GlocalNet

OK, sir, at the conference I spoke at last Tuesday - if you’re out there still, you asked a question as I was heading to the airport and I didn’t have time to answer - so here is my answer.  Here is how I make hard decisions, whether it’s something I’m asked to do, or something I sense in my heart God is stirring.  Whether a staff hire, a ministry to start, an opportunity to seize . . . . this is my process.

1.  I have a template that, for me to even consider something, it has to line up with.  My overarching call from God, the values he has birthed within me, the purposes of God in my life, the vision he has given me.  If it doesn’t line up with those 4 things, I say, “No” real fast.

2.  If it does line up with that - I go to my “counselors” sometimes inside and sometimes outside Northwood and get their feedback.  Sometimes they see something really quick I don’t and they save me a lot of “reflection” time.

3.  Is this something the Spirit of God has quickened in me?  Generally, when the Spirit does this it’s unexpected and not searched for.  Generally for me, with the Spirit, It’s hard to let go, there’s significant risk involved, it’s not something I thought up or would have even considered apart from the Spirit.

4.  Affirmation from the Bible is very important to me.  Because I believe the Bible is a living book - when I begin to pray over things, verses, passages, and stories in the Bible will give me wisdom and insight and will speak to me.  I also journal all of the above stuff along with all of this to see a decision as the culmination of all these things interacting.

Eboo and the others at Interfaith Youth Core

Hooray for Leadership Journal in their most recent issue!!!!  Rock on Marshal Shelley!!!! They have an article entitled “Ministry Lessons from a Muslim – His Unexpected Message to Church Leaders:  fully embrace your Christian Identity.”  This is the most “progressive” journal for Ministers in existence.  I both read it and have been in it, yet two things stand out to me in the title.  First, “a Muslim” – not Eboo.  This is probably the first time there has been an article about “a Muslim” and what he would say to Christian leaders.  Being the best magazine there is on “pastoring” in America, what does that say about our understanding the world, other religions, and our ability to communicate with one another?  The second thing is “embrace your Christian Identity” – as radical as that might sound – I hear that a lot around the world from my friends who are Muslim.  They believe that following Jesus as prescribed in the New Testament would be incredible. 

Eboo talks about four responses to our world of faith:

First, there are those who live in the bubble – they want only to be around people of their own religion and to communicate to each other.  The problem is, the bubble sooner or later always burst and people are left with no where to go.

Second, there are those who are barriers – they view religion as us against them and it’s all out competition.  This is why I talk about planting the seed of the Gospel and how it grows, and we don’t have to force it.  Any religion that has to be forced upon someone, through coercion or guns is destined to die sooner or later.  Truth doesn’t emanate from force, but thought.

Third, there are those who would bomb.  Terrorism and/or war is the way to move your religion forward and demolish others.

Fourth, there are those who would build a bridge.  The bridge would allow us to work, talk, communicate, and understand one another.  This is the hope of the future.  This is what Eboo is doing. 

I had, as I wrote in my last blog, an incredible visit with …

// Continue Reading //

From: “Eboo Patel”
Date: May 4, 2009 11:36:55 AM GMT-04:00
To: “Bob Roberts”
Subject: From Eboo

Bob
I wrote about your visit for my Washington Post blog
Hope you like it.

eboo

Eboo Patel
Founder and Executive Director
Interfaith Youth Core

Friday I spent the day with Eboo Patel and the Inter-faith Youth Council in Chicago.  Tomorrow I’ll write more and show pictures - BUT, there were some incredible things I saw, heard, observed, and witnessed.  I felt like I was having a 21st century conversation about faith like it will be in the future.  It was the closest thing I’ve experienced to visiting with people globally of different religions.  Muslims, Christians, Jews, and a passing Bhuddist all had great conversations.  BUT, interfaith is really misunderstood - there are some things it is not that are important to know up front.

Interfaith is not about liberalism.  YES, liberals have talked about interfaith a long time however, the people I talked to were not - it wasn’t about a liberal pie in the sky kind of view but about we are in this thing together we’d better understand one another and get along.

Interfaith is not about syncretism.  It’s about people holding passionately on to their faith without taking on an “us against them” mentality but instead dialoging, loving, and interacting with.

Interfaith is not about tolerance, or respect.  It’s more than that - its about cooperation and collaboration to get along in a complex and integrated world.  It’s about learning a different way to communicate.  It’s taking responsibility for all of us being in this world together.

Interfaith is not about not addressing your differences, theologically or geo-politically.  The young people I was with were debating each other - but not in an angry way at all. 

Interfaith is not about converting one another - but understanding one another. 

I sat at the table of the future, and it was good - it was very very good -

This last week a young church planter came up to me and asked, “How do you deal with the jerks in the church?” I could tell he had been through a battle and was tired and maybe even scared.  Often when I speak I’m asked about this.  How do you deal with people that are out of control and counterproductive to everyone - often themselves included?  Here are some things I’ve learned over the years:

1.  Most people recognize who these people are.  They expose themselves by being harsh, controlling, manipulative, critical or whatever their poison is.  You don’t have to freak out.  Stay calm.  You’ll deal with people like this your entire ministry.  I’m sorry to say new churches sometimes are attractive spots for people like this.  It gives them a new fishing pool.

2.  Never avoid or put off confronting these people.  The longer you do the more damage they do, and the more damage they do to your credibility as the leader.  Jesus couldn’t make them happy! 

3.  After your first confrontation with them, yes, I said first, chances are you’ll have a few, never meet with them alone, always have someone with you to verify what was said. By doing this you’re not only protecting yourself, but now their words are heard and remembered by more than just you and it helps for verification.

4.  Learn to identify them: the bully, the snake, the raging bull, the passive-aggressive, the expert on everything, the person who wants to create their ideal church based on their opinion or a previous church, or another church they like.  Chances are over the course of your ministry you will deal with all of them.

5.  Don’t lose sleep over these people.  I used to, but not anymore.  You life will be miserable, you won’t enjoy your family, ministry or anything else.  Life is too short to allow your emotions to be played with by people whose emotions are broken or out of control.  Love them.  Help them as you can, but don’t be manipulated or driven by them. 

6.  Make sure your prayer life is up to speed.

1.  Today’s most successful church planting models took a few years to engineer, and with the pace of the movement of the culture, adopting a “popular” model today means you’ll have an old model in 3 years.  Go for DNA.  Go for things that supersede the model.

2.  Globalization is no longer flowing out from the U.S. but now pushing in on the U.S.  The result is that global forces are shaping the church in the West like never before.  Ignore them to your own peril and irrelevance. 

3.  In this world knowing “why” and thinking is far more critical than knowing “how” and mimicking.  Learning isn’t a nice option for when you have time, but today it is a critical discipline of survival. 

4.  Doctrine matters more today than ever before.  (Did you hear that Stetzer!) With all religions in all places we have to be able to give simple, practical, explainable information about who God is (the Trinity) and what difference it makes.  “It’s a mystery” is insufficient for this world.

5.  The church in the West has gone about as far as it can go without prayer and spiritual disciplines.  That’s why we’re now declining.  It’s time to FIRST get a word from God and not from your favorite religious guru.  And the word, by the way, should first be about what Jesus “wants to do in me” not how to hit it big for God.

6.  Differentiate between truly successful models and exceptionally charismatic leaders - all of us are who we are.  Trying to be someone we are not will lead to spiritual and emotional psychosis.

Anything anyone else would add?

I just read an incredible book by Peter Block entitled Community, it’s a secular book.  I’d skimmed it once before but am reading it slowly.  I highly, highly, highly recommend it.  In the book he says with all the research done - one thing is apparent and obvious - that personal and community transformation are different.  I think he’s on to something.  As I read the book I realized for personal transformation all you need is the Holy Spirit - BUT for community transformation not only do you need the Holy Spirit but the church.  He said that all transformation started by groups of people with ideas they were passionate about - it has my mind reeling - what do you think?  . . . . .

I’m often asked this - so here’s some things I’d say:

1.  I’d get off in a room alone with God and maps of the world, verses God has given me, words he’s given me, pray and seek God radically BEFORE reading any books on church planting and/or going to conferences.  I’d get his will in my heart first before finding mentors, teaching, and training.  I’d ask him to break my heart for the world and his kingdom.

2.  I’d then develop a small prayer team of no more than 5 people - of different races, etc. praying for me.

3.  I’d write out everything I sensed God saying and things that resonated with me that I’d heard others speak and write about. 

4.  I’d find the person emulating ministry in the most similar way I sensed God speaking - and another person in the most opposite way I heard and ask them lots of questions off and on.

5.  I’d begin to ask God to pull the team together to begin by engaging the local community beyond religious work.

6.  I’d go to a multi-ethnic area and pull a multi-ethnic team together.  That means if I was in DFW - south Irving. 

7.  I’d have my discipleship model in place before we began and lead our initial leaders through it before we did anything else - then have them multiply it throughout the church. 

8.  I’d pick a hard place in the world to work before “going public” or “going native” in the neighborhood and everyone who came on board would know that’s part of who we are up front.

9.  I’d worship a minimum of an hour a day from Day one - so I’d recognize all God was doing and be ready to respond. 

10.  I’d expect and get excited on the unexpected.

There’s probably a lot more - this is just some -

It’s been a truly wild week and a half.  I got home from Syria and Istanbul to a house we are remodeling and wound up having to stay in a hotel.  Which means my sermons, articles, notes, sense of order, etc., are all out of whack for a while.  This is why I haven’t been able to blog much this week - along with the fact that we’ve had guest impressionist painters from Hanoi, Vietnam, along with Eddie and Rose Leo from Indonesia here the past week.  BUT, today I “think” we get to get back in our house!  We’ll see.

Yesterday I spoke in Orlando at the Exponential Conference.  I ran out of time so didn’t give the last 3 points.  I will simply list them here.  If you’re new to my blog, read back a few months and you’ll see how faith/church/religion/the Kingdom of God/globalization are all inextricably linked.  From preachers to mullahs, businessmen and geo-political leaders - it’s a different way of seeing the world. 

Lessons from the East:
Colossians 1:13-20

My conclusions have been brought from the perfect storm of four key facts:  personal brokenness, obsession with the Sermon on the Mount & the Kingdom of God, intense accountability in a small group, and connectedness with the church globally. 

We are asking “What is the church to be?” I think the most important question is “What does it mean to fulfill the Great Commission right where I am connecting glocally?”

1.  It is about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. 
Gospel of Kingdom -> Disciple -> Society -> Church

              not

Gospel of Salvation -> Preacher -> Church -> Society
(The Multiplying Church)

2.  It encompasses the reconciliation of all things. 

The grid on which we operate is the society - not the church.  The church emerges as we engage the society. 
(Glocalization)

3.  The focus is on the disciple not the preacher.

Movements are led by disciples.  (Transformation)

4.  All religions are places which make for a naked public square and thoughtful communication.

Didn’t get to speak on this much - but check out previous blogs on religious freedom as tied to freedom of thought - the most basic of all human rights - owning your own …

// Continue Reading //

The following article is really good.  Michael Gerson is sharp - and so is Jon Meacham - one of my favorite writers.  I’d like to have them in a room together and listen to them.  In their field they’re like John Piper and E. Stanley Jones - both sharp but coming at it at different angles.  I read an article recently in the Economist on a similar subject by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge from a book they wrote called God is Back:  How the Global Revival of faith is changing the world.  Haven’t read it yet - but the reality is religion is growing and is going to continue to grow.  The real question is which religions are growing and why, and how are people expressing their faith.  Gerson is picking up on this in the article.  It’s a great time for the church - for those who are willing to think, engage, and reformat. 

Red Faith, Blue Faith
By Michael Gerson
Friday, April 17, 2009
Is “Christian America” dying? And if so, should we mourn or cheer?
These questions, raised in a recent cover story by Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, opened a vigorous and continuing debate (note: I am an occasional contributor at Newsweek). The article has been peppered with criticism from religious conservatives who say it demonstrates the anti-religious bias of the mainstream media. This reaction actually demonstrates something different: that it is easier to read a headline than it is to read an article.
The Newsweek cover declaring “The Decline and Fall of Christian America” was provocative in a typical, newsmagazineish sort of way. The serious essay that followed stated that the proportion of Americans who describe themselves as Christians (76 percent) has declined since 1990—which is true. That the percentage of Americans reporting no religious affiliation (15 percent) has increased—which is undeniable. That the religious right has become less influential and less triumphalistic over the past several years—and that this is positive for religion in general, which can become diluted and discredited by identifying too closely with any ideology, social order or nation.
The religious right, at least in its cruder expressions, is indeed a phenomenon without a future. A younger generation of evangelicals and their leaders, while generally remaining culturally conservative, tends to view the religious right’s model of social engagement as too narrow in …

// Continue Reading //

Page 3 of 57 pages  <  1 2 3 4 5 >  Last »