I'll admit up front that this is a bit of a self-serving post. However, I hope it's not an egotistical one.
After blogging for a while, as I have, the ideas sometimes begin to sound the same. Because of that, I'd love to hear from you. Do you have any questions that you'd like to see discussed on this blog? Please note that I'm not saying that I necessarily have the or a answer to the question(s). I'd probably throw my two cents in on the subject, but the primary purpose would be to generate discussion. The topic may be theology, the church, culture, missions, family, or whatever else.
I still have plenty of blog post ideas, but frankly I'd like to look at some different things that I don't necessarily discuss simply because I don't think too much about them. That said, if you have any questions that you think worthy of a blog post/discussion, please send them my way via either the comments or email.
Thanks.
7 comments:
Eric,
I know that mission and sharing the gospel to unbelievers is very important to you. I know that you are concerned about global missions. How does this work in your simple church context? What are y'all doing globally now, or what plans do you have to make disciples internationally? What about locally?
-Alan
Alan,
Thanks for asking. I may deal with those types of questions at some point (ones that deal personally with what we are doing).
In this post, I was thinking more about topics that would not focus upon me or the local body I'm a part of. Thanks again.
Toyin,
Thanks for reading this blog!
What do you think Jesus' point was in Luke 22:35-38?
"When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered. He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." 38 The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied.
Jeff,
That one will certainly be good for discussion. Let me think on it for a few days. Thanks.
Eric,
Perhaps address your thoughts on age-segregated teaching, gender segregation, youth ministry, nurseries. Much of this is so common to the institutional church structure. What are the issues and what does it look like in the house church?
Brother Scott ><>
I included some related recent email correspondence with a ministry friend... watch the movie "Divided" if you have time it presents the issues in-depth.
From: brianschmucker@gmail.com
Subject: Official Divided the Movie (HD Version)
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:55:51 -0400
To: kevin.becht@yfcsi.org; lisareeder@msn.com; jayaellis@gmail.com
A friend of mine sent this to me. Every once in a while you watch a film that makes you think about if what you're doing is biblical … really. I would love to sit and watch this again … with any of the 3 of you and get your thoughts. Interesting to say the least.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/26098320?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0"+width="400"+height="225"+frameborder="0">Official+Divided+the+Movie+(HD+Version)NCFIC+on+Vimeo.
Brian,
This is a Great documentary. I met Voddie Baucham on several occasions and heard him speak on these issues at church, at Southeastern, and at Southern. This guy gets it - he teaches it powerfully - but he also lives it. He was a big reason for me rejecting the Youth Ministry education path at Southern / Boyce. Yet I continued to served as an associate pastor / YM for 3 years while in bible college. I believed the philosophy presented in this film was biblical, yet it was a struggle for me to abandon the age segregated youth ministry because it was "church tradition" where I served and because as many as 80% of my youth did not have parents who were active in our church. Furthermore to be perfectly honest at the time it was providing me with a home and small salary. At the same time with 8 out of 10 not coming from Christian homes, for me it was as much a form of outreach as it was simply an "age segregated ministry". Looking back however, I often think it would have been more effective for me to encourage our families to "adopt" in a sense neighborhood youth/children and bring them to church, rather than to grab the church van fill it up and bring them back to a segregated youth/children's ministry. The Church of Christ has so often be criticized for it's rejection of nurseries, Sunday schools, and Youth Ministries that most eventually caved in an do what the society and larger church culture demands of them. In the end I agree we have usurped the authority of the biblical family structure of parental training and instruction of our children. Somehow we need to find our way back if we hope to recover churches, families, and the Kingdom of Christ. Brother Scott ><>
Scott,
That's a big topic but one that is certainly well worth discussing. I may try to bite it off in a few chunks. Thanks for bringing up the issue. I know that we haven't figured this all out in our house fellowship. We are still learning as we go.
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