Triperspectivalism, Multiperspectivalism & Other Large Words

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 31, 2007 in Church, Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry Design, Triperspectivalism | 4 comments

It's been well over a year since my first post on multiperspectivalism (or triperspectivalism), but more and more people & churches are seeing this as a framework to do effective ministry.  In the Acts 29 forum, there appears to be several churches who are re-thinking their structures based on this framework.  At Kaleo Church, Dick Kaufmann and Doug Swagerty (from Harbor Pres.) have influenced us greatly.  These two missional church planters have had years of applying a triperspectival approach to ministry. Also, they both taught on triperspectivalism with John Frame.  I've been told Redeemer is flying Dick out (who used to be 'Keller's right hand man') to do some consulting for them.  David Fairchild has also been emailing John Frame (right image, the man credited with introducing triperspectivalism) who we're trying to schedule for our regional event in San Diego. We are just at the beginning of unpacking this and seeing how it applies to the church & our lives but I thought it would be helpful to consolidate what we have so far:

John Frame's Primer on Perspectivalism (pdf)

Posts from my blogs: 

How Multi-perspectivalism and Tri-Perspectivalism should shape your Worldview

Triperspectival Ecclesiology – Being the Church as Corporate, Intimate & Group

The Decline of the Western Church and the Call to renew your Church’s Ecclesiology

Missional Eldership – Leading a Transformational Community

Creating a Church to Change Culture

Developing Leaders to lead

Triperspectival Ministry Assessment

How Mutliperspectivalism shapes Church Leadership and how you staff a church

Leadership Conflict Resolution: Prophet | Priest | King

What type of churches NOT to plant (triperpectival)

Deacon Training & Development

Other bloggers mentioning these perspectival approaches:

Ministry through the lens of Multiperspectival Epistemology 

Multi-perspectivalism

Frame Friday: Multiperspectivalism

Frame and Triperspectivalism

Where Should a New Church Meet?

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 29, 2007 in Church, Church Planting | 6 comments

Ed Stetzer sent over his recent insights for Church Planters:

Church planters have a million issues to consider as they start a new church: what music style do we use, how do we let the community know about us, and when do we get started (to name just a few). Yet they may now be able to cross one more worry off their list—whether it hurts them to not meet in a "church" building.

This is something we had to think through as a church. Kaleo Church has met in a church, an office building, a theater, a warehouse and we are only a couple years old.  We've found that guests increased when we moved into the theater, but the downside it is hard to build community and do the family ministry. 

Our experience would agree with Stetzer's research, finding a church building is not important.  According to the survey of 1,200 people  asked, If you were considering visiting or joining a church, would knowing that the church does not meet in a traditional church building impact your decision?

• It would not make any difference  73%
• It would negatively impact my decision 19%
• It would positively impact my decision  6%
• Not sure      2%

Read the full article: Where Should a New Church Meet?

GCA – North America Church Planting Seminar

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 23, 2007 in Church Planting, Culture, General Technology | 5 comments

The North America Church Planting Seminar is an inter-denominational training event designed to equip church planters, coaches and supervisors to start, grow and multiply healthy, gospel-centered churches that result in the spiritual, social and cultural transformation of entire cities and regions. Christian leaders from more than 30 countries, representing over 100 denominations and mission agencies, have taken this church planter training.  This conference will be hosted at John Piper's church.

I will be presenting a couple sessions at the conference dealing with Message and Media: Communicating the Gospel in Our Post-Christian World

Session 1: Communication in Our Post-Christian World
The culture is changing and it requires new methods of communication.  This session will help you learn how to effectively minister in a post-Christian context.   Come learn the 1) five values of this Post-Christian generation, the 2) ten idols that enslave them and 3) effective ways to communicate the eternal and unchanging gospel message.

Session 2: The Internet & The Sovereignty of God
Pax Romana, the Gutenberg printing press and the internet.  God has used major technological and cultural shifts to bring sweeping change.  As our culture moves increasingly online, this session will help your church effectively use the internet to be missionaries to unbelievers, gather the unchurched and connect with your community.  Come learn how to use this powerful tool to change the community in which you are called to plant a church.

Session 2's title is a play of J.I. Packer's work, since a lot of reformed folks are there, I'm have to address the antinomy of internet outreach and God's sovereignty. :)  Let me know if you will be there…

View the other sessions & speakers such as Stetzer, Nabors, Childers, Ogne, etc (or view my mug shot). 

Elders – Missional Movements, Plurality of Leadership & First Amongst Equals

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 22, 2007 in Church, Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry Design | 6 comments

A group of Acts 29 pastors gathered for our monthly lunch together.  It was during this time we provide just-in-time coaching to those who would like to bring things to the table.  At this meeting three different churches discussed how to operate as a plurality of elders and yet make decisions when there is disagreement.  Several suggestions were given including weighing in how strongly you feel about the issue, but at the end of the day almost all church planter/pastors brought up the belief that there must be a first amongst equals.  Several people had tried to operate in a plurality of eldership without this, but both failed.  Further explanation: 

First Among a Council of Equals: Leaders Among Leaders: An extremely important but terribly misunderstood aspect of biblical eldership is the principle of "first among equals" (1 Tim. 5:17). Failure to understand this principle has caused some elderships to be tragically ineffective in their pastoral care and leadership. Although elders are to act jointly as a council and share equal authority and responsibility for the leadership of the church, all elders are not equal in their giftedness, biblical knowledge, leadership ability, experience, or dedication. Therefore, those among the elders who are particularly gifted leaders and/or teachers will naturally stand out among the other elders as leaders and teachers within the leadership body.

…the "first-among-equals" concept is evidenced by the way in which congregations are to honor their elders. Concerning elders within the church in Ephesus, Paul writes, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,' and 'The laborer is worthy of his wages' " (1 Tim. 5:17,18). All elders must be able to teach the Word, but not all of them desire to work fully at preaching and teaching. The local church should properly care for those who are specially gifted in teaching and spend the time to do so. Let us be clear about the fact that it is the spiritual giftedness of the elders that causes the church to grow and prosper spiritually, not just the eldership form of government per se.

 Source: BIBLICAL ELDERSHIP Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Church (pdf) NOTE: This excerpt is from an abridgment of Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Eldership by Alexander Strauch.

So how does this work? How are you operating as a plurality of elders?  Do you have a first amongst equals?

One of the ways I've been thinking about this is that as you look at a church as corporation, cause & community there will be elder(s) whose 'cause' is the mission/movement.  Taking from Outgrowing the Ingrown Church by C. John Miller, this is a 'missional pacesetter who is able to break through the church's natural tendency to erect barriers to guarantee the church's comfort and safety'.  This does not mean they are maverick decision makers but that they are focused on the cause of mission/movement in such a way that their gifts are being exercised in moving the mission forward. 

At Kaleo Church, while David Fairchild is the primary preaching elder, I have never seen him use this position as leverage to demand his way.  He builds consensus and seeks for unanimity even though many people at Kaleo might consider him the 'head pastor' because they are not aware of how decisions are made.  Releasing the elders to be on mission flows from a shared commitment to the corporate convictions.  This requires great trust between the elders, because other elders will have their own 'causes' that are guided by the normative/vision/values (corporate).  The plurality releases individual elders to make decisions at the edges of the church, advancing the mission or cause. 

All of this requires a shift for many traditional churches from a Pastoral to a Missional Church leadership paradigm.  For this, I'd recommend The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk.  Their contrast of Pastoral & Missional Church leadership is excellent.  For example:

Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 16, 2007 in Culture | 0 comments

You know the commercial – sensual backdrop – good looking people tossing drinks back, maybe splashing in the pool, embracing in the moonlight – fade to black with the words, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” You have to admit, this is clever marketing. Las Vegas is just one of those notorious cities that conjure up all kinds of things in my mind: gambling, sex, prostitution, nude dancing, drugs, elicit affairs, fat Elvis, gangsters, and of course…CSI.

Until now, the grace of God is not one of the things that have crossed my mind when considering Vegas.

Read Full Article by Kaleo's worship guy:  Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas