PGF Outbox

Practicing What We Preach - Join the Conspiracy

We as leaders talk about how consumerism is killing our culture.  We preach about how consumerism is the biggest obstacle in Western Christianity.  But, what are we doing about it?  If you want to challenge yourself and your faith community to live out Jesus in a missional way during the season of Christmas, you might be interested in knowing about Advent Conspiracy.  Read on about this conspiracy (from the Advent Conspiracy website)....

TRANSFORMATIONAL PRAYER-- AT THE UNITED NATIONS?!

The Methodist minister and Civil War chaplain, E.M. Bounds, best known for his writings on prayer, once wrote that “God shapes the world through prayer.”  For the more than 400 Christians from 50 nations, including 30 child intercessors, who gathered to pray before and during the anniversary of 9/11 at the headquarters of the United Nations, in New York City, Bounds’ bold declaration rings true. They were joined by twenty-one ambassadors from around the world to focus on the U.N.’s Millenium Development Goals and urgent humanitarian concerns that need God’s intervention. 

"ME" CHURCH...

If you're looking for an example of what a missional church is not, check out this funny parody of 'attractional' churches on YouTube at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87SgroyyRug%20.  The 'Me' Church is a church that is all about attracting new members by meeting their whims and needs...sound familiar?

CONDITIONING AND POSITIONING

As I've embarked on my seminary career here at Fuller Theological Seminary, a variety of questions have kept me up at night and distracted me in class. No, I'm not talking about those eternally burning questions about sin, predestination, revelation, or eschatology, but rather the practical questions like “how is this preparing us for ministry?” I probably sound like that high school freshman questioning his math teacher on the relevant application of algebra later in life.

KINGDOM-COME LEFTOVERS: An Experiment in 'Missional' Preaching

In his closing address to conferees at this year's PGF conference, Michael Frost cited “proclamation” as one of at least four practices that describe “missional” communities.  That, in addition to a workshop on missional preaching led by the PGF Leadership Team’s very own Scott Weimer (Pastor of North Avenue Presbyterian Church) has sparked some further thinking on my part about what “missional” proclamation ought to look like.   What follows is an experiment in this area: it is a sermon preached to a homiletics class on the parables, and it draws its inspiration from the story traditionally known as “the parable of the wicked tenants,” found in the twelfth chapter of Mark. 

PICTURES FROM INSIDE-OUT 2007

Some of you have asked about pictures from PGF's 2007 conference.  These pictures  of Dave Peterson in his opening address and missional church writer and activist Michael Frost were taken by professional photographer Mike Miller who attended the conference and has made them available.  Miller took pictures throughout the conference, and you can find and order many more such pictures on his site, at www.mikephotography.com.

MISSIONAL IN ACTION: God Shows Hand in Game of Poker

If you’ve ever wondered where God is at work beyond the four walls of your church, just ask the 26-year-old poker player, John Armbrust.  He’ll tell you that God showed His hand at this year’s World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and it may have been a royal flush...

(Photo credit:  Austin American-Statesman)

PGF'S INSIDE-OUT 2007 CONFERENCE: What Bloggers Are Saying

In the blogosphere, there was  much to say about PGF’s second annual conference.  Below is a sampling:

Busting Out the Door

For the past few weeks, I've been home on break in Atlanta.  I love being home, especially since I get to hang out and play with my dog Kacey.  One thing I love about my dog is how excited she gets when we're going out for a walk or “bye bye car” - I'm sure you can identify!  There is barking, and jumping, and inevitably, she steps on my feet a few times as we both try to get through the door at the same time.

PGF CONFEREES SHARE LESSONS IN MISSIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Already the lessons learned at "Inside-Out 2007" are bearing fruit!  This first installment in a monthly e-newsletter series features short, personal testimonies about how you and/or your congregation are, in your own words, beginning to live into the “missional church” vision painted in Houston….