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The White City
Last week, NewGeography.com published an article called The White City. The premise is that progressive cities tend to have a lower population of African Americans and don’t create as many opportunities for diversity. Austin is one of the cities specifically mentioned.
My first reaction is to take issue with this article based on the data. When Ryan Robinson, the Austin City Demographer, visited PlantR last February, he showed data that anglos now comprise less than half of the population of Austin. This full spectrum of ethnicity isn’t reflected in this article.
However, I also want to sit with the point of this article. It is at least worth considering the challenges that it raises. How do you respond? How do you see the relationship between the Progressive label of Austin and our changing demographics?
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September Meeting Reflections: Stew
We’ll post the excellent handout from Stew’s talk soon. In the meantime, here are some thoughts that Jonathan Dodson posted on his blog yesterday.
Man, you missed some great gospel reflections on church planting by Michael Stewart today at PlantR. Stew is the Pastor of Missional Community at Austin Stone. His words were gospel water to my soul. He called us away from idol-making and into gospel-believing.
He pointed out how we try to find worth and meaning in lots of places besides Jesus:
- In our numbers: We “round up”, inflate our attendance, number of missional communities, conversions.
- In our models: We emphasize best practices, methodologies, and models instead of the Gospel
- In our mission: How many poor we reach, souls are saved, children are rescued, houses are built
- In our community: How much time we spend with others, how we serve them, how we are loved and accepted
- In our hits: blog activity, comments, popularity
What we need is Jesus not numbers, models, mission, and community. All these things make very bad masters. When we fail in community, community is not merciful to us. Master Community kicks us when we are down, but Jesus dies for us. Master Mission is not a good master. When we fail to be missional, to serve enough, witness enough, preach enough, Master Mission will beat us down. But what does Jesus do? He dies for us; he lifts us up. Only King Jesus is that merciful, gracious, and satisfying. His acceptance alone frees us to be ourselves for him, instead of being somebody else for others.
P.S. This last section Stew adapted from my Enduring Community talk at Acts 29 ENDURE. Audio forthcoming.
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August Meeting Reflections: John Burke
I entered into our PlantR meeting with John Burke with mixed feelings. On one hand, I had heard John a few times, and I knew he had some great stuff to say. On the other hand, I know that the reality of where Gateway is is very different from where most of our churches are at. Knowing this, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to connect with what he had to share. My concerns didn’t last long.
John began sharing some of his own story. He was authentic and honest about his own journey. A few of the insights he shared in the midst of that story:
- 80% of church planting is perseverance
- God keeps wanting to form who we are, because that’s how he does through us what he wants to do.
- I don’t change people…it’s not my job to change people. God does that. We work on the soil, the culture. We plant, water, and till.
Following his story, John shared his passion for leading a church. It is a passion I’ve heard him share before, and a passion that relates to the Gateway of today and any of our young churches: If you want to see the church raised up out of the culture, stop thinking like pastors who teach a church, and start thinking like missionaries. John went on to point out that it is not about the methods, but about continually asking the right questions.
What follows are the questions that John shared with us. They are questions that apply to where Gateway is today. And they are questions that can be asked by a church at any stage.
Context Questions
Who do we exist for?
Do we look messy like Jesus’ ministry? (see Matthew 9:10-13)
How will we know if we’re reaching them?Vision Questions
Who are we becoming?
Am I living the vision?Lead through teaching:
How can I tie this to everything else we do?
What’s the One Thing I want them to get?
What’s their resistance?
Will I lose them?Strategic Leaderhip:
How does the mission get accomplished?
How does everybody get involved? Is it clear to them?Multiplying Leadership:
How do non-believers become multiplying leaders? -
July Meeting Reflections: Zac Allen
After our July meeting, I needed to pull Zac aside just to say thanks. It was really encouraging to hear from someone who might be a stage or two ahead of many of us, but still at a stage that we can relate to. Most of all, I appreciated that Zac spoke to the state of our hearts while offering the wisdom that has come from his experiences.
Zac began by sharing his story. Some of what he said there was also detailed in the Austin Bible summary that was posted a few days ago. Following his story, Zac shared a number of nuggets that he has learned along the way. What follows are my best efforts at catching what Zac had to say:
- Celebrate every season that God gives you
you are never more of a church just because you are bigger
what assets do you have with 20 people that you won’t have later? - Church planting will cost you your life
you kind of go undercover and off the radar for 12-18 months - Raise enough money
you think you’ll gather a group of people faster than you will
once you launch, you want your focus on the ground, not with one foot in support raising - Learn your voice
If you teach the way you were taught, the best you will ever be is high mediocre.
Worry more about saying what will change people’s lives than about saying the right thing. - Sniff out wolves
People come with agendas to fulfill their life long dreams.
Say no to a network that might cause you to compromise the vison that God has given you. - Humility should be the defining characteristic for your life.
Book recommendation: Humility by Andrew Murray - Success is found in faithfulness
We are completely dispensible
If your church does not survive, that needs to be okay.
Some of you don’t need to plant. Some of you won’t survive. And that’s okay. - You can’t reach an area that you don’t live in.
- Hold people with an open hand.
God has not called anyone to your church for life.
If people leave your church, it’s because of you. Learn to be okay with that. - Unity is the most understated apologetic of the church.
Unity = spiritual power. It holds huge weight to a watching world.
Will not walk with unresolved conflict with anyone in this church.
Zac had more great quotes than I could capture. If you were there, please share any that I missed in the comments.
- Celebrate every season that God gives you
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June Meeting Reflections: Hugh Halter
Based on the attendance we had at our June meeting, many of us were already familiar with Hugh Halter. But I know that this was an introduction to Hugh’s work for others. Hugh is the co-founder of Missio and the co-author of
The Tangible Kingdom.Hugh’s experience and perspective on church planting is unique from what many of us know, though it is one that many are weighing seriously. Hugh did not move to Denver to plant a church, but his heart for mission turned him into an accidental missionary. As his natural bent for mission played out in his life, relationships were formed with curious people who were disarmed by his engaging personality and knowledge of Christian faith. Within a few years, a church community had formed out of these relationships.
Personally, I resonate with Hugh’s perspective on trying to live as a missionary might engage in another culture. While the traditional church planting methods that have emerged in the past 20 or so years are still finding success, there is an apparent and growing need to form faith communities that connect with others through other means as well. Hugh’s intensely relational approach is one that all of us could learn from.
I also resonate, and struggle, with Hugh’s experience that Christians who come into their community are some of the most difficult to engage in mission. As we are still in the initial stages of forming our community, I find myself wrestling with this very question…and Hugh’s experience is matching up with some of the conclusions I’ve been drawing.
Hugh’s perspectives are unique enough that I’m certain there are a variety of responses to them. In the comments below, I’d love to hear others where you connected with his ideas, but also where you disagreed.
For more information about what Hugh is up to, or for information about The Tangible Kingdom primer for group study, visit TheTangibleKingdom.com.