Category: English

Willow Creek’s ‘Huge Shift’

But the analysis in Reveal, which surveyed congregants at Willow Creek and six other churches, suggested that evangelistic impact was greater from those who self-reported as “close to Christ” or “Christ-centered” than from new church attendees. In addition, a quarter of the “close to Christ” and “Christcentered” crowd described themselves as spiritually “stalled” or “dissatisfied” with the role of the church in their spiritual growth. Even more alarming to Willow Creek: About a quarter of the “stalled” segment and 63 percent of the “dissatisfied” segment contemplated leaving the church.

via Willow Creek’s ‘Huge Shift’ | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.

Why do people give?

J. Clif Christopher talks about why people give to charity:

I then asked the pastors to choose which ones they felt were the number one, two, and three chief reasons people give. They started blurting out, “taxes, guilt, involvement” No one was even close. Finally, a lady who had been sitting quietly in the back raised her hand and said, “Number one is a belief in the mission. Number two is a regard for staff leadership, and number three is fiscal responsibility.” She was right. I was stunned. I asked her where she was a pastor and she sheepishly said, “I am not a pastor, but my pastor told me about this seminar and thought I might learn something. I am the executive director of Habitat for Humanity.” 

Leading Ideas: A Resource for Church Leaders.

Who needs a small church?

Dr. Lewis A. Parks talks about what kind of persons look for small churches.

So who needs a small church these days? What I hear paints a hopeful picture. Call it a work of prevenient grace. Call it a wooing by the Spirit. Call it a happy confluence of the new seekers and the congregations they seek. Whatever you call it, five types of persons keep showing up as visitors to small churches, whether those churches are located in cities, towns, or rural settings.

via Leading Ideas: A Resource for Church Leaders.

Communication Strategies

W. Graig Gilliam talks about need for lessened anxiety and listening skills to create community.

For communication to occur, some level of communion or connection is a must. When those two comm words happen, a thirdcomm word constellates — community. Listening openly and honestly is a powerful way to communion/connection. In the silence of listening, we feel this comm, the silence of oneness. 

Leading Ideas: A Resource for Church Leaders.

A national symbol

Gunnlaugur A Jónsson blogs about Göran Persson’s autobiography. According to Gunnlaugur, Mr. Persson thinks the separation between Church and State in Sweden might have been a mistake. His thoughts are worth looking at. It seems according to Gunnlaugur, that the separation was a mistake because the church was a national symbol and as such uniting force.

gunnlaugur.annáll.is – » Aðskilnaður ríkis og kirkju voru mistök, segir Persson.

The Customer – Using Balanced Scorecard in the church

Random thoughts about Balanced Scorecard in the church.

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(Added 5/17/2011: My STM thesis, Ecclesiology and Evaluation written at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio addresses the Balanced Scorecard in the Church based on a certain Ecclesiology that is formed in the text of the thesis. The thesis is accessible here: http://www.tren.com/e-docs/search.cfm?p035-0113.)

— Continue reading The Customer – Using Balanced Scorecard in the church

My Studies

Pre-req
NT II – 4cr
OT II – 4cr
Being Lutheran 2cr

Ministry Courses
Interprofessional – 2cr
Angl. Parishes – 3cr

Electives
Ecclesiology (HTS) – 3cr indp study
Theology of Mission (HTS) – 3cr

Foundation and Essay
Foundation Seminar – 1cr
Essay – 6cr

Missing 7cr of Ministry Courses (6cr can be taken as indep. studies).