NewChurchLife

‘Do we build God a house so that we can choose when we go to see God? Do we build God a house in lieu of having God stay at ours? … What happens to the people who never show up in our houses of God?’ (Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World, Harper, [...]

The first Matthew Party was thrown by Levi Matthew, a tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him. The story is given in Luke 6:27-32 - and also Matthew 9:9-13 and Mark 2:14-17. When Levi followed Jesus he ‘held a great banquet for Jesus at his house’ - inviting a large crowd considered disreputable by [...]

For the last week Monte Sahlin, Andy & Mayda Clark and I have led a fresh expressions dialogue - based at the Carnegie Community Services Centre, a church plant in Pittsburgh (USA). Since late 2004 Andy & Mayda have developed incredible & deep networks in the community. Here are Andy’s practical suggestions on how to [...]

1. Be up front about Jesus.
2. Keep moving.
3. Stop planting churches. Start making disciples.
4. Cast vision early for simple neighborhood churches.
5. Stop trying to reach one person at a time. Look for the person of peace, then …
6. Don’t focus on ‘mature’ Christians. The newest believers are …
7. Begin with the end in mind.
For [...]

This is a fresh opportunity for secondary students at Carmel College to ‘experience God’ and also ‘participate in community service programs.’ At the Western Australia Church Planting Summit the ‘4-14 Window’ was discussed, the research that indicates most who accept Jesus do so between 4 and 14 years of age. Most churches do well at [...]

Reflecting on church planting in the secular Dutch society, Rudy Dingjan - church planter and planting coordinator for the Netherlands, says: ‘Don’t do church to plant one!’ He writes, ‘Secular people are not interested in denominations or church buildings. To reach them, we have to get out of our comfort zone and meet them where [...]

Rebecca Walker, a resource writer for The Salvation Army’s Australia Southern Territory attended a recent equipping weekend – and has put some of the ideas we explored into a very succinct and readable form – Planting Churches that Multiply. (It is also available as a PDF.) Thanks Rebecca.
Also, the Baptist Union Victoria has posted a [...]

Last week I was asked about discipling resources for new believers, following their baptisms. For some time now I have been suggesting a very specific schedule of Bible reading – using the five small group questions (anything new? anything I don’t like? etc). I find this works better than suggesting ‘discipleship courses.’ Encourage each person [...]

Each Monday The XChange planting team in Kariong (NSW) provides morning tea for teachers and staff of the Kariong Public School. ‘They love the goodies we provide,’ says planter Laurel Ansell - and have labeled it ‘munchy morish Mondays’.

When Phil Brown (church planting coordinator in Western Australia) and I visited the ACTS Club at Curtin University yesterday, one student told us how she has become a member of a ‘reading club’ on campus and this has opened the opportunity for her to suggest a book on spirituality that the group has decided to [...]