The books keep rolling in….

The books keep rolling in. I am always being given or recommended to read books. I try not to seek them out and trust that God will lead me in my reading. I have been staggered by the clear message that is being put out by more and more practitioners, not mere theoreticians, of the end of Christendom and of church as we have come to know and experience it.  Here are two quotes from the latest book,

“ Organic Church ”.

1. Time and availability. Relationships that are significant take time. One of the reasons our evangelism is often minimally effective is because we are more interested in rationally conveying a message than we are at truly getting to know people and letting them know us.

2. A transformed life. The new life we have in Christ is contagious. That is what the world is dying to have and rarely gets to see.

3. Hospitality. Our changed life and kingdom values will best be seen in our everyday life. Practicing hospitality is a powerful way to bridge into deeper relationships where others can see our life in Christ.

4. Spiritual intuition. This requires listening carefully, to others and to the Holy Spirit. Rather than relying on a canned presentation of the Gospel that is used every time, listen to others and to the promptings of God’s Spirit and you will see more fruit in evangelism. Everybody is unique, and the Spirit knows what the core longings of each soul are.

5. Generosity. There are few character traits that stand out in the world more than a generous heart. People are drawn to someone who gives freely and cheerfully.

I have re-read this synopsis and I think it is brilliant.

The next quote is from the same book, “Every Christian is a church planter, every home is a church, and every church building is a teaching centre. This is a whole new way of seeing Christ’s church, and it is happening today all across the Western world. I believe it is a contagious movement that will connect with the many people who are disengaged with the old conventional church but seeking Christ. We must take Christ into people’s lives, and it must be in the context of relationships.”