Tools & Trainings  for  Organic Church Movements  
Issue No. 13                                                                                                                    08.14.08 

Summer time is for BBQs and vacations and lots of connection times.  For our family, it included passing the  baton of ministry off to friends and disciples in thequest in Columbus, OH and a cross country move to Long Beach, CA.  The Lord called us to get even more involved with Church Multiplication Associates and one of our CMA churches the Los Altos Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach shepherded by Phil Helfer (one of the founders of CMA).

It was a joy to connect with organic church planters across the country (and enjoy their gracious hospitality).  God is drawing together an amazing family through the passion of Jesus, nurturing relationships & urgent mission we are on. Some of you I know, and many I don't, but it is a joy to serve you and what God is calling you to do in our movement.  Press on in the place Jesus has placed you.  It is an important thing where ever in the world you are!

I want to encourage you to put an important family reunion, our CMA 2009 conference, on your calendar now: February 19-21 in Long Beach, CA @ The Grand.  We are working hard on planning an outstanding time together.

I do want to take some space to apologize for those of you who have called the office, emailed questions or placed orders that weren't cared for in an expedient fashion.  We will be positioned to promptly serve you more efficiently in the days to come. Thanks for extending your grace.

Enjoy this issue of Tools & Trainings for Organic Church Movements.

Press on,

Mike Jentes
organicchurch@gmail.com

Church Multiplication Associates
 
In This Issue
Upcoming Trainings
Featured Resources
Feature Article
Quick Links
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GH-iconUPCOMING TRAININGS

 

Trainings in the planning stages for Fall 2008:

  • Chicago, IL  //  Story 1
  • Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX // Story 1
  • San Diego, CA  //  Story 1
  • Long Beach, CA  // Story 1 &  2
  • Memphis, TN // Story 1
  • Dayton, OH // Story 1
Other Training Opportunities:


August 28-31 in Dallas, TX - House2House Labor Day Conference. All the information is at HERE Sold out.

August 28-31 in Ethiopia - Neil Cole will be sharing organic church principles. Email Howie for details

 August 23-24 in East London, South Africa Neil Cole will be sharing organic church principles. Email Raymond for details.

 September 18-19 in Orlando, FL Neil Cole will be speaking at the Blossom Conference. More info> Here

September 26-October 2 in Hong Kong Neil Cole will be sharing organic church principles.

09CMAconference
February 19-21, 2009 Organic Leadership - CMA Conference 2009
Long Beach, CA @ The Grand > stay tuned HERE
Featured Resources--both new to our stock
 

organic communityOrganic Community: Creating a Place Where People Naturally Connect
by Joseph R. Myers

Community is a fundamental life search and one of the key aspects people look for in a congregation. But community can't be forced, controlled, or easily created. The problem, says Joseph R. Myers, is that churches are too focused on developing programs instead of concentrating on environments where community will spontaneously emerge. Organic Community challenges key leaders to become environmentalists-people who create or shape environments. Outlining nine organizational tools for creating a healthy environment, Myers shows readers how to diagnose their current situation and implement patterns that will develop possibilities for healthy communities.


spontaneous expansionThe Spontaneous Expansion of the Church: And the Causes that Hinder It
by Roland Allen

Written in 1927 as a follow up to his Missionary Methods, the following was penned in the forward by Kenneth Grubb in 1960:

"It is only gradually that Roland Allen's Spontaneous Expansion of the Church has established its reputation among those who are concerned with the mission of the Church. This is odd since it is in many ways both a more mature work than Missionary Methods: St Paul's or Ours? and also more relevant to the particular tasks with which churches and missions have to wrestle today. Nevertheless, the fact that a new edition is called for at the present juncture is, perhaps, a recognition that the book contains much that needs to be said and read just now."

What Allen was calling for 80 years ago and affirmed in the decades to follow has "a lasting validity, and can be studied and re-studied with profit."



 
Featured Article

The Threat of Heresy in the Organic Church Movemente
by Neil Cole
 
When teaching about the organic church, a question I am asked more than any other is how we handle the threat of heresy. I understand this concern and want to address it in an intelligent and articulate manner because it is very important. The organic church movement is not going to last if we simply ignore the challenges it faces. But I also believe that the issues that are raised in response to our movement can find solutions that are not only satisfactory but even better alternatives to the way the church has addressed these issues in the past. If the organic church movement is not a move forward toward better health and wholeness, then it is not worth pursuing at all.

The common understanding is something like this: if we rely upon uneducated leaders and teachers, won't we allow heresy to run rampant in our churches? Of course this is a risk, but I believe there are simple ways to lower the risk of such an infection. A healthy body with a strong immune system fights off infection better than a sick one. It is a natural function of the body inherent in its very makeup. I will suggest in this article that there is a better immune system for the body of Christ than the one we have been comfortable with for so long.

What is the true threat?

 
Check out the new search engine for the articles on the CMA Resources website>> HERE

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