On April 14th-15th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road.
In this third main session from the conference, watch as Dave Browning of Christ the King Church talks about growing organic, relational congregations with authentic community that can grow and adapt to their specific sub-culture and yet remain connected to the greater body.
All the main sessions from the conference are available, and can be found here.
On April 14th-15th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road.
In this third main session from the conference, listen as Dave Browning of Christ the King Church talks about growing organic, relational congregations with authentic community that can grow and adapt to their specific sub-culture and yet remain connected to the greater body.
As they become available, all main sessions from the conference can be found here.
On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this sixth session from the Conference, watch as John Piper explains how his preaching is informed by his shepherd, counseling and individual care.
"He said I am sorry but this is at least the tenth time! I don't know what to do. I am told that it's my Christian duty to forgive so I try to do it. But each time I forgive him, he changes for a little while and then returns to the same behavior. I have a gut feeling that I am handling things the wrong way. He never really changes and I just get angry. What should I do?"
Sound familiar? People facing circumstances like this must learn to distinguish forgiveness from reconciliation. Forgiveness is always required by God. Jesus clearly warned that God will not forgive our sins if we do not forgive those who sin against us (see: Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25).
One of the great rallying cries of the Reformation was ecclesia semper reformanda. Simply, it means that the church must continually reform itself to remain faithful to the mission of Jesus in changing cultures.
The issues of leadership are the topic of countless books, tapes, seminars and sources of conversation. Every company, community family, and nation is looking for that key individual that surfaces to the top and invites the group to follow. There is much dialogue today about the concept of "team." The majority of the conversation in the area of church planting does much to belittle the idea of a key leader or key individual, but rather all have surrendered the role to become a unified "one voice" leader. While there is much to be affirmed in the team concept, the primary idea that there is not one among us who is first and is our leader, is fundamentally flawed and lacks biblical support. This is not to say that the team around the leader lack equality but rather to say that among the leadership team there is one among us who is first among equals. Peter, James and John surfaced as first among equals, and as we follow the book of Acts we see Peter surface to the front and take the primary voice and position of leadership until the conversion of Paul.
We, therefore, must not downplay the role of the key leader. Nor can we dissect and delegate the mantle of responsibility to a team. We must come face to face with the reality that God calls, gifts, and equips one man to be the primary catalyst for casting vision--the driving voice behind this new church. He will have to motivate people to action, delegate the work of the ministry, and equip those around him to do the work. He must create, manage, model, proclaim, and lead the way. Overwhelmed yet? You should be!
Along with the demand of being the key leader, comes the spiritual mandate declaring that leaders will incur a stricter judgment from God. Who as a leader hasn't feared directing some the wrong way and, after hearing the warning of Jesus, wakes up from a cold sweat dreaming about a millstone around your neck? At the end of the day, leadership is a gift, a calling, and a mandate. It will be a lonely place for the man that God calls. So the question becomes - why do we do it?
