Saturday, December 29, 2007
New Year's Razz-solutions!
Kick off a new year with some razzle-dazzle! What would be the top 2 or 3 resolutions you would like to see any/every "church" (howsoever you wish to 'define' that entity, but keep the focus on a local gathering) make for 2008? You may comment on other's razzle-lutions ONLY after you have proposed 2-3 of your own. Happy New Year!
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12 comments:
Great question!
deny self
pick up cross
follow Jesus
For us, that will mean serving refugees, working in the projects, serving the kids in the neighborhood around Pleasant Valley, reaching out to recovering addicts and the nightclub and arts crowd.
don woolley
Jesus Tribe and Pleasant Valley United Methodist - www.jesustribe.org
Don, welcome--and thanks. How'd you run across us?
Oh, right, I can't comment without posting my own resolution/s, so..
...in 2008, I am committing myself to helping lead our church into more intentional, and more missional, discipleship and disciple-making...
Deo volente!
I usually lurk, but Matt Brennan is a great friend of mine here in Mobile, and some of the college age Covenant members have helped a lot in our outreach efforts - very impressive individuals! They make me feel good about the future.
I am hesitant about committments at this time of the year...in part because it is expected...a time when you do such things. But there does seem to be value in having occasions to lift your head...look around...decide if what you are doing is worth continuing...and then put your head down and go to work.
My hope is to understand more clearly what it means to be a follower of Jesus and dedicate my life more fully to those He has called me to serve. That's the bottom line.
I need to lose weight! I got a big bad bulging beer belly (notice the alliteration?).
All seriousness aside, as I prayed for this year, the one thing that stands out to me that I need to learn is to live "in the moment" each day -- "Today is the day of salvation!" -- and to learn obedience in stead of sacrifice.
I want to learn to obey God in each moment, in my mind and heart as well as in deed, and to do what he says in that moment...no more...no less. I want to learn to say with jesus "I only do that which I see the Father doing" ...
welcome Dan!
PS: Deb and I spent New Year's eve with all our delightful young friends at the billiards hall in Homestead....
Don, feel free to lurk away, and to comment away!
I agree with all reservations about the wisdom/folly of making resolutions...tried to signal this with "razz-solutions," etc. And, with Robert and y'all, there can be value in taking a few moments every so often to look up, look around, check our bearings, and then get back to it.
I want to acknowledge that some/much of my thinking about what I want to try to tackle in/with our church this year has emerged from, been informed by, these conversations. My thanks to you all, you marvelous comrades!
Warning! Off topic:
here is a great piece written on a blog about the challenges and tensions of trying to be a missional-pastor:
http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/2007/12/confessions-of-missional-pastor-wannabe.html
David Fitch gives a list of 10 things he would try to do differently looking back over 10 years as a church planter.
Not entirely off-topic, Jose--Fitch certainly offered some "resolutions"! I must be in terrible shape--12 hours/week in sermon prep? I think I've got it down to 3-4... but folks aren't exactly piling in to hear me preach! The Fitch list was actually encouraging to me--Joseph, I may actually be something of a missional pastor, or perhaps becoming one!
Just returning from the NEXT conference in Atlanta. Great to meet Will and Patrick Currie... there might have been some other covenathinklings there, but we didn't meet them!
Brian...may we all become more missional pastors/teachers/etc. It seems we have a choice...be maintainers or missioners. I doubt any of us will be content with the former.
Thanks for your valuable contribution to neXt. I think you did a post-modern "thang"...
My first New Year's Resolution is to have a safe and successful trip to Indonesia! Tomorrow morning, a team of four (three young adults, including my daughter, Amy) and a brother in the LORD who is a year older than me, leave for Banda Aceh. You may recall that this was the area worst hit by the Tsunami, Dec. 26, 2004. They are still recovering. Aceh is also a strong Muslim province. We will be on the ground for 12 days and return Jan. 23. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Safe travels Randy!
Brian, awesome! I'm glad you were able to go. We got caught in the squeeze between my parent's 60th wedding anniversary, and Debbie's chemo on Jan. 2nd and were not able to be there.
I never spend twelve hours either. I was always grateful for my gift of extemporaneous gabbing, and I often did expositional series from books of the bible that allowed me not to have to worry about topics. I'm sort of an exhorter rather than teacher.
Now I am VERY grateful not to have to crank out something new every 7 days. I can spend a year or so allowing a new message to gestate within my heart and experience.
Glad you were encouraged by Fitch's article. There is so much stuff becoming available on-line right now it is very hard to keep up with it.
May we all be "missional" in whatever we do: missional students, professors, pastors, radio hosts, roof inspectors etc.
New post up.
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