Resources | The Overflow

Jun 06 2009

Church Revitalization, Evangelism, Leadership, Resources, Teaching

Church Planting is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church around the Gospel

Ran across an interesting lesson from the Advance Conference being held in North Carolina this weekend.

I’ve been doing a fair amount of research on successful church revitalization efforts recently. There are some interesting stories out there; J.D. Greear’s is among them.

According to him, in order for a church revitalization to be successful the members must get away from pharisaical religiosity and embrace Jesus above all else. The lesson I’m posting today unpacks that.

Check it out:

Click here to listen to J.D. Greear – “Church Planting is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church around the Gospel”

As J.D. says on his blog, this lesson doesn’t present a step by step process to church revitalization, but does speak against attitudes that will kill one (I’ll post more on the process as I see it later).

I’d like to begin archiving resources like this one – there is huge interest in the topic of church revitalization right now. If any of you have additional resources to point me to, please do. Our team in San Francisco can use them, and I know we’re not alone.

Tagged advance conference, advance conference 09, christ-centered church, church planting is for wimps, church planting is for wimps: revitalizing a church around the gospel, church restart, Church Revitalization, greear, j.d. greear, jd greear, revitalizing a church

Jun 01 2009

Notes From The Pepperdine Lectures – Monte Cox

Notes taken during Monte Cox’s presentation at The 2009 Pepperdine Lectures – “Christ, the Mystery of God” – Tuesday, May 5, 2009 – 7PM. Based on Colossians 2:1-7.

To download Dr. Cox’s PowerPoint presentation used during this lecture, go to www.harding.edu/cwm and look under the heading “Dr. Monte Cox’s ’09 Pepperdine presentation,” or click here.

“Pluralism drives the relativism that makes evangelism a four letter word.”
The book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a good example of how people view spirituality today (pluralistically – just make sure you get a little bit of every religion and you’ll be ok).
Ministry in the North American context means you will encounter 1) postmodernism, 2) individualism, and 3) skepticism.
“Does the concept of ‘God’ belong in a religion class? Can a Christian teach a world religion class at a secular university? Some would say ‘no’ because of their Christian bias. We do, however, need to critique that question. How is a believer’s bias less valid than an unbeliever’s? The underlying assumption of that question is a biased one.”
Colossians 2:9 – “Son of God – fully human and fully divine?” Rejected by postmodern thinkers because that sounds too exclusive.
People today aren’t looking for a Savior – they’re looking for a spiritual life coach. They’re looking for a therapist. For many, that’s what Jesus is reduced to.
Jesus is seen by many as a highly evolved spiritual coach who can help … if you want Him to.
Colossians 2:2,3 – “All mysteries” are hidden in Christ. Not Christ plus something else!
Paints a picture of two people. One is a girl who gets up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and sees nothing but ugly. Another is a young man that gets up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and sees a suave ladykiller. Dr. Cox says both of them have a self-esteem problem – not just the girl. The problem is they get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and see themselves instead of seeing Christ.
Recommends Christless Christianity by Michael Horton as a book we all should read. Read the first chapter of this book by clicking here.
1 Corinthians 15:14 – “If Christ isn’t the Son of God and raised from the dead, we have nothing to say! Apart from Christ – the center of our faith and identity – we have nothing to say!”
“I do not want to be guilty of drawing lines [in terms of fellowship] where God hasn’t clearly drawn them Himself because I’m too conservative for that!” (Amen to that!)
Christ-centric theology is the key to the future of the Churches of Christ. (Amen to that too!)

Other good stuff from Dr. Cox concerning Church of Christ world missions (PowerPoint presentations):

Tagged 1 corinthians 15:14, 2009 pepperdine lectures, center for world missions, christ-centric theology, christless christianity, church of christ, churches of christ, col 2, colossians 2, colossians 2-3, colossians 2:1-7, colossians 2:9, dr. monte cox, eat, eat pray love, elizabeth gilbert, harding university, jesus, jesus christ, love, michael horton, monte cox, monte cox pepperdine lectures, monty, monty cox, pepperdine, pepperdine lectures, pray, sermon notes, Sermons

May 26 2009

2 Comments

Popular Culture, Resources, Teaching

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment

Notes from Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment’s Class at The 2009 Pepperdine Lectures – “When Past Meets Post: What’s a Church to Do? pt. 1” – Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 8:30AM. This was the first class in a series of three discussing the church and postmodernism.

Postmoderism is “the collapse of inherited metanarratives.”
Modernity says, “We’re going to make the world a better place by reason, science, technology, etc.” Postmodernity says back to modernity, “The report cards are in, and you’ve failed!”
When Rick was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found America. When Jonathan was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue, found American, and butchered the Indians.
Our culture has a problem with the exclusive claim that Jesus is Lord – ONLY. That’s because our culture values consumerism above all else. The world revolves around self.
Churches have become more akin to the Home Shopping Network than a revolution!
Depending on mass-media too much reverses the incarnation – truth needs a body (the role of the church)!
Tony Campolo quote (not exact): “Mixing the gospel and politics is like mixing horse manure and ice cream. It won’t affect the horse manure that much, but you might not like the ice cream.”
Moderns come to a church and ask, “Is this true?” Postmoderns come to a church and ask, “Do I want to be like these people?”
Moderns: Believe –> Behave –> Belong
Postmoderns: Belong –> Believe –> Behave

Things that are going to happen to the church as a direct result of postmodern thought:

Postmodernity is going to diminish the rule of legalism.
Postmodernity will diminish self-righteousness.
Postmodernity will encourage the church to embrace mystery.
Postmodernity will call the church to be more authentic.
Postmodernity will cause us to hold up Jesus instead of the church. The church is embodied in a person. Where the church hasn’t looked like Jesus, we must confess and repent.
Postmodernity will cause us to rethink and rearticulate our story. Its hero is one who died on a cross.

For more teaching from Jonathan and Rick, subscribe to their podcast here.

Also, check out Jonathan’s blog. There’s a good post on keeping the Sabbath (taking a day off) there today.

Tagged collapse of metanarrative, collapse of metanarratives, jesus, jonathan storment, metanarrative, metanarratives, modern, modernism, modernity, Modernity and Jesus, notes from pepperdine lectures, pepperdine, pepperdine lectures, pepperdine lectures notes, postmodern, postmodern church, postmodernism, postmodernity, Postmodernity and Jesus, postmodernity and the church, postmodernity cartoon, postmodernity church, postmodernity humor, richland hills, richland hills church, richland hills church of christ, rick atchley, Tony Campolo

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Category Archives: Resources

Church Planting is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church around the Gospel

Notes From The Pepperdine Lectures – Monte Cox

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment