This article raises interesting and challenging thoughts on leadership today. N.S.

“How a Movie from our Childhood Can Help us Understand the Changing Nature of Leadership in the Postmodern Transition” By Brian D. McLaren

OK, I admit it. I spent most of the 80’s and early 90’s wishing I could be just like Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, or John Maxwell. They were successful. They appeared unflinchingly confident. They were powerful, knowledgeable, larger than life. I’d go to their seminars, and return home feeling wildly inspired and mildly depressed. How could I feel those two things at the same time? If you’ve attended their seminars, you probably don’t need me to explain.

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I met today with Nancy, an advocate for fair trade in the Sunderland, ON area. Our meeting was for me to connect this work with our SERVE and Encounter week (Jun 30-Jul 4), with the theme “Right The Wrong”. We sat outside at Katie’s Coffee House in Sunderland, enjoying a beautiful day and very friendly passersby. Continue reading ‘fair trade’ »

Linda Wielinga sent me this story which struck me as interesting, a neat God moment as it made me think of myself and what a slow learner I am. How many times do I keep bumping into those things that are no good for me, and yet I foolishly persist in doing it again… and again… again…. Continue reading ‘friendly robbin… or slow learner’ »

Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger have been studying the emerging churches movement (if you don’t know what it is, read the book, its hard to explain). As I read their book I am finding that, apart from some occasional discomfort on how emerging churches apply their ideas, I am often resonating with what they stand for. The first core practice that they demonstrate is… Continue reading ‘identifying with Jesus’ »

Wow, not only have I been in Port Perry for 10 years, the first Tim Horton’s here in Port Perry is also celebrating their 10th anniversary. But now I am leaving… For the last 10 years I have been going to Tim Horton’s almost every morning for my own quiet time, sitting in the same booth. But now that I am leaving, that period in my life will end. At least at this Tim Hortons. Continue reading ‘taking my booth with me’ »

Some of you may have sensed that I have a bit of a beef with ‘church’. I probably need to clarify, its not so much with a specific church (I love my present church, and also my new church). My beef is with the concept of church as it has been distorted from its original meaning and purpose. I really resonate with the book by Dan Kimball, “They Like Jesus But Not The Church” (which I would recommend by the way, click the image for details). So what are some of my concerns? Continue reading ‘what’s my beef with ‘church’’ »

We commissioned our new church leaders [Sunday, June 1, 2008] and I used the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28. Some of the observations and applications I made were:

1. Paul writes this letter to a part of Jesus’ missionary team in Thessalonica, a new community of Jesus followers facing great persecution yet standing firm.
2. He urges them to respect their leaders, as a part of his instructions to persevere with integrity through persecution. If we are to demonstrate the way of Jesus to the surrounding culture, one way that we do that is by how we relate to those in authority over us.
3. I asked those present (a) whether they had ever served as leaders (b) whether they had ever been criticized as leaders, and (c) whether they had ever been critical of other leaders. Continue reading ‘r.e.s.p.e.c.t.’ »