Out of Ur

The Hansen Report: Subverting for the Sake of Christ

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

An interview with Trevin Wax.

At the same time that many evangelical leaders lament the sin in our midst, talk of transforming the world for Christ rallies big crowds to action. We bemoan the present world as we long for Christ to return and make all things new. Somewhere in between, we eventually realize that we can accomplish more for the cause of Christ than we have so far, but not so much as our rhetoric sometimes suggests. Trevin...

Ur Video: Piper on Hell

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

John Piper follows up with his passionate belief in hell.

The second edition of our series on hell features John Piper. He's concerned that we're diminishing the centrality and importance of hell in our theology and proclamation. Do you agree?...

A Movement or a Fad?

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Why we're worrying too much about Emergent, Organic, and Missional Church.

The difference between a fad and a movement is that a movement produces long term enduring change. A fad, on the other hand, feeds off something that already exists: a cultural awareness, a disenchantment, or even a novel idea and expands on it. Through media, publishing, and viral exchange, it becomes a sensation that sells books, creates a lot of activity, makes people feel something exciting—but in the end it doesn’t produce enough substance to...

Ur Video: NT Wright on Hell

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The Bishop of Durham kicks off our new series on eternal damnation.

We're starting a new weekly series on Out of Ur about the doctrine of Hell. Each week there will be a post (video or written) from a church leader on their view of Hell and the role of the doctrine today. Given the diversity of views, and the different ways evangelical churches talk (or don't talk) about Hell, we hope this series informs your own thinking and communication....

What's Changing, What's Not

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The trends that will be impacting your ministry in the year ahead.

Dave Travis, managing director of Leadership Network, offers his state of the church in America, based on recent research and his own observations looking through the "keyhole" of large churches. Things That Are Changing 1. Multi-site churches. According to the book Multi-Site Roadtrip, an estimated 2,000 churches in America use the multi-site model. Travis: "If you're a large church, you're thinking multi-site." 2. Social media. According to the Pew Research Center, 85 percent of...

Catalyst One Day- Chicago

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Sign-up before Thursday for a discounted rate.

March 25, 2010 at Willow Creek Community Church Early Registration Ends Thursday, January 28 Go to www.catalystoneday.com and use the Rate Code: BLOG for a special $99 discounted rate. Catalyst One Day features Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel in 4 sessions on the topic of momentum. Leaders in attendance can also participate in a Q&A with Stanley and Groeschel and benefit from interaction around current leadership issues in a unique back and forth dialogue/exchange....

Ur Cartoon: Rebuke Someone

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

A classic Leadership cartoon by Erik and Vicki Johnson.

5 Things to Love About the Emerging Church

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Bob Hyatt's eulogy for a departed movement.

With everyone writing obituaries for the Emerging Church movement, I feel the need to take a timeout to remember some positives about the movement. Although the Emerging Church has been mixed, and in many ways lost momentum and splintered, it was a significant part of my journey. Here are five things I loved about the Emerging Church. 1. On a personal level: My initial intro to the Emerging Church movement came in a seminar with...

Driscoll and MacDonald in Haiti

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Tragedy and chaos is a fertile ground for sex trafficking in Haiti.

Shortly after the earthquake, Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church in Seattle) and James MacDonald (Harvest Bible Chapel near Chicago) were on a flight to Haiti. Driscoll has been updating his Twitter and Facebook accounts with both hopeful and horrific messages. USA Today has just published the first news report about the pastors in Haiti and the terrible victimization of young girls that is now occurring. Driscoll gave this report: We were downtown loading up our...

Ur Video: Leonard Sweet on Reading Scripture

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

There are two ways to read the Bible, and they're as different as apples and oranges.

The Golden Canon Leadership Book Awards

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The best of the past year.

Two things in short supply for nearly every church leader—time and money. Unfortunately both are necessary if we hope to buy and read the numerous books intended to help us in our work. That is why Leadership created the Golden Canon, the ten books of 2009 most valuable for church leaders. The winners were selected by a diverse group of more than 100 pastors and leaders, including our contributing editors, who selected the best...

The Battle Lines Over Justice

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Is justice an imperative or an implication of the gospel, and why are people getting so stirred up about the answer?

As I write this, Christian relief agencies, denominations, churches, and parachurch ministries around the world are mobilizing to aid the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. But the call to alleviate suffering and rescue the oppressed is not only being answered in the wake of catastrophes. Over the last decade there has been a significant awakening to social justice issues among evangelicals. From Rick Warren’s PEACE plan to the efforts of Christian bands like Jars...

Long Live Organic Church!

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

But what do we do if the world isn't transformed?

The organic church has been a frequent topic of discussion on this blog. And Leadership journal has featured articles and interviews from Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole, and Frank Viola. Like us, Mark Galli has an appreciation for the efforts and perspective of this movement. But what happens when the organic church starts to wilt? Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today, wrote the following article to encourage and caution the movement. The full text can...

The Hansen Report: Valuing Visitation

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

A new survey of multi-site churches shows a growing disconnect between pastors and their large congregations.

In the hierarchy of church problems, most pastors wouldn’t mind figuring out how to handle a congregation that has grown so rapidly that they can no longer get to know everyone personally. The multisite church boom has met this very challenge by leveraging the best teachers with new technology to reach mass audiences at low costs. Motivated by spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, pastors understand the number of new professions of faith as...

Andy Stanley: System Failure

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

What really produces transformation in the church?

What causes people to change? What creates behaviors? It may not be what you think. According to Andy Stanley, many church leaders assume that the right programs, great teaching, or really inspiring events will foster transformation. But they don't. Check out Andy's video commentary in the latest issue of Catalyst Leadership on the importance of systems in ministry. Visit www.CatalystLeadershipDigital.com and click on "VIDEO: SYSTEM FAILURE." You can also sign up for a free subscription...