Missional
Originally posted in 2015 and updated. The church in North America has lost profound influence over the past 50 years. That’s no longer a surprise to leaders. Despite watching the slow decline unfold leaders have either ignored the shift, or at best made attempt...Race & Reconciliation
I’ve been thinking…. The rise in anti-Asian racism is a reminder that we must adhere to the terms and conditions too. You can put your head down, work hard, try to assimilate, but the arms of white supremacy will randomly lunge to pull you back into a...Church & Culture
2021 started off with the proverbial “bang” as the world watched in horror as the riots at the US Capitol Building unfolded. We all had a sense of both dread and awe as we watched the unthinkable happen. For racialized minority, it was also a visceral in...Church & Culture
This is a story on belonging. In February 2020, Vineyard Canada (VC) made their final decision pertaining to human sexuality. The denomination is now fully NON-affirming, which is to say clergy cannot perform same-sex weddings. It also means LGBTQ persons cannot serve...Church & Culture
In this previous post I discussed how often the church labels non-churchgoers as atheists even when they’re not. Yes, the majority of people don’t attend a monthly religious service, but that doesn’t mean atheist. Depending on which stats you...Books
My book “Thrive” made the Top 10 Recommended Books on Church Planting from the Send Institute. They build denominational leaders into new ways of thinking on church planting. SEND operates out of Wheaton College, connected to one of the largest evangelical...Books
My book, Thrive, won the top e-book cover design for the month of September over at Thebookdesigner.com. Although it’s mostly for bragging rights, winning the non-fiction category demonstrates the quality we were shooting for in production. My friend Riley and I...Leadership, Missional
I had the pleasure of being invited to hold a session at the Praxis 2018 gathering in Philadelphia, put on by the growing church planting movement V3. The theme of the entire conference centered around a much needed conversation on re-imagining leadership. Little did...Books
It’s FINALLY Here! 3 years in the making, 9 drafts, 3 re-writes, and a world of learning, my first words book is done. I remember starting this project in the Summer of 2015, as a way to process ideas I was posting on my blog. The vague ideas combined for an...Race & Reconciliation
‘Destroyed’ is such a powerful word but it aptly describes what is and will happen to evangelicalism in post-Trump America. The brutal indictment against the movement will remain for generations, one where they’re unlikely to ever recover. Why? This...Race & Reconciliation
“I dont have a racist bone in my body!” A phrase I’ve heard dozens of white people utter on the subject of racism, which they think little about. What’s racism? Racism: the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or...Church & Culture
Part 1 on Sameness in the Church found here. Have you ever filled out a questionnaire with check boxes for ethnicity? There’s never a box for me. Sometimes there’s an ‘Other’ box, but usually nothing. Have you ever stood in a room with complete...Church & Culture
** This is part one of two on the topic of race and prejudice in Western Christianity. ** The lack of diversity in churches doesn’t bother enough Christians. You’ve heard the old adage, “birds of a feather flock together,” which seems to be the...Missional
Does your church grow by evangelism? Probably not. Can you even think of a single congregation that’s bursting at the seams because of their robust evangelism program? Probably not…. The haunting question is WHY?! I blame the Church of Goldilocks, a...Missional
Many ‘contemporary’ churches have sung the same songs or hymns for decades. If you turn on any Christian radio station, it could be years in between listening, and the same bands and songs are playing. I remember a song growing up that always pulled...