The Importance of Language: Are Apostles For Today?

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The term apostle can provoke all kinds of reactions. What exactly does this word mean? Are there really present day apostles? If so, what do they do? And why does it matter? These are all really important questions. This blog post series is an attempt to look at these questions and point to biblical answers. I have asked Tim Catchim, a great thinker and writer on the apostolic, to write a blog series for us. Here is post one in the series “Are Apostles For Today?”

In Organization at the Limit, a book dedicated to looking at organizational dynamics that contributed to the Columbia space shuttle disaster, William Ocasio discusses the unique connection between language and our ability to “see” what is going on around us. Language has the subtle, yet powerful ability to focus our attention. It can point us toward existing problems and solutions, or it can blind us from those very things. In other words, the language we commonly use can greatly influence what gets noticed and what gets ignored. He says it like this, “It’s not that language determines what can be thought, but that language influences what routinely does get thought.”[1]

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The Break Room: Where Evangelism Happens

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Grant is a recent graduate of San Diego State and personal trainer. He takes fitness and faith very seriously. He is getting into some great conversations at work and I asked him to share about some of those. I love Grant because he is so willing to follow Jesus into any situation even if he doesn’t feel totally ready. We can all learn from him. Enjoy!

Before I talk about what God is doing at my work place I think it would be helpful to share a little about my evangelistic background. I am a graduate and former IV leader from San Diego State University and truth be told, I am horrible at evangelism! At least that is how I originally viewed it until Jesus changed my way of thinking.

I used to envision evangelism as converting as many people to the faith as possible. If that were the case, to this day I definitely have not done a good job. But in reality, it is at its core, simply telling people about the Jesus.  The former viewpoint made me into a sales person- trying to hit a quota to be a “Good Christian” but the latter set me free to enjoy sharing my passion!

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Are You Using Supernatural Ministry?

JSheadshotThis is a guest post by Jordan Seng. He is the senior pastor of Bluewater Mission, and has been engaged in teaching, healing and prophetic ministry, worship, small groups, missions and church planting for the last twenty years. Before helping to begin Bluewater Mission, he served for four years in the Presbyterian church and about 16 in the Vineyard association of churches. He holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Chicago, with a Ph.D. in Political Theory. He is the author of Miracle Work:  A Down-to-Earth Guide for Supernatural Ministries (InterVarsity Press).  He and his wife Sonya have two children.

A self-proclaimed atheist came with a friend to a recent spiritual encounter retreat hosted by a young man in our church.  She was just curious to see what it was like.  The host politely asked the non-believing visitor if he could include her as he prayed for attendees to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  She obliged, and soon felt a surge of power as the Holy Spirit filled her and she burst out speaking in tongues.  She was totally shocked.  The next day she returned to the retreat and accepted Jesus as Lord.

Another non-believing young woman was brought to our church because of bizarre, uncontrolled outbursts she’d been having.  While one of our leaders prayed over her in our office, she lost control of herself physically and cried out in a fashion we recognize as demonic.  The young leader cast out the demon, and began a healing friendship with the woman.  Today she’s in control and following Jesus like a trooper.

These stories are a little weird, and also very biblical.  They reflect, for example, the descriptions of the deliverances and healings Philip used to evangelize Samaria (Acts 8), or the way the Spirit fell upon the gathering of seekers in Cornelius’ house (Acts 10), or Paul’s assertion that tongues are a sign for nonbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22).  The New Testament is filled with accounts of how healings, deliverances, prophecies, and manifest outpourings of the Spirit helped fuel the evangelism and growth of the early Church.

But I find that very few churches today make the effort to use supernatural ministries evangelistically.  Why is that?

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An Evangelist Should Always Have Discipleship In Their View

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This is a guest post by Don Bennett. He has spent the past 12 years serving as a Pastor in different roles. Currently he serves as an Associate Pastor at the Meeting House (Oakville – Main Site), a Multi Site Church throughout Southern Ontario. His passion is to invest in people and engage in conversation.

One key thing I have learnt in my time in ministry is the importance for an evangelist to always have a discipleship pathway in mind for anyone they are connecting with. This comes from my journey as well. I Responded to a great gospel message on Good Friday 1992 and was on a high. The Pastor handed me a bible and affirmed my decision. After reading from page one for a few days I quickly realized I had no idea about what to do with this book and the stories I was reading. How does any of this relate to a decision to stand up and receive Jesus? I went on to listen to the teaching, sing in worship services, but not know what to do next. Then I stumbled away for years until I hit rock bottom and reached out to ask questions.

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A Black Missional Critique of the Missional Movement

This is a thought provoking post from an African American leader that has many great things to say about the missional movement but has one big critique. I share his feelings and so do many of my friends in InterVarsity and beyond. We need more leaders in the missional church conversation that are not white men.

Let God speak to you through this please.

There’s a complex question that gnaws at my heart as I observe evangelical culture; “Does the broader evangelical church in America recognize that there is something that they can learn from the African American church?” I follow conferences and as of late, I’ve kept up with the missional movement. I love listening to those who have mined the themes associated with everything missional and topics around justice and mercy for the marginalized. I frequent blogs, YouTube videos and the major declarations put out by the evangelical machine. During the past couple of years I’ve recognized the homogeneity of these circles—most of the speakers are white.

Read the full article here

Recent Grad Leads Friend to Faith At Work

CarolynThis is a guest post from Carolyn Chow. She is a recent grad from San Diego State InterVarsity and now officially a professional working woman in the marketing industry. She is a great friend of mine and I have had the privilege of watching her develop the last four years in college. I asked her to share her remarkable story of the first month on the job in LA. She is truly becoming a world changer!

Just last week I had the opportunity to lead someone to faith at work. That is right, in my first month on the job, in a completely new city, God used me right out of college to lead a sister to Christ. I couldn’t be more excited for her and the mission God has me on in the working world.

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3 Things Church Planters Must Do

Screen shot 2011-05-10 at 4.12.44 PMEric Metcalf is the Lead Planter of Community Lincoln Park | Old Town – a new church being launching in downtown Chicago on Oct 20, 2013.  Eric also provides leadership to NewThing’s Leadership Residency Program – a program designed to apprentice church planters to start new churches.  Previously, Eric led NewThing (www.newthing.org), a growing church planting network focused on catalyzing a movement of reproducing churches.  Under Eric’s leadership, NewThing was able to double in size every year for 3 years straight; reaching a goal of planting 1 new church every 11 days.  Eric has been married for 14 years to his beautiful wife Erin and has three incredible children: Joey (9), Lydia (8), and Max (5).

Because of his leadership with New Thing, I asked him to write a post on the top 3 things church planters must do. He has seen tons of churches plant over his years, so he has a thing or two to teach us!

I led NewThing for almost 4 years and I found 3 things to be true.  I’m now planting a church, a Campus of Community Christian Church, in downtown Chicago (Lincoln Park) and I’m still finding those 3 things to be true.  Want to know what they are, keep reading you will find out what I believe are the top 3 things churches must do.

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Prop 8, DOMA, and the Christian Response:

Found this great post by Ed Stetzer that I thought you all might want to read in light of todays events.

Last week, the largest Christian ministry devoted to helping homosexuals struggle against their attractions apologized to the gay community and announced it was shutting down.

Today the Supreme Court of the United States struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996. The Supreme Court also declined to rule on Proposition 8 from California (Christianity Today has the full story here).

In doing so, same-sex marriage recognition remains a state issue and (although this is not completely clear that this time) it appears to remain legal in California, as it is in 12 other states and the District of Columbia. Also, the United States government will recognize the legality of those marriages with respect to federal benefits. (I’ll update this paragraph as the ruling is analyzed, but this is the first look.)

Needless to say, our culture is changing– quickly and dramatically on this issue. But how should Christians respond?

Read the whole post here

10 Simple Ways For Evangelists To Equip Everyday People!

81ba4af990084dde222c9144fc7d2cc6This is a guest post by Paul Worcester. He is the director of Challenge at Chico State in California where he lives with his wife Christy and son Owen.

I am an evangelist. Nothing gets me more stoked than sharing the good news of Jesus with someone for the first time. However the role of an evangelist was given to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” (Ephesians 4:12)

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Student Testimony From The Philippines

[If you have a great story from college or know a great story please submit here]

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.” – 1 Corinthians 4:9

482066_437905252896756_448873694_nI am Eduardo Lape, Jr, a 17-year old apostle of the Lord from Davao, Philippines. I am a college student at Ateneo de Davao University. I became a Christian when I during my high school years, 3 years ago, when my classmate, who became my mentor, invited me to a 3-day spiritual retreat called “Encounter”. From that day onward, my life was never the same again. And the fire set inside me by the Holy Spirit just made me want others to also experience the joy of being in the Lord. So I immediately started a ministry at my former campus together with my friend prophet, Benedict. We got our whole class dedicate their lives to Jesus.