Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving. I'm taking the day to hang with the fam esp. my son and lovely wife but then will be back at it Friday as I prep to teach Acts 5-6 at the Early Morning Men's Bible Study and preach on the Lamb of God this weekend.
Everyone have a great one and God bless,
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Leondard Sweet Predicts the Future
Check out Phil Cooke's podcast from last May featuring Leonard Sweet on what the church will be facing 5-10 years from now. I listened to it last night on my way to Columbus and thought 1/3 of it was goofy but that 2/3 may darn near be prophetic.
Take a listen here (episode 4: Reach 2007 episode):
http://www.philcooke.com/podcast
Take a listen here (episode 4: Reach 2007 episode):
http://www.philcooke.com/podcast
Monday, November 19, 2007
Piper Rocks! (part two)
I was listening to John Piper preach this morning as I rolled into my law office and was amazed at what I heard. In 2003, Bethlehem Baptist Church, where Piper preaches, averaged 2700 every weekend. In 2006, the weekly attendance increased to 4000. Two weeks ago, Bethlehem hit the 5000 mark.
Think about this--a 60-year old Calvinist preacher who preaches for 45 minutes after a service with an old school choir, etc. has led a church in one of the 3-4 most unchurched areas of the country to nearly double its attendance in 4 years.
How?
Missional training, multiple campuses and, of course, great expository preaching about the Holiness of God, the sinfulness of man and atonement that can only be found in Christ.
I'll say it again, Piper rocks!
Think about this--a 60-year old Calvinist preacher who preaches for 45 minutes after a service with an old school choir, etc. has led a church in one of the 3-4 most unchurched areas of the country to nearly double its attendance in 4 years.
How?
Missional training, multiple campuses and, of course, great expository preaching about the Holiness of God, the sinfulness of man and atonement that can only be found in Christ.
I'll say it again, Piper rocks!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Speaking of Fasting...
Yesterday, I spoke to CCC's youth group about fasting and then ran across a book review of "Starving Jesus" by the Craig Gross (co-founder of the XXX Church) and J.R. Mahon over at Relevant Magazine's web page. The book documents their 40 day fast and Starving Jesus Tour. Check it out--
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life_article.php?id=7504
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life_article.php?id=7504
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Strengths and Weaknesses of N.T. Wright
I have a love-dislike relationship with New Testament scholar and Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright. What I appreciate about Bishop Wright is his vigorous defense of the historicity of the Gospels (esp. the resurrection), his emphasis on the Kingdom of God and his strident attempts to see the Bible as one, continuous narrative (not to mention his refusal to latch on to pacifism, which is an over reading of the Gospels, an under reading of Paul and a total refusal to deal with the Hebrew Bible).
However, Bishop Wright's theology is not without its problems. His push for "mono-covenantalism" (contrasted with the classical Reformed bi-covenantal position or the dispensational view--see earlier post) has led him to embrace the so-called New Perspective on Paul, which wholly redefines the Church's 2000 year old understanding of "justification" (see Thomas Oden "Justification: A Reader" and Alister McGrath's "History of Justification"). Wright has also embraced a modified post-millennialism in which the church will redeem the world. One can even argue from works such as "The Crown and the Fire" that Wright somehow sees the Lord's Supper as the "Second Coming." Such positions are naive and so radically different from historical orthodoxy that one wonders why Wright doesn't see the serious theological problem of asserting that the church's eschatology has been wholly misguided for two thousand years.
I praised Bishop Wright this morning at Bible Study and someone asked me which one of his books they should read and I recommended "Simply Christian" with some hesitation. Not since Karl Barth has a theologian been so powerfully on target and woefully misguided at the same time.
However, Bishop Wright's theology is not without its problems. His push for "mono-covenantalism" (contrasted with the classical Reformed bi-covenantal position or the dispensational view--see earlier post) has led him to embrace the so-called New Perspective on Paul, which wholly redefines the Church's 2000 year old understanding of "justification" (see Thomas Oden "Justification: A Reader" and Alister McGrath's "History of Justification"). Wright has also embraced a modified post-millennialism in which the church will redeem the world. One can even argue from works such as "The Crown and the Fire" that Wright somehow sees the Lord's Supper as the "Second Coming." Such positions are naive and so radically different from historical orthodoxy that one wonders why Wright doesn't see the serious theological problem of asserting that the church's eschatology has been wholly misguided for two thousand years.
I praised Bishop Wright this morning at Bible Study and someone asked me which one of his books they should read and I recommended "Simply Christian" with some hesitation. Not since Karl Barth has a theologian been so powerfully on target and woefully misguided at the same time.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Village Idiots Part Two
As I confessed in a previous post, I once considered myself a part of the "emerging church movement." I hung around in coffee shops discussing books by Walter Brueggemann, N.T. Wright, Marislov Volf, etc., dissing "narrow minded evangelicals" and cussing up a storm.
I, like Mark Driscoll, now realize that I was a part of these "cohorts" because it felt trendy and different = more "authentic" because it is "mine." In other words, it was pure arrogance. As far as I can see, the overwhelming majority of "emergents" still fall into this category.
I also used to believe that the "emerging/post-conservative/post-liberal/post-modern" church was THE future. Rob Bell's success in Grand Rapids and Tim Keel's success in Kansas City seemed to confirm this belief.
Well, that was then and this is now.
Outreach Magazine's latest "101 Fastest Growing Churches" list was published last month (thank you, Mike Peters for the head's up) and not one "emerging church" made the list. Four years ago, Mars Hill Church was near the top of the list having grown from 3000 to 12,000 weekly attendees in about 5 years. Now Mars Hill has not only fallen off the list but appears to have lost roughly 2000 members as its pastor, Rob Bell, continues to embrace every theological fad that blows through seminaries and "spiritual" book stores.
This has occurred while many conservative (even Reformed) churches have exploded. The most impressive may be the church that Jerry Falwell built in Lynchburg (Thomas Road Baptist) whose membership had slowly eroded sadly along with the elder Falwell's health. His son, who is just as conservative, has ascended to his father's puplit and led the charge to increase its attendance by roughly 4750 over the past year.
Most impressive, according to missiology guru Ed Stetzer, is that many of these churches are reaching the unchurched while Emergent Cohorts continue to "explore" heresy and recruit angry Christian kids who never got the chance to properly rebel in high school.
I, like Mark Driscoll, now realize that I was a part of these "cohorts" because it felt trendy and different = more "authentic" because it is "mine." In other words, it was pure arrogance. As far as I can see, the overwhelming majority of "emergents" still fall into this category.
I also used to believe that the "emerging/post-conservative/post-liberal/post-modern" church was THE future. Rob Bell's success in Grand Rapids and Tim Keel's success in Kansas City seemed to confirm this belief.
Well, that was then and this is now.
Outreach Magazine's latest "101 Fastest Growing Churches" list was published last month (thank you, Mike Peters for the head's up) and not one "emerging church" made the list. Four years ago, Mars Hill Church was near the top of the list having grown from 3000 to 12,000 weekly attendees in about 5 years. Now Mars Hill has not only fallen off the list but appears to have lost roughly 2000 members as its pastor, Rob Bell, continues to embrace every theological fad that blows through seminaries and "spiritual" book stores.
This has occurred while many conservative (even Reformed) churches have exploded. The most impressive may be the church that Jerry Falwell built in Lynchburg (Thomas Road Baptist) whose membership had slowly eroded sadly along with the elder Falwell's health. His son, who is just as conservative, has ascended to his father's puplit and led the charge to increase its attendance by roughly 4750 over the past year.
Most impressive, according to missiology guru Ed Stetzer, is that many of these churches are reaching the unchurched while Emergent Cohorts continue to "explore" heresy and recruit angry Christian kids who never got the chance to properly rebel in high school.
101 Fastest Growing Churches & 100 Largest Churches
Outreach Magazine Updates List of Top 100 Largest & Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches
Hispanic megachurch Iglesia Cristiana Segardores de Vida in Hollywood, Fla., has been named the fastest-growing church in America on the Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches list, published Sept. 27, 2007, exclusively in Outreach magazine's second annual Outreach 100 Special Issue. The magazine's cover features Ruddy Gracia, co-pastor with his wife, Maria, of Segadores de Vida. Since the Gracias launched the church in 1992 in their apartment living room, Segadores de Vida has grown from a small group to almost 6,000 attendees. From 2006 to '07, the church grew by 2,800 attendees.
This year, Outreach partnered for the first time with Dr. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research and missiologist-in-residence, who served as the researcher for the report. Stetzer and his research team contacted more than 20,000 churches to gather the self-reported data used to compile the lists.
For the first time, a new methodology was used to calculate the Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches list. This year, the list rankings reflect an amalgamated number, factoring in both numerical and percentage growth. Previously, growth ranks were determined by numeric growth alone.
"We believe this change increases the list's utility and meaning," said Lynne Marian, executive editor and publisher of Outreach magazine. "While numerical growth in large churches is an important factor, percentage growth in attendeesis also critical. The change in methodology provides a more accurate picture of a church's growth."
The corrected Fastest-Growing list reflects changes in the growth rankings of the churches; however the numerical growth figures and percentage growth figures remain the same as on the original list. All of the numerical growth figures are correct and reflect self-reported data from the churches on the list as of June 2007.
The growth rankings are based on an average of the numerical and percentage growth figures. The sortation of the original list was incorrect, and the error was not caught until after the issue was printed. Some church growth rankings remain unchanged; however most have shifted from their positions on the original list, some significantly. Rankings shifted both up and down.
The length of the list has also changed from 100 to 101 churches. As a result of the new rankings, one church moved onto the list. The Largest U.S. Churches list published in the same issue remains correct with no changes."Outreach magazine strives for accurate, responsible journalism and it is in this spirit that we now report and amend the list," said Lynne Marian, publisher and executive editor of Outreach magazine. "On a personal note, I am grateful that attendance figures, list rankings, or even embarrassing publishing errors cannot diminish God's work in and through His Church. It's our privilege to share these stories in each issue of Outreach in hopes that they will inspire churches to reach their communities for Christ--and we will continue to do that."Marian continued, "We also stand by the good work of our research partner Dr. Ed Stetzer and our friends at LifeWay Research. Together we are investigating this problem and will ensure accuracy of our report in the future."
In addition to the publication of the Outreach 100 lists, Outreach's special issue also includes a report on the trends driving today's megachurches (2,000-plus attendees) and a comprehensive analysis of the growth trends represented by the two Outreach 100 lists.The issue also features profiles of four of the churches on the Fastest-Growing list, offering transferable principles and insights into their growth. These churches include Segadores de Vida in Hollywood, Fla. (No. 1); Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. (No. 52); Salem Baptist Chicago (No. 50); Central Christian Church in Las Henderson, Nev. (No. 20) and our One to Watch: Granger Community Church in Granger, Ind. The growth rankings reflect the corrected list.
In his analysis, Dr. Stetzer identifies five key church growth megatrends that will continue to impact churches of all sizes across the United States:Megatrend No. 1 – Rapid growth Megatrend No. 2 —Multi-site technology Megatrend No. 3—Political action in new ways Megatrend No. 4 – Ethnic diversityMegatrend No. 5 – Return to discipleship.
Fast Facts on the Top 100 Largest & Fastest-growing Churches in America (includes revised growth rankings)1) The state with the most churches on the Largest list (22) is California. Texas has 16.2) Some 1,016,926 people are represented by the combined attendance of the Outreach 100 Largest U.S. churches. More than a half-million people attended a Fastest-Growing church in 2007.3) The youngest church on the Fastest-Growing list is Elevation Church, Charlotte, N.C. (No. 8), founded in 2006. 4) The youngest churches on the Largest list are Gateway Church, Southlake, Texas (No. 74); NewSpring Church, Anderson, S.C. (No. 50); and The Rock Church, San Diego (No. 76). All were founded in 2000. 5) The oldest church on the Largest list is The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, Jamaica, N.Y. (No. 20), founded in 1837.6) 11 churches on the Largest list have sites in different states than the church's main campus. 7) One church on the Fastest-Growing list has an international site: Flamingo Road Baptist Church, Cooper City, Fla. (No. 10), opened a site in Lima, Peru.8) The 101 churches on the Fastest-Growing list grew four times faster than the 100 churches on the Largest list grew. 9) From 2006 to 2007, the average growth of the 101 churches on the Fastest-Growing list was 1,385 attendees.10)
The largest increase in attendance at any one church on the Fastest-Growing list was 4,750 attendees at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. (No. 9).Top 10 Largest U.S. Churches 1) Lakewood Church, Houston Texas, Joel Osteen, pastor (47,000)2) Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill., Bill Hybels (23,500)3) Second Baptist Church, Houston, Ed Young Sr. (23,198) 4) Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif., Rick Warren (22,000)5) LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, Okla., Craig Groeschel (19,907)6) Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky., Dave Stone (18,013)7) North Point Church, Alpharetta, Ga., Andy Stanley (17,700)8) Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., Jonathan Falwell (17.445)9) Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Bob Coy (17,000)The Potter's House, Dallas, T.D. Jakes (17,000)Top 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches (includes revised growth rankings)1) Iglesia Cristiana Segadores de Vida, Hollywood, Fla., Ruddy and Maria Gracia (numeric growth: 3,050, percentage growth: 109%)2) Community of Faith, Spring, Texas, Mark Shook (growth: 2,200, 163%)3) Valley Bible Fellowship, Bakersville, Calif., Ron Vietti (growth: 3,600, 52%)4) Community Christian Church, Naperville, Ill., Dave Ferguson (growth: 2,230, 81%)5) The ROC (Richmond Outreach Center), Richmond, Va., Geronimo Aguilar (growth: 2,100, 100%)6) New Life Church, Conway, Ark., Rick Bezet (growth: 2,000, 108%)7) Living Hope Church, Vancouver, Wash., John Bishop (growth: 2,223, 75%)8) Elevation Church, Charlotte, N.C., Steven Furtick (growth: 1,965, 444%) 9) Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., Jonathan Falwell (growth: 4,750, 37%)10) Flamingo Road Baptist Church, Cooper City, Fla., Troy Gramling (growth; 2040, 51%).
The 2007 Outreach 100 report on America's largest and fastest-growing churches appears in the Outreach 100 Special Issue of Outreach magazine. Issue copies are available to news media on request.San Diego, California-based Outreach magazine offers the ideas, insights and stories of today's outreach-oriented church. First published in January 2003 by Outreach, Inc., Outreach is one of the fastest-growing periodicals for church leadership based on circulation. Outreach is available by subscription or in many Christian and general periodical retailers through Ingram Periodicals Distribution. For information, subscriptions or advertising, visit www.Outreachmagazine.com. The Outreach 100 lists were compiled by Dr. Ed Stetzer in association with LifeWay Research and include only Protestant churches--as defined by the American Religious Data Archive--that opted to participate in the study. All ranks and attendance statistics based on self-reported data from denominations/networks and individual Protestant churches compiled June 2007. All rights reserved. Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches. All ranks and growth statistics based on average of self-reported annual numerical and percentage growth compiled June 2007. All rights reserved. Revised List publication Oct. 8, 2007. Research compiled by LifeWay Research. Outreach and LifeWay are not responsible for errors/discrepancies in self-reported data or churches not opting to report.
Hispanic megachurch Iglesia Cristiana Segardores de Vida in Hollywood, Fla., has been named the fastest-growing church in America on the Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches list, published Sept. 27, 2007, exclusively in Outreach magazine's second annual Outreach 100 Special Issue. The magazine's cover features Ruddy Gracia, co-pastor with his wife, Maria, of Segadores de Vida. Since the Gracias launched the church in 1992 in their apartment living room, Segadores de Vida has grown from a small group to almost 6,000 attendees. From 2006 to '07, the church grew by 2,800 attendees.
This year, Outreach partnered for the first time with Dr. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research and missiologist-in-residence, who served as the researcher for the report. Stetzer and his research team contacted more than 20,000 churches to gather the self-reported data used to compile the lists.
For the first time, a new methodology was used to calculate the Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches list. This year, the list rankings reflect an amalgamated number, factoring in both numerical and percentage growth. Previously, growth ranks were determined by numeric growth alone.
"We believe this change increases the list's utility and meaning," said Lynne Marian, executive editor and publisher of Outreach magazine. "While numerical growth in large churches is an important factor, percentage growth in attendeesis also critical. The change in methodology provides a more accurate picture of a church's growth."
The corrected Fastest-Growing list reflects changes in the growth rankings of the churches; however the numerical growth figures and percentage growth figures remain the same as on the original list. All of the numerical growth figures are correct and reflect self-reported data from the churches on the list as of June 2007.
The growth rankings are based on an average of the numerical and percentage growth figures. The sortation of the original list was incorrect, and the error was not caught until after the issue was printed. Some church growth rankings remain unchanged; however most have shifted from their positions on the original list, some significantly. Rankings shifted both up and down.
The length of the list has also changed from 100 to 101 churches. As a result of the new rankings, one church moved onto the list. The Largest U.S. Churches list published in the same issue remains correct with no changes."Outreach magazine strives for accurate, responsible journalism and it is in this spirit that we now report and amend the list," said Lynne Marian, publisher and executive editor of Outreach magazine. "On a personal note, I am grateful that attendance figures, list rankings, or even embarrassing publishing errors cannot diminish God's work in and through His Church. It's our privilege to share these stories in each issue of Outreach in hopes that they will inspire churches to reach their communities for Christ--and we will continue to do that."Marian continued, "We also stand by the good work of our research partner Dr. Ed Stetzer and our friends at LifeWay Research. Together we are investigating this problem and will ensure accuracy of our report in the future."
In addition to the publication of the Outreach 100 lists, Outreach's special issue also includes a report on the trends driving today's megachurches (2,000-plus attendees) and a comprehensive analysis of the growth trends represented by the two Outreach 100 lists.The issue also features profiles of four of the churches on the Fastest-Growing list, offering transferable principles and insights into their growth. These churches include Segadores de Vida in Hollywood, Fla. (No. 1); Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. (No. 52); Salem Baptist Chicago (No. 50); Central Christian Church in Las Henderson, Nev. (No. 20) and our One to Watch: Granger Community Church in Granger, Ind. The growth rankings reflect the corrected list.
In his analysis, Dr. Stetzer identifies five key church growth megatrends that will continue to impact churches of all sizes across the United States:Megatrend No. 1 – Rapid growth Megatrend No. 2 —Multi-site technology Megatrend No. 3—Political action in new ways Megatrend No. 4 – Ethnic diversityMegatrend No. 5 – Return to discipleship.
Fast Facts on the Top 100 Largest & Fastest-growing Churches in America (includes revised growth rankings)1) The state with the most churches on the Largest list (22) is California. Texas has 16.2) Some 1,016,926 people are represented by the combined attendance of the Outreach 100 Largest U.S. churches. More than a half-million people attended a Fastest-Growing church in 2007.3) The youngest church on the Fastest-Growing list is Elevation Church, Charlotte, N.C. (No. 8), founded in 2006. 4) The youngest churches on the Largest list are Gateway Church, Southlake, Texas (No. 74); NewSpring Church, Anderson, S.C. (No. 50); and The Rock Church, San Diego (No. 76). All were founded in 2000. 5) The oldest church on the Largest list is The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, Jamaica, N.Y. (No. 20), founded in 1837.6) 11 churches on the Largest list have sites in different states than the church's main campus. 7) One church on the Fastest-Growing list has an international site: Flamingo Road Baptist Church, Cooper City, Fla. (No. 10), opened a site in Lima, Peru.8) The 101 churches on the Fastest-Growing list grew four times faster than the 100 churches on the Largest list grew. 9) From 2006 to 2007, the average growth of the 101 churches on the Fastest-Growing list was 1,385 attendees.10)
The largest increase in attendance at any one church on the Fastest-Growing list was 4,750 attendees at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. (No. 9).Top 10 Largest U.S. Churches 1) Lakewood Church, Houston Texas, Joel Osteen, pastor (47,000)2) Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill., Bill Hybels (23,500)3) Second Baptist Church, Houston, Ed Young Sr. (23,198) 4) Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif., Rick Warren (22,000)5) LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, Okla., Craig Groeschel (19,907)6) Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky., Dave Stone (18,013)7) North Point Church, Alpharetta, Ga., Andy Stanley (17,700)8) Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., Jonathan Falwell (17.445)9) Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Bob Coy (17,000)The Potter's House, Dallas, T.D. Jakes (17,000)Top 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches (includes revised growth rankings)1) Iglesia Cristiana Segadores de Vida, Hollywood, Fla., Ruddy and Maria Gracia (numeric growth: 3,050, percentage growth: 109%)2) Community of Faith, Spring, Texas, Mark Shook (growth: 2,200, 163%)3) Valley Bible Fellowship, Bakersville, Calif., Ron Vietti (growth: 3,600, 52%)4) Community Christian Church, Naperville, Ill., Dave Ferguson (growth: 2,230, 81%)5) The ROC (Richmond Outreach Center), Richmond, Va., Geronimo Aguilar (growth: 2,100, 100%)6) New Life Church, Conway, Ark., Rick Bezet (growth: 2,000, 108%)7) Living Hope Church, Vancouver, Wash., John Bishop (growth: 2,223, 75%)8) Elevation Church, Charlotte, N.C., Steven Furtick (growth: 1,965, 444%) 9) Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., Jonathan Falwell (growth: 4,750, 37%)10) Flamingo Road Baptist Church, Cooper City, Fla., Troy Gramling (growth; 2040, 51%).
The 2007 Outreach 100 report on America's largest and fastest-growing churches appears in the Outreach 100 Special Issue of Outreach magazine. Issue copies are available to news media on request.San Diego, California-based Outreach magazine offers the ideas, insights and stories of today's outreach-oriented church. First published in January 2003 by Outreach, Inc., Outreach is one of the fastest-growing periodicals for church leadership based on circulation. Outreach is available by subscription or in many Christian and general periodical retailers through Ingram Periodicals Distribution. For information, subscriptions or advertising, visit www.Outreachmagazine.com. The Outreach 100 lists were compiled by Dr. Ed Stetzer in association with LifeWay Research and include only Protestant churches--as defined by the American Religious Data Archive--that opted to participate in the study. All ranks and attendance statistics based on self-reported data from denominations/networks and individual Protestant churches compiled June 2007. All rights reserved. Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches. All ranks and growth statistics based on average of self-reported annual numerical and percentage growth compiled June 2007. All rights reserved. Revised List publication Oct. 8, 2007. Research compiled by LifeWay Research. Outreach and LifeWay are not responsible for errors/discrepancies in self-reported data or churches not opting to report.
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