The men surrounded Candace after the community meeting. They knew Candace was a Christian. They had some serious questions for her. This scene played out a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I see—and participate in—scenes like this every week. This is the texture of the new evangelism. This is the true heart of being “missional.” [...]
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Selling the Church to a Skeptical Public
February 8, 2012
9 Comments
“The church has an image problem,” somebody said in the board room at the national offices. “We need an ad campaign to change the public’s perception.” So, they committed millions of dollars for beautifully executed ads on national television and in print. Local congregations often get the polish-our-image bug too. They join back-to-church marketing campaigns [...]
Read more What to Say to a Dying Man
January 11, 2012
8 Comments
What is your true role in the often mysterious journey that leads to someone entering into a relationship with Jesus? Is God counting on you to “win souls,” to “close the deal”? Or, is your job to carefully plant seeds? Or, should you just “let your light shine’? One thing is clear. Faith is a [...]
Read more Thawing the Frozen Chosen
December 14, 2011
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How do you thaw the “frozen chosen”? How do you engage the disinterested members of your flock? In my last post I described these people as PIBOs—Present in Body Only. Though they may show up, their hearts and minds are elsewhere. I suggested we need to discover how to better reach them. Some readers wondered [...]
Read more The Most Reachable Unreached in Your Area
December 7, 2011
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They quietly walk into church, say little, look a bit detached, and leave quickly when the service concludes. These church attendees are Present In Body Only (PIBO). They may be counted as members of a church’s flock, but their hearts, minds and souls are not engaged by what’s happening at church. They are among the [...]
Read more What to Say to Your Local Heathens
November 2, 2011
24 Comments
Punctuated with mild profanity, the rumpled lady described her colorful visits to her favorite psychic. Her tablemates chuckled—except for the well-dressed man who never spoke. I recognized him as a local pastor. His discomfort was palpable. I’ve watched scenes like this unfold repeatedly at our Lifetree Café, which attracts a steady stream of non-churched people [...]
Read more Short-Term Missions: A Waste?
October 12, 2011
17 Comments
Why do some find it fashionable to bad-mouth short-term missions? I heard it again at a recent conference. The American white guy at the microphone implored the roomful of Christian volunteers and donors to cease their spending on mission trips. Citing his own time spent working among the poor, he urged the group to “do [...]
Read more Biblical Illiteracy: Not the Real Problem
October 5, 2011
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“The Bible? You believe in that?” Ben asked. Ben walked into our Lifetree Café today—looking for something. I learned he was a successful businessman, friend of Hollywood stars, estranged family man, and hungry to talk. “You believe in God?” he asked. Before I could respond he barreled ahead. “The virgin birth? The crucifixion? The resurrection? [...]
Read more To the Polished, Predictable Church: Surprise Me
August 24, 2011
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Surprise! It’s one of the missing ingredients in today’s church. Most church worship services and programs have become so predictable, so varnished, so rehearsed, and so scripted that any awe of God has been squeezed out. It seems there’s no time set aside for him to act. I’m all for good planning and preparation. But [...]
Read moreCool Church
September 9, 2010
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Is the church in a cool crisis? For the past several years many churches and their leaders have tried to out-cool one another. But, increasingly, we’re seeing signs that the cool thing may not be working. We’ve seen the cool craze manifest itself in pastoral costuming (dirty jeans, untucked shirts, trendy facial hair), glitzy stage [...]
Read more- Anti-Missional Language
- Sermon Fill-in-the-Blanks are ____________.
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What to Say to Your Local Heathens
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6 Keys to Power Up Your Message With Video
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Why They Resist Volunteering
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5 Keys to Share Faith–Without Being a Jerk
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Selling the Church to a Skeptical Public
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Dumb Questions Heard in Church
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6 Keys to Power Up Your Message With Video
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What to Say to a Dying Man
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Larry Shallenberger: God Space is a fantastic book. The appendix of que...
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Rob Nedbalek: Thom, Years ago, at the seminary, they allowed me...
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Rob: Very well said Thom. You are spot on. It is so m...
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Cheri Gabriel: Absolutely right on piece! I just had a conversat...
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Bratsmom: I do wish we would always siing, Just As I Am as t...
