Kindra C., Tim H., Vivian J., Jon P., Nick P., Ed C., Dana T., Billie K., Jennifer C., and Samatha N..

Also, congratulations to those who won Dave Gibbons’ new book Xealots: Defying the Gravity of Normal. The winners included:

Larry B., Chris T., Stefanie B., Chip A., Joe L., Heidi S., Daniel S., Jon V., and Scott S..

Want to join us for one or both of these interviews Wed., 1/11? Here is how you can join us & both are free options:

1. Sign up for a free account with Spreecast and join us online with a computer that has a video camera. It is all free and the sites are here:

4-4:30pm CST with Dr. Gerardo Marti
http://www.spreecast.com/events/interview-with-dr-gerardo-marti

4:30-5pm CST with Dave Gibbons
http://www.spreecast.com/events/interview-with-dave-gibbons-xealot

2. Simply watch at the above links during those timeframes and email your questions to me at eric.bryant@gatewaychurch.com.

If you cannot make it, you can always watch at those same links any time you’d like.

Keep your eyes out for the Origins email newsletter and on the Origins blog for other interviews and book giveaways!

Join us Wednesday, January 11th from 4:30-5pm CST with Dave Gibbons!

At a training event sponsored by In the City For the City, a group of Austin area pastors and ministry leaders, John Burke, our lead pastor at Gateway Church shared on the topic of “Missional Living: Grow Your Church Out of the Culture.” Here are some of his insights he shared:

The church in the Western world is in decline. The U.S. is becoming more and more post-Christian. We need to see ourselves as missionaries in our culture.

2 overarching questions to consider:

1. How do we remove barriers between the message of Jesus and those who want and need to hear it?
   “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” – Acts 15:19
   If only 10% of our city shifted to follow Jesus out of those who don’t already, an entire city would be transformed! Just 10% is the tipping point for social transformation.
2. How do we build bridges? (Acts 14, 17)
   In Acts 2, those hearing the message of Jesus already knew the stories of the Old Testament. When Paul was in Athens, he acknowledged the new context and built a bridge from where they were (quoting one of their poets) to the full message of God expressed in Jesus.

5 Barriers to Faith Created by the Postmodern Experiment:

1. Trust - more abuse and more divorce than ever before plus a distrust of those in authority. Build a bridge to help others see that God’s ways are for their protection and the result of His love. Recognize where people are at and still welcome them.
2. Tolerance - the two most common questions from the culture include: what do you think about those who live a different lifestyle & what do you think about other religions? The way we answer will either shut the door completely or keep the door open for more conversation and opportunity. Tolerance is a cheap substitute for grace, an undeserved love. People long to experience grace, but because they haven’t experienced it, they settle for tolerance.
3. Truth- This isn’t as big of a barrier as you’d think. More than truth, people are repelled by arrogance. Too often Christians give off a vibe that we don’t have anything to learn from others. Being willing to listen changes this misperception.
4. Aloneness -People long for community even as they struggle to trust others. Community is an incredible apologetic. We should be experts at creating community! People should be allowed to belong before they believe. Jesus did this – He allowed Judas to be in his small group, and He made him the treasurer.
5. Brokenness – The cost of the postmodern experiment has been brokenness. Here is what our culture looks like:

• 1/3 of women have had an abortion
• 1/4 of women have been sexually molested
• 1/2 of people will have lived together before marriage
• 1/5 of people will struggle with substance abuse
• 1/5 of people smoke
• 1/2 of marriages end in divorce
  If our churches don’t look like this then either people are hiding their brokenness or we aren’t connecting with our culture.
  We all have areas of brokenness. Even “the rigtheous” weren’t actually healthy (they were the ones responsible for crucifying Jesus) when Jesus said: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:11-13).

4 Ways to Create a Culture of Growth:

Church culture can be your greatest ally or your greatest enemy for the mission of Jesus. God causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-9). We have a part to play – creating the environment where people can grow up best.

1. Leadership mindset – A mature Christ-follower is on mission “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). A person cannot claim to be spiritually mature and not be about what Jesus was about.
   So how do we respond to the Christ-follower who says: “feed me more!” Jesus reminded us that the food for the mature is doing “the will of God” (John 4:32-36). Maturity equals obeying the Scriptures not knowing about the Scriptures.
2. Training and values – help people understand why you do what you do and what you are called to do. Do our people have friendships with others in the culture?
3. Visionary storytelling – help people see hope in who they can become and remind those in faith where they came from and why you’re doing what you are doing.
4. Organization – The church is to be an organism not an institution. Are you organized in such a way that you can follow what God wants you to do?

3 Ways to Create a Culture of Grace-Giving Acceptance:

The world totally gets this: “I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.” – Rom.  7:15
The world does not naturally understand this: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” – Rom. 8:1

1. Accept the person first. (Romans 15:7)
2. Have a process view. Look at the masterpiece which is covered by the mud. How long is too long to invest in someone?
3. Create a culture of dialogue. Allow people to ask their questions and share their doubts.

For more resources from John Burke, check out:

• No Perfect People Allowed: Creating A Come As You Are Culture in the Church
  
• Soul Revolution: How Imperfect People Become All God Intended

Dan Kimball is on staff at Vintage Faith Church, a church in Santa Cruz, CA planted in 2004. He is the author of books including They Like Jesus, But Not The Church and the forthcoming Adventures in Churchland. He has joined George Fox University in a part-time capacity as professor of missional leadership and as leader of a new center focused on the future faith of young Americans.

Here are some excerpts from the message he shared at the Organic Outreach Conference:

When Dan first walked into a Christian gathering he noticed lots of pastel colors and the music sounded like commercial jingles.  His 2nd experience was very formal with a pastor wearing robes like Hugh Hefner speaking in hushed tones.  Not sure why they were supposed to be kneeling at the front and not sure what they were supposed to say when passing the communion cup.  Dan’s friend passed the cup saying: “the cup of wonder.”  So much of what we do doesn’t make sense to someone who is new!

Principles to apply to be on mission:

1. If we love Jesus , we must love the church despite our messiness. Too often we have unrealistic expectations.  Leaders are people too.  We need to create space for people to ask questions.

2. We need to listen more than we talk. So much damage has been done in the name of Christianity that we need to regain credibility by listening and serving before we do anything else. Are we asking the young people in our churches if we are communicating in which they can connect? If the church would biblically judge the judgmental Christians then the church wouldn’t be known as judgmental.

3. We can hold the church’s historical view of the Scriptures and not be a fundamentalist or hateful. Do the people we serve understand how to interpret and apply the Scriptures (rather than quoting verses out of context)?  We should be teaching about difficult issues proactively.

4. We need to rethink our roles and move from leading a church to leading a community of missionaries. We need to make decisions based on the people not yet connected to our community rather than for what we want.

5. Church leaders need to avoid getting sucked into the Christian sub-culture. When is the last time you spent time with someone who did not believe the same things that you do?

“Organic outreach isn’t a program or method or something you memorize. Organic outreach is a natural way of connecting with others spiritually and helping others connect with God.

There are specific attitudes we need to become organic in our outreach to others:

1. Reckless Generosity – We get so excited about the new band or the new restaurant that we find so we tell everyone we know about it. Why is it that we are so quiet about talking about things that really matter?

We need to be reckless with our generosity, grace, care, and love for others!

Luke 8:5 The farmer generously threw seeds all around him. Rather than being stingy or even “strategic” with where he planted the seeds, he threw the seeds in all types of different soils. This was not the norm! We aren’t smart enough or discerning enough to know if someone is spiritually open or closed, so we should share the love of God with anyone.

People are eager for a spiritual connection. Too often we are too self-absorbed to see that and help others.

2. Passionate Love Reflecting the Very Heart of God – When we aren’t sure what to do, we should pray to God asking Him to help us love God, love the church, and love people. Connecting deeply with God propels us outwards to love and serve others. Do you realize God loves you?

1 John 4:11 ‘Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ‘

When we are overwhelmed with the love of God and a love for people, we cannot help but serve others.

3. A Humble Awareness of Our Partnership with God – God cares more for the people around us than we do. He is pursuing the people around us with His love.

‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’ – 1 Cor. 3:6

We should never try to make people change. Instead, we should love and serve people knowing that when they want to change, God can and will transform them.”

Here are seven principles for Catalyzing Community whether you are trying to start a small group, ministry, a non-profit organization, or a church:

Principle #1: Cause creates community.
Our cause = moving people to become the person God created them to be.

Principle #2: Meet the needs of those around us.
We need to seek to meet the physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual needs of those around us. We should be pursue helping change the environment and change the individual who is looking for change.

Principle #3: Reach out to Xenos
Hospitality means loving strangers. A similar word, “hospice,” means “a safe place.” Our homes, our businesses, and our churches should become safe places for strangers to experience kindness and love.

Principle #4: Develop authentic friendships with those you know.
Are we loving, serving, and influencing our family, neighbors, co-workers and friends?

Jesus was willing to ruin His reputation to reach out to others who were far from God.

Principle #5: Allow people to belong before they believe.
We should never allow our convictions to become a litmus test for friendship. In fact, we should actively pursue friendships with people – even people with whom we may disagree. Go to www.mosaic.org/faq for more on the staff process at Mosaic.

Come as you are, and you don’t have to stay that way! (see www.gatewaychurch.com/podcast)

Principle #6: Raise up a team of leaders to replace you
MPAC = Ministry through a pastor, assimilator, and catalyst
We need to make decisions based on who is not yet here rather than who has been here the longest.

Principle #7: Start Over

**For the rest of the notes, email eric.bryant@gatewaychurch.com with “Catalyzing Community” in the subject or you can listen to the conference call on Catalyzing Community – 2nd audio from the bottom. You will also find interviews with Dan Kimball, Kevin Harney, Erwin McManus, and many others.

What have you seen bring people together?

Here is the order we are reading through and discussing:

• Week One:  Acts 7-16
• Week Two: Galatians and Acts 17
• Week Three: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Acts 18-19
• Week Four: 1 Corinthians
• Week Five: 2 Corinthians
• Week Six: Romans
• Week Seven: Acts 20-28 & Colossians
• Week Eight: Philemon, Ephesians, Philippians
• Week Nine: 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy

Here are some of the Week One highlights:

• Saul heard Stephen share the story of God and later shared the same story.
• Saul saw Stephen killed and personally persecuted the church.
• Persecution was needed for the church to advance through the message of those who were following Christ (rather than the apostles).
• Saul came to Christ in a miraculous way, but he seemed to focus more on the message than the miracles.
• Luke and Paul wrote half of the New Testament even though they weren’t part of the 12 disciples (a reminder to us that you don’t have to be one of the 12 disciples to make a significant impact).
• Paul was invested in by Ananias and Barnabas and the apostles.
• Paul trusted and submitted himself to his leaders.
• Paul invested in others as he was on mission (“on-the-go mentoring”)
• Paul advanced the church further than anyone at that time in history, but he was not alone.
• Paul was not a superhero nor a great speaker, but he was fully surrendered to Christ.
• The early church worked through conflict in the context of a trusting community.

• Who can we pass along the story of Paul and the principles of catalytic leadership this week?
• How can we apply what we see in Paul’s life to our own life and leadership?

Feel free to join along with us. I will posting our discoveries once a week and would enjoy hearing yours.

From Acts 7-16, what do you notice about Paul that made him catalytic? What can we apply to our own service and leadership?

Randy Elrod

“I hate church as usual.

There, I said it. I’ll admit I’m cynical, burned out and hurt deeply…by a church that prepares her followers to engage a world that no longer exists.

Even the word “church” conjurs up visions of my tongue licking a razors edge.

Most of my therapy dollars (and there have been thousands) are spent uncovering and attempting to heal the deep wounds caused by this misguided institution.

So imagine my surprise last week when I “accidentally” limped into a church experience that actually seemed, well…uh…real.

JUST LOVE is a downtown church experiment of Gateway Church in Austin, TX ( Twitter: @g8wayaustin).

Each Tuesday JUST LOVE convenes at The Arthouse and features:

ART/STORY/SERVE/FOOD/HANG.

The week I attended it was loosely and beautifully lead by non-alpha leaders Ramy and Tiffany Antoun, Eric Bryant, and the 1211 band.

JUST LOVE features stunningly beautiful and haunting acoustic music, thought provoking short films, poetry and stories in a setting any creative would die for. The time was expertly woven together by impromptu but focused narration.

One soundbite:

“When you don’t know what to do….default to love.”

But, that was only the beginning. It still seemed like a very cool emergent church service.

Until all of a sudden, you’re assigned to a group leader with three other unfamiliar people, each handed three bottles of water and asked to go out on the street and hand them out to people you feel need them—in downtown Austin.

I met Darlene on 6th St.

An African-American woman in a wheelchair with a lot of spunk. She gratefully took the water, told me she just had surgery—so of course—I promptly told her I just had surgery as well. She told me, “Honey, make sure you go down the street to the Austin pain clinic and they will pump you full of morphine. It’s the only way to fly.”

As we all laughed, three other rather fragrant and large homeless men surrounded us and took water. The conversation continued very naturally and for the first time in my life—except maybe one time just north of Afghanistan—I realized I could possibly be doing church the way God intended.

Gulp, the way it’s supposed to be done?

Afterwards, limping painfully back on my knee still recovering from surgery,  hot and sweaty in 100 plus degree weather, we headed back to a downtown restaurant for a hang out together.

As many of the JUST LOVE attenders converged on Congress Avenue all excitedly talking about their experiences—a girl in front of us still had one bottle of water and warmly handed it to a young lady hastily walking by—when suddenly the lady angrily slapped it out of the girls hand, and as it flew through the air seemingly in slow motion, everyone hushed to stunned silence. (To read the first person account of this story, go HERE.)

Fear, anger, disappointment, and myriad other emotions leaped to the forefront of each person’s humanity.

“When you don’t know what to do….default to love.”

Is this a radical new concept in doing church?

Or is it a revolutionary, ancient and timeless concept that we’ve somehow forgotten? Or ignored? Or…?

Question: What do YOU think?

If this post caused you angst, glee or gulp, caused you to think, please share it with others by going here.”

What new things has your community attempted to engage your city?

“Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus But Not the Church and the forthcoming Adventures in Churchland, will join George Fox University in a part-time capacity this fall as professor of missional leadership and as leader of a new center focused on the future faith of young Americans. He also will teach at the university’s seminary.

As Oregon’s nationally recognized Christian university, George Fox is deeply interested in seeing the gospel of Jesus impact future generations, especially in light of recent trends showing the decline of Christianity among younger generations. The university hopes to create a stronger partnership with the broader church to help address this decline.

Kimball, a graduate of George Fox University’ Doctor of Ministry program, formed a friendship with the university’s president, Robin Baker, during his time as a graduate student. The two soon discovered they had a common passion for seeing emerging generations connect with the message of Jesus and see their careers as a calling, no matter what vocation they chose to pursue.

Out of this relationship came the idea for a center that would focus on future generations and the mission of the church. The center, yet to be named, will conduct research on churches that are effectively engaging college students and young adults with the gospel. The center will have both a national focus and a Portland focus. It will serve to create opportunities for church leaders to collaborate, learn, and share ideas.

The center will also host conferences that will focus on reaching those outside the church and training future generations about their role in the mission of Jesus. This will include a focus on the apologetics needed for life on mission in today’s culture, as well as using the arts in ministry and learning from the most innovative practitioners from around the country.

A website for the center will be launched in October. The website will highlight churches and ministries from around the country, articles by leading voices in the missional movement, as well as new voices. The center will be planning for its first major event in the fall of 2012.

Kimball lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he is on staff at Vintage Faith Church (vintagechurch.org). He will visit the Oregon campus on a part-time basis. He is married with two daughters and blogs at dankimball.com.”