Chris Seiple & IGE—Making a Difference
Because we work around the world we have tons of partners—you have, too. One of the big lessons for the American church yet to learn is that no one church, network, denomination, person, organization has the whole picture and can get it all done. God has raised up people all across society and the church so that when we come together we can make massive differences. Outside of NorthWood and Glocal.net there are only two groups that I serve on the board or give a lot of time to. With both of those boards, I do so because we’re headed in the same direction and we can accomplish a lot more together than separate. One of those groups is the Institute for Global Engagement that Chis Seiple heads up. I encourage you to go to their website and check them out. Chris is a “get er done” kind of guys. It isn’t a think tank that merely does white papers, but one that literally produces results. I’ve partnered with them up close in Vietnam and met others they’ve worked with around the world. Their focus and best known result is engaging governments at high levels to deal with issues of religious freedom. Many people talk about religious freedom and have “watcdog” groups. What I like about IGE is that they do something about it—they’re engaging governments and communities. HOWEVER, they do more than that. They are fast becoming a place for a new global conversation where people can connect, talk, and engage a new emerging world. Check ‘em out! Get involved!
Paul’s Greatest Legacy—What Every Young Preacher Needs to Know
As I was preaching in 1 Timothy this week, I reflected on Paul a good bit. He was complex, brilliant, difficult—to be taken sometimes only in small doses. But it took a “Paul” for the church to emerge as it did. What was Paul’s greatest contribution? His writings in Romans and Ephesians? His leader as the early missionary for the church? His church leadership abilities? I believe all of these were great, but had he not raised up Timothy and Titus, we may have never seen his books, seen the church move from leader of a movement to leaders of a movement or anything else. I rarely do this, but go listen to my sermon from Sunday on our church website northwoodchurch.org. If you’re a young person, or someone going into ministry there’s a lot of good stuff in 1 Timothy 4:11-16 that can give you some good direction.
Missional Families - Let’s Hear it for the Tough Mama!
I’m proud to be celtic. The anglo-saxons didn’t conquer us unlike others on the British Isles! The Romans didn’t know what to do with us. Erwin McManus has written a book called the “Barbarian Way” in which writes about how we fought painted blue and white and naked. But that’s only part of the story - what made us so inconquerable was that when we fought our wives and children fought beside us. No one else did that. Most movies showed the women and children running and the men fighting when invaders would come. That’s not how the celts did it - their wives and children fought beside them. Do you have any idea how much harder that made the men fight? They would fight to the death knowing if they died their wife would and then their children. When a man started looking for a woman, he didn’t look for some petite little dainty, cute, skinny, pretty thang like a Paris Hilton - no, he wanted a honkin, tough, meat-on-the-bone, sword-weilding kind of mama - like a Queen Latifa! Something about seeing her painted blue and white running naked with a sword - I think I’d get out of her way! What about you?
Now for the spiritual application of this metaphor and mental image - missional families serve together. They are the building block of “spiritual communities” - so whatever you do, don’t separate ministry from the family - it should be done as family.
Name the Homemaker Project Contest
Okay, we need your help. Originally, it was called the Extreme Home Makeover Project as a working title but we knew we couldn’t use that because we’d get our pants sued off. Then it went to the creatively genius idea of Su Casa es Mi Casa …a lovely play on words. However, that made several of our corporate donors uneasy with immigration reform, etc. being such a hot topic these days. Sooooo, we need a name ASAP for our Haltom City home redo project.
Criteria:
1. The name can’t be currently used by another entity and needs to be trademarkable.
2. The name needs to be broad so our methods can be adopted by someone else in another city but utilizing the same name. Some homes will be renovations, some rebuilds and in the future, some complete tear downs and rebuilds. Consider that in your name.
3. Your reward will be a big side hug from the staff member of your choice and consideration for a heavenly jewel in your crown.
Just leave us a comment with your brilliant ideas!
Bob Roberts - Texican
Texas has always felt that change. It is a conglomeration of many peoples. First, there were the Tejas Indians, then came the Tejano’s—Texans of Spanish descent, of whom we joined forces with Anglo settlers to win Texas Independence. We called ourselves Texians after the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836, and to Anglicize it we began to call ourselves Texans after the Civil War. Now things are changing again—and have been—we’re just talking about it now.
A few months ago, Texas changed. For the first time, there is no single majority of one race. Thus, we should call ourselves Texicans! It respects the Indian heritage, the Spanish and Anglos, as well as the newer Mexicans who are of many lines of Hispanic descent. In a few years, the majority of Texas population will be Hispanic. Who can’t admire the Mexican immigrants that come here to work? They have much to teach us. They aren’t too good to do anything. They work hard. Most are kind and good-hearted people. If you speak to them and smile “Buenos Dias” they are always quick to smile back. Don’t kid yourself, if they were to all pack up and leave today, our work force and economy would be a wreck. Most people don’t realize how deep they are within our economy—its much more than just farm hands, but construction workers, factory workers, cooks—they’re deep everywhere.
I like a lot of what they’ve brought to the table culturally. I love to listen to Tejano music. My favorite food is Mexican food, and it shows! Some bring color to the neighborhood in how they paint their houses.
It’s time to address this issue. It’s broke and …
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Questions on Meeting with President Triet of Vietnam
Yes. I did meet with him a few days ago with IGE’s Chris Seiple, and other pastors.
Yes. I did ask about Father Ly and religious freedom issues.
Yes. Despite reports, Vietnam is making progress towards religious freedom.
No. It is not yet where it needs to be.
Yes. It is better than many we call allies in other parts of the world.
Yes. I did give him, Ambassdor Chien and two other delegates a Texas belt buckle. I told them I wanted them prepared to meet with President Bush the next morning. They loved them!
No. I did not baptize him - - - - - - - yet!
Yes. I felt he was a very sincere man—in my estimation it took courage for him to come knowing he would be met with protestors.
Movements - Organizations - Cults
I was with several of my friends in LA at a board meeting. We were working on an “organization” to help facilitate “movements” meeting at a Disney hotel that has a “cult-like” culture and it got me thinking a lot about the differences between all 3, how they relate and how they are different and how they also can compliment and conflict with each other.
To grow an organization, you don’t need holiness, integrity, or spiritual maturity. Skill sets, branding, and organizational savvy are all you need—religious work included. I’ve discovered you can grow a church or religious organization without God. Business is business.
To grow a movement, holiness, integrity, and spiritual maturity and disciplines are not optional but critical. Skill sets, branding and organizational savvy are generally not real high, but in time get bigger as it moves from a band of guys/gals to a broader constituency. Organization becomes a result of the movement. Organization can also facilitate “movements” but not make them happen.
Business books talk about cult-like cultures that make some businesses explode. It’s what people in the organization feel and think about what they’re doing. Organic movements often, but not always, start with a “cult-like” leader that is on the fringes. Often these leaders and movements are exclusive, antagonistic, and isolationist feeling they have the one true way. If that movement however ever infects the broader culture, it always moves from isolationism in the broader culture to engagement. At stake is the question of scale and scope of the movment—will it be a self-contained movement or a broader one impacting the whole. If it’s self-contained, there is no need in networking. If the movement is to impact the broader culture, it has to network with other entities. The early days of communism, civil rights, woman suffurage, and now the environmental movement are all examples of this. Edwin O. Wilson, an athiest, zoologist and environmentalist (whom I read) is reaching out to Evangelicals who want to see a “greener” earth.
In the past thirty years, there have been countries where there were multiple small movements that were initially very cult-like. When the gospel really began to explode in those countries, a gradual shift took place because no one movement could capture all that was happening. The result was many of those movements began to network and work together—not always merging—but always leveraging off one another where …
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Yipee…We Made the Top 25
Through God’s grace we managed to make the list of top 25 multiplying churches in America. Check out the list here. Also, check out the article in Christian Post.
The Collaborative Program
Recently I spoke at one of the many gatherings of the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio. It was neat for me, speaking a few blocks from where one of my “potential” ancestors died. We all talk about missional and what that means. I think of the men in the Alamo—when they fought, they fought with complete abandonment. They knew they were dead men so they hit it with everything they had. The damage a couple of hundred men did to thousands was just incredible. But, when you know you’re a dead man anyhow you take as many with you as you can—that’s Texan! The well-trained Mexican soldiers later wrote that they fought like wild men not normal soldiers. No time for them to read manuals, study tactics, the battle was on and their best hope of survival was using what they learned from living out on the front lines of the West.
When I was a little boy, my family always looked forward to the SBC because it’s when we got to take our vacation in the station wagon. We went to some of the sessions as kids, but not that many which was a blessing for everyone else—trust me! Last week, I sat in the big convention floor area and worshipped. I sensed the presence of God. I felt the history of God’s people, saw the faces of many of my heros, remembered chasing down Dr. Criswell as an 8-year-old boy to get him to sign my Bible, and Roy Fish (who would later teach me evangelism but more importantly show me how a Christian lives). I just had that Bible rebound! I’m so grateful for so many. When I was a teenager, I discovered the preaching of Adrian Rogers. Wow! I grew up as a little boy with Manley Beasley in and out of our home, and loved him. One of the worst spankings my brother and I got was for playing with John Bisagnio’s trumpet. It’s an honor for me to sometimes be on the program with him at different places! Jimmy Draper was a massive encouragement to me at different points when I first started NorthWood 22 years ago. I could go on and on. These are my roots and this is my history. We all find ourselves in different narratives, and I am what I am today and frankly do what I do because …
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Missional Dad’s
Genesis 22:1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD …
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