GlocalNet

I’m going to be writing most of the day here in Hanoi with a Vietnamese leader on lessons we’ve come to learn from one another’s countries - and I’m really excited about it.  I brought my laptop which is something I rarely do in my travel - but knowing I might be writing I did.  I was cleaning some stuff up on it and a lot of my pictures.  When people from the other side of the world come to see you they always bring gifts - but the greatest gifts are the relationships and lessons they’ve invested in me.  My pictures tell quite a story . . . .

Eddie Leo of Jakarta,  first time to preach at NorthWood - it’s picures of him in our old chapel from a few years ago - he has mentored me and our church in so many ways.  Helping me to understand “apostalic” leadership and our church cells.

Samsueng - of tough place - helping me understand courage, persecution, sacrifice, focus, and joy.

President Triet, of Vietnam, socialist do smile and laugh - a lot.

HRH Prince Turqi-Al-Faisal, helping me understand Muslims “love God too.” 

Omar - we’ve had some dang good times around the world! 

Andy - you’re never going to grow up!

Loren Cunningham - you’ve always given me massive encouragement and a man who looks like a happy beardless Santa Claus filled with joy.

Minh Song - you taught me about art.

Addison - who says church planters can’t be idiots!

Sami, Bishara, Alex . . . . there are Palestinian Christians!  Imagine that!

Mazhar - perhaps the “greatest soul” I’ve met in my lifetime.

Daniel Le - prayer.

Anas - intelligence and warmth - you combine both

Oliver - you have redeemed the profile of the Irish!

Gibbons - we’ve had some ridiculous fun.

Nikki - you’ve been with me all throughout all of it -

The following article appeared in the July 26, 210 edition of the Washington Post.  Here is the link if you want to read it on the Washington Post site: 

Today’s guest blogger is Bob Roberts, Jr., the founding and Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas. NorthWood has started 130+ churches in the United States and trains young pastors here and around the world. He has led numerous development projects through a volunteer movement of mobilizing people to serve from one part of the world to another. He is active in multi-faith activities, as well as as an author. His most recent book is Realtime Connections.

Next week I will be in Hanoi, Vietnam with a dozen or more teachers from NorthWood Church where I pastor in Dallas, Texas as they will be working on education projects at the National University of Vietnam. I love Hanoi: the sights, smells, everything about it. I’ll hang out with lots of my Vietnamese friends: painters, educators, businessmen, humanitarians, and even government leaders.

Last week I was invited to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. President Clinton, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, and Ambassador Le Cong Phung all spoke. I got a funny response from the 200 or so people there.
“Who are you with?” “I’m a pastor from Dallas.” “Why did you come?” “Our church works in Vietnam with the government.” “Really! They have religious freedom there?”

“I would say yes and that it’s growing, not without its challenges - but they are making some bold steps, and it’s better than other parts of the world that I’ve been to by a long shot!” I even gave Long, the political advisor, and Ambassador Le a Texas Belt buckle - and they loved it! Vietnam had been on a list with our government as one of the countries with the worst violations of religious freedom in the past - they are now off that list.

This week I followed in the news all the articles (pro and con) on the Muslim Community Center being built two blocks from Ground Zero. I followed links and read about Muslim institutions being challenged in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and other protests against Muslims and Muslim institutions in America. I wondered, “What would my Vietnamese friends think about this?” I’ll ask them next week.

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Today’s guest blogger is Bob Roberts, Jr., the founding and Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas. NorthWood has started 130+ churches in the United States and trains young pastors here and around the world. He has led numerous development projects through a volunteer movement of mobilizing people to serve from one part of the world to another. He is active in multi-faith activities, as well as as an author. His most recent book is Realtime Connections.

Next week I will be in Hanoi, Vietnam with a dozen or more teachers from NorthWood Church where I pastor in Dallas, Texas as they will be working on education projects at the National University of Vietnam. I love Hanoi: the sights, smells, everything about it. I’ll hang out with lots of my Vietnamese friends: painters, educators, businessmen, humanitarians, and even government leaders.

Last week I was invited to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. President Clinton, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, and Ambassador Le Cong Phung all spoke. I got a funny response from the 200 or so people there.

“Who are you with?” “I’m a pastor from Dallas.” “Why did you come?” “Our church works in Vietnam with the government.” “Really! They have religious freedom there?”

“I would say yes and that it’s growing, not without its challenges - but they are making some bold steps, and it’s better than other parts of the world that I’ve been to by a long shot!” I even gave Long, the political advisor, and Ambassador Le a Texas Belt buckle - and they loved it! Vietnam had been on a list with our government as one of the countries with the worst violations of religious freedom in the past - they are now off that list.

This week I followed in the news all the articles (pro and con) on the Muslim Community Center being built two blocks from Ground Zero. I followed links and read about Muslim institutions being challenged in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and other protests against Muslims and Muslim institutions in America. I wondered, “What would my Vietnamese friends think about this?” I’ll ask them next week.

It’s as if the shoe is on the other foot now. The reality is, Vietnam feared Christians like Christian Americans fear Islam - we don’t want our society destabilized. I heard of one man who’s going …

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My body aches - about to go have coffee downstairs and then off to Hanoi from Tokyo.  Brought my latest Philip Jenkins book and wow is it good.  You know a book is good when you keep telling your wife things the author said.  I’m looking forward to my time in Vietnam. 

Everyone who works in the Near East or Middle-East or Far East must read Philip Jenkins!

For anyone who wants to understand the world forwards and backwards Philip Jenkins in his latest Jesus Wars is just awesome.  His first, The Next Christendom is good, the Lost History of the Christian Church is phenomenal and the one I read on the plane from DFW to Hanoi is just riveting.  Why do I like his books so much?

First, he gives solid evidence as to where the future is going.  A lot of people do that - but as a scholar and historian he provides more than just a poll.

Second, he shows what has happened in the past.  I read The Lost Christian History just out of curiosity - it was powerful in leaning about the Church in the East - how it grew, how it divided and how it planted seeds of descent. 

Finally, when in Jesus Wars, I’m reading it to better understand more of the history of the Church Councils and the Trinity.  I never put together when the church debated all of that is when the schisms happened and Islam rose.  These debates are not new.

We Christians make a strong claim that what makes our faith different is that we can have a personal and intimate relationship with God through the God-Man Jesus Christ.  I believe that is true, but I’ve noticed we sure do a lot of things that depersonalize him. 

Set prayers.  Ever heard someone pray from the gut over lunch or some other meal?  I don’t mean to imply that the prayer needs to be long, it doesn’t, just genuine.  Whether it’s in a worship service, a meal, whatever and wherever - is prayer a ceremony, a rite, or is it a conversation with the living God?  Obviously a conversation with the living God - so we don’t need to quote or mimic words - we need to talk to him with him standing before us from our heart.

How we refer to him - the Gospel.  Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on “The Gospel” and what it is and its implications.  Gospel is a really good word - it simply means good news.  The Gospel is the Good news about Jesus.  So . . . why don’t we just talk about Jesus?  That’s like my kids calling me Mr. Roberts - no, to them I’m their dad.  To my brothers and sisters I’m “Bobby Gene” to my friends I’m Bob.  To this day I don’t like being called Dr., Rev., Pastor, call me Bob if you know me.  I don’t minimize respect, but I value people who know me for who I am and not my position or something I’ve done.  I like books with the titles of Jesus far more than “the Gospel” - it tells me something about the person’s personal view and relationship with Jesus Gospel. 

Daily life - we sometimes live as if he isn’t there.  Remember the WWJD bracelets?  “What would Jesus do?”  Theologians and pastors had a hay day with that one explaining what all was wrong with it.  I on the other hand absolutely loved it.  It made Jesus present in people’s daily lives.  It made them stop and think - What does Jesus want me doing? How does he want me to handle this?  Jesus can’t be segmented to a worship service, a theology book, or even your daily worship time.  Jesus must be present in every moment that you find yourself in.  I’ve discovered when I’m not …

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Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

President Bill Clinton from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Wednesday night I had the privilege of being invited to the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.  It was a great event.  Ambassador Le Cong Phung, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and President Bill Clinton were all there and spoke.  It blew me away that it was in 1995 that we began going to Vietnam on a regular basis - the same year we began diplomatic relations with them.  I had never realized that.  I held my flip cam and thought NorthWood - you’d really like hearing this.  Forgive the quality, etc.  The speeches were incredible - and I’ve got to tell you President Clinton gave a fantastic speech.  You can listen to them, NorthWood - I was there because of you and all you do.  There were diplomats, politicians, military, news, businessmen - and one pastor from Texas.  It was really funny as I was asked by many I didn’t know, who I was, and what I did.  Upon telling them - everyone was intrigued.  “A pastor from Texas, My, what is that about?” one lady asked.  Too long a story to tell her.  God has used Vietnam to shape us as a church unlike anything else.  We have preaching, worship, discipleship, ministries - but what we have done in Vietnam is what sets us apart and has made our church what it is.  Some people in their ignorance view it as “social work.”  It is …

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Frank is one of our pastors at NorthWood that was born in Vietnam - we were talking in a meeting the other day and what he shared was good - I thought some of you might really enjoy this. 

Frank Dang’s Journal
A Reflection on an Inspiration From
June, 2010 Trips to Vietnam and England
In the East, the gates of the churches are closed but the hearts of the people are open.
In the West, the gates of the churches are open but the hearts of the people are closed.
As society turns into a global village, the concept of identity no longer remains as one single and fixed form, but instead, it has been changed into the cultures of hybridity, a concept that involves several and unresolved identities. People living in 21st century have witnessed the flow of information, technology, and the multiplicity of cultural values, religions, and identities that coexist in both worlds at once.  All of these are viewed as the flow/flood of globalization.
Having witnessed and dialogued to leaders/pastors/priests & professors from Orxford & Camabridge Univeristies, William Carey’s church, John Wesley’s church, & John Bunyan’s and other places/ churches in London, from the study tour on cultural/global and future leadership, the conclusion can been drawn as England churches have been drown in the post-modern era as the result of the flow/flood of globalization.  England, a one-time cradle of Christianity, now has only 3% out of 60 million attending church on Sunday.
What is God speaking to His People around the world, especially in America? Will American churches be heading towards England’s reality in a few more decades? Perhaps, the most important question for the American church is: How can she survive and float on the surface of the flow/flood of the globalization in order to break-through and start a whole new generation? 
The Revelation and Lessons from Genesis 6-9 for 21st Century churches.
        Genesis 6-9                                             21st Century
1. God spoke.                                          Does God still speak today?
2. Noah heard God.            …

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There are still a few spaces available for Church Planters looking to be trained by NorthWood Church. Our new training will teach you how to make disciples, become a global church, and multiply to reach your city. All modules will be led by Bob Roberts, NorthWood staff, various Global pastors and leaders.  In order to apply for the training, you must first complete the online pre-assessment at www.churchplanterprofiles.com  (be sure to use “Glocalnet” as your agency).  This takes about 30 minutes. If you have already completed this assessment with another agency, you can send the zip files to the Church Planting Administrator by clicking the “contact us” button in the top-right corner of this page.
Once the pre-assessment has been completed, someone will contact you regarding next steps and a link to our registration.

The cost of the entire training is $349.

The Modules take place at NorthWood Church in Keller, and the dates are August 17 & 18 and then November 9 & 10.  If you have any questions regarding the Modules, feel free to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

I was in a Christian Bookstore recently - and from the titles of some of the books and interpretations of current world events - there is a lot of despair, depression, and bleak outlook for the future.  Are these guys really Christians?  They put their hope in global politics and leaders they endorse, they put there hope in certain market realities - if he’s God isn’t he bigger than that?  I wonder if these people have read their Bibles.  Why are they so afraid?  If we know God, have his call on our lives - we don’t have to walk around trembling in fear of every dark shadow that crosses our path.  I’m excited about the future.  Call me “The Happy Millennialist!”  Why?

First, God is real and if he’s real, then he’s in control.  No matter how bad things get - as the old hymn says, “This is my Father’s World.”  The oldest book in the Bible teaches us that nothing can happen without God’s permission.  Why am I depressed, negative, fearful, worrying - when I know who is in charge!

Second, the one in charge has told me the outcome in advance!  He wins!  He even says that there will be tough times but hang in there and endure all the way to the end because he wins.  He’s going to do it in a way that even his enemies will have to confess who he is through the realization of how he acts. 

Third, every tough time makes me stronger and allows me to glorify God in all that I face.  If he’s in control, if he wins, and he loves me - whatever I’m going through is the Father growing me into maturity.  Just like a human Father who disciplines a child, helps the child grow and mature - then I know it’s for my best and I can hang in there. 

Fourth, he lets me be a part of this adventure of reconciliation.  He calls me co-laborer, a royal ambassador, a kingdom citizen, a royal priesthood. WOW! He thinks a lot of us and allows us to be with him on mission.

Fifth, there will be people of every tongue, tribe, and nation before him throughout all eternity!!  I’ll be there with Americans, Africans, Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabs, Saudi’s, Egyptians, Iranians, Belizeans, Argentineans, Congolese, Germans, Jews, Palestinians, American Indians, Pashtoons, Kurds, Turks, Greeks, …

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Yesterday I got to hang out a few hours with one of my all-time hero’s and mentors - Roy Fish.  Dr. Fish is now 80 years of age.  My first memory of him was when I was around 6 going with my Dad to a conference at First Baptist Dallas where many great and famous preachers preached.  I still remember the message The Valley of Dry Bones and the point of the sermon was that God can raise up the spiritually dead if they turn to him.  I also remember taking him as a seminary student - I took every course I could under him.  I remember going down to the Stock Yards in Fort Worth and watching him smiling kindly and gently passing out tracts - it stunned me.  Here was a man with a PhD telling people about Jesus in a calm and quiet but present way on a street corner.  It was after I graduated that I truly became friends with him.  Not long after I started NorthWood, he came and preached at our church and has been there on other occasions.  A few months ago when we had some Vietnamese diplomats at NorthWood got to introduce him to some “real live communists!”  Roy Fish loves everyone and everyone loves him!  Here are some lessons I continue to learn from an 80 year old mentor:

1.  Stay Open.  My biggest encouragement has come from Roy Fish when I’m thinking about doing “different” what some people would call “crazy” stuff.  But then again he’s had a streak for that too.  He once dressed up like a bum and visited several churches, then he also quietly submarined into the Jesus Movement without people knowing who he was. 

2.  Know your context.  When I talked to him about working with Muslims, communists, and other different kinds of people that aren’t necessarily the norm, he doesn’t just encourage me, he wants to go!  The Gospel doesn’t change, how we present it does.  One thing for certain, whatever context you share, your life has to back it up.  If it doesn’t, your message is not received. 

3.  Trust God.  I was once in a hard spot not knowing what to do, and he gave me a verse to never forget which I’ve carried it with me all these years.  Ps. 75:5-7.  Sometimes he would call me when he’d be serving …

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