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Thursday, August 31, 2006

Anglican Fellowship formed in Highland

http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2006/08/31/entertainment/03anglican.txt

[Highland Community News] 31 Aug 2006--A group of about 30 mostly disillusioned Episcopalians gathered Saturday for the commissioning of a new Anglican Fellowship at the Highland Congregational Church.

Message from Martyn

http://truro.timberlakepublishing.com/content.asp?contentid=714#Message

[Truro Church] 31 Aug 2006--“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Anglican Archbishops to Visit Rwanda

http://allafrica.com/stories/200608300517.html

[allAfrica.com] 31 Aug 2006--Over twenty five Anglican Archbishops from different churches in Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia are expected to arrive in the country on September 19, for a three-day visit.

Sunday Silence: Churches Shifting Away from Traditional Bells

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060828/24059.htm

[The Christian Post] 31 Aug 2006--For generations, church bells here have called worshippers to service, joyfully announced weddings, noted the noonhour or pealed in sadness at a death. But they're largely silent these days.

For centuries the ringing of bells have summoned Christians to prayer. This is an ancient practice that can be traced to the Celtic Church in the British Isles. The loss of bell ringing as a call to prayer will be a great empoverishment of Western Christianity.

Launching Community

http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/launchingcommunity.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 31 Aug 2006--Three steps to making your small group dream come true for your church.

Shaping Shepherds and Sheep

http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/shapingshepherds.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 31 Aug 2006--6 steps to mentor your leaders and their groups.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Ex-Gay fellowship welcomes Archbishop of Canterbury’s interview

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=654

[Anglican Mainstream] 30 Aug 2006--Greetings in Christ! We applaud your recent interview with a Dutch journalist, to whom you said that while the Church welcomes homosexual persons, they are called to align their behaviour with the mind of Christ.

Leaders are Lost

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2449

[The Living Church] 30 Aug 2006--Who would have ever thought that The Episcopal Church could have arrived at the place it now finds itself? Other Christian churches are finding themselves in similar straits, but maybe not quite so publicly.

Daybreak at Kigali – Horizons before the Anglican Global South Primates in September 2006

http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/comments/daybreak_at_kigali/

[Global South Anglican] 30 Aug 2006--I begin with a disclaimer. This essay is “without authority”: there is no official sanction, as all my other essays are. It is a personal reflection offered to the Communion I love and therefore grieve.

Seven Working Assumptions for Preaching in a Missional Church.

http://www.sentchurch.com/missional_church_preachers_ed_searcy_essay1.htm

[Sent Church] 30 Aug 2006--What difference is there in preaching for a missional church? The congregation I serve notices that my preaching has changed. But what has changed? It is not simply the way in which these sermons are constructed. The change has less to do with technique (with the 'how to') as it does with the intent (with the 'what for') of this preaching. The biggest difference in preaching for a missional church rests in the assumptions that are made by preachers facing this new context. Missional preaching is not a new method of preaching. Missional preaching is a different genre of preaching (within which a variety of methods and styles may be faithfully employed). Once the preacher and congregation change their operative assumptions about the purpose of the sermon and the role of the preacher and the calling of the congregation, everything about the occasion of preaching shifts. The following seven working assumptions currently govern every sermon that I preach. And, according to the testimony of the congregation, this changed preaching accounts for significant change within our life together at University Hill Congregation.

Eight patterns of missional faithfulness

http://www.sentchurch.com/missional_church_eight_patterns.htm

[Sent Church] 30 Aug 2006--Pattern 1, Missional Vocation. The congregation is discovering together the missional vocation of the community. It is beginning to redefine "success" and "vitality" in terms of faithfulness to God's calling and sending. It is seeking to discern God's specific missional vocation ("charisms" - gifts) for the entire community and for all of its members.

The Art of Group Prayer

http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/artofgroupprayer.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 30 Aug 2006--Making your small group prayer time meaningful.

Leader's Insight: The Church Health Self-Test

http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2006/cln60828.html

[LeadershipJournal.net] 30 Aug 2006--Five things that can cripple a church.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

High Point Community Café

http://www.anglicanmissioninamerica.org/index.cfm?id=45EB29A9-CD12-45CE-AA2AB655DB71F076

[Anglican Mission in America] 29 Aug 2006--Something new is brewing in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad. Families from across the Triad are coming together to form High Point Community Café—an evening of food, fellowship, classes and outreach for the whole family. The Café will be open every Wednesday from 5:30-7:45 p.m. for eleven weeks beginning September 6.

California Episcopal bishops seek to stop diocese's moves

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=2324

[The Christian Century] 29 Aug 2006--In a conflict that could have wide repercussions for the deeply divided Episcopal Church, four California bishops have accused a fellow prelate of planning to break away from the church and have asked a disciplinary panel to stop him.

Bishop unhappy about situation in Anglican Church

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=109652

[Ghana Web] 29 Aug 2006--The Anglican Bishop of Koforidua, Right Reverend Francis Quashie, on Saturday, exhorted both the clergy and laity of the Anglican Church to desist from dissipating their energies and resources in activities that impinge on the growth and development of the church.

Archbishop’s Latest Move “Spineless”, Say Gay Humanists

http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/2006aug/2801.htm

[UK Gay News] 29 Aug 2006--The Archbishop of Canterbury’s latest pronouncement in which he tells gays that they are not welcome in his Church unless they “change their ways”, was condemned today as “spineless” by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA).

David Ould: The Canterbury Tail

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/1089/

[Stand Firm] 29 Aug 2006--David casts a skeptical eye on the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent interview with a Dutch newspaper....

The Rev. Michael Russell: 'Change Locks and Freeze Bank Accounts'

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/1087/

[Stand Firm] 29 Aug 2006--Fr. Jake (aka Terry Martin) posts this call for open war by the Rev. Michael Russell, Rector of All Souls', Point Loma, CA...

More articles from Stand Firm can be found at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index.

Archbishop: Homosexuals Need to Change Their Behaviour

http://www.christiantoday.com/news/church/archbishop.homosexuals.need.to.change.their.behaviour./1287.htm

[Christianity Today UK] 29 Aug 2006--The Archbishop of Canterbury has told homosexuals that they need to change their behaviour if they are to be welcomed into the Church, emphasising that the tradition and teaching of the Church has in no way been altered by the Anglican Communion's consecration of its first openly homosexual bishop.

Related article:
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20060827-103833-5068r.htm
Anglican leader says gays should alter ways for church - The Washington Times

Network Welcomes Russian Orthodox Dialogue Proposal

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2445

[The Living Church] 29 Aug 2006--The Anglican Communion Network is willing to enter into ecumenical dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church independent of the Presiding Bishop’s Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, according to the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and moderator of the Anglican Communion Network.

The Radical Reformission & Confessions of a Reformission Rev

http://sites.silaspartners.com/CC/article/0,,PTID314526CHID598014CIID2249682,00.html

[9 Marks Ministries] 29 Aug 2006--Much ink has been spilled lately describing, advocating, criticizing, and defending the emerging church movement. Rightly so. It is a challenge that evangelicals need to handle well if they want to move into the next era of church life in a healthy way.

Pastor's and Theologian's Forum on the Emerging Church

http://sites.silaspartners.com/CC/article/0,,PTID314526CHID598014CIID2249672,00.html

[9 Marks Ministries] 29 Aug 2006--What do you hope will ultimately emerge from the emerging church conversation for evangelicals

So what is a missional community?

http://www.sentchurch.com/missional_church_zahariades_essay1.htm

[Sent Church] 29 Aug 2006--So what is a missional community? How is it different from church as we know it in modern Evangelicalism? Probably the best place to begin is with a general definition.

Empirical Indicators of a 'Missional Church'

http://www.sentchurch.com/missional_church_indicactors.htm

[Sent Church] 29 Aug 2006--The missional church represents God in the encounter between God and human culture. It exists not because of human goals or desires, but as a result of God's creating and saving work in the world. It is a visible manifestation of how the Good News of Jesus Christ is present in human life and transforms human culture to reflect more faithfully God's intentions for creation. It is a community that visibly and effectively participates in God's activity, just as Jesus indicated when he referred to it in metaphorical language as salt, yeast, and light in the world.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Together in the Jesus Story

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/009/10.54.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 28 Aug 2006--Bob Webber's fingerprints are all over a new call to live the narrative that really matters.

A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/009/11.57.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 28 Aug 2006--The full text of an appeal to live the biblical narrative.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Central New York Diocese: Lawyers for St. Andrew's Church File Papers Against Episcopal Diocese

http://transfigurations.blogspot.com/2006/08/central-new-york-diocese-lawyers-for.html

[Transfigurations] 25 Aug 2006--The lawsuit by the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York to seize St. Andrews Church in Syracuse was dealt a setback today as lawyers for the parish filed motions against the diocese. The motions claim that the diocesan lawsuit is “frivolous” and ask that the case against the parish, the rector, and the members of the vestry be dismissed, and that the diocese pay the legal fees for the parish.

Dallas Episcopalians debate church breakup

http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_4233994

[El Paso Times] 25 Aug 2006--As a moderate Episcopalian in the conservative Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Dixie Hutchinson doesn't find her strength in numbers.

Related article:
http://www.viamedia-dallas.org/clergy-stmt-14-Aug-2006.php
Statement from Dallas Clergy - Via Media Dallas

Conservative Anglicans prepare to celebrate their 'common cause'

http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/060824anglican

[candadianchristianity.com] 25 Aug 2006--While one group of conservative Anglicans continues to work for change within the Canadian church, another group continues to function under the authority of Anglican archbishops from overseas -- one of whom will visit the Vancouver area next month. But both groups agree that they are united by a "common cause", which they will celebrate at a special meeting in North Vancouver September 8.

You Evil, Evil Orthodox

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/1078/

[Stand Firm] 25 Aug 2006--Sounds like someone wants out of the Anglican Communion. Daniel Webster the Lesser writes in The Witness....

More articles from Stand Firm can be found at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index.

Being Anglican

http://www.thenassauguardian.com/religion/360270936936075.php

[The Nassau Guardian] 25 Aug 2006--Why does the Roman Catholic Church call itself "The Catholic Church" deliberately leaving out the adjective "Roman"? Doctrine professor Peter Toon writes, "I must confess I normally refer to that important church as "The Roman Catholic Church. This reference does not proceed from bigotry but out of a desire to recognize that Catholicity is not confined to that community."

Letter from Russian Orthodox Church Suggests Overture to the Network

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2442

{the Living Church] 25 Aug 2006--The Russian Orthodox Church has proposed restoring relations with the seven dioceses of The Episcopal Church that have petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury for alternate primatial oversight (APO).

Till They Have Homes: Christian Responsibilities in the 21st Century

http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/comments/till_they_have_homes/

[Global South Anglican] 25 Aug 2006--od wants his church to grow up in maturity (not just in numbers)”, so begins Dr John Stott’s Langham Logic. More than thirty Christians from East Asia in the past thirty years have benefited from the Langham Scholarship programme that Dr Stott pioneered. They have since returned home and are serving in seminaries, churches and Christian organizations in the region. This essay is offered as a tribute to “Uncle John” (as we fondly call him) for his personal commitment to strengthen the church worldwide. [1]

Missional Church FAQs

http://www.mennonitemission.net/aboutus/FAQs/MissionalChurch.asp

[Mennonite Mission Network] 25 Aug 2006--Q: What is the difference between a missional church and a church with a mission program?A: A church with a mission program usually sees mission as one activity alongside many activities of the church -Christian education, worship, mutual aid, hospitality and other programs. A missional church focuses all of its activities around its participation in God's mission in the world - it trains people for discipleship and witness; it worships and practices mutual aid before the watching world. A church with a mission sends others to witness on its behalf. A missional church understands that the congregation itself is sent by God to proclaim and to be a sign of the reign of God. Just as God sent Jesus, now Jesus sends the church.

The Wow Factor

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/wowfactor.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 25 Aug 2006--From the second they enter your parking lot, guests begin making impressions of your ministry. Are they the impressions your church wants to make? Here's your hands-on tool to help you evaluate your church's "Wow Factor."

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Episcopal Head Issues Statement Ahead of Crucial September Gathering

http://www.christiantoday.com/news/church/episcopal.head.issues.statement.ahead.of.crucial.september.gathering/1282.htm

[Christianity Today UK] 23 Aug 2006--As Anglican leaders prepare to gather with the American Episcopal arm of the Church in mid-September to resolve the conservative-liberal divide over homosexuality in the Church, the U.S. Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop has issued a statement of clarification on the upcoming meeting.

Report of the Diocesan Task Force on Communion (diocese of the Rio Grande)

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/1069/

[Stand Firm] 23 Aug 2006--The Diocese of Rio Grande confirms Lambeth 1.10 as the Anglican Communion's teaching on human sexuality; expresses its "deep concern" with the leadership of Presiding Bishop-elect Schori; commits itself to the development of an Anglican covenant; embraces the Windsor Report... ... and in the biggest news of all, details a plan by which parishes wishing to leave the Episcopal Church may do so, and retain their property....

The Missional Church

http://www.friendofmissional.org/

[Friend of Missional] 23 Aug 2006--One important note before you continue: On this website, the term "church" refers to the people of God; those formed for his dwelling and bearers of his presence in the world. It doesn't refer to a building, denomination or physical location. So when you read "church," think of yourself, not that building you go to each Sunday.

The Emerging Missional Church: A SWOT Analysis (Part 1)

http://scc.typepad.com/scc_faculty_pentecostal_d/2006/07/the_emerging_mi.html#_ftn2

[Pentacostal Discussions] 23 Aug 2006--Last year (on the way to a babysitting gig) I was introduced to the movement known as the emerging or missional church (let's just call it the EM church from hereon in). Hearing just a few examples of what it can be like had me salivating; this was the kind of thing I had been dreaming about creating in my church-to-be. 'You mean to tell me there are other people out there who have these kind of crazy unusual random ideas about doing church differently?! Like really differently??!' So Shane suggested I do an independent guided study....which means a whole subject's credit for reading and writing about the things I dream about, plus an excuse to go on a research trip to Melbourne! As you can guess, I did it! So what follows is my essay, broken into a five part series. Part 1 deals with the (lack of) definition, parts 2 and 3 look inside the EM church, examining its strengths and weaknesses; parts 4 and 5 look at its environment, noting opportunities and threats; and part 6 is a conclusion which I may have to rewrite depending on how much you and all your comments enlarge me! So, read and comment away on part one...

The Emerging Missional Church: A SWOT Analysis (Part 2)

http://scc.typepad.com/scc_faculty_pentecostal_d/2006/07/the_emerging_mi_1.html

{Pentacostal Discussions] 23 Aug 2006--Firstly, a major strength of the emerging missional church is their willingness to be flexible with culture and experiment with something new, all part of what Sweet identifies as “our continuing struggle, as followers of Christ in a changing culture, to live out the meaning of the incarnation”[1]. This flexibility and experimentation leads to a wide variety of EM churches (hence the definition problems discussed earlier), so Moynagh writes of an Anglican church in Halifax, England, that has started a Monday Lunch Box (communion and lunch service, attracting people who don’t go to church on a Sunday, and are asking to be baptised) and also of Saddleback church in California where they have a video café service (offering a choice of worship styles, smaller crowds, and videotaped sermon)[2]. Although these churches differ in structure and style, both have decided to move beyond the traditional forms of church to create a worship gathering that will resound with local people. Variety in types of church is important not only contextually, but also culturally – moving away from one-size-fits-all church models is an important step towards reaching out to the growing numbers of people who, wearying of the standardisation that came with modernity, are looking for personalisation[3]

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Anglican Archbishop charges Christians to defend the faith

http://www.anglican-nig.org/defendfaith.htm

[Church of Nigeria News] 22 Aug 2006--Nicholas Okoh (pictured left) of the Anglican Ecclesiastical Province of Bendel today in Abuja called on Christians the world over to defend the faith against the onslaught arising from heretic teachings and practices.

Coming Over to America to Help

http://www.anglican-nig.org/canabackground.htm

{Church of Nigeria News] 22 Aug 2006--Thousands of Anglicans in North America have long watched with dismay as their much loved Churches slid from the known teachings of the Bible to that which seems to conform more to the ideas of civil society groups.

Anglican Network in Canada to appeal to Archbishop of Canterbury & Primates after exclusion by Panel of Reference

http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=14805

[titusonenine] 22 Aug 2006--After months of working with the Panel of Reference, designated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to hear applications for “Adequate Episcopal Oversight”, the Anglican Network in Canada was excluded from the process only days prior to the hearing. Instead, the Panel of Reference restricted their meeting in late July to representatives of six Vancouver-area parishes, officials from the diocese of New Westminster, and the Primate of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchinson.

The Church is not inclusive

http://www.nd.nl/htm/dossier/seksualiteit/artikelen/060819eb.htm

[Nederlands Dagblad] 22 Aug 2006--What will happen to the six or more dioceses in America that have asked for alternative primatial oversight?

"I don't know yet. We are working intensively on what this might mean. I don't want to make up church law on the back of an envelope, because in fact it's a very complicated situation.''

It would constitute a split in the American church.

"Indeed, and quite a serious one. And I have great concern for the vast majority of Episcopal Christians in the US who don't wish to move away from the Communion at all, but who don't particularly want to join a separatist part of their Church either. I want to give them time to find what the best way is.''

But these dioceses and the group around them won't hold out in ECUSA for too long. '

'No, and it is perhaps a rather larger group than some have presented it as being. I know too that if Canterbury doesn't help, there will be other provinces that are very ready to help. And I don't especially want to see the Anglican Church becoming like the Orthodox Church, where in some American cities you see the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church. I don't want to see in the cities of America the American Anglican Church, the Nigerian Anglican Church, the Egyptian Anglican Church and the English Anglican Church in the same street.''

Anglican Church of Nigeria Installs Bishop From America

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-08-21-voa36.cfm

[VOA News] 22 Aug 2006--Reverend Martyn Minns, a conservative Episcopal rector from the U.S. state of Virginia has been consecrated the first bishop of a new group for conservative Anglicans established by the Church of Nigeria. The hugely celebrated event could complicate the already simmering tensions in the Episcopal Church.

Archbishop fears gay divide

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/21/ngay21.xml

[Telegraph] 22 Aug 2006--The Archbishop of Canterbury warned yesterday that the Church of England could be torn apart by legal battles over property if he fails to prevent Anglicanism splitting over gays.

Fallow Fields: 20 ways to waste time while not planting churches

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2006/08/fallow_fields_2_1.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 22 Aug 2006--for the long delay between posts. Url has been away in the only patch of North America without internet access. I recently listened to a speaker praise the state of the church in America. He lauded the efforts of politically active conservatives, affirmed the family-friendly movies being released, said the sale of pornographic magazines has taken a dive for 10 years, and was excited that churches are growing bigger than ever—all because Christians in America are living holy lives.

Apparently he hasn’t read Ron Sider’s book The Scandel of the Evangelical Conscience where surveys reveal American evangelicals aren’t living any holier than their secular neighbors. Nor has he studied the report by Outreach Magazine, "The American Church in Crisis" that found church attendance in the U.S. isn’t keeping up with the population growth. And does anyone really believe pornography use is declining because fewer magazines are being sold?

His positive, if ill-informed, message reminded me of something sent to us by Steve Addison, the Australian Director of Church Resource Ministries. Steve is passionate about church planting and has written a tongue-in-cheek list of suggestions for the church in American (or anywhere else the church is losing ground).

Organizational Pain

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2006/002/11.41.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 22 Aug 2006--Symptoms that your group isn't functioning well—and treatments for the deeper problems.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Network Welcomes Consecration of Bishop Minns

http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2006/08/network-welcomes-consecration-of-bishop-minns.html

[Anglican Communion Network] 21 Aug 2006--The Anglican Communion Network (ACN) today welcomed the consecration of Bishop Martyn Minns in Abuja, Nigeria.

A Statement from the President of the American Anglican Council Congratulating Archbishop Akinola on Formation of CANA

http://www.americananglican.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ikLUK3MJIpG&b=675589&ct=2881561

[American Anglican Council] 21 Aug 2006--The American Anglican Council offers its congratulations and gratitude to the Church of Nigeria and its Primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola, in the establishment of CANA as Convocation for Anglicans in North America and the consecration of Canon Martyn Minns, as its first Missionary Bishop.

Virginia cleric to lead new Anglican group

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190072081

[Times-Dispatch] 21 Aug 2006--A conservative Episcopal rector from Northern Virginia is in Nigeria today to assume leadership of a new organization that could complicate the already simmering tensions in the Episcopal Church.

Fairfax congregation could leave U.S. Episcopal Church

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190072092&path=!news&s=1045855934842

[Times-Dispatch] 21 Aug 2006--In the past few months, the members of Truro Church have found themselves drawn into the spotlight on the debate over a gay bishop that has divided the Episcopal Church.

Gay bishop controversy: Church of Nigeria moves to save Nigerians in the US

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2006/aug/21/abujaroport-21-08-2006-004.htm

[Daily Sun] 21 Aug 2006--The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion will on August 20, make history as it consecrates an English – born US based clergy, Revd. Cannon Martyn Minns as Bishop of the convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

Thom Rainer's new challenge called Simple Church

http://www.joshhunt.com/mail167.htm

[JoshHunt.com] 20 Aug 2006--The key may be as much about what you don't do as much as about what you do.

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=443908&netp_id=441802&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW

[Christianbook.com] 20 Aug 2006--The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.

Planting Missional Churches

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=443703&event=85494SBF%7C572542%7C85494

[Christianbook.com] 21 Aug 2006--Planting Missional Churches is an instruction book for planting biblically faithful and culturally relevant churches. It addresses the "how-to" and "why" issues of church planting by providing practical guidance through all the phases of a church plant while taking a missional look at existing and emerging cultures.

To read an excerpt from Planting Missional Churches, go to http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:8ISM6syHalcJ:www.churchplantingvillage.net/atf/cf/%257B087EF6B4-D6E5-4BBF-BED1-7983D360F394%257D/stetzer%2520preaching%2520chapter.pdf+Planting+Missional+Churches&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Missional Church…Model… Movement… or Mute Point?

http://www.churchplantingvillage.net/site/c.iiJTKZPEJpH/b.2022287/k.6518/Missional_Church_article.htm

[Church Planting Village] 19 Aug 2006--Have you heard the phrase “missional church”? Do you use it? Do you know the kind of church it describes? Some say the point is mute… that it is like saying “canine dog” or “feline cat.” Some say it is a movement of God. Some say it is a church planting model.

Although it is still a work in progress, The Enlistment and Missional Networks Team has compiled a definition for your review:

A missional church is a reproducing community of authentic disciples who abandon themselves to passionately seek the heart of God and to live out His mission in their community and around the world.

Anglican Head, Episcopal Bishops to Resolve Gay Dispute

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060819/23834.htm

[The Christian Post] 19 Aug 2006--The spiritual leader of world Anglicanism has asked six Episcopal bishops to meet in New York next month to try and resolve differences over homosexuality tearing at their church.

I'm not holding my breath!

Kenya: Anglican Theologians Dismiss 'Gospel of Prosperity'

http://allafrica.com/stories/200608180817.html

[allAfrica.com] 19 Aug 2006--The 'gospel of prosperity' being spread around Africa by certain evangelical preachers is false, Anglican theologians said.

Bishop Iker: Bishops' Summit May Provide Clarity

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2433

[The Living Church] 19 Aug 2006--The request for alternate primatial oversight (APO) is likely to be a significant topic of discussion during a meeting that the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked Virginia Bishop Peter Lee and Southwest Florida Bishop John Lipscomb to convene next month in New York City, according to Fort Worth Bishop Jack L. Iker who said he was in regular contact with Lambeth Palace prior to the Aug. 18 statement announcing the meeting.

St. Thomas' Church

http://www.sttoms.net/modules/wfsection/

[sttoms.net] 19 Aug 2006--St Thomas’ Church, Crookes is one of the Parish Churches of the community of Crookes in Sheffield, UK. It is led by Revd Mick Woodhead, an Anglican priest with many years experience of ministry and mission in Sheffield. His assistant is Richard Pollard, a Baptist minister who has recently qualified from Spurgeon’s College, London. The church has a clear vision to reach the community of Crookes with the good news of God’s love in Jesus. The church gathers for two celebrations on Sunday mornings: the 9am Mother Church service and 11am Community Church service.St Thomas’ Church, Philadelphia is the city church based at the Philadelphia Campus. It is led by Revd Paul Maconochie, a Baptist minister, with Revds Anne Maclaurin and Alex Absalom. Alex was the senior pastor of the King’s Centre, Nether Edge, Sheffield. The church has a vision to ‘call a city back to God.’ This vision is worked out through its clusters and celebrations, which work with different groups of people trying to find effective ways to share the love of God with the people of the city. The clusters meet across Sheffield and regularly gather back to the Philadelphia Campus.

Friday, August 18, 2006

The Greatness of God

http://www.church.org.uk/resources/sermondetailpf.asp?serId=807

[Jesmond Parish Church] 18 Aug 2006--I went out for a pub meal the other day and on the next table were a husband and wife who’d chosen exactly the same from the menu. And when they’d finished, she said, ‘That was absolutely superb.’ Which was very high praise. And he said, in a gruff Yorkshire accent, ‘I’ve ‘ad worse.’ Which was very English – like saying, ‘Mustn’t grumble’ when someone asks you how you are and life couldn’t be better. And it set me thinking: what made the difference between praising and not praising? Was it temperament, or the kind of day they’d had, or place of birth, or what?

Conservative Episcopalians on the move in Mass.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=153293

[Boston Herald] 18 Aug 2006--Episcopal parish priest Bill Murdoch watched the developing split in his denomination over homosexuality and thought about the future.

Reimagining Evangelism: Inviting Friends on a Spiritual Journey

http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3342

[InterVarsity Press] 18 Aug 2006--Sometimes talking about Jesus with friends can feel like trying to close a deal on a sales call, pushing something on people they may not really want. But what if we thought of it more like inviting friends on a spiritual journey?

Lessons in Missional Thinking from Celtic Christianity

http://www.emergingevangelism.com/2005-05-11-lessons-in-missional-thinking-from-celtic-christianity-2

[Emerging Evangelism] 18 Aug 2006--I’ve finally made time to read a book that’s been languishing on my bookshelf for a while. Here ya go....

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Anglican Realignment & Reformation: Why “Unending Verbosity over a Simple Matter”?

http://www.acn-sec.org/

[The Southeastern Convocation] 17 Aug 2006--We in the Network’s Southeastern Convocation have received plenty of feedback following the Network’s annual Council meeting, which took place last week in Pittsburgh. Much of it is very encouraging and thankful for what God is doing in what I believe is the greatest Reformation since the 16th century. Others, given the painful oppression visited on us and the obvious departure of ECUSA from traditional biblical Faith and Order, ask us questions like the one in the title above. Why do we have to keep talking so much about the “simple” matter of an unholy consecration of a bishop and its resulting tearing of the Anglican Communion?

More articles from around the web can be found at the Stand Firm website at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index.

Koran Read at National Cathedral

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/17235.html

[The Conservative Voice] 17 Aug 2006--The Koran is regarded as holy writ by the new dean at the Washington National Cathedral. Samuel Lloyd, former rector at Trinity Episcopal Church, Copley Square, Boston, is now the newly installed dean at the Cathedral.

Fellowship of the Ring Bearers: Rowan Cantuar’ Ascent to Beijing 2006

http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/comments/fellowship_of_the_ring_bearers_rowan_cantuars_ascent_to_beijing_2006/

[Global South Anglican] 17 Aug 2006--Archbishop Rowan Williams’ China trip this October is historic. It marks a critical juncture in both the Anglican Communion and the Church in China.

Making Disciples: Connecting Evangelism and Discipleship

http://www.theocentric.com/theoarchives/000145.html

[TheoCenTric] 17 Aug 2006--In its fullest sense “making disciples” comprises both the process of evangelism that leads to the act of conversion sealed by baptism and the lifelong process of discipleship consisting of the continuing efforts of the Christian convert to practice the teachings of Christ. Not only are both inseparably connected but both inform and shape the other. The gospel -- the “evangel” of evangelism -- constantly informs and shapes the convert's discipleship. Discipleship is the sustained attempt to embody the “evangel.” Evangelism has no power if it does not lead to discipleship. Discipleship has no meaning if not rooted in the evangel. Serious damage is done to the Christian life and message when evangelism and discipleship are separated. A church that desires to faithfully execute Christ's “great commission” will therefore commit itself to both evangelism and discipleship.

Make God Real to Your Kids

http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/articles/cpt_1999.9g3.9g3044.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 17 Aug 2006--It's easier than you think, says child-friendly educator Karyn Henley.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

“Cross-section” of primates seek more prayerful and respectful discussion

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/

[Anglican Mainstream] 15 Aug 2006--In July a number of primates were gathered by the Community of the Cross of Nails in Coventry to discuss the Windsor Report. Archbishop David Moxon of New Zealand has written this report. There is unfortunately no means at the moment of discovering whether this group of primates were a “cross-section” as claimed.

"Let the dead bury the dead" (St. Matthew 8:22): Ecclesiological Disillusion

http://www.tesm.edu/deans-corner/dcchurch/disillusion

[Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry] 15 Aug 2006--It seems to me that events have forced us to give up on ecclesiology, or better, the gods of ecclesiology.

Episcopalians will gather, chart course on gay issues

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4117192.html

[Houston Chronicle] 15 Aug 2006--Bishop Don Wimberly of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas will host a "consultation of bishops" who want to remain within the worldwide Anglican Communion in the face of a possible international schism over the U.S. church's consecration of a gay bishop.

Peaceful approach

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2006/08/14/news/top_story/mon01.txt

[Corvallis Gazette-Times] 15 Aug 2006--Katharine Jefferts Schori is like the eye of a hurricane — surprisingly calm in spite of the stormy winds of controversy swirling all around her.

Iowa's Episcopalians expect difficult choices await them

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060814/LIFE05/608140345/1045

[DeMoines Register] 15 Aug 2006--The members of two Episcopal churches in Iowa are learning how to live in Christian love in the face of the most divisive issue for American Protestants today — human sexuality.

Bishop Lee, Bishop-Elect Minns Seek Solution

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2429

[The Living Church] 15 Aug 2006--The Bishop of Virginia, the Rt. Rev. Peter Lee, announced that he and the Rev. Canon Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Church, Fairfax, are working together to address the ramifications of Canon Minns’ election by the Nigeria House of Bishops to serve as a bishop of the Church of Nigeria in the United States. Canon Minns’ consecration is scheduled for Aug. 20.

Church joins faction opposed to gay bishop

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/15267641.htm

[Pioneer Press] 15 Aug 2006--A St. Paul congregation has voted to align itself with a network of parishes that believe the Episcopal Church has abandoned the biblical faith.

The Heretic, the Bible, and the Birth of the Modern World

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060814/23724.htm

[The Christian Post] 15 Aug 2006--In a very real sense, the modern world began 350 summers ago when a young man was excommunicated by the Jewish community in Amsterdam. The excommunication of Baruch (later changed to Benedict) Spinoza is one of the hallmark events in the development of the modern mind and modern secularism. The anniversary of Baruch Spinoza's excommunication also serves as a reminder of the ideological roots of modern biblical criticism and the political agenda behind Spinoza's critical approach to the Bible. Born November 24, 1632 to Michael de Espinoza and Hana Debora, his second wife, Baruch Spinoza was a son of privilege. His ancestors had fled Portugal and Spain during the Inquisition and the Spinoza family became pillars of the Marrano Jewish community in Amsterdam.

Selling Ancient Disciplines to Moderns

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/spiritualgrowth/articles/080906.html

[ChristianityTday.com] 15 Aug 2006--We still need these spiritual rhythms.

Why Pastors Must Be Leaders

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/shepherding/articles/061907.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 15 Aug 2006--A call for pastors to lead is not a call for the corporate model to invade the church.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Common Cause Partner-in-Focus

http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2006/08/common-cause-partner-in-focus-anglican-essentials-canada.html

[Anglican Communion Network] 11 Aug 2006--Next week, representatives of eight bodies in the Anglican tradition will be meeting in Pittsburgh. Representing several churches, and a number of organizations, “Common Cause Partners” have worked to help unify orthodox Anglican mission and witness in North America.

The Biggest Problem Facing the Episcopal Church

http://leanderharding.classicalanglican.net/?p=220

[LeanderHarding] 11 Aug 2006--The number one issue before The Episcopal Church and before all the Christian churches in the West is the challenge of evangelizing the secularist, materialist and relativist culture of what is called late modernity or post-modernity. This is a culture that is extremely resistant to the Gospel. In an effort to be relevant to this culture the churches in the West and especially mainline churches such as The Episcopal Church have been tempted into a very thoroughgoing syncretism. Rather than challenging the prevailing culture with the message of the Gospel and a Christian worldview, the churches have accommodated themselves to the prevailing world view of modernity.

Foundations for Discernment of Christian Ministry

http://hopeanglican.us/fdcm/

[Stand Firm] 11 Aug 2006--Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry has endorsed a new adult Christian education program authored by the Rev. Kathryn Jeffrey, an Anglican Communion Network priest living in Minnesota. Trinity will be granting continuing education credits for the program and certificates to graduates. Foundations for Discernment of Christian Ministry covers the basics of Christian literacy while introducing students to a variety of tools and modes of discernment, filling the same niche as, but vastly improving upon the content of, EFM.

Aussies back bold Asian Vision

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/aussies_back_chews_bold_asian_vision/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 11 Aug 2006--South-East Asia's new Anglican leader has a bold vision to evangelize millions - and Australia's Church Missionary Society is prepared to dig deep to ensure it becomes a reality.

Churches think big by thinking small

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0810/p14s02-lire.html

[Christian Science Monitor] 11 Aug 2006--Church planting is far from a new phenomenon, but enthusiasm for it has mushroomed in recent years, as populations have shifted and attendance has declined in many traditional settings, particularly among young people. Both Evangelical and mainline Protestant churches are birthing new congregations all across the United States. And some young pastors are striking out on their own to create worship communities in fresh forms. Some of the most vibrant new churches are sprouting in immigrant neighborhoods. The movement, if successful, has the potential to reshape American faith communities.

Telling illustrations more effectively

http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=271&artid=9713&expand=1

[Pastors.com] 11 Aug 2006--One of my favorite descriptions of a good story comes from novelist Flannery O’Connor: “When you can state the theme of a story, when you can separate it from the story itself, then you can be sure the story is not a very good one. The meaning of a story has to be embodied in it, has to be made concrete in it. A story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is.”

Build Your Professional Church Website Today

http://churchsitecreator.com/templates/cuscti/default.asp?id=27256

[ChurchSiteCreator.com] 11 Aug 2006--No matter who's in charge of building and maintaining your church website, Church Site Creator provides all the easy-to-use tools and features webmasters need to publish high quality, dynamic, professionally designed church websites without all the hassles and expenses of traditional website development. Why Church Site Creator? Find out

Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Celtic Way of Evangelism

http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/metro/articles/items/0E97EF24C63B2AC1E0440003BAAC64DB

[The Navigators] 10 Jul 2006--This book has been cited by several other authors, such as Rick Richardson (Evangelism Outside the Box) and Dan Kimball (The Emerging Church), because there are many parallels between the situation Saint Patrick faced in taking the Gospel to the Irish and the situation the (modern) church faces in taking the Gospel to the emerging postmodern generation. The leaders of the Roman church tended to assume that a population had to be civilized enough to be Christianized, i.e. civilization was a prerequisite to Christianization. A Christianized population was expected, in time, to read and speak Latin, to adopt other Roman customs and to do church "the Roman way." Hunter writes....

"I'm Leaving Church to Find Jesus"

http://www.vintagefaith.com/artilces/leavingthechurch.html

[Vintage Faith] 10 Aug 2006--I just had a conversation with someone who grew up in a large evangelical Bible teaching church. She got to experience the whole quality spectrum of what a church provides for children with AWANA, for youth with great Sunday programs, camps, ski retreats etc. Yet, as she has reached adulthood and now is a mother of young children, she said that she is now “leaving church to find Jesus”.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

The Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas has their web site up now

http://anglicanfederation.org/

[Anglican Federation] 9 Aug 2006--Welcome to the Web Site of the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas. The Federation was formed in 2006 to provide a vehicle for communication, fellowship and cooperation between the various Anglican Jurisdictions in the Americas. On this site you will learn about the goals, privileges and procedures for membership.

Bishops fly to US for summit of Anglican hard-liners

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/07/nbishops07.xml

[Telegraph] 9 Aug 2006--Two senior Church of England bishops are to attend a summit of leading American conservatives next month as pressure grows for the liberal leadership of the US branch of Anglicanism to be ousted from the worldwide Church.

Consolidated APO Request Goes to Canterbury

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2422

[The Living Church] 9 Aug 2006--A single request for alternate primatial oversight consolidating the requests of the dioceses of Fort Worth, San Joaquin, Central Florida, South Carolina, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Springfield has been forwarded to the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Living Church has learned.

Increase Your Success Rate in Starting Your Church

http://www.pdplanting.com/article/increasing-your-success-rate-in-starting-your-church

[PurposeDrivenPLanting.com] 9 Aug 2006--You’re probably aware of the gloomy statistics for church starts. The numbers I’ve heard range anywhere from 60-80% failure rate within the first two years. That’s pretty harsh! Especially when it’s YOU putting your heart and soul into this launch!

Here’s a strategy to increase your success rate.

Why Start a Purpose Driven Church

http://www.pdplanting.com/article/why-start-a-pdc

[PurposeDrivenPlanting.com] 9 Aug 2006--We live in the age of multiple choices. Everyday of our lives we are inundated with choices about everything, from what we drink to what we drive. The same myriad of options are available to anyone starting a new church today. From cell churches to post-modern churches to traditional churches to house churches, our options are endless. We even have options within the models, from leadership structure to worship style.

How to Mobilize Your Church for Ministry

http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/SHAPE/GettingStarted/Article_How_to_mobilize_church.htm

[PurposeDriven.com] 9 Aug 2006--God designed every believer to play a unique role in the local church. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When a church family discovers and celebrates its spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (S.H.A.P.E.), it becomes focused, fulfilled, and fruitful.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Should We Stay or Should We Go?

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/should_we_stay_or_should_we_go/#8101

[Stand Firm] 8 Aug 2006--The most crucial decision presently facing parish leaders is whether (or when) to disassociate from the Episcopal Church. That question has plagued my parish and my home from the moment I arrived back from Convention. There is no easy or cost free solution.

Fresh Expressions Prospectus Phase 2

http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/uploads/documents/PROSPECTUS.pdf

[Fresh Expressions] 8 Aug 2006--In recent years, Christians in different parts of Britain have started many fresh expressions of church. These initiatives have begun in response, on the one hand, to the call of Christ to make disciples and seek the kingdom of God. They are a response, on the other hand, to our rapidly changing culture and the widening gap between the traditional churches and much of our society.

More information on Fresh Expressions can befound at http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/index.asp?id=1 and http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/standard.asp?id=1554.

Priest given four years for indecent assault

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20057646-5006301,00.html

[Adelaide Now] 8 August 2006--An Anglican priest who wanted to marry his 14-year-old male victim has been sentenced to four years in prison for indecent assault.

The "Ten Commandments" for the Use of Music in Worship

http://mondaymorninginsight.com/index.php/site/comments/the_ten_commandments_for_the_use_of_music_in_worship/

[MondayMorningInsight.com] 8 Aug 2006--With correct theology as a key theme at this summer’s LifeWay Worship Conference, Denver pastor Jim Shaddix challenged participants with his “top 10 Commandments” for setting a theology of music in worship.

The Star Fish Prinicple

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/mission/missionthinking/the_starfish_principle_stuart_robinson/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 8 August 2006--From memory the story goes something like this....

Atlanta Talking About, Not Preparing, Blessing Rites

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2421

[The Living Church] 8 Aug 2006--The Diocese of Atlanta’s two listening events regarding same-sex unions, and blessing rites for those unions, will not lead to general diocesan approval of blessing rites, says the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta.

The Anglican Communion Disowns Sadiq Daniel as the Bishop of Karachi

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsviewsdetails.php?newsid=257

[Pakistan Christian Post] 8 Aug 2006--The Anglican Communion has removed the name of Sadiq Daniel from its official Web Site http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=447&view with immediate effect.

Can I Do Anything Special in the Body of Christ?

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060807/23542.htm

[The Christian Post] 8 Aug 2006--When you trusted Jesus as your Savior, God gave you some skills called spiritual gifts. You read about them earlier in this devotional book. God wants you to use these gifts to serve Him and others in the Body of Christ.

Study: Sexual Lyrics Prompt Teens to Have Sex

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060808/23576.htm

[The Christian Post] 8 Aug 2006--Teens whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study found.

The Culture of Offendedness—A Christian Challenge

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060806/23526.htm

[The Christian Post] 8 Aug 2006--A new and unprecedented right is now the central focus of legal, procedural, and cultural concern in many corridors – a supposed right not to be offended. The cultural momentum behind this purported "right" is growing fast, and the logic of this movement has taken hold in many universities, legal circles, and interest groups.

Godcasting

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2006/002/9.81.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 8 Aug 2006--A podcast is no substitute for church— but it's a great supplement.

Running into Reality

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/vision-strategy/articles/080206.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 8 Aug 2006--The greatest reality affecting our vision is always God.

Listen to the Quiet

http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/articles/listentothequiet.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 8 Aug 2006--As a leader, what are you doing to feed your soul? Engaging in spiritual practices is a key part of sustaining your energy and authenticity as a leader.

One such practice is simply spending time in silence. It's counter-cultural. It doesn't even feel like a practice, since you don't say anything or seem to be doing much when you are silent. It certainly doesn't feel productive. In my new book, Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, I make some observations about silence....

Are You Listening?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/areyoulistening.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 8 Aug 2006--Spiritual opportunities surround us every day when we take the time to engage with others and practice the fine art of listening.

Active listening is a skill we all can learn and practice. People are more likely to give us a hearing if we take time to genuinely listen to them.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Consecration set for this month

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060807-121914-2137r.htm

[The Washington Times] 7 Aug 2006--Originally set up for expatriate Nigerians, CANA also will shelter displaced church conservatives in ongoing Episcopal battles over issues of Scripture and sexuality. In July, Nigerian bishops released a statement calling the U.S. Episcopal Church a "cancerous lump" that should be "excised" from the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Network Council: ARDF Seeks Help for Average Anglicans

http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2006/08/network-council-anglican-relief-and-development-fund-seeks-help-for-average-anglicans.html

[Anglican Communion Network] 7 Aug 2006--“The average Anglican is a black African female, living in a rural African village with four to seven children. Her husband is not at home because he is in the city trying to earn money for the family. Water and food are scarce because of cyclical drought conditions,” said Canon Nancy Norton, Executive Director for the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), in a report delivered at the Annual Council Meeting of the Anglican Communion Network on August 1.

Episcopal bishop thrives in male-dominated world

http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20060807/NEWS/108070064

[Nevada Appeal] 7 Aug 2006--Come November, the nation's first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal church will put Nevada in the spotlight and herself in a familiar territory - on the fringe of a turbulent world.

Archbishop Says Global South Leaders Will Determine Lambeth 2008 Agenda

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4562

[VirtueOnline] 7 Aug 2006--The Archbishop of four million Kenyan Evangelical Anglicans, recently returned from a meeting of East African Primates in Tanzania, says that the next Lambeth 2008 will not be controlled by the Anglican Consultative Council, and that procedures will be flexible for everybody, so that there will be more contributions by participants expressing themselves in their mother tongues.

Is Sola Scriptura Anglican?

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/is_sola_scriptura_anglican1/#7980

[Stand Firm] 7 Aug 2006--I was informed this week that "true Anglicans" do not hold to the doctrine of sola scriptura (scripture alone) and what is more; that the very idea of sola scriptura is antithetical to everything Anglican. This came as a great surprise to me as I both hold quite firmly to sola scriptura and, at the same time, consider myself to be a fairly true Anglican, if a bit on the evangelical side.

Church ownership disputed: Episcopal Diocese says congregations have no right to property

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/980/

[Stand Firm] 7 Aug 2006--The ownership of two churches in Fallbrook and Oceanside is in dispute after both severed ties with the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and aligned with foreign arms of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

More articles from Stand Firm can be found at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index.

Church and state face similar issues

http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/wb/xp-76903

[The Roanoke Times] 7 Aug 2006--The irony here is that many of the same liberals in the Episcopal Church who denounced President Bush for "going it alone" on Iraq are themselves espousing defiance of international Anglican opinion. On church policy, this too amounts to unilateralism.

Free "Starting a Purpose Driven Church" Conference Nashville, TN

http://www.pdplanting.com/conferences/nashville-sept-26-27-2006

[PDPLanting] 7 Aug 2006--A successful purpose-driven church is launched, not planted. Every stage of a new church is essential for a successful launch and each of the five stages of a new church should be fully understood and developed for a successful first year and beyond. This seminar begins with the drawing board and takes you through developing an actual weekend service: from dreaming about to actually leading a church that impacts this generation.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Conservative Anglicans Commit to Reformation of Behavior, Unsure of Unity

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060804/23496.htm

[The Christian Post] 5 Aug 2006--Conservative Anglicans and Episcopalians who were to decide whether or not to officially break from the Episcopal Church, USA, this week concluded an annual council meeting Wednesday still unsure of “what God is going to do.”

Anglican/Episcopal Rift Prompts Restructuring Talk

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-beliefs5aug05,1,6264243.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Los Angeles Times] 5 Aug 2006--A plan is in the works to try to preserve unity despite conservatives' discomfort with some American churches' liberal policies.

Celtic Worship?

http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?427

[Banner of Truth Trust] 5 Aug 2006--Postmodern believers want to use all of their senses, stressed Hall. They want smells and bells. They want to see icons and statues, as well as drama and digital clips from movies. They look for God in nature, as well as scripture.

Friday, August 04, 2006

CANA Bishop, 3 others to be consecrated August 20

http://www.anglican-nig.org/august_20consec2006.htm

[Church of Nigeria News] 4 Aug 2006--The new Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA)- a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria will be consecrated on August 20 in Abuja.

The Revd Canon Martyn Minns will be consecrated at the National Christian Centre (formerly National Ecumenical Centre) Abuja in a service to be presided by the Primate of All Nigeria, the Most Peter Akinola.

Brad Drell's Statement To the Post GC2006 Meeting In Lake Charles, Louisiana

http://descant.classicalanglican.net/?p=2030

[Drell's Descants] 4 Aug 2006--Secondly, and I know this suggestion will be frustrating for some, we must remain a part of the Episcopal Church. I make this suggestion not only to the Diocese, but to each one of you, personally. I appeal to you to stand firm and to not leave the church. Despite the fact that the Episcopal Church has so clearly departed from the Christian faith, from the scriptures, and the wider Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church is still the only authorized province in this part of the world of the Anglican Communion. Moreover, we need to understand that we are in the midst of a second reformation.

Bishop of Texas to Host Meeting of Windsor-Affirming Bishops

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2420

[The Living CHurch] 4 Aug 2006--The Bishop of Texas, the Rt. Rev. Don A. Wimberly, is interested in assembling all members of the House of Bishops who are willing to stand firmly with the recommendations of the Windsor Report. In a letter dated July 28, Bishop Wimberly announced a consultation to be held Sept. 19-22 at Camp Allen near Navasota, Texas.

Bishop Duncan: 'This Isn't About Us'

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2417

[The LIving Church] 4 Aug 2006--The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, says the Archbishop of Canterbury has a brief window of opportunity in which to act before the situation in the United States and Canada “collapses into the anarchy of high profile ecclesiastical presentments and civil lawsuits.” Bishop Duncan's remarks came in a July 31 address to open the Network's annual council meeting. He cited the response by the 75th General Convention and the recent launch of several disciplinary investigations against Network bishops as evidence that the Anglican Communion is facing a kairos moment.

Brazilian Archbishop ousted by progressive

http://www.churchnewspaper.com/news.php?read=on&number_key=5831&title=Brazilian%20Archbishop%20ousted%20by%20progressive

[The Church of England Newspaper] 4 Aug 2006--Delegates to the 30th General Synod of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil [IEAB] have turned out their Primate, Archbishop Orlando de Oliveira, rebuffing his bid for re-election, and have replaced the acting Bishop of Recife.

Eastward Position: A Backward Step?

http://www.episcopalian.org/efac/articles/east.htm

[EFAC] 4 Aug 2006--The following article is a response to Dr. Peter Toon's piece in which he argued that the celebrant in Holy Communion should face toward the East - or with his back to the congregation.

Breakout Churches

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/breakoutchurches.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 4 Aug 2006--Not many pastors oversee both a season of significant stagnation and a later breakthrough to health and vibrant ministry. In most cases I've observed, the breakthrough never happens-and in the rare cases where it does, it's usually under the leadership of a different pastor. In his new book, Breakout Churches, well-known church growth consultant Thom S. Rainer and his team offer insights garnered from a study of 13 pastors and churches (out of a research base of 50,000) that made the transition from mediocrity to greatness without changing pastors.

Leadership Next: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/leadershipnext.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 4 Aug 2006--In LeadershipNext, Gibbs (Fuller Theological Seminary professor, author of ChurchNext) offers a navigator's guidebook for the movement of the 21st century Church into uncharted territories, using a creative yet concrete approach to equipping and inspiring church leaders.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Network Council: Celebrating Ministry, Looking to Future as Council Ends

http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2006/08/network-council-network-celebrates-ministry-looks-to-future-as-council-ends.html

[Anglican Communion Network] 3 Aug 2006--Anglicans and Episcopalians from around the United States ended the Anglican Communion Network’s Annual Council meeting today the way they began it, with worship in Pittsburgh’s Trinity Cathedral.

Anglicans on the brink

http://www.e-n.org.uk/

[Evangelicals Now] 3 Aug 2006--Post the General Convention of Anglicanism in the USA, Chris Sugden sees power struggles and reversion to tribal religion.

Episcopalians Organize for Strong Lay Action in Church Crisis; Set Work Conference in Orlando

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2208675.html

[Christian News Wire] 3 Aug 2006--Answering widespread calls from bishops and theologians, an Episcopal lay organization today announced a national conference as part of an initiative for engaging thousands of faithful communicants in the pews against “the schismatic revisionism that is destroying the church,” the sponsor said.

Don’t Call Them Conservatives

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/955/

[Stand Firm] 3 Aug 2006--I was raised by conservatives. In Southern California, where I now live, this is rather like saying you were raised by wolves. But I like to think the people who raised me did a good job: they gave me a strong sense of family and of community obligation; they taught me to respect social institutions. Conservatives, my mother often said, valued what was best in society and tried to preserve it. She abhorred mob tactics, half-truths and secrecy. “If you have to hide it,” she’d say, “You shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”

Gay Cleric’s Secret “Marriage” Likely to Further Divide Anglicans

http://www.christiantoday.com/news/church/gay.cleric.secret.marriage.likely.to.further.divide.anglicans/1259.htm

[Christianity Today UK] 3 Aug 2006--The "marriage" of a senior homosexual clergyman in the Church of England, the Bishop of Reading, is likely to spark anger among conservatives in the Church who regard homosexuality as incompatible with Scripture.

Church Society statement on clergy in Civil Partnerships

http://www.evangelicals.org/news.asp?id=476

{Church Society] 3 Aug 2006--The report that Jeffrey John, Dean of St. Albans, has apparently entered into a Civil Partnership highlights the absurdity of the Church of England’s view of such partnerships.

Choirs: Why Bother?

http://www.worshipleader.com/feature_e.htm

[Worship Leader] 3 Aug 2006--Don’t look now, but the local church choir is alive and well! To be sure, the prognosis appeared shaky for a while. In years past church-growth gurus and seeker-sensitivity sages all but condemned churches with choirs to the trash heap of irrelevance. Thankfully, the recent success of such worship-leading choirs as those at the Brooklyn Tabernacle and Christ Church in Nashville (among others) has put the naysayers on notice. Even Willow Creek Community Church, that venerable exemplar of removing all vestiges of religious tradition, trots out a choir every so often these days.

How to Start a New Service

http://www.newlifeministries-nlm.org/products/new_service.htm

[New Life Ministries] 3 Aug 2006--Whether your church is already growing, simply maintaining its status, or faced with declining attendance, beginning a new style service is one of the most effective means of reaching your community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how many services your church has, adding a new style service will help you reach new people. This book answers all the crucial questions, including some people often forget to ask. Provides helpful worksheets to guide the process and evaluate the results of your church's planning.

This book is a helpful resource not only for existing churches planning to launch an additional service but also for new churches planning to launch their first service.

High-Tech Worship? Using Presentational Technologies Wisely

http://www.calvin.edu/worship/pub/high-tech_worship.php

[Calvin Institute of Christian Worship] 3 Aug 2006--Many churches use high-tech tools such as videos and PowerPoint presentations in their worship services. But without wisdom, those tools can turn their services more into entertainment than worship. How can churches use technology to effectively communicate meaning? How can technology be adopted to help people connect with God and each other to foster authentic worship?

Written by nationally known communications expert Quentin J. Schultze, High-Tech Worship? takes a careful look at these issues, giving readers practical guidance on the wise use of technology in their churches. An excellent tool for profitable classroom discussion.

Definitely recomended reading for both new and existing churches planning to use high-tech tools in their worship services.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Faith Anglican Church

http://www.faithanglicanchurch.org/aboutus.htm

[Faith Anglican Church] 2 Aug 2006--In the spring of 2003, most members of a local Episcopal Church founded Faith Anglican Church (FAC) and affiliated with the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA). Our first worship services were held on June 1, 2003. For more information, please read this June 14th Commercial Appeal newspaper article...Click Here »

FAC is a member of the AMiA under the leadership of Bishop T. J. Johnston. We intend to join our Anglican brothers and sisters throughout the world in sharing a faith which is rooted in the Holy Scripture and the historic Christian Creeds, is relevant to our daily lives and improves our relationship with God and our neighbor.

Canon Bill Atwood: Why I Am Leaving the Episcopal Church

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/946/

[Stand Firm] 2 Aug 2006--I am deeply - even utterly convinced that God has the power to bring about miraculous transformations. With astonishing grace and breathtaking power He is the God Who opens the Red Sea and Sarah’s womb. He rains manna on wilderness children, brings grace in the midst of human tragedy, and humiliates death. Why then am I leaving the Episcopal Church? Why is it no longer the season to hope that ECUSA might return to former or even greater glory? Why if Nineveh can turn and Saul bow is it no longer reasonable--or even unreasonable--to hope? It is because The Episcopal Church has displaced the Gospel of Jesus Christ with another lesser faith. While the trappings may appear as they have been for generations, the content of ECUSA's faith is now formally and fundamentally antithetical to the Christian faith of Scripture and history. The message is no longer redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and transfiguration. Now it is naive acceptance and uncritical celebration. Hope is no longer appropriate because they have left the One Who is the source of hope. The leadership has departed from the One Who delivers and transforms. Further, they have constrained those who follow to have to live with what could be redeemed and healed. The institutional heart has turned to stone. It cannot turn back to flesh as long as the choice is maintained to live apart from the presence of Jesus.

Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas

http://rechurch.org/recus/recus/index.html

[Reformed Episcopal Church] 2 Aug 2006--The Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone (Anglican Communion) provides patronage and guidance for the Federation.

On Being Called Bad Names

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/archbishop/abwrites/on_being_called_bad_names/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 2 Aug 2006--I see that the Diocese is being labeled again, this time by being called 'Puritan'....

General Convention, The Windsor Report and ECUSA’s Relationship to the Anglican Communion- ACI

http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/comments/general_convention_the_windsor_report_and_ecusas_relationship_to_ac/

[Global South Anglican] 2 Aug 2006--The Anglican Communion Instituite has reflected and given a fuller response to GC2006. It sums up the issues carefully and gives a the relevant background for the Windsor’s requests.

Surviving as an evangelical in a non-evangelical rural church.

http://www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_090_Surviving.pdf

[Cross†Way] Issue Winter 2003 No. 90--Living the Christian life and serving the Lord will never be easy wherever the Lord puts His people but there is little doubt that to be an evangelical Christian in a non-evangelical rural church presents very special problems.

Life on the Edge: A Small Church Redefines its Mission

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2878

[Christian Century] 2 Aug 2006--What is a great church? For many Americans, great is synonymous with large, volume equals vitality quantity means quality. But a countertradition is quietly emerging. As more churches grow to stadium proportions, small congregations are coming to see their diminutive size as an asset for mission.

The Benefits of a Small Church

http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/top/small.htm

[Executable Outlines] 2 Aug 2006--The definition of church sizes is rather arbitrary, but here is one... a. A small church is less than 200 members (80% of churches)....

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

1,2,3 Go: How to Make Your Members Better Inviters

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/123go.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 1 Aug 2006--It can be scary, intimidating and sometimes awkward to invite someone to church. So how can you encourage your congregation to overcome these barriers?

Measuring What Matters

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/churchvitalsigns/articles/le-2000-002-10.58.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 1 Aug 2006--How do you gauge if your people are getting stronger?

Why Small Groups Are a Big Deal

http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/whysmallgroupsareabigdeal.html

[ChristianityToday.com] 1 Aug 2006--Seven things every pastor needs to know about the emergence of small group ministry.

Bishop Swing Writes to Bishop Henderson

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2301

[The Living Church] 1 Aug 2006--Writing to the senior bishop on the Title IV [Disciplinary] Review Committee on behalf of three colleagues on June 29, the Bishop of California accused the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin, citing three examples as evidence that Bishop Schofield has abandoned the communion of The Episcopal Church.

Committee set to review accusation against San Joaquin bishop

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/941/

[Stand Firm] 1 Aug 2006--The Episcopal Church's Title IV Review Committee is preparing to deal with accusations that Diocese of San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield has abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church. Bishops J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles, Jerry M. Lamb of Northern California, James R. Mathes of San Diego and then-diocesan William E. Swing of California sent the letter to Bishop Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina in mid-July. The letter cites Canon 9 of Title IV of the church's canons, entitled "Of Abandonment of the Communion of This Church by a Bishop."

More articles from Stand Firm can be found at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index.

Parishes Must Take Mission Outside Church Walls, New Research Reveals

http://www.christiantoday.com/news/ministries/parishes.must.take.mission.outside.church.walls.new.research.reveals/727.htm

[Christianity Today UK] 1 Aug 2006--New Research has urged parishes across the Church of England to renew their methods and thinking so that the Church can survive into the new era.

Episcopalians seek to heal old wounds

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06211/709438-85.stm

[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] 1 Aug 2006--Biblically orthodox Anglicans will meet twice in Pittsburgh during the next three weeks to cement ties among conservative Episcopalians and several factions that have left the denomination over the past 130 years.

Conservative Episcopal bishop says Anglican church at crossroads

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/15166134.htm

[AP Wire] 1 Aug 2006--The Anglican Communion is at a crucial crossroads as it waits for the worldwide church's leader to appoint an overseer for seven of its conservative U.S. dioceses, the head of one of those dioceses said Monday.

Disgruntled California congregations leaving Episcopal Church

http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Aug06/Art_Aug06_04.html

[Christian Examiner] 1 Aug 2006--The Diocese of San Joaquin, which includes congregations as far south as Rosamond and Ridgecrest, has opted to split from the Episcopal Church USA over a schism between conservatives and liberals.

Network meeting opens with challenge to Canterbury

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_76983_ENG_HTM.htm

[Episcopla New Service] 1 Aug 2006--Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan, speaking July 31 to the opening session of the Anglican Communion Network's (ACN) Annual Council meeting in his role as the group's moderator, said that the Archbishop of Canterbury faces a critical test.

Rector of Vista Episcopal church quits, will start new congregation

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20060801-9999-1m1church.html

[San Diego Union-Tribuine] 1 Aug 2006--A fourth local congregation has become a casualty of the continuing ideological fractures within the U.S. Episcopal Church.