tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post6026365760063896070..comments2023-09-10T03:32:56.323-07:00Comments on Chris Wienand: Gathering for the 80%just thinkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843597344312436968noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post-22822813250311531992011-08-18T06:20:14.859-07:002011-08-18T06:20:14.859-07:00Chris, I was reading a similar article just this m...Chris, I was reading a similar article just this morning by a pastor in the USA - funny that<br />Anyway, I have just wanted to add a few exerts from his article to bolster your own - whilst I agree that the "first touch" experience goes a long way - i think it also pays to be creative and shrewd<br /><br />Ministers/Pastor think it is wrong to be shrewd. But Jesus encourages it. Shrewdness is a “worldly” wisdom. <br />“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). <br />Some ministers are so “spiritual” that they have no practical wisdom in dealing with the world. Overly spiritual pastors have criticized churches that use multimedia presentation or coffee shops to bring in the yuppies. But these pastors should have been shrewd in trying to grow their churches, instead of being critical. <br />I will be the first one to admit: coffee shops are not spiritual. Multi-media is not spiritual. Elaborate productions are not spiritual. Playgrounds for children are not spiritual. Car shows at church are not spiritual. Yet we have all these things, because they attract and keep people. They may seem unspiritual—which they are—but they are not sinful. There is a difference between something that is unspiritual and something that is sinful. Sin leads people away from God. Unspiritual things are neutral, neither bringing people near God nor driving them away from God. <br />McDonalds builds playgrounds to sell food. Playgrounds are not their business—food is. But to sell the food, they built the playgrounds to attract parents with kids to the restaurant. Our church business is giving the “food from heaven” but the playground was a shrewd way to draw families to our church.Max Pienaarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06791596510564409192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post-78810802060887758762011-07-29T03:07:05.129-07:002011-07-29T03:07:05.129-07:00Jesus was pioneering a 'new' redemption st...Jesus was pioneering a 'new' redemption story to his hearers. To the Jews, he loaded his talks with stories, framing them in accounts common place to them - temple, sons, sheep... they got him because he got them. Similarly with the Gentiles. Paul is a second example worth emulating. I will write more on this later.<br />Use examples that are today's marketplace conversations - be a student of life, business, entertainment, leading stories...<br />Thread the gospel throughout the account. Keep Jesus the big story.<br />Be honest about your capacity - most preachers are truly only 30 min preachers - about 5 % can preach for 45 min and 2% are honestly amazing for 1 hr regularly<br />Know your hearers - culture, age, education, marital status, <br />Land in a response - communion, reflection, meditation, worship<br />More to come...just thinkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11843597344312436968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post-58079537306980727182011-07-28T14:19:24.320-07:002011-07-28T14:19:24.320-07:00Chris, what comments would you make about preachin...Chris, what comments would you make about preaching to the 80% - length, content, style etc. thanks StephenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post-42541033746417971662011-07-28T02:58:42.147-07:002011-07-28T02:58:42.147-07:00Good comment Tim - there are so many examples in t...Good comment Tim - there are so many examples in the scriptures of people coming to faith in their gatherings, so it was certainly not simply a huddle to catapult us into the world nor nor is it an inhouse gathering of the community only - for that we could simply be in heaven [that tends to be a charismatic type mindset]. I think the Father is restoring a greater sensitivity about the not-yet-believer [the reason the son of man came to seek and save the lost...] lets keep our conversation focussed on reaching these precious folks for whom Jesus died - we focus in on ourselves very easily.just thinkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11843597344312436968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216067962317835098.post-92134522748308166322011-07-28T01:56:09.944-07:002011-07-28T01:56:09.944-07:00This is great stuff, thank you. However, what do y...This is great stuff, thank you. However, what do you say to the accusation that this is not what the church in acts was about? The Christians in Acts seemed to meet in church as refuge and family to go back out into the world and 'do life' as Christians. It seems like they didn't use church as a fishing net. This isn't meant as a criticism, but a genuine question.Timnoreply@blogger.com