Book: Externally Focused Church

I’ve been reading The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson and so far, it is FANTASTIC. It’s actually quite profound in its simplicity and very encouraging for anyone who is working to lead an externally focused congregation or anyone who wants to become more externally focused.

I’m going to try to blog through the book. I’m already almost half way through so I’ll cover the first section in the next couple of days.

I also want to sort of “theme journal” here about the general concept of being missional and what different aspects of our faith (apologetics, theology, orthopraxy, discipleship, gifts of the Spirit, etc.) look like in a missional/externally focused context.

…on a different but someone connected note, a friend of mine recently said something that was somewhat tongue in cheek but also very true. It was related to people who confront us about what we’re doing in ministry, making accusations that we’re not hard enough on truth or that we don’t preach enough “word”. He said that he feels sorry for them because their world must be very scary and that they just need a hug.

hehe…In a way, I think that’s a very good way to look at it. Because I do think that a lot of the opposition we get is from well intentioned people who are afraid of what “change” means. Think of how frightening it must be to listen to some of the talk going on in Christendom right now, esp. if taken out of context without any sort of frame of reference. So I’m seeking God for grace and patience and supernatural love…Christ have mercy.

Related posts:

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3. “decentering” the Sunday service One of the thoughts that emerged from reading the...
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