Focusing on Church Renewal

This morning the following reads got me praying...and that is a really good thing.I have decided to really promote blogs that talk about church renewal or that encourage my heart to say "those guys are doing church".

Aslan On the Move
The first on the list is Derek Melleby's post this morning. Here is a groups of young men and women that are so engaged in dialogue and dialogue about mission that it makes you want to go back to college.

Here's Derek's money quote from this morning:

"Most provocatively, Mr. Dark had something powerful to say to the church. He suggested that we should think of the church this way: If the church were an organization (and he was very hesitant and cautious when using this word) it should be known as the only organization that primarily exists for the benefit of people outside of the organization. This is challenging, Biblical (I think), and would require a tremendous paradigm shift for how many people understand "church," and for how churches are structured. "
Derek seems to live from one exciting time of dialogue to the next at college campuses around the East Coast. When I grow up, I want to be Derek Melleby. Read the whole post here.

It Takes a Church
This is yesterday's news, but Tod Bolsinger's blog, It Takes a Church, is fast becoming my favorite read. Yesterday's blog is quite insightful about the ideal church. Tod says
But what was most interesting (but actually not surprising) was what was missing.
No one mentioned any of the following as part of their ideal church:
Food courts, coffee carts, fresh-baked cookies, skateboard ramps, rock-climbing walls, or gymnasiums of any kind.

This has been my belief for just about ever: Pastors so often, in an attempt to please everbody, never get to the cry of people's heart. Tod Bolsingers and bloggers like him are fanning the flames of people's hearts for church renewal.

The Dr.
Gideon Strauss' is talking a little kingdom theology which warms the heart and just makes ya want to start "devoting yourselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Makes ya' want to just "spend time together and have everything in common, selling our possessions and goods, giving to anyone who has a need". All this talk of the kingdom in every area of our life makes ya' want to "continue to meet together in the churches, break bread in our homes and eat together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people."

You in...
God Bless,
brad