In the video, I walk through: Basic info about short-term missions and their rapidly growing popularity Brief information about the missional church movement, and why
Stories We Need To Tell
When I was preparing to preach about the parables of Jesus, I came across John Dominic Crossan’s book, The Dark Interval: Toward a Theology of Story. The
Questioning Forward: A Case Study for Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change
I’ve enjoyed posting about the assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry. In this video, I explain how I utilized this method at the Old Hickory Church of
Questioning Forward: In This Together
I’ve been making posts about Appreciative Inquiry, an effective method for studying an existing group of people and discerning how to implement positive change in
Seven Mistakes Your Church Should Make
Churches are too cautious. People who won’t change can’t grow, because growth cannot occur without something being done differently than it was before. Churches that won’t
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Questioning Forward: Better Than When It Started
I’ve been sharing reflections on the different assumptions of a group evaluation method called Appreciative Inquiry. One assumption that seems especially obvious is that in
Questioning Forward: Speaking Your Reality
When Genesis describes God creating the universe, God is speaking the world into existence. “Let there be…” In the beginning was “the Word”, John tells
Spontaneity and Spiritual Growth
My family went for a period of about 2-3 months when we played Scrabble all the time. Many evenings when homework was done, we would
Questioning Forward: What Gives You Life?
People are like plants. We grow best when we are close to what gives us life. When it comes to sunlight, the scientific term is heliotropic.
Questioning Forward: Differences Matter
Differences matter, and it is important to value them. For smaller churches trying to grow, one way they undermine themselves is by insisting on uniformity.
Questioning Forward: Bringing What’s Best
Appreciative Inquiry assumes that people have an easier time moving into the future when they can bring parts of the past with them. Another slightly
Questioning Forward: How Tradition Can Help
Don’t be too hard on older folks. They’ve seen and been through a lot. It isn’t uncommon to hear someone throw the older generation under
Becoming Israel
You can’t really know you love God until you feel like he’s wounded you. That’s my understanding, anyway. There is a significance to the name
Questioning Forward: Inquisitive Impact
Working with people is much different than working with test tubes. A scientist can work with substances in specific amounts in controlled environments. He or
Would-Be Disciples, Beware!
If I ever make it to Greece, one of the places I most want to go is to the Monasteries of Meteora. This is a
Questioning Forward: The Power of Focus
Robert Cialdani’s book Pre-Suasion (2016) contains a staggering amount of evidence that a person’s focus shapes their reality. I would argue that this is the underlying
The Path Between
Most life paths are best traveled in moderation. There are two sides of any road into which one can tumble by means of “too much”
Questioning Forward: Every Group Has Its Strengths
One of the core assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry is that in every organization, some things work well. An unfortunate aspect of leadership is that it
Questioning Forward: A Series On Appreciative Inquiry
John Maxwell has stated correctly that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. No one in the world is safe from the effects of change.
Taming the Elephant: The Value of Meekness
I don’t think too many people in the spotlight these days will have to worry about anyone accusing them of being rational. With the news
Exchanging Nobility
Why is it that we as human beings are so determined to have idols? It surprised me what an active interest I took in the
Promoting Our Children’s Spiritual Health
Everyone has plenty of opinions on what it means to raise up a child in the way that he or she should go. But when
Tabitha’s Hands
If you could go back to the first century, to Joppa, there on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, perhaps you could find a woman
Millennials and Mission: A Moratorium
I’m ready to stop talking about Millennials. I couldn’t even tell you how long it’s lasted, but for years now, every week, I see at
When Churches Choose Faith Over Fear
Fundamentally, the church should be a community of people in whom the Spirit of Christ is alive and well. Where the Spirit of Christ is
Kindom Upgrowth
Where there is upgrowth, something noticeable has happened. To speak of the upgrowth of national trends or economics is to speak of something readily observable