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Doorways and Pathways
Missional Initiatives that Transform Communities
Because a great door for effective work has opened to me (us) ...
I Corinthians 16:8
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
-- J.R.R.Tolkien
Worship
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysMove On
It's January. Starting a New Year of journey - a journey of this wee planet around the sun; a Journey for us disciples with the Son. Lead On, O King Eternal!
Moving - moving on, is inevitable. With whom we move, matters. Let's move on, eac ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysOur Life Together: What's Really Going On?
I do this (consulting work with congregations) because in my gut I think everything we do is spiritual practice. Discussing ‘screwups’ the congregation experienced? We’re working on confession and absolution. Discussing ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysThe God Who Shows Up
Perhaps 90% of mission lies simply in our showing up.
So it was that Emmanuel, God-with-us, descended to earth's lowest places to be with us and to lift humani ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysGive Hope
The darkest time in the year,
The poorest place in the town,
Cold and a taste of fear,
Man and wo ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysWhen You Can't Get There From Here
Without trying to be overtly Roman in my catholicity, I note that there may be times when local churches seem to be in danger of ‘losing critical-mass.’ Or, perhaps ‘mass’ is more of a physics term . . . In short, we’ ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysWelcoming Other Cultures
Why shouldn't persons of various cultures, groups and sub-cultures use their own cultural expressions and instruments, music, dress, and dance to honor God, as they gather with us in worship?
Surely we are moving beyond thinking that the w ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysExhausted by Church Work?
Perhaps the more difficult task today is not to get ‘the world’ into our churches, but to get Christians into the world – into their world, as fully immersed, interacting, loving, caring -- simply ‘being there’ &ndash ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysAre we Transforming Communities?
There’s got to be a ‘so what?’ aspect of our being called out together, to God and to be part of the Church - something beyond our having good leadership, inspiring gatherings and vital involvements in many programs. We are (also ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and PathwaysThe Mission of God by the People of God
Do we need a rediscovery of mission-shaped life and ministry in our churches? Every believer may well answer -- 'Yes!'
With regard to the health and growth of the Church in its times, the priesthood of every believer was one o ... [read full post]
According to Isaiah 6, in ancient Israel in that dramatic year that King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah was given to see the awe-full revelation of a greater King. When he did, Isaiah thought he was a dead man. It occurred in the temple and the e ... [read full post]
Abraham was ‘called out’ before he was ‘called to.’ Perhaps one cannot live a mission–shaped life if one does not actually leave some place, some people, some family, some friends, some things that ar ... [read full post]
The Bible provides a basis for mission. Christopher Wright maintains in his book, ‘The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative’ (Inter-Varsity Press), that mission is bigger than that— that there is i ... [read full post]
Like Mary's proverbial lamb, some churches and some disciples have lost their way. Some churches have shrunk in size and declined in influence in their community because they suffer from a lost of missional understanding, purpose and focus. Lots of people who used to go to church, don't anymore. Some have never been inside a Christian Church. Recently, I heard someone self-tag as: an ‘irreligious Christ follower.’ . . . I get that. People have given up on church, on ... [read full post]
The responsibility of harvest remains. It's just that there may be new ways of fa ... [read full post]
"Have you noticed that 80 percent of the work around this church is done by only about 20 percent of the people! The assessment was passed on to me without a smile. Gingerly, I ventured a comment: "Yes, and I think that's likely the way it's suppo ... [read full post]
I hope that we may see in our denomination the further creation and expansion of a missional movement, comprised of new mission-shaped atmosphere, ethos and practical outworkings. To get there from here will involve change in attitude wit ... [read full post]
Some think that my teaching implies that we should stop gathering as a church in our Baptist buildings and settings and just get out into the community and try to figure out how to do mission projects and work there. Let's just start over again li ... [read full post]
God calls the People of God into His purposes. He purposes to restore people, places and things – all of creation and all God’s creatures back into creation's purposeful best – some of it a call back to . . ., and some of it a ca ... [read full post]
There is a certain 'now-ness' to be sure, an immediacy in what we have opportunity to do and to which we are called each day. There is this-here-and-now opportunity to give in Jesus' Name a glass of water to one who is thirsty. There is this broke ... [read full post]
What can I/we bring Him? . . . What might I/we bring Him? . . . What should I/we bring Him . . . What must I/we bring Him . . . ? 1. The Magi are remembered as ‘wise-men’ or kings, as reflected in their gifts (gold, frankincense, myrrh. ) ... [read full post]
For the Shepherds (if one may speculate and think of groups representatively), there is to be brought unique gift and purpose, as in the follo ... [read full post]
The People that walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon them that live i ... [read full post]
So, perhaps really just trying to break the ice, I said: "Well, I see that your church sanctuary could seat about 300 people - but somehow you have managed to 'grow' it down to 30. But - not to despair: Jesus only had 12 or so to start with!" < ... [read full post]
Of course mission (and being 'missional') is about going or, as Jesus put it 'as you go . . .' And yet as we think of the rhythms of church life and the ministry of outreach we can see clearly that in Canada some still will come to church (ie. to ... [read full post]
Canadian Baptists of Ontario & Quebec - a ‘missional movement.’ What are the implications of Canadian Baptists of Ontario & Quebec seeing themselves in this day as being joined together as a ‘miss ... [read full post]
Bill Easum is a church consultant, based in the United States. In 2000 he prepared a presentation for the Society for Church Growth in which he asked what he considered at the time to be some of the key questions of our time. In looking ba ... [read full post]
‘Church people’ are more often than not trying to find out how to get people into their churches (i.e. buildings) - whereas Kingdom people are trying to find out how to get church people out of their churches - inspiring, training and ... [read full post]
CBOQ has partnered with churches to help them become missional-initiative ‘seeds’ for new ways of being proactive in their response of ministry in their unique situations and settings. We call them: ‘Barnabas Initiatives& ... [read full post]
Have you noticed that a shop-vac both inhales and exhales? - assuming, of course, that it's plugged in and switched on? So it is that healthy church fellowships both ‘gather’ and ‘scatter’ in faithful obedience to C ... [read full post]
In Luke 10, Jesus appointed 70 disciples and sent them out to the towns and villages He intended to visit. Whether that 'intent' was ever realized we cannot know, for we know that Jesus with His disciples was on his way to Jerusalem, where he woul ... [read full post]
In his book, The Road That Led to Somewhere, Dr. Bryan E. Walls has written “an epic true story of one family’s journey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in the United States to freedom in Canada.” It is a 'Compan ... [read full post]
During this past week, we have noted the elevation to canonization and 'sainthood' of Brother Andre of Montreal. He is remembered for his prayerful, humble, simple life and for the answers to prayer – perhaps miracles, that are thoug ... [read full post]
I was raised on a farm. So, I welcomed rather than found strange some farm and barnyard contexts for ministry in my first pastorate. Fields and stalls became settings for pastoral care and visitation, sermon illustration-gleaning, governance and e ... [read full post]
CBOQ Missional Initiatives 2010 from Laurence Barber on Vimeo. Craig Van Gelder & Alan Roxburgh - What is Missional Church? from Allelon on Vimeo. Ever noticed that the bottle-neck is at the top of the bottle? In some churches, the blocks to ministry release and fruitfulness is due to over-controlling leadership. Sometimes when a leader cannot be directly involved, for a number of reasons, i ... [read full post]
What will church look like when we gather as the People of God? What, in essence, are we about at such times and in places of gathering? What should we start - or stop doing? What is essential to continue and what - not so much. Stuart Murray is Oasis Director of Church Planting and Evangelism and Lecturer, Spurgeon's College, London, England. He quotes Lesslie Newbigin who in his book 'The Gospel in a Pluralist Society,' insisted that contemporary society is a pagan soci ... [read full post]
We have entered upon a new day when so much has changed and where local churches and denominations struggle to make sense of their role and place. The People of God, however, have ‘been here before.’ Although we do not know fully what ... [read full post]
Ninety per cent of Mission is showing up (incarnational presence) and, perhaps, another 8% is about our noting what Jesus is already doing; and then listening and discerning where it is He wants us to make our relatively tiny yet necessary contrib ... [read full post]
Let's say that all the various and diverse cultures of the world are like the different instruments of an orchestra. In general, there will be a percussion section, a brass section and a stringed section. Some instruments have strings and ... [read full post]
When St. Paul visited Ephesus and spent several years of ministry there, he would have seen the Nike swish, very similar to that which has become almost ubiquitous in our day. Visiting Ephesus, I too saw an ancient stone carving of the god ... [read full post]
I am reading and appreciating a new book this summer: "Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional." (IVP Books) The author is Jim Belcher (M.A., Fuller; Ph.D., Georgetown, founding church planter and lead pastor of Redeemer Pr ... [read full post]
So, perhaps really just trying to break the ice, I said: “Well, I see that your church sanctuary could seat about 300 people – but somehow you have managed to ‘grow’ it down to 30. But – not to despair: Jesus o ... [read full post]
Since the Fall of humankind, weeds and thistles have attended all our work. When Nehemiah sought with others to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, there was local opposition and opposing leaders who did not want it to ... [read full post]
I was amazed, while in Ephesus, to see how many of the ancient walls and doors are still standing. We toured through ancient buildings, with large rooms. Whose to say that these very rooms did not house a prayer mee ... [read full post]
A few years ago, I journeyed to Turkey with a group of CBOQ pastors. Our intent was to visit the 'churches of the Revelation.' We wanted to visit and see firsthand the remains and visible markers of the Presence of ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Forced to be Missional?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Do You Have to Go Somewhere to be a Missionary?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
A Wider, Bigger Understanding of Mission
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
The Local Church That's Lost its Way
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
The End of Churched Canada. Now What?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Harvesting Today
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Balance in Ministry
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Longing for Missional Reality
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Learning to Live Mission-Shaped Lives
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Mission-Shaped Living: Understanding Church, local church and Kingdom
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
EndGame: The Teleological Imprint upon the Hearts, Minds and Passions of Followers of Jesus
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Of Shepherd and Magi - Further Reflections
1. Each one of us must (can now as made possible through our ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
If I Were a Wise Man
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
If I Were a Shepherd
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
The Gifts We May Bring
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a Lamb,
If I were a wise-man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I bring Him – bring my heart.
[read full post]
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
A Great Light
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
As you go . . . (to) make disciples . . .
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
It's Not Rocket-Science!
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
CBOQ: A Mission-shaped Movement?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Relevant and Key Questions for Christians Today
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Out of the Box: Beyond the 'Usual' of the Local Church
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Antioch Churches - Ministries of Encouragement
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Inhale - Exhale
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Luke 10 - Clues to Missional Pursuit
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Coming to Canada: A People's Story
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
The Exemplary Encouragement and Challenge of Saints in God's Family
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Find a Symbol and Climb It
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Missional Initiatives Plenary Video - June 2010
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
What is Missional?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Send Those Guys Home!
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Conduits or Corks?
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
How Shall We Now Live?
As we ... [read full post]
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
A Radically New Situation
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Puzzing Days
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Showing Up and Paying Attention
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Together, Let us Praise Him
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Symbols in OurTime
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
Deep Church
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
So Send I You
Posted in Doorways and Pathways
AND There Are Many Adversaries
A Great Door and Effectual
Tarrying in Ephesus
