Church Planting
Gospel mission and community do not apply to church planting. Church planting is the outworking of mission and community. When we think mission we must think church. And the best way to link church and mission is through church planting. We are in a missionary situation and all that we do must be missionary. Church planting inevitably and naturally shifts the church into missionary mode. Mission defines the nature, purpose and activity of both the church plant and the sending church. The twin principles of gospel and community provide a framework in which to explore new ways of doing church while guarding against cultural capitulation. At present church planting carries a certain mystique. But we need to create a culture in which, at the very least, transplanting is normal. Every local church should be raising up church planters.
Total Church USA
Recently Steve Timmis and Tim Chester travelled to the US for a Total Church conference.
Click on the link to see the first video of that conference - Steve Timmis speaking on A Community Centered Gospel...
Being Church in the 21st Century
The 21st century has come upon the church rather unexpectedly. Especially as most churches were just beginning to think seriously about coming into the 20th century! And because it's something of a surprise, we're not sure what to do and how to respond. Many of us have little or no idea of what it means to be church in the 21st century. Part of the problem (although I'm sure this isn't the case here!) is that many of us just aren't sure about what it means to be church. Full stop!
The Mystery of the Church!
Steve Timmis invites us to come 'in the house' and discover the blessings of being 'in Christ'.
A Passion for The Church
For some people the church is a controversial subject, best avoided. Others find the theory and the practice of church boring. Steve Timmis wants us to get passionate about the church ...
Congregation or Community:
Interacting with the Robinson-Knox View of the Nature of the Church
In the first NTI paper Michael Tinker asks, when is the local church not a church?
"The question I want to ask is 'when is the local church not a church?' ... Are we 'doing' church when we are loving and caring for each other at a bus stop? The answer must be 'Yes' ... The 'gathering' is determinative of what it is to be the ekklesia, but not exhaustive of its meaning."
Home Sweet Home:
the Biblical and Cultural Reflections Behind The Crowded House
This material appeared in two editions of Evangelicals Now in early 2000.
Home-Making:
Church Planting in a Postmodern Society
There are at least two elements that are essential in any gospel ministry:
- an understanding of our context
- a coherent and clear theology
Mission without the contemporary perspective will be irrelevant. Mission without being theologically informed will be ineffectual.