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renewing the church united methodist church

Opportunity to Partner with Resurrection

I am on a strategic project team at Resurrection that is looking for three small churches, currently led by lay speakers, local pastors, or student local pastors, who would be interested in testing a new model for ministry – these churches would, for one year, become a part of a multi-point circuit with Resurrection. The […]

Categories
church leadership

Mission and Vision: Local Church (1 of 3)

A local church with a mission (Why do we exist?) and a vision (Where are we going?) is more likely to be a vital congregation. The clarity of purpose and direction helps shape the life of the congregation in both subtle and significant ways. With the lack of a clear statement that people can remember […]

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Bible ministry

Scripture Monday – Luke 10:17

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. … The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:1, 17). The seventy-two returned to Jesus with joy. Their […]

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ministry renewing the church

Can I become a member of Resurrection if I worship online?

Another question that I receive as Pastor of Resurrection Online is this: Can I become a member of Resurrection if I worship online? My hope is that Resurrection Online will be a tool for people to become more engaged in their faith and not less engaged. If someone is connected with a local church I […]

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ministry renewing the church

Resurrection Online: Extension or Campus?

One of the questions that people ask about Resurrection Online is this: Is Resurrection Online one of the regional campuses of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection or is it an online extension of Resurrection? In some ways it is both. There are people who are primarily connected at one of Resurrection‘s physical locations […]

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leadership ministry

Leading Ideas:What Does a Pastor Do? (2 of 3)

I continue to appreciate the work of Lovett Weems and the entire team at the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. The offer a great number of resources for pastors, congregations, students and denominations at http://www.churchleadership.com. I wanted to draw your attention to Leading Ideas – a biweekly newsletter from the Lewis Center. You can find more […]

Categories
Bible faith

Words for a Holy Meal

I have heard these words from those who were officiating at Holy Communion, but for some reason had not realized that they were from scripture until recently. They are beautiful and true. “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread […]

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leadership ministry renewing the church

My #SXSW Interactive Experience – Day 4

I came to SXSW Interactive 2011 to gain perspectives, discover technology and learn practical steps that will help Resurrection Online fulfill our purpose of building a Christian community where non and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians. I hope to share some highlights and next steps from the day for Resurrection Online and myself. My Experience […]

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renewing the church

6 Themes of the US Religious Environment in 2010

These are straight from the Barna Group and I claim no authorship to these themes. You can find the entire article at http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-201 The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions […]

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faith

The Difference between Belief and Practice

Paul is brought before the city leaders in Athens and preaches the good news of Jesus Christ. In response, “Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” Acts 17:34 The text clearly states that […]

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ministry

2010 Congregational Survey Results for Resurrection Online

Each year, Resurrection takes an anonymous survey of the congregation. This year there were 134 people who took part in the survey that indicated they primarily worship with Resurrection Online. I have completed some analysis of the survey. What do you make of these results? More gender balanced than the rest of the church with […]

Categories
church renewing the church

Church Conference via Skype

As Pastor of Resurrection Online, I hope to help build a Christian community online where non religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians. A key to this purpose is building community. There has been a good deal of conversation about whether there can be authentic Christian community online, so how about a […]