Comments on: Open Call for God-Called Preachers http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/ a simple blog from the minister of discipleship at church of the servant, okc Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:19:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Matt http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1228 Matt Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:24:41 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1228 Bill, thanks for stopping by! In my mind, numbers provide one measure of ascertaining congregational health. Are there congregations that decrease in membership and gain in health? I think so. After all popularity doesn't indicate faithfulness. However, neither does unpopularity. After all, we follow a God who promises to draw everyone to himself(John 12:32)! In my mind, 9 times out of 10 a dramatic decrease in attendance indicates a deeper problem. I'm not sure I get your analogy though. Why does talking about numbers make you feel like people are asking obvious questions about a wreck? Sorry for being so dense! :-) Bill, thanks for stopping by! In my mind, numbers provide one measure of ascertaining congregational health. Are there congregations that decrease in membership and gain in health? I think so. After all popularity doesn’t indicate faithfulness. However, neither does unpopularity. After all, we follow a God who promises to draw everyone to himself(John 12:32)! In my mind, 9 times out of 10 a dramatic decrease in attendance indicates a deeper problem.

I’m not sure I get your analogy though. Why does talking about numbers make you feel like people are asking obvious questions about a wreck? Sorry for being so dense! :-)

]]> By: Bill Sterling http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1227 Bill Sterling Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:05:48 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1227 Matt, I was intrigued by your post. I have been a UM pastor for 38 years and currently serve as a DS. Our conference is also searching for an understanding of what urban ministry can look like. In reading your mission statements, I am reminded of what a seminar presenter said about church mission statements. He said he saw one that said, "We are as good as we ever were." As a DS of over 130 churches, I am beginning to wonder what the value of numbers is. Sometimes when we talk about numbers, I feel like the dazed driver standing by the car I have wrapped around a telephone pole, resting on its side. Someone comes up to me and asks, "Have an accident?" Don't give up. Remember it is God's church. I live by Philippians 1:6. Merry Christmas. Bill Sterling Matt, I was intrigued by your post. I have been a UM pastor for 38 years and currently serve as a DS. Our conference is also searching for an understanding of what urban ministry can look like. In reading your mission statements, I am reminded of what a seminar presenter said about church mission statements. He said he saw one that said, “We are as good as we ever were.” As a DS of over 130 churches, I am beginning to wonder what the value of numbers is. Sometimes when we talk about numbers, I feel like the dazed driver standing by the car I have wrapped around a telephone pole, resting on its side. Someone comes up to me and asks, “Have an accident?” Don’t give up. Remember it is God’s church. I live by Philippians 1:6. Merry Christmas.

Bill Sterling

]]> By: jack http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1226 jack Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:49:57 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1226 hum... as one who has a heart for cities core.... longs for an enlivened body of Christ... desires starting a community of people striving to follow the way... I find it dumbfounding that OKUMC.org doesn't have an urban ministry plan. and this is in fact a project that I currently attempting... if the conf won't try again, i will attempt. hum…

as one who has a heart for cities core….
longs for an enlivened body of Christ…
desires starting a community of people striving to follow the way…

I find it dumbfounding that OKUMC.org doesn’t have an urban ministry plan.

and this is in fact a project that I currently attempting… if the conf won’t try again, i will attempt.

]]> By: Matt http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1225 Matt Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:37:26 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1225 UJ - While I did include the mission statement as an example of the pitiful committee-written mess we often throw at problems, I intended the bulk of the judgment to be based on the actual results of that kind of response. UJ – While I did include the mission statement as an example of the pitiful committee-written mess we often throw at problems, I intended the bulk of the judgment to be based on the actual results of that kind of response.

]]> By: ksfrancis http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1224 ksfrancis Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:56:24 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1224 Hai, wonderful. I was in search such people and movement. In my own little way i reach out to people far away from my native place. I see that more and more young people are taking interest in Jesus Christ. I am deeply interest such ministry. I am in India. pl. contact Hai, wonderful. I was in search such people and movement. In my own little way i reach out to people far away from my native place. I see that more and more young people are taking interest in Jesus Christ. I am deeply interest such ministry. I am in India. pl. contact

]]> By: UMJeremy http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1223 UMJeremy Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:21:32 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1223 Matt, you wrote: "While I’m sure this doesn’t completely encompass their vision for these congregations, I can’t help but notice Jesus Christ is not mentioned anywhere here other than in their “common heritage in the Christian faith.”" This is kinda a small point, but judging a church by their lack of particular words in mission statements is humorous to me. It's a shameless plug but check out such an approach to the UM seminaries here: http://blog.hackingchristianity.net/2008/04/mission-holiness-rankings-of-umc.html Matt, you wrote: “While I’m sure this doesn’t completely encompass their vision for these congregations, I can’t help but notice Jesus Christ is not mentioned anywhere here other than in their “common heritage in the Christian faith.””

This is kinda a small point, but judging a church by their lack of particular words in mission statements is humorous to me. It’s a shameless plug but check out such an approach to the UM seminaries here:

http://blog.hackingchristianity.net/2008/04/mission-holiness-rankings-of-umc.html

]]> By: Calling passionate preachers « John Meunier's blog http://mattjudkins.com/2009/11/28/open-call-for-god-called-preachers/#comment-1222 Calling passionate preachers « John Meunier's blog Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:56:15 +0000 http://mattjudkins.com/?p=911#comment-1222 [...] passionate preachers 2009 November 28 by John Meunier Matt Judkins has placed an open call for “God-called” preachers. We have young women and men in our conference who have a [...] [...] passionate preachers 2009 November 28 by John Meunier Matt Judkins has placed an open call for “God-called” preachers. We have young women and men in our conference who have a [...]

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