Evangelism in the 21st century
(October 20, 2014)Some alternative ways to do evangelism in the twenty-first century.
Tag: mission
Evangelism in the twenty-first century 1 – the past
(October 13, 2014)The church I attend has embarked on a strategy of growth by trying to retain more visitors – either those attending weddings and funerals, or people members have invited to attend a church service. The services have been “streamlined”, visitors are welcomed in a systematic way, and the public spaces in the church building have […]
The mission of God
(September 24, 2014)Evangelical christianity in the 20th century tended to see its main task as making converts for Jesus. Sure, we ran mission hospitals and schools, but doing much of that at home smacked of the “social gospel”, which only ‘liberals’ did. There was little need to care for the environment because this world is only temporary, […]
Becoming more like Jesus than like the Pharisees
(September 15, 2014)In a recent post I discussed a 2013 survey which suggested that more US christians behaved like Pharisees than behaved like Jesus. And I had to admit I didn’t score as well myself as I’d have liked 1. So what needs to change?
Christians, non-violence and the Middle East – more food for thought
(September 12, 2014)I posted a while back on this topic. I have just come across an excellent article on the same topic.
Test yourself: are you more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees?
(September 4, 2014)It was done more than a year ago but I’ve only just seen it – a survey by the Barna Group about whether US christians more resembled Jesus or Pharisees. Like Hans Solo said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” [Note: A reader has pointed out that using Pharisees as a point of comparison […]
Don't plant a church, plant a mission?
(August 26, 2014)When I was a young christian, most churches were part of a denomination and most people knew what denomination they belonged to, even if they never actually attended. People didn’t switch denominations very often. When they moved house, they would generally find the closest church of their denomination and attend it. Most new churches began […]
Do we need Matt Chandler to preach the gospel to our friends?
(August 19, 2014)It was a simple announcement in our church on the weekend. Renowned christian speaker and leader, Matt Chandler, is coming to Sydney and will be speaking at an event. We were told that Matt is a great teacher, the gospel would be preached, and it was a great opportunity to bring our non-christian friends. It […]
The new Reformation
(July 2, 2014)Martin Luther is examined for heresy. I remember about 40 years ago coming to the conclusion that the church in the western world was, in the next few decades, going to go through changes as significant as the Reformation. I felt we had got away from the truth in several important areas – introspective & […]
Book review: The King Jesus Gospel
(June 10, 2014)Last week (Close to understanding Jesus?) I outlined how I came to see that much of the evangelical teaching I had received about Jesus didn’t really explain Jesus and his ministry in accurate terms historically. It seems that many people are coming to similar conclusions, for example New Testament scholar NT Wright and the philosopher, […]