the encounter » mission http://www.encounterthis.com/blog join the conversation. share your thoughts. help one another in the journey of life. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:36:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 The Big Red Tractor http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/ministry/the-big-red-tractor/ http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/ministry/the-big-red-tractor/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:56 +0000 Jonathan Blundell http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/?p=744 From Francis Chan:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Excellent!

How does your community of faith compare? Are you trying to push the Big Red Tractor with your own strength, or putting its true power source to full use?

Read more from Holiday at the Sea

]]> http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/ministry/the-big-red-tractor/feed/ 2 We get to carry each other http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/faith/we-get-to-carry-each-other/ http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/faith/we-get-to-carry-each-other/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:07:30 +0000 Jonathan Blundell http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/?p=671 Serving at the Mission

I’m reading the new book “We Get to Carry Each Other – The Gospel According to U2″ (by Greg Garrett) right now and it talks a lot about community and how the band has always emphasized helping those around us and the privilege we have to actually GET to carry each other. Yet for some reason we seem to think its a burden to build community, to open up to others, to share and serve.

How different our outlook and lives could be if we saw serving and loving others is actually a privilege – a calling – a purpose in our lives…

Imagine if you could find your purpose in serving your neighbors? Imagine if you could find your purpose in loving your spouse unconditionally? Imagine if you could find your purpose in serving your kids?

Imagine if we built ekklesia all around us – being the hands and feet of Christ in our own sphere of influence?

Wow!

Chewing on these ideas, I was struck by some great questions that Ryan asks on his blog…

  1. Am I okay with having surface-level relationships with everyone?
  2. Outside of my family, who can I really trust?
  3. Do I have people in my life that I can call at 3am when everything is falling apart?
  4. Are there people around me who can strengthen me when I’m weak?
  5. Am I using my God-given gifts, talents, or abilities to serve my friends?
  6. Am I investing MORE or LESS into the relationship than the person I’m trying to build a relationship with?

Ryan also shares some suggested steps towards authentic community:

  1. Choose wisely. You don’t need to be friends with everyone.
  2. Get coffee, have someone over for dinner, go play golf, etc..
  3. Be intentional. Ask a deeper question // reciprocate.
  4. Work at it. Don’t assume a relationship is fine.
  5. Be transparent and authentic yourself.

What about you? What do you imagine would change if we really saw the privilege in carrying one another? Is there anything missing from either list?

]]> http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/faith/we-get-to-carry-each-other/feed/ 0 Rethinking church http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/encounter/rethinking-church/ http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/encounter/rethinking-church/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:32:37 +0000 Jonathan Blundell http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/?p=522 Neil Cole writes ::

We must transition from seeing church as a once-a-week worship event to an ongoing spiritual family on mission together. Then people will see church as something worth giving your life for. Honestly, people need one another more then they need another inspiring message. You would be surprised what people will do for Jesus, or for a brother or sister, that they will not do for a vision statement and a capital giving campaign.

(HT @emergentvillage)

]]> http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/encounter/rethinking-church/feed/ 0 friendship trips http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/encounter/friendship-trips/ http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/encounter/friendship-trips/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:06:30 +0000 Jonathan Blundell http://www.encounterthis.com/blog/?p=437 When we think about mission trips, we offer want to go and build churches. Perhaps we’re going to build the wrong type of churches. Perhaps rather than building a church building we should be building “real church” that’s based on relationships and friendships that last forever.

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