Advancing

Mohler And Harris On Dating

9 Marks has some fantastic audio resources available to church leaders for free.  Last night I stumbled upon an interview with SBTS president Al Mohler and I Kissed Dating Goodbye author Josh Harris on the important topics of dating and marriage.  The provocative thoughts shared here (primarily by Mohler) could encourage some great discussions within families and churches wrestling with how to define a Biblical pathway leading to marriage.  At the end of the interview Josh mentioned that his churches' youth pastor recently made a strategic move to make parents a vital part of their youth program, involving them in weekly meetings.  Josh feels this will bring long term change affecting how his church views male-female relationships.  I personally believe that this inclusion of parents in church youth ministry is a Biblically sound alternative to the prevailing model.

The Power Of Stories

I'm captivated by good stories and good storytellers.  Sermons or sales pitches, actors or airline stewardesses, tell me a story well and I'm in.

I've stumbled upon this topic a couple times in the last few days.  First, Pastors James Harleman and Gary Shavey of Mars Hill Church discuss the power of stories in their discussion of the Academy Award winning film, Crash.  Hollywood's success, they point out, is largely based on it's story telling skill.  Secondly, Forbes magazine published an article by Harvard Business School instructor, John P. Kotter (left), on the power of stories in the business world.  You may have heard of his new book, Leading Change.

Bono's Adventure

Yeah, they hang.  Bill, Bono and Melinda.  Three activists with an iPod.  Time voted them "Persons of the Year."  I found this interview interesting.  A couple quotes from Bono:

1.  On meeting the Gates:

"It was fresh not to be seen as a celebrity but as a piece in the puzzle of how we communicate the jeopardy of all those lives--and the opportunity of helping if we can just agree on something. It was nice not to be asked how the Achtung! Baby sessions went in Berlin."

2.  On his anger regarding injustice:

"I get angry all right--but at myself and our inability to tell the story, to get the news out that this need not be a burden but instead an adventure. But that anger is much more than made up for by the nobility of these people and their entrepreneurial nature. And then you see what a new medicine can do. Three years ago, the idea that nearly half a million Africans would be on antiretrovirals paid for by the U.S.A. was absolutely preposterous. That more than repays the anger."

Mentoring: An Important Interview

Adrian Warnock recently interviewed Josh Harris, author/pastor of Covenant Life Church, on being mentored by popular author/pastor, CJ Mahaney.  I'm familiar with Josh because his father, Gregg, has been a home schooling authority for years.  It was Gregg's tape series that put the advantages and challenges of home schooling in perspective for Deea and I.

I was reminded in the interview of the role mentoring plays in Christian discipleship.  I've been fortunate to have been mentored over the last 15+ years by my pastor and good friend, Doug Sherman.  Doug has invested much time and prayer into our relationship.  At times I've wished for something more "apprentice-like."  But Grace Harvest Church is a relatively small church and staff opportunities have been few.  Still, I'll always be grateful to have witnessed consistent Christ-like character modeled first-hand by a truly honorable man of God.  The church needs more of these kinds of relationships. 

McKinley Offers Church Planting Insights

I found Pastor Rick McKinley's recent Acts 29 article entitled "Leading the Calling and Conversion of Your Core Group" extremely helpful.  I was convicted and encouraged by his treatment of how to deal with complacency in the church.  He borrows key principals from John P. Kotter's business book, "Leading Change."  Here are the key causes of complacency:

1.  The Absence of a Major Visible Crisis

2.  Too Many Visible Resources

3.  Low Overall Performance Standards

4.  Internal Measurement Systems that Focus on the Wrong Indexes

5.  Human Nature's Capacity for Denial