by Robby McAlpine | Jul 2, 2019 | Cultural Engagement, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer, Revival
The crackling fire provided a calming soundtrack to their yearly gathering. A log shifted, and a swirl of sparks gusted heavenward, the sizzling sound accented by a choir of crickets in the darkness and the occasional blip of unseen fish breaking the surface of the...
by Kenny Burchard | Oct 5, 2018 | Disciple Making, Discipleship, Practical Theology
Some years ago, while listening to a Bible teacher named Malcolm Smith in a recorded teaching about Jesus, he said something that has stuck with me, and I myself have adopted it as something that I regularly say to others. He said, “It takes a long time to think...
by Robby McAlpine | Dec 29, 2017 | Disciple Making, Discipleship, Ethics, Evangelicalism, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Small Groups
Our church recently completed a sermon series on the book of Ephesians, and one of the repeated bylines for this series was the phrase: “Bringing our behaviour in line with our beliefs”. And in a nutshell, that is precisely what Roger Helland’s newest book, The Devout...
by Brad Blocksom | Oct 28, 2017 | Evangelicalism, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology
Dear Protestants, Coming up this Tuesday (October 31, 2017) we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation launched by a simple act of academic publication, when an Augustin Monk and Professor of Sacred Theology at the University of...
by Kenny Burchard | Sep 13, 2017 | Church Life, Cultural Engagement, Disciple Making, Evangelism, Missional, Practical Theology, World Misions
Protestants don’t typically like the biblical word “liturgy” (yep, it’s a biblical word. Keep reading!) because it is so often used as a synonym for dead religious rituals. That’s a mistake. In reality, it is a wonderful word that...
by Luke Geraty | Aug 31, 2017 | Discipleship, Gender Issues, Homosexuality, Marriage, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Sex
The hot button discussion in American Evangelicalism this week is the recently released “Nashville Statement”. This is an attempt by some Reformed Evangelicals to clarify their views on sexuality; the statement has raised a fair amount of agreement and a...
by Luke Geraty | Mar 14, 2017 | Church Life, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Cultural Engagement, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelism, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Preaching
Over the years I’ve been approached by a few people who wanted to either use the gifts they believed they had or be trained and equipped to minister through speaking (e.g., preaching, teaching, training, etc.). In simple terms, they wanted opportunities to speak...
by Luke Geraty | Mar 6, 2017 | Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Preaching
Preaching is the art of provoking hearts and minds toward Jesus and his kingdom. I believe it’s an art because I’m convinced it’s similar to painting or composing music. You can take a class on painting and learn the basic mechanics of brush strokes,...
by Robby McAlpine | Dec 31, 2016 | Church Life, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Engagement, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Ethics, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Revival, Small Groups
“I’ve decided to stay out of those discussions, until I can be sure that we can have a non-hysterical conversation about it.” A “non-hysterical conversation”… The moment my friend casually uttered that phrase, I was immediately...
by Brad Blocksom | Sep 27, 2016 | Church Life, Church Planting, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Cultural Engagement, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Family, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Money, Practical Theology, Prayer, Preaching, Small Groups
I came across these podcasts and, quite frankly, they were pretty eye opening for me (they’re kind of all related). So I wanted to share them here and see if we could get some good discussion going in the comments below. And, here they are: This one talks about...
by Brad Blocksom | Sep 11, 2016 | Church Life, Devotionals, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Small Groups
2 John 12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (ESV) John is such a person of the heart. He prefers to be there face to face, so that he can...
by Luke Geraty | Feb 19, 2016 | Church Life, Missional, Practical Theology
One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible powerfully articulates the profound beauty of the gospel and how that message should impact the way we relationally live our lives with those around us. Paul writes: “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has...
by Brad Blocksom | Feb 9, 2016 | Cross-Cultural Ministry, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology
So you may recall that I have written in the past here on the Missional Model vs. the Attractional model for Church. I’ve also written here that the commonly used metrics of Butts in Seats & “Decisions” for Christ are poor measures of an...
by Brad Blocksom | Jan 5, 2016 | Church Planting, Devotionals, Disciple Making, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, World Misions
2 Cor. 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives...
by Kenny Burchard | Dec 31, 2015 | Disciple Making, Missional, Practical Theology
A few days ago I had lunch with a new friend who is a pastor here in Virginia Beach. We talked about what he was experiencing in his own journey with Jesus and the Church, and because of the direction of our conversation, I felt that I should tell him the story...
by Brad Blocksom | Dec 30, 2015 | Church Life, Devotionals, Disciple Making, Evangelicalism, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer, World Misions
So I’ve been reading through the early chapters of 2 Corinthians, where Paul does a defense of his apostolic ministry. And it got me thinking what if we used this instead of (or at least in addition to) the traditional “Pastoral” Epistles (of Timothy...
by Robby McAlpine | Dec 30, 2015 | Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Messy Church, Practical Theology
And now for something completely different. Many times over the years, I’ve been amazed at how people belittle theology and theologians. At times, they are treated with the kind of contempt usually reserved for Dastardly Pastors. Theology occurs when ANYONE...
by Robby McAlpine | Nov 24, 2015 | Cross-Cultural Ministry, Cultural Engagement, Ethics, Ethnic Reconciliation, Immigration, Missional, Practical Theology
The past week has been pretty overwhelming, hasn’t it? At least, that’s how I found it. Terrorist attacks in Paris. Syrian refugees. Shrill rhetoric. Chronic knee-jerking coupled with self-righteous finger pointing — from all sides. Life was so much...
by Brad Blocksom | Sep 23, 2015 | Devotionals, Evangelism, Missional, Practical Theology
Acts 26:16 I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. (ESV) Paul’s commission from Jesus: to be a servant and a witness of the things...
by Brad Blocksom | Sep 15, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Devotionals, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer, Small Groups, World Misions
Acts 20:11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. (ESV) It was Sunday. Paul had already preached past midnight. They continued to talk and share a meal together (perhaps two...
