People - The Church as Culture in a Post-Christendom Society"

Can Discipleship really be THAT simple?

Is it possible to simplify Discipleship?
by Robin Dugall inspired by an article by Roger Thoman

At the heart of “ekklesia” and what it means to be a follower of Jesus is the lifestyle of discipleship and discipling others (who in turn disciple others…).

As Roger Thoman explains, “The difficulty is that we often make discipleship far too difficult. When we see discipleship as primarily about imparting knowledge from one to another, then we need an expert (knowledgeable) who also excels at communicating knowledge to another (teaching gift). Many people do not see themselves as qualified enough (not enough knowledge as compared to professionals or those who have attended seminary) and not gifted enough (again, comparing themselves to those with excellent teaching gifts). The result is that we have turned discipleship over to the professional teachers (pulpiteers and well-known author/teachers) and the programs that these same people develop. In the process we exclude 90% of the Body of Christ from being active disciplers which is exactly what Jesus asked each of us to do.”

It does not take any astuteness to be able to ascertain that discipleship purely in the hands of the experts does not produce any sustainable praxis that leads to reproduction. With many in Western Christianity proclaiming the increasing irrelevancy of “church” in contemporary culture, it is imperative to be able to remind ourselves of what we as followers of Jesus have been called by God to be about…and that is not a restrictive call that is only to be understood and lived out by the privileged few…it is something that every follower of Jesus must embrace as every person seeks to be faithful to the call of the Kingdom of God.

There are times in my life as a leader and fellow follower of Jesus where I wish I could snap my fingers and simply watch the paradigm shift. Yet, so much of what we know and do in these moments of our lives is dictated by preconceived notions and unchallenged ideology. As mentioned above, discipleship has been exclusively seen as being in the hands of those professionally trained. Although one could and should make an argument for the place of ordained clergy in contemporary Christianity, one cannot and should not continue a mindset and a methodology that has been proven time and again to not enhance ministry but detract from that which God wants to do in every life. In fact, I believe that the Holy Spirit is literally shouting to everyone who will listen that it is time to enable the Body of Christ to do what God designed the Body to do – equip and enable ministry that leads to reproduction. Once a disciple of Jesus not only understands but also is given the freedom to pursue the calling of God in their own lives, the potential of “life on life” transformation skyrockets. Without intentionality in ministry leadership to turn over the keys to the “car” (the excitement of living out the call of discipleship in daily life), people will continue to acquiesce their God-given responsibility to the “professionals”.

In reading several articles of late, there are some challenges that are helpful in beginning or continuing to imagine a community of followers of Jesus who take discipleship seriously in a renewed manner. Discipleship isn’t “rocket science”…it isn’t too complex for us to really comprehend. Here are a couple of keys to understanding discipleship…can discipleship really be that simple? You take a peak:

1. Discipleship can and should be discovery-based. One missiologist commented, “This means that new believers can actually discover what they need to know about God by opening the Word of God themselves while the Spirit leads and teaches them. In this case, I do not need to be highly knowledgeable nor an effective teacher to come alongside someone who is going directly to the Word to learn from God and to encounter God.” I’ve mentioned before that there is a fine line between teaching and encouraging people in their growth in Jesus AND creating a co-dependency that subtly discourages an individual from taking responsibility for their personal spiritual development and formation. Roger Thoman states, “We have put far too much effort into spoon-feeding new Christians by providing milk for them to drink through our pre-digested sermons, notes, teachings, and pre-packaged lessons. The result is that believers do not learn the basics of understanding the Word for themselves, listening to the voice of the Spirit through the Word, and applying it. This latter is the meaning of a disciple: one who hears Jesus speak and follows him.”

Make no mistake about it – there is a place for pastors, teachers, scholars and the like - each can play a helpful supportive role…an equippers role in the Body of Christ that brings support to the spiritual formation process…yet scripture is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is to become the primary teacher in a believer’s life (1 John 2:27). Without allowing and encouraging an individual follower of Jesus to take ownership for their own development and maturation in the faith, discipleship will be “dependent” upon the experts.

2. The second key is called by some,” obedience-based discipleship.” However, since the word “obedience” often conjures up images of legalistic adherence to rules (which is not the same as simply obeying Jesus), Roger Thoman coins the term: “active-surrender-based discipleship.” Thomas Merton who said: “we must know the truth, we must love the truth we know and we must act according to the measure of our love. Truth is God himself who cannot be known apart from love and cannot be loved apart from surrender to his will.” A disciple is one who loves and obeys. Period. Yes, that is made possible by the grace and mercy of Jesus….yes, there has been a chosenness in a disciple’s life that imparts to them a grace-filled identity that is a gift of God…yes, the Spirit enables us to be faithful as we tune into the Lord’s frequency in life….yet it is imperative that disciplers know and are committed to a focus on helping others becoming one who follows, one who walks out what God has shown, one who consistently steps into the place of “your will not my will be done.” Why does this matter? Again, one missiologist exclaims, “Because, again, knowledge is not the focus here. A new disciple will gain the knowledge that he/she needs over time if he is applying what he is hearing through obedience.”

Therefore, again, an “expert” is not necessarily needed (nor a great teacher or pastor) in order to show a new disciple the way…it is every follower of Christ’s responsibility to incarnate the person of Jesus in all we do, say and are. Now again, I am not advocating that pastors/teachers be done away with…there is an important role that sacrificial leaders can play in not only advocating, communicating and incarnating discipleship within the community of faith. Yet again, if we continue to live in a paradigm that gives exclusivity to professionals and experts within the realms of discipleship training and formation, we put a cap on the reproductive potentiality that is inherent within the economy of God. Disciples coming alongside of disciples…a fellow-Jesus-follower coming alongside other Jesus followers and pointing the way (or better, living the way) to an abundant, Spirit-filled, life-filled, adventure-filled, personally-transforming, world-impacting, miracle-walking, Jesus-following lifestyle is really what the Kingdom of God is all about and why Jesus empowers every believer/follower with His Spirit.

Obviously, discipleship cannot be seen in a purely reductionistic manner…we can’t simply say that it is “that simple”…yet, I wonder in attempting to define discipleship in complex terms whether we not only demotivate people from being who God made them and saved them to be but also whether we try to keep control of that which Jesus empowered to be viral, organic and literally out of control.

Would love to hear your thoughts – rdugall@apu.edu

Another video worth watching!

This is a "news" spot from a television station in Nashville - it is worth taking a peak at...

WKRN News 2 Nashville Reports on Religion in America from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

A Young person explains, "why I don't believe in church?"

I love the “blog-sphere”…so many great things are happening in the realm of digital interactions, engaging discourses, and sometimes, simply off-the-wall ideas. Anyone who wades into the waters of the blog-world, can’t help but being intrigued, challenged and blessed. Yeah, there are some wackos out there…but there isn’t one place in the world that is exempt from “wacko-osity”. One of the many, many blogs I follow is the Jesus Manifesto. (Jesus Manifesto blog http://www.jesusmanifesto.com/)

Here’s a synopsis of what that blog is about – “We believe that the Kingdom of God is real, not an abstraction. We believe that Jesus is our king, not our figurehead. And if we are to follow him as our king, we must embrace the way of life that he sets out for us in the gospels. The Jesus Manifesto is a clearinghouse for propaganda meant to frustrate and disrupt quaint notions of Jesus (and the even quainter notions of the religion he founded). You see, we’re convinced that what passes for Christianity in our culture has very little resemblance to the radical (and indeed political) movement Jesus started on the fringes of the Empire roughly two-thousand years ago. Most of the ways in which we’ve been taught to think about our faith get in the way of following Jesus. Some of the categories we’ve inherited—at least the ones I’ve inherited—are simply inadequate. And so, it is easy to follow our Christian convictions while being at odds with Christ. But beyond disruption and subversion, we want to proclaim something much deeper–hope. You can only challenge things for so long before you need to help create the alternative. Ultimately, this is what the Jesus Manifesto is all about. We want to captivate you with a kingdom vision and explore what it would look like to make that a tangible reality.”

Below is an article from the Jesus Manifesto blog that WILL frustrate you! Warning! This article is NOT for the faint at heart or for those who don’t like to read what you don’t automatically agree with…but here’s something you need to know – there are many, many, many people who feel this way. In fact, since this article is written by a “young” person who is questioning their faith, it is even more important to read and understand. Young people are leaving the “church” en mass…we have to hear why. It is NOT simply because they are not religious or even not interested in Jesus…what does get to them is the church. So, take a look…but again, I remind you – you’ll be bugged. Email me if you like and tell me what you think - rdugall@apu.edu. Or, better yet, post a comment below!

Why I don’t believe in “Church” by Joshua Dbau, III
Jesus Manifesto blog http://www.jesusmanifesto.com/

By ‘Church” I mean these segregated meeting halls ‘followers’ of Jesus attend for worship and a pep talk once or twice a week. I have almost completely lost my faith in their ability not only to change the world, but to impact their communities in the sorts of profound ways we read about in the New Testament or in any significant way for that matter. I cannot see in these lavish, over-produced, inauthentic temples of false hope the power and pathos that can be found in the history of the early church and many movements around the world where dedicated followers of Christ live in solidarity with the oppressed, poor and marginalized of our societies. I will here share 5 realizations I have had regarding our Sunday fragmentation’s that strike me as relevant to this post.

1. Appearance and Performance: We parade ourselves before one another without the ability to speak to one another, we are there to watch and listen, not to participate. A glorified sporting event where we are nothing but spectators despite what we might like to claim as “feeling it”. How can one actively participate in a church service anymore than one could actively participate while watching tv at home? We are not invited into the inner-circle or decision making when there are clear separations between those in charge and those who come to watch. We come to watch and agree with a band and then a pastor who perform their act, and we are entertained and possibly even moved a little. But we are not moved to lasting change, we cannot ask questions that are applicable to our own personal lives, or push back to what the performers have done, they could not possibly have any sort of interaction with each individual present at the function. We are there to bolster our own appearance to the community and to watch their performance from our seats without changing our communities or being changed ourselves.

2. Centralization of Power: How could one possibly speak for the whole? Instead of effecting change through engaging in community speech acts of mutual dialogue, a congregation tacitly consents, by their very attendance, to giving up their voice to another. And it is by giving up our voices that we also give up our participation and our quest for lasting transformation.

3. Waste of Resources: We come together in buildings that need not be constructed for the church to exist. We squander the resources God has entrusted and blessed us with not for the building of a more just and peaceful world, but for the building of more beautiful temples to be entertained in. We have the very finest sound machines, the newest electric gadgets and useless doohickeys that amplify only our entertainment, they cannot give life. We drive our SUVs from all over to hear a pastor whom we already agree with and pollute our violated world even more in the process of making ourselves feel better. We over-consume before church as we grab a latte on the way and afterward as we go out and eat at expensive restaurants, both of which cost more than what we decided to tithe in the time between before and after. And to think of all the things we could be doing in our own neighborhoods in that time on Sunday morn. We could mend relationships that started off on the wrong foot so long ago, we could plant a rose garden, we could be known by our love. Maybe rather than locking ourselves in a building on Sunday morn we could try something different next week…just a thought…

4. The Way is Narrow: Apparently Jesus didn’t mean it when He said that the way was narrow and that it would be difficult to be His followers. It is far easier to ignore this statement when we can just to listen to a pastor who is paid to be a Christian for us. A person most often a man that we have no access to, who will only be able to tell us what to think, or speak at us, but who’s words are so general that to critically look at our own existence doesn’t occur to us. Let alone being able to bring oneself before a community for a process of discerning what may not be in line with the teachings of Christ. With all this generality why would we want to get specific with a community of people that we don’t want to know our business, this sounds too hard, too uncomfortable and too boring. Why would we want to look at the ways in which we are currently living that are inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ? If we are not forced to, besides our lives are pretty easy in America, what we want when we want, as always plenty of cheap crap quick, especially from the pulpit.

I spoke to a professed Christian who is involved at his church 2 to 3 times a week about the dangers of ignorance in the ways in which we spend our money. I told him about the reality of sweatshops and the problem of our culture with any sort of responsible sustainable practices that are important for the future. And most of all that it is important for Christians to be aware of where our products come from and the legacy our consumption will leave behind. If we want to stand against oppression in this world with any sort of integrity it is important to be informed about where our material goods come from so that we can avoid the systematic oppression of peoples and the raping of our earth for quick profits.

There are many examples, the oppression of people in sweatshops for cheap jeans, slave labor used to produce chocolate, corporations and governments that take away entire under-privileged communities supplies of water, farmland and so on that are inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ and Christians are called to stand in stark contrast to. He responded to me by saying, “if people want me to act differently and to buy ethically made cloths, food or other products, they need to make it easier and cheap.” I was silent for a little while as I understood that he didn’t give a damn at all, it didn’t matter if little girls lost their eyes or hands in a Disney factory, he would still buy the cheapest crap that looked the coolest because he can. What a shame, if these are the sorts of people our churches of commodity produce, people who don’t care what Jesus said, as long as they look good at a social gathering. For them they are Christian enough, Jesus is just another tool used for hip people to get laid. If it’s too hard, most church people are simply not interested, and they get uncomfortable when you bring into question whether or not it is ethical to buy a diamond that was from a conflict region because it was an unbelievable deal. If you connect the dots it’s no wonder I have almost entirely lost my faith in organized churches and I know many others who have similar inclinations.

5. Entitlement and Self-fulfillment: Our churches reinforce the notion of our individual rights that Christians have to continue living in whatever way they choose, continuing to over-consume, over-pollute, over-simplify and under-question. With our allegiance to our own well being and our own beliefs above those of our communities, our friends, and our God it is no wonder we struggle to remain changed. If our allegiance is to the Kingdom of God our lives must bear fruit. No fruit is born out of feeling good about ourselves and being socially accepted by our fellow parishioners.

How can these sorts of churches possibly show us the Narrow way when by their very constitutions they by necessity must take the broad way. I’m not sure where most churches think they are leading their members, but is seems like they are lost in the wilderness of consumerism, self-importance above all else and fragmentation. If I weren’t already a Christian it would be impossible for these churches with names like substance, where there isn’t any, to dupe me into converting into the sort of mindless consumerism that advocates any form of the unsustainable American dream. These fragmented structures that we spend an hour or two a week in are not the answer, they are incapable of creating a lasting change in their communities when the majority of those in attendance don’t live anywhere near them in the first place.

If the Church fails time and time again to produce disciples among the professed believers, what chance does it have to produce new ones? If the church is being drowned out by the cries for more, bigger, better, newer etc. and even joining in the cry what are we to do? Many simply want what is fashionable no matter the cost. We would step on the heads of our own grandmothers to live our lives in whichever way we feel entitled, but the narrow way of Jesus calls us to renounce our rights, and give up our lives so that we might find the life that is truly life…Thus the dissonance and the reason for my unbelief.

Viral Discipleship

A while ago, I read an article from a leader of the "House Church" movement in the USA - he cautioned that before we get to the point as ministry leaders and visionaries where we begin to "baptize" one particular methodology of ministry as the "it", we should pause and listen to the Spirit for there is more than meets the eye. You see, there are some misconceptions in this missional/faith communities discussion - people say, "well, you just want to put down the traditional church"...or "you are just pushing a home church/organic/small community/emergent/leader-less/you fill in the blank praxis". Like I said, it is time to step back for a minute - this "conversation" isn't about what many think it is about. See what you think about the following:

“I no longer try to start simple/house churches. I think house churches are great. They provide a place for people to experience participatory, everyone-matters church life. They provide a way for people to really connect into authentic, one-another community. They often provide a place for people to recover from some of the pains caused by institutional church life. But house churches are no longer the end game for me.”

Jesus invited us to join him, organically, in the reproduction of life. His Body is a living, thriving, reproducing organism (Mark 4) that allows life-in-the-Spirit to spread virally from one disciple to the next. His church is alive as illustrated by a seed (Mark 4) that brings forth 30, 60, or 100-fold reproduction. That is the life of the kingdom. His life in me is passed on to the life of another (2-fold) which is passed to the life of another (4-fold) which is passed to the life of another (8-fold), etc. That is the way of organic/viral life and this is what the kingdom IS. This is ultimately what Jesus invited us to become part of: discipling viral disciplers.

Kingdom life is viral, organic, and, by nature, a movement.

When we make any one particular model, even if it is house churches, the end game, we will quickly that they too can fall into the same "traps" as the institutional paradigm. As you most likely know from experience, small groups do not naturally reproduce nor become movements. In fact, some people who study these things believe that "house churches" or "home groups" or even "faith communities" have a shelf life. They may serve a purpose for a season, but when that season ends (and it will) the “movement” is over.

This explains why Jesus did not ask us to go and “make gatherings or churches.” He did not ask us to go and “make house churches.” He said, “go and make disciples.” This shift from starting gatherings to making disciples (who go and make disciples) goes to the very heart of the matter. Discipling viral disciplers is the end game. This places us squarely in the midst of reproductive life that the kingdom is intrinsically about. We become movement-starters not church-starters. We release disciples who will influence the world throughout their lifetime and beyond as those they disciple disciple still others.

Now...follow me here - when we reach and disciple a viral discipler, that person is going to gather with other viral disciplers for encouragement, and then, as each of them reaches others, still more gatherings will take place. So, along the way, small gatherings will be started. But, but rather than being the end game (where we all gather around and say "yeah, we did it"), they become a means to support the life that is being reproduced from one disciple to the next. Sustainable kingdom-life does not take place just because of the way we gather. But it does take place when we step into the role Jesus called us to: making disciples who know how to make disciples.

As Roger Thomsen wrote in the article I read, "starting house churches and discipling viral disciplers (who gather in house churches) might look very similar on the outside. But the process is very different! When we start house churches, our focus tends to be on the gathering—what to do, how to do it, what it looks like, etc. We say to ourselves that we are learning to “be” the church 24/7 (and we may even go do missional things), but often our priority remains on developing the structure/form of simple house church gatherings."

In other words, the "group" is not "it". When following Jesus and inviting others to follow him becomes our focus (discipling viral disciples), we will have to shift from the “gathering” mentality to the “lifestyle-going” mentality. This shift, Lord willing, will propel us from being church-starters to movement starters (where churches spring up along the way).

What do you think? More to come!

A good blog to follow...Hugh Halter and the Adullam community in Denver

One of my favorite "paradigm shift" books is Hugh Halter's, Tangible Kingdom. It is the most practical "guide" that I have read concerning the missional lifestyle and theology. A year ago, I did a chapter by chapter summary of the book. You can click HERE and download a copy of those blog posts (if you want a quick take of the book, it is under, "chapter by chapter summary")...better yet, buy the book yourself and plow through it.

Today on Hugh's blog, he has a very snapshot of what appears to be blatantly obvious but is subtly challenging to all of us who see our primary spiritual journey as "inside the box". Hugh's community (Adullam in Denver) attempts to be able to live out a different type of journey. Remember, by viewing a different paradigm we are not implying that the "familiar" paradigm is wrong or bad. All the new paradigms do is to challenge us to look at people/communities that are doing what we are trying to do as followers of Christ in a "different" way...that different/unique paradigm is meant to inform and expand our horizons as well as provide a new snapshot of how faith communities and the Great Commission can be lived out in real life. Don't take my word for it...see for yourself!

Check out both!