Calgary Church – Join a movement….

Churches Respond How?

The following has more typing than solutions, but I figured the dialogue needs to start somewhere.

We have a relatively new problem in Calgary, perhaps currently the most public issue, and I'm curious to know what Calgary churches are doing to be part of a solution. Typically, our prosperous churches are found in white collar, upscale, suburban communities. These churches themselves don't always end up contributing to their immediate community as more often than not they reside just outside of target communities--sometimes in industrial areas--and spend more time putting on productions and programs rather than trying to mobilize their adherents to return to their networks. How does that play into gang problems?

To respond to the gang problems one would have to intentionally connect into its issues. That to me is way a very time consuming and dirty process. Probably so much that it becomes too 'dangerous' and 'risky' for safe churches to get connected into.

Or maybe I'm just being a cynic.

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Missio Dei. It's Latin for 'mission of God'. I've written this piece curious for your ideas and thoughts on how you frame the entirety of your faith. You see, everyone has a particular lens that they view the world through. Some with rose colored, some with intolerant ones, some with cranky lenses. What's your lens?

The lens I use to approach how I live my life and represent my faith is through a lens of missio dei. That means everything is filtered through a fundamental understanding of God's mission which I believe to be rooted in an eternal purpose to redeem and rescue humanity.

God is eternally interested in connecting with you and I no matter our circumstances.

I think this is his primary purpose for us and we should in turn adopt it--use it as our lens--for everything we do be it work, play, or church. Continue reading »

For those leaders, onlookers, lurkers, and what not, there is a Facebook Group related to some of the things we discuss on this blog. (It does not encompass the entirety of who we are, but gives you a good impression of the things we believe and the background of our perspectives.)

Search for Misso Dei - Missional Church in Alberta to join. Here's the purpose as noted on the page: Continue reading »

This is part two of an article written earlier called "We serve like we consume". The article discusses the issues of social justice in Calgary from a Christian perspective. In this second article I wish to assert that social justice can only be adequately communicated outwardly by a community that has experience/willingness to address social justice from within first. Both of these articles were part of a talk I shared at a recent Winter Conference in Calgary over the Christmas holidays. Continue reading »

Just like our discipleship! Big box churches (what's the difference between a warehouse?, auditorium? theater? same boring colours, same anonymity, same cold box feeling....) are noticing a trend. In fact, most churches note: 20% of the people do 80% of everything. Why?! Well for starters the way we offer 'church' is to give people a no hold, non-committal service that can be consumed with from the ease of your pants firmly planted in the chair/pew. Thankfully, people, church folks or not, tend to have a soft spot for the Christmas holidays. That makes doing things the church should do all year (care for the oppressed/poor) much easier around Xmas.

Quick, easy, no strings!

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I have a rising suspicion that Calgary Church (insert name here) will be meeting together as a full community Xmas 2009. In the meantime, Merry Christmas! Here are some thoughts I have on three 'issues' that I've encountered this Christmas week. Continue reading »

Christians in Calgary, in fact, 95% of evangelicals across the country get 95% of their materials from the evangelical-right in America. You know the ones, they're on TV, they think America is God's chosen nation, they hate rum and egg nog....Anyways, I was interested to read that some of the major players are starting to rethink their position. Why you say? Simply because they've noticed what we've been living all along, culture is changing.... The 'Moral Majority' is no longer a majority, their opinions are no longer status quo for regular Joe. So what's one to do? Condemn culture? Critique it? Continue reading »

For those of you interested in a little bit of the 'theology' of a new church expression in Calgary, read an article I wrote for another web site called Pomotheo. You'll get a pretty good understanding of some buzzwords Christians use these days, and also an idea of how we'll look.

Missional Church in Canada.

Christmas is here and that means more chance to spend your $$$. Work a bit harder and longer, cause after all, in the free market economy great ideas coupled with long hours with a dash of good luck means the reward of more cash. Do we really throw your life away to this black hole, grasping for more and more? We do the money dance because our entire existence seems to hinge on someone's need to consume. We want to be served promptly when we demand, that includes our needs, our wants, and of course our experiences....

Consuming Church is a Boring Dying Church

Here's how the typical church services works: you show up, sit down, sing a bit, shut up, pay up, listen to a talking head for 40 minutes, go home. Rinse, wash, repeat. Maybe you stayed for the potluck, but that's about it. Is the pinnacle of your faith celebrated in weekly attendance listening to someone talk for 30 minutes?  Wow, what a thrill (I'm being sarcastic). Think about it though, we barely give TV that kind of undivided attention.

And that's just it, people realise that they are tolerating something they wouldn't in any other venue, so why do we do it?. Although the production may be on time, the experience and connection is fading.

To make matters worse, 'church' is generally set up in such a way that induces consumption too. Sit down, face the front, don't look at your neighbour, listen to what the pastor tell us what the Bible really means, go home to forget about what we just happened (seriously, tell me what was preached on last Sunday).

Here's my thoughts: our potential 'God' experiences are being commercially driven--they are produced for our easy consumption. We mostly tolerate it cause, let's fact it, it's easier to consume than it is to participate. It's also easier to maintain status quo than it is to change to something vibrant.....

Would you agree?

Do you have a drive to be a part of something more? Getting tired with with the outdated language of the church you're in? Are you looking for a community more interested in participating in God's mission to redeem humanity than sitting around waiting for everything to unfold around us?

I want to let you know that we're really particular about who would be comfortable in our church..... we aren't exclusive but those looking for the same church thing but in different church pants should look elsewhere. We want to extend all the way back to a purpose we feel adopts the early Christ church that began 2000 years ago. Interested?

Let's talk: get in touch with us and ask more questions, I'd love to hear from you.

[tags]consumer church, attractional church, evangelical church, calgary church, missional church[/tags]

….want to be a part of something God-sized….

Wondering whether there’s a church community in Calgary that fits your headspace? Ever sit in church one day and ask why the language used seems so foreign compared to everywhere else we exist? I’m not suggesting there is no value in what other churches seek, but there’s got to be a different way to be connected to God’s plan for humanity than what I’m now bored/confused with.

I think there is, and I want to be a part of a movement that answers some of these questions. This movement requires like-minded people who . Let me explain. First off, have you read the homepage yet? That gives you our story up to to now. Basically we’re looking to start a church community that exists in the downtown area of Calgary but not necessarily restricted to those who live there. ‘Like-minded’ people don’t necessary look the same, but they are in a certain ‘head-space’ that exhibits certain important traits that seek to overcome the status-quo of what we’ve settled for in ‘church’. Sound like you? Continue reading »