the encounter

Heather and I went to the new Barnes and Noble in Cedar Hill yesterday. Its usually a dangerous thing to go to a book store. I see so many books that I would love to read, but have so little time to read them. Some of the ones that I saw yesterday and would love to read are…

made tostick: why some ideas stick and others die – a book about the prevailing aspects of why some products, ideas, and concepts make it big while others fail.

here come everybody: the power of organizing without organization – written about the power of large groups rallying around a cause to make a difference without the need for large scale staffing, buildings, and beuracracy.

11: Indispensable Relationships you can’t be without – written by one of the most unique spiritual architects of this generation. Leonard Sweet describes 11 types of people that we should have in our life. He uses characters from the Scripture to describe a range of different types of people that are essential for a healthy view of life, God, and relationships. This one I did buy. I can’t wait to get started!

the shack: where tragedy confronts eternity – a lot is being said about this book: that it is destined to become this generation’s “pilgrim’s progress”, best-seller, etc. Its apparently a fiction novel written with deeply Biblical and spiritual symbolism and presents a view of God that is rarely seen through traditional thought. Heather got this one and is excited to jump into it. Her and Briana are the fiction readers of the family.

That’s the list for now. I’m sure it will all change after I read another blog, look through the latest CBD catalog, or happen to stop in Mardel’s or Barnes and Noble again.

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As you may (or may not) have noticed, we video taped Sunday’s message.
We hoped to set things up for a typical video podcast for those of you who watch video on your iPods. So far we haven’t had much success due to all the multiple file formats and length of the video.
But we’ve uploaded the video to Vimeo so if you missed it and would rather see the message than listen, you can.

Let us know what you think.

encounter :: 052508 :: what He said from Jonathan Blundell on Vimeo.

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After finishing our series, “What He Says” about how God sees us and changes us, this video is a great picture of the power of what He can do…

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Reading for me is the opportuntity to sit down with people who have walked further down the road and hear their insights. Because they walk in different paths, their insights often stretch me beyond where I am at the time. I love that – God can usesomeone I’ve never met face to face to be an encouragement and challenge to my faith and walk with Him.

The latest I’ve picked up is a book called, “Glocalization – How Followers of Jesus Engage a Flat World”. The idea of the book seems to have 2 points.

1. In our day, no longer are places on the other side of the globe far away. Through technology they have become asnear as the closest phone or computer. Now, any spot on the globe is local – hence the idea “glocal”. The book claims to offer a new approach to missions that turns the traditional mission-agency approach upside down.
2. local churches were designed to be active expressions of every person living out their faith in the everyday places they worked and lived. it was not meant to hinge on a single leader who did the work of ministry.

From the first chapter I am aready being challenged. As he sets the stage for the church’s role in reaching others around the globe, he makes this startling statement about the church’s beginning in the book of Acts…

…people lived their faith in such powerful ways that others where they worked and lived in society wanted that faith. So many followed Christ that the church was necessary. How’sthat for church planting? The church was planted not to do evangelism, but because so much evangelism was happening!

Does that mess with your traditional thinking about the way the “church” hasoperated? It messes with me.

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I found this article today and after reading through it, I had my own thoughts about what the personality of encounter would be. But was curious about what others saw. So, which of the one(s) below do you think best describe the personality of encounter?

What is the Personality of Your Church?

In his new book, “What is Your Church’s Personality? Discovering and Developing the Ministry Style of Your Church“, Philip D. Douglass defines eight different types of church personalities. Here they are:

Fellowship Churches are conscientious, hard-working, orderly, and sensitive to the needs of the people in general, but especially those who are members of their church. These churches bring out the best in people by helping them work toward personally meaningful goals in an organized manner.

Inspirational Churches are encouraging and supportive to their people and conscientious about putting personal relationships ahead of ministry tasks. Since they focus on the ways individuals feel, they closely monitor how people interact with one another as well as the ways their ministry efforts impact people positively and negatively.

Relational Churches focus on personal connections, values, opinions, and people interactions. They actively strive to bond with one another, create harmony, and cooperate – making sure that everyone is involved and positive about the church.

Entrepreneurial Churches are drawn to opportunities that require them to anticipate the future and create new approaches, because they see every need as an opportunity for trying something different. They regularly scan the community to find connections with people and ministries that already exist so they can become involved.

Strategizer Churches develop creative ideas and insights to initiate innovative transformation in the surrounding community through encouraging their people to develop their giftedness and give themselves sacrificially to ministry. These churches are willing to take time to consider the facts and new ideas in the context of past experiences to better enable them to discern the Lord’s direction for the future.

Organizer Churches like to solve complex problems in a methodical manner by using logical analysis to critique their ministry programs, spot flaws, and make necessary changes that complete their ministry tasks efficiently. They are organized and competent, priding themselves in getting the most accomplished in the least time.

Adventurous Churches respond quickly to issues in their midst and in the community around them by being action oriented. Because they are at their best in emergency situations, they see problems as an adventure and an opportunity for ministry.

Expressive Churches are friendly and outgoing in communicating their love for people as a means of motivating them to join in the fellowship. These churches like to be at the center of the action because they are comprised of easygoing, optimistic, and considerate people who enjoy talking, laughing, and sharing their lives with newcomers.

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