Evangelism is not working …. but it could be

Amongst all the huff and puff, wailings and gnashing of teeth about the state of the Church, one central fact has been overlooked… the bulk of church-generated initiatives have nothing to do with the way people spend the bulk of their waking hours. That’s why over 50% of evangelicals have never heard a sermon on [...]

Re-defining Church, Part 1.

It is time for us to review Biblical definitions of church so that we know who we are, how we ought to exist in this world system, what our mandate is and how we ought to operate. Many of us have gone to start churches or to be part of churches without due consideration of [...]

Mission of the church

Mission of the church begins with Jesus and is outlined in the gospels Jesus announces the coming of the Kingdom – Matt 4:1 The coming of the Kingdom isn’t a message it is an event “When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom he wasn’t talking about heaven for which he was preparing his followers but about [...]

Your Kingdom come

by Ric Benson The fundamental purpose of the Christian church, and therefore every local Christian congregation, is to work with God in the realization of His kingdom. It is the kingdom of God that powerfully and predominantly lies at the heart of the teaching, life and action of the Lord Jesus and it is this [...]

Church can change the culture of cities

by Mal Fletcher We live in a time of unprecedented change. The sci-fi writer and futurist Arthur C. Clark noted that, “Only a century ago the poles were utterly unknown, much of Africa was still as mysterious as in the time of King Solomon, and no human being had descended 100 feet into the sea [...]

Missional Shift or Drift?

Report by Helen Lee In the summer of 2000, Mike Lueken had every reason to be proud as a pastor of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California. Every Sunday, thousands of people flocked to Oak Hill’s sixteen acre campus with its 35,000-square-foot facility, and the church was doing everything that a thriving, suburban megachurch with [...]

The place of the church in the wider community

by Ric Benson The importance of asking questions Socrates is reported to have once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” If examination of one’s life is an imperative for the individual, then how much more is it for a church that purports to be carrying out God’s will, and is composed of and [...]

City without a church

by Henry Drummond   I, John, Saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, Coming down from God out of Heaven…And I saw no Temple therein….And His servants shall serve Him; And they shall see His Face; And His Name shall be written on their foreheads. (Rev 21:2, 22:1) I SAW THE CITY Two very startling things [...]

Ten Paradigm Shifts Toward Community Transformation

by Eric Swanson A small cloud is on the horizon. The winds of change are beginning to gather strength and with certainty a storm is coming…change is coming. All over our world there is a quiet movement of the Spirit of God that is causing believers to re-examine how they “do church.” Churches are throwing [...]

TRANSITIONING IN GOD: From church centre to apostolic centre

by Ian Lehmann To be passionate about something you need to be willing to sacrifice for it. I know I have lost my passion when I am more concerned about the price I have to pay than the glory that Jesus will receive! ~ Floyd McClung The fivefold ministry exists to release the church. There [...]

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