incipiosermo.com

Laurie, my wife, is gone for a few days visiting her ailing Grandmother and I am home with our three kids. So far so good but I am still puzzled by the mess they can make in such a short period of time. I think they have the ability to bend every law of physics. We are having fun and it makes me appreciate my awesome wife and all she does even more.

P.S. Although this picture is not of me, it is a good reminder why God didn't have men carry babies - we would look horrific!

Labels: misc

I just finished the reading book Church Re-Imagined by Doug Pagitt. This book outlines a week in the life of the church, Solomon’s Porch (they are apart of the emerging Church movement). It took me a few months to get through it (I kept getting side tracked with other books) but overall it is mediocre. It is filled with different perspectives and practices on ministry and spiritual formation. Overall though, it didn’t grab me the way I thought it would. Maybe I read it with too high of expectations, but it was a good book with some interesting methodological ideas and practices, some of which are really interesting and unique. I wouldn’t, however, say it was ground breaking or life/ministry transforming. Would I recommend it? Maybe…It depends. It is entirely church autobiographical and methodological without any real theological reflection but it is an interesting glimpse into the life of a unique church using a unique model of ministry.

Labels: book review

I stumbled onto MC Hammer's personal blog. From what I can tell and from the pictures on it, I think it is real and legit. Check it out.

It's Hammertime!!

P.S. Believe it or not I use to have a pair of stylish "Hammer Pants" in the 90's. They were cool at the time - honest!

Labels: misc

As per the example of my friend Mike here is a snapshot of my world these days:

1. Starting to read the long awaited book I ordered: The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture.
2. Preparing to teach a seminar this weekend.
3. Just finished an exam on Monday for my Contemporary Theology Class.
4. Have a paper due to Essentials of Christian Education tomorrow reviewing some small group curriculum.
5. Finishing the book, Church Re-Imagined that I started way to long ago.
6. Finishing the book for my Contemporary Theology Class: Narratives of a Vulnerable God (interesting and intriguing).
7. Have to get to our personal taxes done soon.
8. Importantly, I am caught up in my TV watching (at least the shows I watch regularly).
9. I am about 1 for 8 in Tim Horton's roll-up-to-rim. Given the news stories as of late, I will not let anyone roll-up-the-rim for me.
10. Started using Mvelopes for our personal finances - it is awesome!!!
11. Just got the Church Sign put up yesturday (I'll post a picture soon).

Just a short brief update on a bit of my life these days.

Labels: misc

Labels: misc

It has become apparent to me in the last few weeks that the concept of Satellite Churches has grown in popularity. I have several thoughts, well more questions, about Satellite Churches and that model of church growth and thought I would explore them here.

Disclaimer: I don’t pretend to know a lot of about the Satellite Church model and I recognize that because one church does it one way, it doesn’t mean every church will do it the same way. I also want to invite anyone, at anytime, to comment and correct me on anything in this post. These are just my questions and thoughts on the topic.

My Questions and Thoughts:
1) If in the Satellite Church model the main church sub-divides itself into smaller bodies in different locations with the same identity, ministry philosophy and overall leadership, doesn’t it look a lot like a franchise model in which the main church keeps all the (product) control and not allows from freedom, contextualization or creativity?
2) How does the Elder’s board work within this model? I assume that the Elder’s board is in the main church and serves the larger community as a whole. I would question that if this is the case, how does this serve the unique needs and leadership gifts in the local (smaller) community?
3) I understand that most Satellite church models use a recorded or satellite message from the Preaching Pastor of the main church to all the churches apart of it; on the other hand, each church usually uses live worship. What is the difference between the worship and the preaching to make one live and dynamic to the other projected and recorded? What about the unique calling and gifting of preaching within the community of the Satellite Church? Could there be problems (sociological and psychological) associated with viewing the recorded message on a large screen?
4) I understand part of the drive in this is to have smaller communities with access to the main community for the Children’s and Youth programs. But is that okay, and should we be working at filling a consumerist demand and mindset?
5) Why not plant churches rather than do Satellite Churches? I get that it is safer (less risk) to have Satellite Churches, but is safer better? By doing this do we limit or stifle the creativity and unique calling that made the “Mother Church” successful to begin with?

My bent is obviously that this model may be problematic and I am open to changing my mind but these are a few of the questions I have with it thus far. It seems like we are moving away from the Mother/Daughter Church model that send kids (smaller communities) out to fend for themselves (with support of course) to a model that see the kids (Daughter Church) stay home with mom & dad (Mother Church) and not risk and become their own people and explore their own calling. Anyways these are just my thoughts and questions and PLEASE, I am open to other questions, answers, thoughts and dialogue. Like I said, I have probably misrepresented the model in some way, so I apologize in advance and please correct me if I’m wrong.

Labels: article

How rich are you? >> I'm loaded. It's official. I'm the 390,625,000 richest person on earth!

It puts things in perspective to think that there are 5,609,375,000 people poorer then me on this planet.

Labels: misc

With its recent win of best picture at the Oscars, I thought it was approriate to add the link to the blog entry I wrote on the movie Crash.

You can read it here: http://www.incipiosermo.com/2005/08/crash.html

Labels: movie review

Labels: misc