Campus Toolbox–Practical Ideas Click Below
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Mar
16
GNGD 1.0
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Many of us have been rethinking so many of our assumptions about the thickness of the gospel. We’ve been on a journey–a journey leading hopefully to a greater understanding of our beautiful Christ and the implications of his life, death on a cross for our sins, burial, resurrection and ascension as well as of his eventual return to fully rule and reign. Other folks have indicated interest in our journey. We’re building several courses that might be helpful to you and others. At the same time, we’ll continue to put additional resources on this site for your own research.
The Meaning of the Gospel by Tim Keller
The Gospel and the Kingdom by Rick McKinley
The Gospel Centered Ministry by Tim Keller (a podcast)
Books:
“Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World” (Gary A. Haugen)
Mar
16
The Monkey and The Fish
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This is a re-post from Andy McCullough’s blog:
Dave Gibbons begins the Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church with an eastern parable. A well-meaning monkey sees a fish struggling in the water after a typhoon. Having a kind heart, the monkey with considerable risk to himself reaches down precariously from a limb of a tree to save the fish snatching him up from the water. The monkey lies the fish on dry land. For a few minutes the fish showed excitement but soon it settled into a peaceful sleep.
Translation: it died. Relevance to the 21st Century church: everything.
Gibbons is the founding pastor of Newsong, a multi-site international third-culture church. Years ago, Gibbons was building his megachurch and was struck with the thought of building a big box that would not be used most of the week to entertain people who for the most part would not change the world. He was a well-meaning monkey thinking he was saving a fish.
God took Dave Gibbons down a journey that has huge implications for us today. What he came to embrace is that the world is changing to a third-culture were we need to be willing to cross lines to reach people where they are.
Love your neighbor
If we take the parable of the Good Samaritan to heart, we see that our neighbor is someone not like us. It is someone of a different race. Someone who with different beliefs. We are called to love, to act, to serve. To be Christ rather than just talk about Him.
Be Liquid
When you pour water into a glass, it takes the shape of the glass. Pour it into a teapot and it takes the shape of the teapot. Water can flow. Be water. Be Liquid.
Our message remains the same but our forms must change. And our conflicts should not be about forms. it’s a waste of energy. Third-culture is about being water to a thirsty world. It’s being adaptive. It’s being willing to change. It’s reading the culture. It’s being a Jew to reach Jews. It’s being poor to reach the poor. It’s being liquid
Three questions
1. Where is Nazareth? Who are the people on the margins of life? Who are the outsiders? Who are suffering the most? Instead of looking for the leaders who can offer the most to our churches/movements/organizations/own kingdoms, Gibbons teaches us to look for who are the most in need. It is the model of Christ. It is how God operates. God’s power is most perfected in weakness.
2. What is my pain? Instead of always looking for our own spiritual gifts/talents/resources, Gibbons encourages us to identify with our greatest pain. It is through our pain that the world can relate to. It is our pain that shows the power of Christ.
3. What is in my hand? What has God given me? Use that. Stop focusing on what we do not have or comparing ourselves to some myth. Stop trying to become something we are not.
I highly recommend this book! it spoke to my soul. It gave me hope and that we can adapt to help change the world.
– Andy
Thanks Andy, great post. — Jay
Here’s another book summary by Gibbons himself:
How to navigate cultural and economic shifts.pdf
Mar
3
Nonsense!
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Men are saying that Jesus Christ came as a social reformer.
Nonsense!
We are social reformers; Jesus Christ came to alter us,
and we try to shirk our responsibility by putting our work on Him.
Jesus alters us and puts us right:
then these principles of His instantly make us social reformers.
They begin to work straightway where we live….
– Oswald Chambers
Mar
1
Lindsay
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Viewing this video reminded me of what happens when God grabs the heart of our students/faculty and they go on to bring change. Chk out deidox.com for other videos. A creative bunch.
