Breathing strange utterances and mouthing a creed which it would seem no same mortal could understand, the newest religious sect has started in Los Angeles. Meetings are held in a tumble-down shack on Azusa Street. . . and the devotees of the weird doctrine practice the most fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories and work [...]
Category Archives: Revitalization
Back to the Future
22 July, 2005 – 11:08 AM
At the heart of the renewal of any movement is the ability to make an “innovative return to tradition”. Ponder the Beetle and you’ll get an idea of what that means.
Engaged orthodoxy
7 June, 2005 – 8:36 AM
Good question from Brett the other day regarding my views on the “emerging church”. Was I concerned the emerging church was not “conservative” in the best sense of the word? I don’t see the emerging church as any different from previous attempts to adapt the church to a changing world. It’s a mixed bag. The [...]
Beer mat ads to recruit priests
30 May, 2005 – 10:02 AM
According to the BBC, the number of priests is in serious decline in the UK. The Cardinal of Westminster has seen numbers of priest in his diocese slump from 850 in 1990 to 600 this year. The number is expected to decline to 470 over the next decade. But we have a solution. The Church [...]
Closing down sale
23 May, 2005 – 11:07 AM
Collins Books are in trouble. They’re selling off or closing down stores in an effort to survive. The reason? Competition from Amazon and newcomers to the Australian market like Borders. Collins had a secure place in the world of bookselling. But the world changed. Collins has been left behind. It happens all the time. Proud [...]
Either you’re crazy or ……
17 May, 2005 – 9:27 AM
When I first met Ashley he was twenty-four years old. I was used to church planters seeking me out for coaching but Ashley was different. He didn’t want to just start a church. He wanted to start a missionary movement that would multiply churches among the poor in Australia and throughout Asia. As Ashley shared [...]
The task of self renewal
16 April, 2005 – 5:35 AM
History teaches us that eventually innovative organisations and movements drift into decline and conservatism. By 1909 the incredibly successful Limelight Unit of the Salvation Army was effectively shut down by incoming Commissioner James Hay, an austere Scotsman. Less than ten years before, the unit had produced the world’s first full-length film (see “Why should the [...]
Reappearing nuns
13 April, 2005 – 5:38 PM
Despite the devastation of the last thirty or more years (see “Disappearing nuns”), there are some signs of renewal and hope for religious orders. Those signs are evident among the newer orders that have remained true to their spiritual tradition and are still making the traditional demands of religious life. Those orders are successfully recruiting [...]
