Gospel Theology – Moving beyond Systematics

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Feb 7, 2007 in Church, Teaching | 13 comments

There is often something quite arrogant about Calvinists.  I think many people gag against the 'know-it-all-ism' that exudes from these (often) academic theologians who seem to have God in a nice neat little box.  Personally, I often warn people of the dangers of reformed theology, because like a kid with a new sword they end up hurting more Christians swinging this new sharp blade without any skill.  In many circles, this season can last a lifetime before their reformed theology truly helps them worship God for the grace that was shown them, accept their new identity, be transformed by the gospel and sent on mission.  I believe a major stumbling block in diving into reformed theology is that it typically begins with systematic theology.

The danger is systematics are a normative expression of theology.  That is, it is true but often misses how we should absorb the information.  For example, it is true to say, "God elects" but this defines God, we are the benefactor of God's grace which changes us in many ways.  This is the challenge, systematics usually leave out the full gospel picture of how this God's grace works it's way out in our life. This is what Francis Schaeffer saw as the great spiritual crisis in his book True Spirituality.  Schaeffer saw that many people who claimed to uphold orthodox theology had very little true spirituality.  Schaeffer realized he too, although he had the doctrines down, lacked spiritual transformation.  For all his knowledge, Schaeffer began to see true spirituality is not just a matter of the mind, but a matter of the heart.

This is where I found a great chart in the GCA Church Manual from Steven Childers.  In this chart, The Radical Grace of God in the Gospel: The Whole Gospel for the Whole Person! (pdf) Childers outlines systematic 'precepts' in a more complete gospel picture.  I'd encourage you to download it and check it out.  Here is one example:

It is in this type of presentation, theology goes beyond systematics.  A whole gospel picture begins to emerge as we begin to talk about things like election and justification.  Rather than jumping into TULIP, a conversation that deals with the predicament, problem, provision, promise, precept and new picture would provide the listener a greater understanding of who God is, how He works and His great love and grace.  This is the grand story that people can see through redemptive history as told in the Bible.

Four out of ten pastors lack strong interest in increasing community outreach

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Feb 5, 2007 in Church, Culture, Ministry Design | 1 comment

Found this article on evangelism/outreach methods from EllisonResearch published in the 2007 January/February edition of Facts & Trends magazine. The findings are from a representative sample of 811 Protestant church ministers nationwide.  Here is a snippet:

The methods churches are using for evangelism are quite varied. The most common is Vacation Bible School, or VBS, which has been used by seven out of 10 churches for evangelism in the last year. At least half have used literature such as tracts or magazines (59 percent), events such as block parties or a Fall Festival (56 percent), musical events or concerts (51 percent), mailings or fliers (50 percent), and nursing home or retirement center visits (49 percent) specifically for the purposes of evangelism.

Other relatively popular evangelistic efforts include “invite a friend to church” days (42 percent), revivals or crusades (40 percent), evangelism training classes or groups (38 percent), door-to-door visitation within the community (37 percent), community service such as cleanup days (31 percent), online efforts such as blogs or web sites (27 percent), audio or visual products such as tapes or DVDs (26 percent), and booths at community events such as the county fair (20 percent).

Ninety-seven percent of all churches report doing something specifically for the purposes of evangelism over the last year.

Just what churches are doing to evangelize their communities differs quite a bit by denominational group. Southern Baptist churches are particularly big on using revivals or crusades, literature, evangelism training classes or groups, and door-to-door visitation, but are less likely than average to use any sort of online evangelism. Other Baptist groups (National, Progressive, General, etc.) are fairly close to average, but are a bit more likely than others to use literature and door-to-door visitation.

Methodist churches are more likely than average to use events, but less likely to use literature, door-to-door visitation, and revivals or crusades. Lutherans are particularly likely to rely on Vacation Bible School, online methods, and mailings or fliers, and less likely to use revivals or crusades, musical events or concerts, or audio/visual methods. Pentecostal churches are particularly likely to employ musical events or concerts, revivals or crusades, “invite a friend to church” days, and audio/visual products, but less likely than average to use Vacation Bible School for evangelism. Presbyterians are especially unlikely to use literature, revivals or crusades, door-to-door visitation, or audio/visual products.

In general, evangelical churches use a greater variety of evangelistic tools than do mainline Protestant churches. Evangelical churches are considerably more likely to attempt evangelism through literature, revivals or crusades, evangelism training classes or groups, door-to-door visitation, and audio/visual products, while mainline churches have only a greater propensity for doing community service as a form of evangelism.

Full report:  Four out of ten pastors lack strong interest in increasing community outreach

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Feb 3, 2007 in Church, Church Planting, Culture, Leadership, Ministry Design | 8 comments

Church Planting Resources posted a paper that "sets out a new paradigm for church planting that may help create such a culture. Missionary and Missiologist Roland Allen calls the kind of church planting movement referred to in the MNA church planting vision as “the spontaneous expansion of the Church”, its “unlimited expansion” and the “spontaneous freedom of expanding life.”

It includes:

1. Principles of Spontaneous Church Planting Expansion (with applications)

2. Case Studies: Mars Hill in Seattle (of a Spontaneous Expansion), Harbor Presbyterian in San Diego (of a One-Church/Multi-Congregational Movement)

3. Written by Tim Keller it includes much of their philosophy @ Redeemer

4. Feedback in Paul’s Missionary and Church Planting Method

5. The Mission to North America’s (MNA) Church Planting Vision

Go here to download Emergence Theory and the Spontaneous Expansion of the Church – a vision for Church planting in the 21st Century a 22-page PDF. 

9 Parts of the Gospel?

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Feb 1, 2007 in Church | 1 comment

I saw this from Joe Thorn on The Gospel and Its Meaning … 

The Gospel and Its Meaning by Harry L Poe, Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture at Union University is a book to help Christians understand the scope of the gospel in order to better preach and apply it to the people God has sent them to.  Poe argues that the good news is comprised of nine parts: the existence of a Creator, the fulfillment of Scripture, the incarnation of Jesus Christ as son of God and son of David, his death for sins, his resurrection, his exaltation, the gift of the holy spirit, the return of the Lord, and human response.

Thoughts?  I haven't read the book, so I don't know if 'the fulfillment of scripture' encompasses things such as the Kingdom.

Learning How to be Missional from Anne Rice

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Feb 1, 2007 in Culture, Ministry Design | 1 comment

Inside Anne Rice's vampire series is an important missional lesson for churches.  Lestat as a vampire had lived well past his generation and was having difficulty with the transitions of the culture.  He no longer understood and connected with the people around in.  In order for vampires in this situation to survive (according to Rice's novel, many vampires choose death when they no longer can find a place in the world around them), a vampire will find a person who embodies the new ideology and make them a vampire.  The older vampire will spend time and learn to connect with the culture through this relationship.  With Interview with the Vampire, this is what Lestat did with Louis. 

At lunch I met with a church pastor who in his 50's wanted to reach a younger crowd.  He identified a worship leader who embodied the very culture he wanted to reach.  This pastor mentored this young leader and allowed them to plan and lead a new worship service.  The pastor preached but let the style be dictated by the worship leader, and what resulted was a highly effective service in reaching a new generation of believer.  The new service reached a greater un-churched population and resulted in a shift in the make-up of the church.