Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Invative design or functional design

Kent Shaffer gives pictures of 7 churches that have been listed as

7 Innovative Church Buildings in America

RIPPLE Church

Dan Maxton and Terry Martell define the advantages and blessings from God by being a church that daughters a church.




The Five Investments of a RIPPLE Church

  1. MEMBERS - The best of your leaders will jump at the chance to go with the daughter church. Be prepared to release them. It might take several families to replace them. But then again, they were never yours in the first place. It's your role to release them; it's God's job to replenish them.
  2. MONEY - Never does a church live more on the ragged edge of faith than when it risks its finances. There are two sources of income for the daughter church: the tithes of the core team and the parental gifts. When people go to the new church, their tithes and offerings go with them.
  3. MUD - The investment of turf and territory is key. Some congregations believes that no new church should move into its area. But no one church can reach an entire community. A variety of churches are needed to reach a variety of people. Wise leaders invest mud and release territory.
  4. MINISTRY RESOURCES - People take their gifts, skills and talents to the new church. The good news is that God raises up other leaders in the parent church. Often they are won't step up and volunteer until a ministry position opens up. God holds people in reserve until just the right moment.
  5. MOMENTUM - It would be misleading to minimize the cost. The parent church will gear down. There will be a lag in momentum. Just as a new mother feels postpartum blues after a birth, a Ripple church feels both sorrow and joy from extending the kingdom through church parenting.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Explring the Mysteries of Prayer

Gary Rohrmayer shared the following points at the TeAmerica in Chicago, IL, Feb 27-29

Isaiah 64:1-12

What did they ask God to do?

Oh God just show up

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you” Is 64:1

Irresistible change

As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil” Is 64:2

To make His name known

“...come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!” Is 64:2


What are the conditions for God to show up?

  1. Learning to wait on God

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Is 64:4


  1. Practice joyful integrity

You come to the help of those who gladly do right...” Is 64:5


  1. Conform to Gods standards

    “...who remember your ways.” Is 64:5


  1. Admit your spiritual condition

But when we continued to sin against the, you were angry, How then can we be saved.” Is 64:5


    What did they admit?

    They were impure before God

All of us have become like one who is unclean...” Is 64:6


They were ineffective in their service

“...and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Is 64:6


There were spiritually weak

“...we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Is 64:6

“...and make us waste away because of our sins.” Is 64:7


They were disconnected from God

No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us”” Is 64:7


  1. Appeal to the fatherhood of God

Yet O LORD, you are our Father, We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Is 64:7

Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people.” Is 64:9

After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back?” Is 64:12