Alan Hirsch
Shapevine | Forge Mission Training Network
To be a creative organization sometimes you have to have your backside kicked...
The church has experienced the weight of tradition....theologizing.....
Sometimes God has to kick us in the ass.
Reality check - when you look at church in the west.... We are in decline in every western city. Sometimes this happens very fast.... Visit Europe to get an idea of this.
We have to go back to something primal. Recover a lost ethos... The answer is not some new fad or new ideas...
Four areas that we have to recover in order to regain this ancient ethos.
1. Recovery of the Centrality of Jesus in His own Movement
When you study movements, it is Christology that lies at the heart of the renewal of the church.
We must radicalize in order to missionalize.
"unChristian" - why? Because we don’t look like Jesus.
It is Christology that determines missiology.
Laodicean church - lukewarm because they live in a very rich culture. Does this sound familiar?
God created us in his image and we returned the favor.
On the 7th day God created man.....and on the 8th day man re-created God. “Wow Jesus! You look and sound just like me!”
You know Jesus is like you when he hates the people you hate.
(Alan presented slides showing ways we have done this...)
Spooky Jesus.... The humanity of Jesus is at stake.
Buddy Jesus - no respect... no divinity. This is my buddy and I can do anything...
Sunday School Jesus - Jesus with little children and lambs... If you want your kids to grow up safe don’t introduce them to Jesus.
Jesus is my boyfriend (stained glass embracing woman) - “touch me Lord". He’s not my boyfriend - He’s my Lord.
Bearded Lady Jesus (chiseled face Jesus w/ dark tan) - Jesus done over by queer eye for the straight guy.... Doesn’t inspire a revolution...
Suburban Jesus - designing his cross....
We need to be committed to recovering Jesus.
2. Recovering discipleship as our critical task.
Movements can grow only in proportion to their capacity to make disciples.
Discipleship is the basis of apostolic movement. Provides the basis for transformation.
It’s quality control. If you fail here, you’ll fail everywhere.
It’s only the disciples who can change the world. Leadership is an extension of discipleship.
Consumerism is killing us (from within)
3. Recovering the Ethos/Structure of Apostolic Movements
What do movements look like?
What we need are missionally responsive, culturally adaptive, organizationally agile, multiplication movements.
Agility is not what we’re known for, but it’s whats most needed.
Every believer is a church planter. Every one carries the capacity for ecclesiology. Why? Because we carry the gospel and the spirit.
Is your model reproducible? If it takes million dollar budgets, it’s probably not reproducible.
If it takes 7 years, then maybe your leadership is not reproducible!
If you want a movement, it has to be a movement of the people of God.
Employ missional leadership and ministry modes.
4. Recovering an Incarnational-Mission Impulse
Missional God
Incarnational God.
Missional church - going out.
Incarnational church - going deep.
love it! thanks for sharing.
Posted by: anne jackson | April 30, 2008 at 09:08 AM
very good comments and insights
Posted by: kshane dunlap | April 30, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Thanks, Scott, for getting all these notes up there. Alan Hirsch's talk is challenging. There is a lot of meat in that, even in note form.
I really appreciate the effort it takes you to do that for those of us who can not be there. And the video interviews were great.
Posted by: Marla Saunders | April 30, 2008 at 05:50 PM
Europe is begining to recover it's faith. Though most don't know where to look. IF you are looking for the mega church...forget it. This was tried in the middle ages. The is a direct corelation between building big churches and the decline of Christianity in a nation.
Now the church is growing in small missional gatherings. This is a mustard seed revolution. I think it is starting to happen here also.
Posted by: Mike | May 05, 2008 at 09:23 AM