Quotes from Nathan and Richard Foster's Presentation of Nathan's Making of an Ordinary Saint

"Love is a far greater motivator than guilt"--Nathan

"Virtue and vice are both deeply ingrained habits"--Richard

"We are learning to enjoy God--RELAX"--Richard

"Distraction is the great enemy of the soul today"

Those who have the wind of the Holy Spirit move forward--even in sleep"--Brother Lawrence

Quick Hits from Sentralized 2014--Neil Cole

THE TALK

The church we are accustomed to was born in a previous era and will never be repeated, and the training you have received has not prepare you for what you are about to experience.

Change is the order of the day

How are things different:

• Credentials loose relevancy in a day
• Education must be constant
• A leader is no longer a bridge to the future
• Resources cannot be banked--everything is unsure
• Strategic decisions are not planned, but done in the moment
• Expertise is no longer a currency because change is so fast
• Traditions are irrelevant

This means we need multiplication growth instead of addition growth

How would you respond if 100 came to Christ in day in your ministry

Or 1000 in a week? Would you be equipped? 

Mulitiplication growth is necessary to reach a growing population with the gospel

This means we need to shed dependency and release control

Be less invested in the "stuff" of church

One of my favorite moments from Apprentice 2014

On Friday morning at the conference I went to last week, I went into the classroom where there was a presentation from Richard and Nathan Foster, based on Nathan's new book. There were two seats available at the front of the room. I sat in one next to a sweet little old lady. We got in a conversation. She asked where I was from. I said I was from Hot Springs, SD. She said, "Oh we were just there!" She recounted how in the last few weeks they had been through town, stayed at the Sundowner Best Western Hotel, got a bite to eat at the Subway, and then spent the rest of the next day visiting Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park, like she and her husband did when she was first married.

Our conversation ranged all over the place. I showed her pictures of my wife and family, which she loved. She talked about her love for the 700 Club. Then she said her family was with her. Her name was Carolynn. Her husband was Richard Foster, and her son was Nathan Foster. They were the presenters today. Her grandkids, she said, were to my left, as was her daughter in law and her kids.

She asked me if I had read any of her son and husband's books. I said I had purchased Nathan's new book, and read several of Richard's books. Buy Nathan's other book, she said, "Because, you know, the grandkids need new shoes."

(I have been tempted to buy the book. But it is about a father and son reconnecting relationally. And since my father seems to have no desire to have a meaningful relationship with me or the kids, I think it would just piss me off)

We talked about weight loss, diet, and she and my wife being breast cancer survivors. It was one of the highlights of the trip. I almost asked her to autograph her son's book, but I am not into that autograph stuff (I think it leans toward celebrity worship).

I spent most of the week in Dallas at Sentralized trying to find ways to be social with folks at the conference, and although some folks were friendly, I found it to be a very cliquey event with a lot of insider culture and a clear lack of openness to other folks that did not seem to be invested in their "tribe". Almost like a denominational conference, only focused on a different organization and the practice of ministry. There were notable exceptions, but that is a general gist of how things felt.

Then I get to this new conference. And someone seeks me out, instead of me having to be friendly. And the person that I met and had one of the best conversations about life, faith, and family with just happened to also be the mother and wife of two of the presenters.

Quick Hits from Alan Hirsch--Sentralized 2014

THE TALK

The talk began by discussing "What does it mean to be a movement"?

Examples of movements were shared. They included:
The Ancient Celts
The Reformation Era Moravians
The Wesleyan movement

Mark of a movement #1--
Embracing the call to REPENT

• In order to learn, we need to unlearn
• Must embrace the need to begin again

Mark of a movement #2--

(my shorthand here) PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS

• Every believer is a church planter
• Everyone is the seed of a movement
• Every believer has the potential for church in them
• Every cell has the DNA of the body of Christ in it

Movement killers in the church

1.  Non-discipleship of the church (what Dallas Willard calls the Great Omission)

• You can do more wit 12 disciples than 1200 consumers of religion
• Christianity without discipleship is a discipleship without Christ
• If you don't want to hang out with Jesus now, what are you going to do with eternal life
• Problem: The Catholic attempts to institutionalize grace through sacramental theology
• Church needs to be always reforming

2.  The clergy-laity divide

• Creates dependency

3.  We lead too much with service

4.  By supressing the agency of women

"The greatest truths are remembered not discovered or invented"

THE TAKEAWAY

The pastor-centered model of ministry will not work if the church is to reach the world today. The Spirit's work is too big to be managed or contained by one executive.

On the ethics of ministry transition

My denomination has a code of ethics. That code of ethics says this: that when pastors leave their churches, they must "sever professional ties" with their congregations. This means a lot of things, and is intentionally both harsh and vague. It is vague because if a person were to get overly specific, it would both be too burdensome of a policy and would not universally apply. It is harsh enough however to paint a clear picture--the former pastor must vigilantly self-police in order to make sure she or he does not interfere with the ministry of the current pastor. In order to do this, the exiting must erect boundaries, turn away from certain conversations, and seek to empower the incoming pastor to actually be their church's pastor.

Most other denominations have similar ethics, whether stated or unstated. This really is also for the benefit of the former pastor as well. One of the best part of being a former pastor for me is being removed from the drama of the church I left. Much of the time, it is part of the reason I left.

Each church I have served has had a person around it that struggled with these boundaries, in one way or another. In Kansas City, it was not as much of an issue because the former youth pastor was a supporter and became a really good friend. He did however serve on the youth team. He and the church knew the importance of supporting the youth pastor, and there were no problems. And, the position was very part time.

My second position in Kansas City had some of these issues, but it was a different structure from the start. The previous person in my position was burned out in his work and moving out of the position, but then upset and disappointed he was not in the position he left in the first place. In other words, I knew what I was getting into, even if I did not expect all the challenges that presented themselves. And, it was not a traditional church position to begin with, so the normal rules did not apply.

In Montana, the previous youth pastor and I were opposites in many ways. He was a fundamentalist, non-denominational guy. I was called from straight out of the denomination's seminary. I was intellectual and pensive. He was impulsive with attention deficit. He was more fun than I. I was more strategic than he. The challenge was that key student leaders maintained a relationship with him, and even brought him in to speak at our annual youth rally. I tried to make friends the best I could. But, I hated being put in competition with him. The loyalty of some folks in that church almost destroyed my ministry in Montana, and the unwillingness of my predescessor to sever ties did not help. Nevertheless, God blessed and I still feel supported and remembered fondly by that church.

My tenure in Colorado Springs did not create as many concerns. Many (but not all) of my presescessors were not held in high esteem. The interim in my position before me was the children's minister. This created a little tension, but it was not a bad situation.

My Fowler pastorate brought challenges of previous pastors on at least two fronts. First, the previous full-time pastor's wife was on the phone with several people in our church at least once a week, as was the pastor to a lesser extent. They would discuss pastoral care concerns, what the church spent money on, and just about everything else.This input would then be relayed in monthly business meetings. Worse, the previous pastor's wife would relay financial concerns, and money would be solicited from people in the church, and people outside of the church. This money would then go to the previous pastor to buy him new tires etc.

He was also dying of cancer. Thus, we would hear about his health concerns every Sunday, for approximately 3-5 minutes, in every worship service. I was so relieved when he finally went to be with the Lord. Our church could finally move forward.

At the same time there was a gentleman that was an interim at the church immediately before I arrived. He made efforts at being the new senior pastor, but the church rejected that. He also attempted to lead the church out of the denomination, which made him a less desirable candidate for the church.

This interim was always trying to return to the church. He came to kids graduation. He came to community religious events in our town of 1000 people. He visited people, and made every effort to get to the hospital before I did. Interestingly, he had a reputation for not visiting very much as an interim. However, he always beat me to the nursing home and to other visits. He lost his other ministry job, and he was around even more. He came back to worship at times. And to preach.

At this point, the denominational executive gave me some wise advice. He said, "You can try to fight this behavior, and I will support you for establishing those boundaries. But it is a battle you cannot win." I took this advice to heart. I did so because it was true, and because when I was honest with myself, people valued him as a friend but did not care to call him as their full-time pastor.

Now am at a church in South Dakota, and I am dealing with a situation with the previous pastor that is more challenging and difficult than any I have ever experienced before. The pastor is relatively well-liked, is still living in the community, and still often attempts to both play a pastoral role with folks and undermine my pastoral authority with the people I serve.

From the beginning it became clear he wanted to yield an influence on the church he left. He left a note for me when I arrived to tell me who the "big" givers were. Within the first week he was camping out in the office, talking to the secretary, and telling me his biggest regret was not having more input and control over the Christian Education ministry (for which he had staff) in the later years in his pastoral tenure.

Within a few months a member of the church lost a son. He let me know that the child had died as he was on his way to beat me over to the family's house to visit them. Before I got to see them, he had inserted his wife into the music program of the funeral, and helped plan a lot of the service.

He continued to participate in, and at times lead the small group with most of the church's active leaders in it. When another member had chosen a book for study I had used in Sunday School, he complained about it constantly--in part, I believe, because he did not choose it.

Anytime there is a missions banquet, a birthday celebration, and more he is there. He is sharing how people are streaming to the local churches he serves on behalf of his denomination, most of which are members (now former members) of our congregation.

He met with our lay leader to discuss my administrative decisions, and offer evaluation.

His wife has even worse boundaries. She inserts herself in conflicts in our church. She starts bible studies for disaffected members. She discusses the validity of my sermons with members of our personnel board.. She works her way into choir and special music numbers in our congregation.

This was posted on November 6, but buried here in my blog for personal reasons.

she performs in our church, her husband attends worship. The first time they returned was on an Easter Sunday. The message was clear, Jesus and the pastor had both made resurrection appearances. Later, when she sang, he waited until I got up to preach, and then walked out of the service to attend another church.

He has worked for the funeral home for most of the time since I arrived. This means there has not been a funeral I have done at the church that he has not attended. While I handle the logistics behind the scenes, he gets to welcome everyone as they come in, share memories and offer care to folks as they walk in the door, and offer gifts to the family on behalf of the funeral home at the end of the service. One person said as they were dying, "You will get to lead the service, and Pastor ***** will get to take me to my grave and put me in the ground."

Last year, his denomination placed him in a congregation just outside our town of around 4000. People from the church that are close to him have went out there to join that church for worship and sometimes for membership. While serving there he has been visiting members of our church without even informing me he was doing so.

This placement makes me frustrated with the denomination as well. It seems to me that since we are a federated church that won't have their denominational leadership in the area for some time, that the denomination is encouraging this lack of boundaries. They want to pull members from our church to a congregation that is more purely loyal to their denomination.

Last week I was going to visit a person in hospice care and their family. As I arrived, the previous pastor was sitting there with family making plans for the death of the congregant of our church. While he tends not to horn in on pastoral care of folks that are low-income and not prominent, if the person is well-known and regarded in the community, he wants in. This family is well-known not just in teh community, but is world-renowned. So, he is working his way into doing the funeral himself. I have visited the deceased person weekly for months. However, it is hard to compete with a pastor who has been here eleven years when I have not even been here three. So, I don't try to compete. But that does not mean I am not hurt by the family, and angry at the former pastor.

There is a reason why denominations encourage a pastor to sever ties. If they don't, the new pastor has a hard time ever being treated and accepted as the pastor. It means the former pastor doesn't have to do the work of ministry needed, but they get much of the benefit.

The challenge I am facing today is, how do I deal with this forthcoming funeral when the previous pastor horns in? How do I deal with an aggressive denomination in our federation without boundaries? What is the best for the church in the long haul? And how to do I get the previous pastor to respect boundaries in the future? Or is this all my problem and my issue, and I should not be frustrated or offended. I am at a loss.

Book Review of Psalms for Everyone Part 1 by John Goldingay

Psalms for Everyone: Part 1
by John Goldingay
ISBN 978-0-664-23383-9
Westminster John Knox Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I have become quite attached to the New Testament for Everyone by NT Wright. After all, who can argue with having a resource where someone as strong of a thinker as Tom Wright being able to explain the Bible, passage by passage, in a way that just about anyone could understand?

So, when we got to the Old Testament, and the For Everyone series was being authored by someone I had hardly heard of, I was suspicious. Would the high quality of the commentary series continue? Would it be worth investing in slowly adding to my collection of commentaries by bringing in the OT part of this series as well.

So, I found a way to get this book to review. And, as I looked through it, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by John Goldingay's work. The commentary does a great job at putting the passage into perspective, sharing its context, and some of the important literary strategies that the Psalmist is using. I think Goldingay might do a little bit better job at relating the truths of Scripture to everyday experience, especially in this study on the Psalms.

I am going to keep collecting these as I can, and add them to my collection of the "For Everyone" Series. I think you will be blessed by doing the same.

The Difference Between Loving Your Neighbor and Being An Entitlement Program

In nearly every town I have served in, the ministers band together to help those who are in need. In Belgrade, Fowler and Hot Springs, this was a more informal network. In Colorado Springs, the downtown churches formed a ministry called Ecumenical Social Ministries, and referred folks to that agency as a clearing house for benevolent help.

I am currently the pastor of a federated church, and a president of a local ministerial association. We have a voucher system, and vendors that have billing agreements with us throughout town. We oversee the ministry of the food bank, which serves hundreds of people a month. You would think this would be a very satisfying ministry. Helping people n need. Feeding the hungry. Helping people keep their lights on. Sometimes i is. Most of the time it is not, however, very rewarding work. And, for the last several months, I have even began to question the value of my participation in this work.

The reason I get frustrated with the benevolent work we do with the ministerial association is that it has become less of an opportunity to connect with, love, and support neighbors in need, and more of an entitlement program.

This is how it works. People come in to my office. They want help. They do what they need to do and say what they need to say to get it. Since it is institutionalized, they feel they have a right to the money within the limits that are set for each person. If they do not get help, then folks, yell, scream and try to bully myself or others to get it. People approach the funds as a community chest, and believe they have the right to it whenever they want it. You want a handout? Call pastor Clint, and feel free to call 24-7! Uggh.

This system gets frustrating because, to be honest, a lot of the voucher distribution gets dumped on me. Pastors send people in need to my office when they can handle needs themselves. The police, despite being told not to, refer people to the parsonage phone late into the evening. Many people say thank you. Others do not.

Some people come in, get  help, and move on thankful for a little assistance to get them through a crisis. Others use the system regularly, but also work pretty hard not to abuse it. They need help once or twice a year, but they have limited income and live close to edge and need an honest hand-up. Sometimes I get to visit and pray with these folks. I don't mind these opportunities.

Others, however, seem to budget for help so they can spend money on other things. They work the system. They know when they have a right to ask for help, and they come and get it, and then they move on. Many of these folks not even appreciative. They attack if they don't get what they want. Several seek food vouchers so they can spend their cash on booze. Others come and get help for the kids, only to be found selling scripts in the local HUD housing.

The whole voucher system, despite whatever you may do to visit with people, comes across at best as clinical and at worst as paternalistic. It is better than not being networked, but I don't feel like I am relating to people as much as I am an agent dispensing help I am obligated to give.

The problem solver in me then asks myself, how could we change this system? How could things be different? I don't necessarily have an answer to this. What I want is to be able to make a difference. I want to not feel obligated or taken advantage of. I want to love my neighbor, not service them with an entitlement program.

Anyway, something I am thinking about.

Lost In Suburbia

More later about some insights from Sentralized and my hotel room retreat. But for now, a little bit of insight into the drama that resides in the mind of Clint Walker...

Someday, I will have a normal trip. You know, a trip where no mechanical work needs to be done, where nothing is left behind, where I do not lose anything, and am able to simply relax. My trip to Dallas this week, however, was not one of them.

The first day of my trip started out rather smoothly. I made good time while I was driving. I got a Muppets t-shirt at the Loveland Casual Male Big and Tall. I might have even made it a little early....until I ran into a traffic jam about 10 miles north of the tollway.

The tollway, once I got to it, freaked me out. You see, I am a little old school. I am used to a tollway that has toll booths. This one did not. You just drive through and they find your licence plate and bill you. I began to wonder as I drove if there was a sinister plot, or if I was just way behind in my experience of toll roads. 

So, I then arrive at the airport parking. And instead of getting a paper ticket to leave in my car the unmanned gate takes my credit card and then tells me to use the same card on the way out when I leave. Apparently it will figure out when I get back.

Running behind because of the traffic jam, and set off kilter with the whole tollway/parking advances in technology I hustle to get through ticketing and get through the gate. I don't get my carry on bags tagged, and I make my way through security, down to the train, and through the airway to A-28. I talk to the people at the gate about getting a refund on part of my tickets, because I paid double for extra space, and that can be refunded if the flight is not full. I set my stuff down. Somehow, at some point, I left one of the bags I was supposed to bring with me. That bag was my CPAP machine.

It is not until I get off the plane in Dallas that I realize my CPAP is not with me. So, despite my frantic maneuverings all week, I have to sleep without assistance. This is a difficult challenge for me. I have lost a lot of weight since I first got diagnosed with my machine. It was my ten year anniversary with my CPAP machine, and I have rarely slept without it. 

Being without a CPAP creates two problems. First, I don't sleep as well, which makes me less alert, more anxious, and less able to learn at a learning event. Second, I have an emotional and psychological attachment to my machine. I am convinced that any day without it I am taking my life into my own hands, and could die in my sleep. I get jittery and anxious thinking about sleeping without my CPAP machine. For five days I will have to do without it.

I rented a car from E-Z rental for 5 days, and pay as much in taxes as I did for the car. I learned that I loved the Toyota Camry. 

Once I got to hotel, the attendant's first words was, "come talk to us in the morning, and we can get you a new room tomorrow." 

"Why?", I asked.

"Most folks don't like to be in the room next to the front desk and vending machines," he said.

So I went and opened the door.to the room. My nose was assaulted with this odor that smelled a little like urine or cleaner, or both. The room was falling apart. Here are a few of the pictures:

While driving home from a meal, I got lost in yet another tech center/industrial park. These places are so creepy. They are big corporate buildings that are ghost towns at night. I am convinced that these places are full of creepy people hiding in bushes, and the evil spirits of the business elite middle management. At any moment there is going to be some guy with a fetish for overweight pastors jump out from behind somewhere and attack my car so he can have his way with me. Gladly I find my way home.

On my way home from Dallas to Denver, our arrival is delayed for nearly two hours as we circle around in the sky seeking to avoid the thunderstorm that is sitting over the city. A baby vomits two rows up, and a gal behind me is having a nervous breakdown because of the turbulence. We eventually get to the ground.

My bags arrive just fine. Thank God!

I go to the airport lost and found. They told me they had found my CPAP machine. As I get to the booth, the lady says she has given away the machine to someone else, and she has his machine. She will mail it to me overnight tomorrow and I will get it Wednesday. GREAT.

So I go and get my car. I get out on the road. And, while answering my phone I miss my turn. So, I get off at the next exit to turn around. Only...I cannot turn around. And, I need gas. So I wander and wander and wander, seeking a gas station and a way back to the freeway. All I find is miles and miles and miles of 300,000-500,0000 in suburban hell. I am lost in suburbs. I hate the suburbs. I keep driving and driving and driving. I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I tell myself I am going to run out of gas in the middle of suburban hell where there are only rich, white people who drive hybrids and talk about how smart Glenn Beck is. "NOOOO. Lord, help me," I pray, "I don't want to die out here in the wretched evil suburbs driving and driving and never finding a gas station.

I finally find a shopping center. I am somewhere out in north Broomfield, directly south of Littleton. How did that happen? I fill up the car and watch suburbans and German sedans go by, with an occasional pick up truck. A nice gentleman gets me directions to the freeway.

I drove the rest of way home in a driving rainstorm. Winds were at least 40 m.p.h. and there is standing water on the road. I listened to a book called The President's Club. I got home at 2.am. Got to sleep at 3 a.m., and got up at 7 a.m. with the girls. Eventually I was able to get the back up CPAP to work. Praise God. 

I wonder what is in store for me next week

Quick Hits from Efrem Smith's presentation at Sentralized 2014

THE TALK

Efrem Smith is another speaker that I am familiar with from the speaking circuit of my days as a youth pastor and his days on the Youth Specialties circuit. He had always been beloved. And has had a highly notable ministry career.

Smith shared from Revelation 7, and spoke of the multitudes that made it through the Great Tribulation. It was a fascinating talk.

He talked about how "Jesus did not come to earth in the package of the privileged."

Then he shared about how missional living must be grounded in a faith that suffering is redemptive, and that God calls us to be standing with those who are disenfranchised, hurt,and suffering in order to be a part of God's work of redemption.

He said that when we need to "join those in tribulation in order to experience the kingdom of God'

Another popular quote from that talk "A people who are detached from their heritage is an idolatrous people"

TAKE HOME

Suffering with those forgotten and suffering in our backyard, and not just across the world, is central to what it means to be a part of a missional church.

Quick Hits from Mark Sayers presentation at Sentralized 2014

Mark Sayers is a deep thinker, especially when it comes to thinking about culture and where culture is going.

He had a lot to say, but what he really wanted to talk about was the beautiful apocolypse.

What he argues is that we are now in the age of the image. In this age, there is a death of inwardness. In the age of social networking, selfies, and the desire to document and share everything in our lives, we spend less time "becoming" selves and more time creating an image of ourselves that we want others to see and that we want to believe.

He described travelling to New York and watching a whole bunch of people taking pictures with their phones, and nobody living in the moment or connecting with one another. He also shared about the movie "Her" where people had ceased to be connected with one another, but had been completely been drawn into a virtual world of connecting through social networks and other messaging services, but never connecting meaningfully by truly sharing lives and being present with each other. He sees this as a death of society, an apocolypse that is neither some progress to utopia or some Mad Max view of the future. We are just lost in a cult of self.

He shared how more and more a cult of the body, and a worship of the body is also becoming a part of the age of the image and the worship of self.

This increasingly virtual world, Sayers argues, destroys the foundation that the church and Christian mission have been built upon. There is no social framework to connect to and build upon.

He shares that church folks will have to create and do church in different ways, but on the same foundation of the creeds and faith of the past. Churches may need to create the structure for people to connect and to get outside of themselves in order to reach them.

Dan Kimball's Talk at Sentralized 2014

THE TALK

Dan Kimball has been on the speakers circuit for a long time. I have been listening to his presentations in youth ministry and reading his stuff on pastoral ministry and outreach for at least 13 years. One of his most recent connections is as a friend of the Sentralized Conference and the Forge Tribe.

He really challenged those who were listening to do two things.

1. Know our story and why it matters
2. Have a passion for bringing other people to faith, and not get caught up in all of the other "missional stuff" at the expense of evangelism

Kimball argued that many Christians simply don't know their story. He quoted Bill Maher:



What was interesting was how he described how non-Christians and those questioning or hostile to the faith pick out different things in the story to understand the story through.

He says that Christians are familiar with and passionate about the nice and comfortable verses, while non-believers are more tied to the more difficult creepy passages, and interpret the narrative of Christ through the lens of Leviticus or some of the more violent texts of the Old Testament.

He also shared how a post-Christian society hears the ancient truths differently, quoting a participant in his church that asked, "Is Jesus a zombie?"

To show how hearing certain exerpts of a story to create a different whole can be done, he used another narrative to show how a story can be deconstructed by selecting different parts of the story to guide one's understanding of the whole.

Kathy Escobar's talk at Sentralized 2014

TALK SUMMARY

Kathy Escobar is the co-pastor of a missional community in the Denver Metro Area. She does a lot of work in bringing about mutuality, equality and justice for people who are often marginalized. She said she seeks to lead a community where "everyone is safe, but no one is comfortable".

She had a lot to say about partnering with people and seeking mutuality with persons in our ministry with them.

To demonstrate the truths of which she speaks of she used three prepositions, and then spoke of how they lead us to different directions in ministry with folks.

Ministry TO people--doing ministry to people is PATERNAL and creates oppression.

Ministry FOR people--doing ministry for people is MATERNAL and creates codependence

Ministry WITH people--is incarnational and creates transformation

She then talked about how people--both in the church and outside of the church need "corrective experiences" that change their trajectory and their view of their life and the world.

TAKE HOME

The to, for, with stuff. She shared a lot more on how all of this works its way out, but that is not in my notes!

Sentralized Talk #3--Geoff and Sherry Maddock

TALK SUMMARY
Geoff and Sherry Maddock have immersed themselves into urban Lexington, KY. Taking cues from Wendell Berry, they have sought to redeem the land and make friends there. Heavily involved in community activism and intentional Christian living, they have a unique story. Much of their presentation was telling their story.

I got a couple of good quotes from their presentation.

"Our greatest sins are nurtured when we worship the wrong things"

"The church is not to be the object of its own affection."

"The neighbors among us wait to be treated as neighbors"--Brueggemann

Check out their website HERE

I wish I had more notes on this topic. Although urban gardening is not my thing, their story was rather interesting.

TAKE HOME

The centrality of being a good neighbor in ministry and church life

Michael Frost's First Presentation of Two--Talk #2 of the Conference.

TALK SUMMARY

Again I did not have good notes on this specific talk.

My favorite quote, "Jesus didn't just die for you, you gorgeous little snowflake,"

He talked about how we try and make missional living and ministry more complicated that it has to be. It is not complicated, although it can be difficult and costly.

Frost shared about an outreach to people in his community. In this outreach, he and the other churches were asked to help the community curb violence in the party district of his community in Austrailia. What he discovered, which he borrowed from a church in England, was to have people in the plaza where all of the problems are with "Street Preacher" t-shirts that were simply there to do three things: Listen, Help, and Care. They found that a lot of problems were nipped in the bud. Also, their most effective ministers in this regard were 60-70 year old women (cause nobody wants to hurt nana in the middle of a bar fight).

He then went on to talk about the church as a body, and some body science. What he reminded his listeners of was that each cell has the entire DNA code of the body as a whole in its little cell. And, when someone looks at a starfish, when a person cuts off a leg a whole new starfish can be regenerated in the same way. In a similar fashion, Frost shared, each believer has the DNA of the body of Christ in them, and through the power of the spirit is equipped to do more than they think they can if they will simply yield themselves, be available, and realize that the gospel is about serving God and neighbor.

TAKE HOME

Missional church leadership is less about a program than it is about an attitude, or an orientation to exist for the other instead of ourselves.

Missional church leadership is not so much about programs but about getting our people in the stream of the Spirit's moving into the world.

Mark Labberton at Sentralized 14--Talk #1

TALK SUMMARY
I had heard a little about Mark Labberton, but had never heard him or met him. He was a thoughtful speaker with some good insights to share.

Early on in the talk he shared the story of Max DuPree and his little granddaughter Zoey. It is also a part of THIS INTERVIEW. In the talk he shares about how Max, who was at a loss on how to help his premature grandchild, was instructed by the nurses to stroke and talk to the baby. In other words, the baby needed voice and touch. He went on to go through Matthew 8, immediately following the Sermon on the Mount, and showed how Jesus offers voice and touch to bring healing. This was a great story, and even more than that a profound insight. It instructs us that people need voice and touch even today.

He also shared an article from the County of Los Angeles, who commissioned a study of what made foster parents successful. At the top of the list of common characteristics were people of faith that seemed "called to this" and were honest, loving, and passionate about what they were doing. Again, the gospel becomes powerful and meaningful through a witness of voice and touch.

TAKE HOME 
First of all, there are a couple of great stories to integrate into my teaching and messages.
Second, this value of voice and touch helps me think about and set priorities.
Third, it further challenges me to think even more deeply about whether we are a family are called to foster care.

Sentralized Conference: An Overview

This weekend I attended the Sentralized Conference in Irving, Texas. It just finished today, and I am going to need some time to work through some of my thoughts on mission, ministry, and translating a lot of what I learned to my context of ministry.

I looked at this weekend as a pilgrimage of sorts. Did I want to find some help to lead my church toward understanding themselves as people who are sent by God to the world? Yes. But I also wanted to be moved, challenged, and revitalized for ministry as I move into the future.

I have to say, I am still a little overwhelmed. The conference was heavy on plenary speakers, and they came at us pretty quickly. Very few of them had clear outlines, or even hooks to tie in what they were saying to. That is not to say they were not good, the speakers were in fact excellent. But there is little about the Sentralized culture that says, "Hey, here are 6 easy steps to changing your church from attractional to missional." Nor should there really be, since that kind of thing does not really work anyway.

The next few days I am going to work at bringing things together, and gathering my notes into some organized whole.

I have also left this conference renewed and inspired. I am leaving Sentralized challenged to make some hard choices, and setting some new priorities. I am a little frustrated with myself for not staying with some of the priorities that I have set in ministry in the past. There are a number of factors that have played into this, but if the church is going to go where it needs to go and if I am going to be the leader I need to be I am going to make some decisions that are going to make people unhappy. So be it.

As I am here, I also began to think about what my passions are. Where do they lie? What am I most excited about. For better or worse, my passion is my family. I have a lot of other things to do and a lot of other people and things I love, but my little family is what I live for. Even if some people would consider devotion to family a "pernicious idol", I think my family is both my first mission field and central to how I need to do missional outreach in my community (through involving my family as key participants in welcoming and loving others in the name of Christ).

Socially, it was hard being here by myself. I am especially sensitive about not fitting in and feeling like I don't belong naturally. This conference was small. Many of the people attending were from Texas and drove in. I stayed at the cheap motel offsite. (They were all offsite). I did not have any relational connections with folks that came. I was unable to find a way to get a hold of someone to find a roommate for the weekend. So, it seemed like people were less willing to make personal and relational connections with me, and that many of them had them previously. It would be like someone who was not of my denomination coming to the ABC of the Dakotas gathering last week. I am not a part of the story that a lot of the folks here shared. Nor do I share their context of life and ministry. Many of them are in urban or suburban contexts. I didn't find many if any seeking to do missional ministry in a small town or rural setting.

More later.....

Book Review of Framing Faith by Matt Knisley

Framing Faith
Matt Knisley
ISBN 978-0-8499-2187-2
W an imprint of Thomas Nelson
Reviewed by Clint Walker

When I met my wife she would go out for little personal retreats and take pictures. You could tell it was a deeply meaningful experience for her. I figured it was simply a time when she could slow down, be in the moment, and clear the distractions from her mind and heart. And, I am sure it did offer that kind of respite.

In his new book Framing Faith, Mat Knisley takes us deeper into the spiritual lessons that photography can teach us. As an accomplished, professional photographer Knisley uses the metaphor of photography to speak about the spiritual journey. In the process, he also describes at times how the process of taking a picture can be a illumining and spiritual experience. Particularly helpful was Knisley's description of the pace of taking pictures and telling stories, and how both require us to slow down, be reflective, find what speaks to us, and find meaning.

I plan on putting this book on my wife's bookshelf, and letter her read it. And then if she actually does open the book (she might not working full-time and raising a toddler and a pre-schooler), I will be eager to hear how it speaks to her heart.

Book Review of Fields of Gold by Andy Stanley

Fields of God
by Andy Stanley
ISBN 0-8423-8540-1
Tyndale
Reviewed by Clint Walker

One of the highlights of my ministry this year is the development of our stewardship team. Each member of the team has been working their way through a book, and then sharing some of their insights with the rest of the team.

I know Andy Stanley to be a great communicator. I have read several of his books on leadership and vision. Nevertheless, as I read through Fields of Gold I was impressed by the book. Stanley makes a clear case for giving to one's church, as well as being generous as a principle.

In Fields of Gold, Stanley puts a strong emphasis on sowing and reaping, but he does not do this in a creepy, televangelist-like way. He tells the story of a farmer in the middle of the dust bowl who is considering whether to put seed in the ground. Fear that he will lose everything grips him. What will he do?

From that point Stanley launches into a case for being generous with what the Lord has given us. He addresses many of the fears that govern our lives when it comes to money. He also gives helpful step by step instructions in coming up with a giving plan and living our lives with generosity.

For a pastor like me, there are several sermon illustrations in this book, as well as few outlines for teaching on stewardship in a message or a Sunday School class.

I urge anyone who is interested in understanding or communicating about the importance of stewardship and generosity to pick up this fine book.