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Tag Archives: missional church
Metric Observed: Grassroots Conspiracy and third spaces
In my last “metric” for post-Christendom congregations, I suggested that the number of “joiners” that begin their experience of Christian community apart from visiting on Sunday mornings is a good indicator of missional health. It’s tough for congregations to imagine … Continue reading
More Metrics for a Post-christendom Congregation: multiple paths to “citizenship”
I’ve been talking to multiple congregations as of late concerning how new members came to join their church. In nearly every case (limited sample), new members belonged to another congregation before joining. That is, they were informed consumers (used in … Continue reading
More Metrics for a post-Christendom Age
3. Can your congregation talk about difficult issues without it becoming contentious or divisive? Again, let me unpack the question. The question might also have been asked, can your congregation have a discussion at all? This question has two aspects: … Continue reading
Metrics Beyond Numbers: Deux (because that’s how I roll)
A continuation from my previous post. 2. Is your congregation adept at finding new partners in the mission of God? A few important words here. First of all, notice that we’re defining what we’re up to as God’s mission, not … Continue reading
Beyond Numbers and Dollars: new metrics for a post-Christendom church
It’s tougher to know these days if your church is doing well. It used to be easier to evaluate. Numbers were the key: members and dollars. And in a setting where going or belonging to a church was a cultural … Continue reading
Posted in Christian practice, culture, missional leadership, missional theology, theology
Tagged growth, metrics, missio dei, missional church
11 Comments
Repent and Believe the Good News: A Meditation on News of Decline
I wrote this piece at the request of Jason Locke, who has been hosting a series of posts on the problems/hopes related to decline among Churches of Christ on the west coast. A lot of thoughtful stuff there that you … Continue reading
Why “Bless Your Little Heart” is a Work of the Flesh and other Observations on an Ecology of the Word
In the last post, I suggested that congregational leadership could be thought of around two movements: discerning and joining. Specifically, leadership is responsible for maintaining the conditions whereby the congregation can discern the mission of God and join it. Leadership … Continue reading
Discerning and Joining: Movements in Leading God’s People in Power
I’ve been thinking a lot about the tasks related to leading in congregations lately. More to the point, I’ve been thinking about how to create a culture within congregations in which they can act, or express their life powerfully (I … Continue reading
The Divine is in the Details: Process and the Leading of God
As with so many things, Luke Timothy Johnson says it right. “If we identify the church as a community of faith, the process of decision making ought to make the structures and implications of this response to reality called ‘faith’ … Continue reading
The Divine is in the Details: Reflections on Peace, Power, and Process
As Paul says, “the kingdom of God is not about talk, but power.” Indeed. I am of the opinion that there is no place where the gospel becomes more practical than in matters related to power. I want to quickly … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged church, congregation, cross, cruciform, missional church, missional theology, Paul, power
1 Comment
Dei-liberations 