sustain:if:able kiwi

Churches, belonging and membership

I shared a coffee with Nate Cull recently. The conversation roamed around to the way the internet builds community. We applauded open source communities; places like open office, and the way they build community.

Nate mentioned some research done on open source communities and how participation follows a sort of bell curve; very committed at the core who give lots of time, through the whole range of involvement, to those on the very fringe, who give very little.

He then dropped in what I thought was a stunning observation;

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God is a DJ

Does anyone out there have a video of Faithless’s God is a DJ, from their Sunday 8 pm album? I need it for next Wednesday, when I start a 3 week intensive on Church and Society.

I spent today doing some shopping for the course, including buying Ello-opolis.

I will give a free book with an article I wrote on Douglas Coupland, community and church to the person who can tell me how Ello-opolis will be used as a multi-media learning tool in a Church and Society lecture.

PS This generous giveaway offer does not apply to those who have heard me lecture before, especially recent Mission to the Western Mind students!

Good news or bad news?

Has anyone read this book;

Jesus Entrepreneur, using ancient wisdom to launch and live your dreams.

The title puts me off. But the tag line makes me curious when it reads “ancient wisdom”. And it sounds like it is a fresh perspective on a much trawled subject. (Jesus I mean, not entrepreneurs).

She’s got another one called Jesus CEO. Again the title puts me off, but it too sounds like a fresh perspective.

Induction

On Saturday February 21 I become the “Senior Pastor” at Opawa Baptist Church (part-time, alongside my teaching at BCNZ). I join to lead a staff team of 4 (possibly 6) and a congregation of about 150 people.

Induct v.
introduce someone formally to a post
from the latin inducere, ‘lead in’

I get to shape the service and they have asked for “multi-media.” So there’s room for creativity. Any suggestions; of words, rituals, visuals, songs?

coffee whore finds hope

On my way to work, nice vibe, good art on walls.

I am tasting their takeaway as I type. And this local coffee guide gives me even more hope.

From conversation 2 catalyst

Over the weekend I hosted a storytelling workshop, run by Olive Drane. It is not the recommended way to start in a new city, running a conversational event 12 days after you arrive.

But it was …smashing. 40 people. Huge denominational range. Olive was excellent; warm, sensitive, encouraging. A really, really good event.

The aim of the weekend was to get people creatively in touch with their own stories, telling their stories, as a way of “telling” the story of God in our life. If we believe God is in all, it’s time we told of all.

We concluded with a telling, and the magic of God’s spirit in community and creativity was present.

Best of all, about half of the group were keen to meet again, to listen again, to tell again. So within 12 days of arriving in a new city, I just might have been part of catalysing a regular storytelling group.

(Andrew Jones taught me this: hold conversational events in order to become a catalyst)

Newsflash

The Taylor household is in uproar. The dog is dancing on the table. The guinea pig has just had kittens.

Drum roll … I have been mentioned FOUR yes, FOUR, times on Jordon Coopers blog. Jordon is a wonderful man who could now an internet friend for life. Off to change my blogroll!

a bubble prayer

John Drane lead prayers at Opawa on Sunday. He blew bubbles – fragile, beautiful – and invited people to call out things they wanted prayer for. First response was from the right hand side:

a new start and new life for our church.

and a stream of bubbles drifted through the Opawa air.
Amen.

No stories allowed

In most churches only one person tells the story,
and they have been trained not to tell their story.

– Quote from food for thought that really appealed

food for thought

I ran out first “creative conversation” here in Christchurch last nite. In Auckland we called these missional dinners.

Recipe
some random friends
an interesting guest (in this case Olive Drane)
food
wine
a facilitated conversation; I ask a question and away we got.

Last nite we dined out very richly on this;
Safe spaces :: “One of the things I have come to appreciate is that people today are searching for safe spaces in which to deal with the experiences that make up their own story of life.” What could these safe spaces look like?

traffic

There’s a lot of traffic at my old site. I think I might have stumbled into an evangelical canon here ….

The excitement seems to be over my quote – The danger is that the emerging church is a re-run of evangelicalism, but with powerpoint, which I made here, and the response is; “This movement has to be stopped!”. I don’t think they like it but I am not yet sure.

[grid blog :: ritual]

grid blogging is a voluntary commitment to blog on a shared theme. ashley was the originator of the concept, and has suggested ritual for january 15.

Here is a story of a Life Ritual
‘”I have a ritual,’ she said, pointing to her earings. Having graduated and working in a very difficult situation she decided to leave work and take a mundane job to pay the bills. It was a job she didn’t enjoy but was totally powerless to change. During this time her best friend developed terminal cancer. This was a difficult time, visiting, watching the pain of husband and young family. The best friend talked, insisting that she take control to change things. She inspired to take a Masters degree which in turn has lead to this present new job, a commissioning agent for a successful publishing company.

After my best friends death, the husband gave me a pair of very special diamond earings he had bought for her. I treasure these. Every time I face the challenge of comissioning a new book or meeting a new client, I wear these earings. I draw inspiration from my friend’s dedication to life being lived to the full. My friend still inspires me on a daily basis to excel and so I intentionally wear these beautiful earings as a spiritual committment to work to my full potential. By this I am honouring her memory, encouraging her family to press on and I trust inspiring you.”

In turn I am offering you her inspiration. Today create a new ritual for yourself. Chose a piece of jewellery. It may already have deep significance for you. It does not need to be expensive. What counts is your intentionality as you put it on to commit to exploring your spiritual potential to the full.

:: Excerpt from Olive Drane’s forthcoming book Life Rituals by BRF. In it Olive looks across the breadth of life from the everyday patterns that give rhythm and meaning to the once in a life time experiences whether ecstatic or devastating.

Coffee whore

I have been in Christchurch just over a week. Already I have 3 different coffee cards in my wallet, from 3 different cafes. And I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

Part of earthing for me is finding a good local cafe. In Auckland we had Ultra; retro and friendly, and from that emerged storytelling nites.

Where is my “ultra” in Christchurch – accessible, good, relational and a place from which to start public creative missional events?

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. (I had hoped it would be a bit more flash before I welcomed you. However, I am so sick of my comments not working on the old blog that I have moving anyhow.)

Again, welcome. My blog is like my new house in Christchurch. Still not unpacked properly, but please feel comfortable. Please, have a seat. Wine, beer, soft drink. How are you?