TRIBE publishes videos and articles at thetribe.la meant to support the local church by connecting the gospel to issues of race, culture, and economics.  TRIBE is an initiative launched by Antioch City Church (EFC) in Highland Park (northeast Los Angeles), CA.  Josh Buck and Drew Jackson are working to encourage churches throughout the country to consider, through the lens of the gospel, the things that unite us and divide us.

Here is a great promo video that captures the feel of Dynasty Community Church.  If you are interested in Dynasty Church or the video service they used to create the video, contact Jevon Banks by email or phone 702-483-1014.

Bill Hull and Brandon Cook are back for another round of the Bonhoeffer Project.  "The goal of the Bonhoeffer Project is to encourage each participant to become a disciple-making leader. The Bonhoeffer Project firmly believes that this is best done in a community of like-minded persons, which is why the project itself is a community. Making disciples requires intentionality. The Bonhoeffer Project helps each participant craft a plan that is biblically sound and a good fit for their ministry context. Each of the ten gatherings will focus on a specific subject that then is followed by a monthly project."  There are three communities that will be meeting in the EFCA West district:
Go to the Bonhoeffer Project website for more information and to register.

Start planning your participation in next summer's BUMP (Bridging Urban Mission Partnerships).  The 2016 cities include Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.  For more information and to register, go to  BUMP's page on EFCA's website.

According to recent research from the Center for Faith and Work at LeTourneau University, the number of pastors who say they preached about the biblical view of work in the past year was 86 percent. The research also indicates 70 percent of American churchgoers don't "see how their work serves God's purposes," and 78 percent "see their work as less important than the work of a pastor or priest." While it's encouraging that pastors are talking about faith and work more often, a majority of Christians still believe ministry work is more important than other kinds of work.   Read more of the results from this research at Facts and Trends.

Kevin Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, has written an article for the Gospel Coalition. "The pastor is a public theologian who ministers understanding to the people of God in order to build them up into Christ...But people come in many shapes and sizes, and there's not enough time to become acquainted with everyone you meet. Hence the importance of becoming acquainted with literature, the laboratory of the human condition."  Read Four Reasons Pastor-Theologians Should Read Fiction.

A new website for worship leaders offers resources, links to websites, instructional videos, classes, and even connections with coaches, all free of charge. Martin Torres, Jr., who helps lead worship at Access Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon, has been leading worship in various venues for more than 20 years and has a master's degree in worship leadership. He started the site because he knows most churches are too small to pay worship leaders and musicians, let alone help pay for their training. Go to Leading Worship Together.

Dr. William Mounce has created a great collection of teaching resources for the local church.  From Bible basics to seminary level courses, BiblicalTraining.org offers free courses from teachers such as Dr. Greg Beale, Dr. Wayne Grudem, Dr. Craig Blomberg, Dr. Darrell Bock and Dr. Bryan Chapell. 
In light of all the media attention to Islam, many in our churches are asking, "What do followers of Islam believe? How is Islam different from Christianity? Is Islam a religion of peace?" BiblicalTraining offers a series of lectures on the beliefs and practices of Islam. For a basic understanding of Islam, BiblicalTraining recommends The Essentials of Islam by Dr. Timothy Tennent. For those who wish to have a more advanced understanding of Islam, BiblicalTraining offers a seminary-level course, Introduction to Islam.

Thom Rainier admits that this topic gave him some pause since he leads a large resource company, but he goes on to point out the problem is not the program as much as what it sometimes engenders.  Read Five Problems with Church Programs and discuss with your ministry team.

Focus is an issue during every season of the church year, but it seems that the year-end holidays especially tend to pull focus. This is due, in part, to the sheer number of opportunities to minister and to allow others to minister to you.  This issue has implications for both family and church body. Steve Caton has some helpful insights in his article on Innovate 4 Jesus.  Read The Art of Focus and then talk about it with your spouse (if you have one) and your ministry team.