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Earl Creps

I am really looking forward to hearing Earl Creps this Sunday at All Saints. Earl is a friend and fellow church planter. He is taking the arduous task of planting a church in Berkley, Ca; probably one of the tougher spots in the country to plant a church. 

Earl brings incredible wisdom and insight and is such a cool guy. He will be at both gatherings on Sunday, August 9, it will be a great opportunity to hear about Earl's church and his understanding of the culture and how theology helps redeem it. 

Earl is also an author, he has two great books that I have read and enjoyed; Reverse Mentoring and Off-Road Disciplines. 

Earl will also be at El Diablo Coffee Co at 10 am Monday morning, August 10th. If you are interested stop by and listen to Earl while drinking some mighty fine coffee.

10 ways

I found this and plagiarized it from a site called Missional Order. I would be interested to hear your comments.

10 ways NOT to live missionally.

1. Live as if the only soul that matters to God is your own.

2. Busy yourself with what matters very little in the kingdom of God.

3. Seek all the things that you need first, then seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

4. Believe that the power of God resides in the Gospel, but evangelize and disciple others as if that were not true by using consumerist means.

5. Don’t pray for neighbors.

6. Use the Scripture as an instrument to judge rather than to motivate loving actions and good works toward neighbors.

7. Model a lone ranger approach to evangelize without connection to a close knit community.

8. Depend on the preacher to get it done. After all we’re not all learned and gifted to live missional lives.

9. Promise heaven to motivate acceptance of the claims of Christ rather than a life with God in the here and now that looks forward to eternal life with God.

10. Believe as if God bypasses the believing community in drawing the non-believing community unto himself.

Common Ground

I just got back from a dinner with some pastors and church planters from all over Western Europe and Africa. Wow, I am so humbled. What amazing men and women. They have a love for Christ that is real and passionate. They want to see their countries transformed by the gospel of Jesus. They are tired of status quo. They are entrepreneurial. They are innovative.

I get the opportunity to talk about my church, the church I love, All Saints. I am excited to tell them stories about All Saints'ers that will encourage and inspire. The comments about believe, doubt and seek resonates with these different cultures as they live and work in post-christian societies. I look forward to talking about this with them.

What an opportunity!