This is a good article on Organic Churches. I love the idea and definitely agree with the philosophy and spirit of it. I had the opportunity to take a workshop with Neil Cole when I was in NYC which was exciting, encouraging and helpful but I still have many questions. One of the questions I have is based on the life and death cycle of the church in which he speaks of. I still don't really get it. I understand that keeping the church existing through artificial means is not good, nor natural but i still don't fully understand what it all looks like. And yes, Neil, i'm threatened by not making a salary as a "professional church guy". I'm not sure what else I can do with my education and experience. That's the scary thing about this. Anyway, read it here:
Neil Cole Speaks on Organic Church.
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing this article. I liked it in many areas.
Especially towards the end: "Unless church pastors are willing to be generous and open their hands they will find that pretty soon they won’t have anything left."
I've witnessed a few pastors 'squeeze the life' out of their church by trying to keep it going a certain way, etc.
And hopefully some encouraging words about salary/no salary...
Going w/o salary can suck some days. But in the end I think it is a VERY liberating thing, if not an educational experience in faith. I've never noticed the 2 occasions w/ Jesus sending out the disciples like that. Willard's quote makes sense to me. When I had pay...a lot of my money went to frivilous things. Now whenever some sort of salary returns I'll know how to live with my money. I think.
I'm not encouraging you to go w/o pay. That would be stupid. But if you ever find yourself in a place where going w/o pay = following god...don't be scared. I've somehow managed and I can't explain.
My degree is in music. Want fries w/ that??
good article...thanks for the link. one thing i don't get, though, is the part about churches dying and coming back to life and stuff. i guess i just need to read the book. but that seems completely out of left field. we don't read anything like that in acts or anywhere else in the n.t., do we? maybe so and i just missed it. do you understand what he means?
bill
yeah Bill, i'm not totally sure about that either. He talked about that in his workshop as well and I didn't really understand it. I understand that there is a natural cycle to everything meaning there is birth, life and death and different stages within that life but i'm not sure how to apply that to the church, mostly the death part.
Thanks for the thoughts and encouragement Agent B. I always appreciate what you have to say. I respect what you are doing.
oh, and i'm glad you like the pic junkyard!
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