According to Auguste Comte, demography is destiny. If he’s right, the future is African. By October this years there will be 7 billion of us on the planet. Sometime around 2025 world population will reach 8 billion. We’re not talking about more of the same. Europe is shrinking. Africa is exploding. Africa’s population has almost [...]
Monthly Archives: June 2011
WWJD vs WDJD
19 June, 2011 – 10:55 PM
We like to ask, “What would Jesus do?” but before you can answer that question you have to ask, “What did Jesus do?” At the heart of his ministry in the Gospels and Acts was the birth and expansion of a worldwide missionary movement. Here’s how he did it. Jesus connected with people. Jesus crossed [...]
In the beginning was Jesus . . .
18 June, 2011 – 10:55 PM
In the beginning was Jesus. Without Jesus there would be no messianic Jewish community in Jerusalem whose leaders proclaimed that God had revealed himself in the crucified and resurrected Jesus of Nazareth, procuring the salvation of the world. Without Jesus, no messianic community would have existed in Damascus, in Antioch, in Ephesus, in Pergamon, in [...]
Bible sales surge in China
17 June, 2011 – 10:51 PM
Sales of bibles in China are at record levels. There is only one company licensed to print bibles in China—the government-owned bible printing house which has 600 workers flat out printing 1 million bibles a month. The company has recently printed its 80 millionth bible and is still struggling to keep up with demand. China’s [...]
Apostolic ministry
17 June, 2011 – 6:29 AM
Sixteen years ago I wrote my Doctor of Ministry dissertation on Apostolic Ministry. The project got me thinking about Movements. Every now and again I get a request for a copy. Usually someone has heard Alan Hirsch referring to it. One day I’ll rework it and turn it into a book. Meanwhile if you want [...]
Organization vs movement vs philosophy
16 June, 2011 – 11:12 PM
Some wisdom from Seth Godin: An organization uses structure and resources and power to make things happen. Organizations hire people, issue policies, buy things, erect buildings, earn market share and get things done. Your company is probably an organization. A movement has an emotional heart. A movement might use an organization, but it can replace [...]
More from George
16 June, 2011 – 7:20 AM
George Patterson’s example and teaching has inspired a generation of church planting movement practitioners. Here is on video courtesy of Verge. George Patterson: Make Disciples Like The Apostles Did.
Meeting George
15 June, 2011 – 1:08 AM
I finally got to meet George Patterson and shake his hand. We were part of a panel discussion on church planting movements. George is one of the early pioneers of rediscovering what it means for God’s people to be a missionary movement. He learnt the hard way, by trial and error, multiplying disciples and churches [...]
Back to Amsterdam
14 June, 2011 – 8:11 PM
Here we are in Amsterdam on the spot where we met in ’79. It’s the first time we’ve been back in thirty-two years. Amsterdam has changed. There are no more hippies. The prostitution and drug dealing has toned down, and is mostly out of sight. We lived in the Ark— two houseboats moored behind the [...]
