Next-Wave Article Listing

Issue #78 – June 2005
Chef Barna’s State of the Church: 2005
By Bill Dahl
If you’re wondering wassup within U.S. Christianity, it’s a good idea to sample the fare George Barna cooks up every couple of years. His most recent entree is entitled, The State of the Church: 2005.

America’s Idols
By Steve Lewis
‘American Idol’ leaves us asking what the deal is with this show, and what it reveals about our culture and ourselves.

An ‘emerging church’ pastor hears from God at the Origins Conference
By David Trotter
An ‘emerging church’ pastor reports on his encounter with the Origins Conference, sponsored by Mosaic, in Los Angeles, CA. last month

Behold I make all things stale and boring
By Mark Stephenson
After reading a bunch of Emergent Church type blogs recently I realized almost no one is saying anything new. Not only does this make blog reading boring and pointless, but it gets a little irritating.

Carrying a heavy burden [bag]
By Dan Kimball
An emerging church pastor finds himself at a Sunday parade and is burdened by the gap between the church and the culture.

Community
By Kevin Rains
Community is almost a ruined word.

Down with Structure! [not!]
By Malcolm Hawker
I was reading this morning where once again someone was crying out NO STRUCTURE! I can see the throngs of people marching in the street with placards “down with structure we don’t need ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info. we want to be free”.

‘even though’
By Alan Creech
There is a lot of ecclesiological idealism involved with planting a church – just ask any of the people who have done so in the last few years.

Experience Ancient Spirituality
By Maria Hoshaw
This article first appeared in the March 2000 issue of Next-Wave

God, our culture, and MTV’s ‘Next’
By Brian Turner
After a while, this date with God began to be really boring. There was no fun in it. Everyone just seemed to pretend to be having fun. It was so surface level.

I repent
By Bob Hyatt
An emerging church pastor reflects on anti-emergent web sites.

In and Out Theology
By Mike McNichols
What if being a Christian and operating in the life of a church has nothing to do with who’s in and who’s out?

Last Word and the Word After That, a Review
By Pat Loughery
An emerging church pastor reviews Brian McLaren’s latest book.

Star Wars births ‘Jedi’ Christianshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Editorial Review
A Review of Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters by Dick Staub

The ‘Emerging Church’ threat
By Jordon Cooper
On the front of my customized Google News page is another article by a conservative columnist that takes a shot at the emerging church and Brian McLaren. I’llhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. offer up some observations about some things that bother me about this kind of criticism.

The Last Word, and the Word After Thathttp://www.the-next-wave.info.an interview with Brian McLaren
By Next-Wave
An interview with Brian McLaren about his lastest book, The Last Word, and the Word After That

weight
By Ross Daws
Beautiful words, magical words! Words of creation and recreationhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #79 – July 2005
Interview with Tony Jones
By Next-Wave
The newly-appointed National Coordinator for Emergent answers our questions about his new job and the Emergent mission.

a.k.a. Lost, an interview with Jim Henderson
By Jason Evans
“Author” and ministry leader Jim Henderson discusses leadership and do-able evangelism with Jason Evans.

Chocolate Chip Spirituality
By Brian Turner
If only the spiritual life was as simple as a receipe for cookies.

Church Planting Chat: An interview with Frank Viola
By Mike Morell
Mike Morell recently had the chance to interview Christian author and conference speaker Frank Viola. Frank plants and assists house church communities to fulfill what he calls “God’s eternal purpose.” Here’s how it wenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Consumer Friendly Postmodern Cool
By David Hopkins
This article was first published in February 2001. Memorize it and you can deliver a seminar on postmodernism in any setting.

Emerge, but for Pete’s sake avoid the liturgical kitsch
By Mark Van S
Aesthetics can overtake good taste in the quest to be “emergent.”

I ‘sinned’ to see Billy Graham
By Dan Kimball
An emerging church pastor speaks warmly of Billy Graham as he remembers a youthful escapade “crashing” the gate to see Billy Graham preach “live.”

Mirror, Mirror, on the wallhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Bill Dahl
What is the next question facing the emerging church and how will it be answered?

prove it
By Ross Daws
Theology must be proven by the lives we lead.

Tom Cruise and Billy Graham
By Charlie Wear
What do Tom Cruise and Billy Graham have in common?

Wh(Y) Amnesty
By Bill Dahl
One author’s take on the need for amnesty for illegal immigrants in the US.

what shape is water?
By john o’keefe
defining the emerging/postmodern conversation is like defining the shape of water. first you have to know the shape of the container.

Worthy
By Staci Tray
Written in 1989 when the author was on suicide watch in a mental hospital.

Issue #80 – August 2005
The Storm has Emerged!
By Stephen Shields
When this article was originally published in December 2004, the Emerging Church had not yet come under the level of criticism that has “stormed” in recent months. It’s sentiments are worth examining closely in the current environment.

A Christian witness to the State
By Anthony Smith
Martin Luther King desired a Church that was a strong and effectual voice for change.

Annual Pilgrimage to Soliton
By Jon Ried
The Soliton Sessions are an experience worth the pilgrimage.

Flood Raises Dead, responding to Katrina
By Jim Henderson
The graphic images of Katrina reveal the legacy of slavery, racism and poverty in America.

Inciting allegiance to Jesus
By by Mark Van S
A tagline gone madhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Nobody Cares
By Elizabeth D. Rios
Even pastors can experience despair, because surprise, pastors are people, too.

On Emergenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Ryan Bolger
For the last few years, Emergent, primarily through books and conferences, has served as an alternative voice to the mainstream perspective that small ‘tweaking’, i.e. minor changes to church services will do the trick.

Pair-o-dimehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.A Christian Witness Worth More than Twenty Cents
By Bill Dahl
Does the sum of our words add up to the value they are intended to convey?

Preaching at McDonald’s
By Charlie Wear
What would you say if you were called upon to preach at McDonald’s.

Sites Unseen, Aug 05
By Mike Morrell
A review of an interesting site on the world-wide web.

Technology and the Velocity of Glory
By Kirk Bartha
For the sake of face-to-face community the church must abort digital projection and embrace spiritual procreation.

The Limping Theologian
By Ross Daws
One shouldn’t wrestle with understanding God and emerge without a single bruise.

The ‘Long Tail’ of planting missional churches
By Chad Canipe
Bi-vocational missional church planters need to be ‘in it’ for the long haul.

The Religion-Relationship Farce
By Chris Munroe
Those who tout the ‘not religion, but a relationship’ mantra are little more than spiritual charlatans.

What to do with the weeds?
By Steve F.
Two versions of a sermon on the same parable. One leads to grace, the otherhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #81 – September 2005
Becoming Convergent
By Brian McLaren
In the midst of criticism and controversy Brian McLaren introduces his nonfiction self.

Brian McLaren is the real thinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Ryan Bolger
An “emerging” seminary professor describes the influence of Brian McLaren

Chronicles of Church Planting: 80% failure rate
By Elizabeth D. Rios
There are issues that stand in the way of “success” for baby church plants. The failure rate can be high.

Creativity, the blessed curse
By John Wallis
Creativity can be a blessing and a curse.

Flood Raises Dead, responding to Katrina
By Jim Henderson
The graphic images from the Katrina disaster reveal the legacy of slavery, racism and poverty in America.

From Tithing to Timething (part 1)
By Bill Dahl
What would happen if ordinary Christians began to “tithe” their time?

From Tithing to Timething (part 2)
By Bill Dahl
It’s time for the proletariat in the pew who have blisters on their butts and the overflowing love of Christ in their hearts to stand up and point out a better way.

Generous Orthodoxy
By Jim Henderson
Jim Henderson from Off-The-Map explains what the Generous Orthodoxy Conference is about.

How Not to Pick a Fight
By Andrew Hamilton
Lobbing philosophical hand grenades may be the best way to avoid a fight.

On hope
By Brooks Hanes
A lot of people that have run out of hope in their lives. I know that God is in fact the only answer to the question of despair. We must do better to explain the meaning of hope.

Oxymoronic Faith
By Casey Tygrett
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Postmodern Black Church (or a church where a Negro can feel at home): A thought experiment on being a Missional Negro Christian
By Anthony Smith
What kind of church would a postmodern nego feel at home with?

Prayer-worthy
By Ross Daws
This is part 3 in a series on everyday spirtuality by Ross Daws.

Reality Church
By Dan Kimball
From first love to disillusionment to maturity? Are these really the stages of “reality?”

risk
By Joel McClure
We are called to the risky path of changing the world.

Thank You, Pat Robertson
By Mike McNichols
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The Consumer Church
By Mark Riddle
The consumer church makes image and indiviual preferences “king”.

The Cowardly Preacher?
By bob hyatt
This has been a go-to concept for me. The longer I have been doing this preaching thing, the more I see in the text that is at odds with modern sensibilities

The Naked Preacher
By Dr. Mike Kear
Are we being called to “Go crazy!” with Jesus?

Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
By Andrew Careaga
Miller’s journey to the Grand Canyon and adulthood beautifully described.

When I really hate religion
By Rachelle Mee-Chapman
Between rage and acceptance an urban abbess leans on her faith.

Issue #82 – October 2005
Incarnational Practices
By Mark Van S
You are church before you do church. Being the church is a matter of “incarnating” a Christ-like presence in our communities.

a.k.a. Lost by Jim Henderson: A Review
By Fred Peatross
a.k.a Lost doesn’t script, pitch, or propose a new “evangelistic program.” It is just about ordinary people doing ordinary things in the name of Jesus for the sake of the world.

An Interview with Scot McKinght
By Stephen Shields
Stephen Shields interacts with Professor Scot McKnight, author of the recent book, The Jesus Creed.

Author Donald Miller helps us look at our lives from a distancehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next-Wave
A quick conversation with author Donald Miller

AweSum
By William Dahl
Jesus is everything, The AweSum Author of it all

Being Incarnational in a Consumer Culture
By Mark Van S
Conference on Christianity in our Consumer Culture

Chronicles of Church Planting: A Step In When There’s A Step Out
By Elizabeth D. Rios
Walking by faith is a matter of watching your steps.

Does God Have A Hurricane With Your Name On It?
By Sarah Raymond Cunningham
Making sense of God’s judgments in the midst of natural disasters is a tricky business.

Eucharistic Revelations
By Shane Tucker
Revelations in the symbols of Communion.

Flood Raises Dead, responding to Katrina
By Jim Henderson
The graphic images from the Katrina disaster remind us of the legacy of slavery and racism in America.

How then shall I live
By A. Hanson
How do we live in the face of suffering and brokenness?

I was part of a missional community and I didn’t know ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
A ministry to skateboarders was God’s idea, and he put together a team to carry it out.

Intolerable, Incurable Injustice
By Brooks Hanes
Can we ignore the intolerable and the incurable?

Journey United
By Joel Kurz
Is it possible to healthy and separated?

Know-Ledge
By Bill Dahl
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Missional Made Easy: Tapping the Para-church Well
By Glenn Fitzjerrell
Para-church ministries may point the way for the formation of missional communities.

Off to Baton Rouge
By Mike McNichols
Be careful what you pray forhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Out of Bounds Church by Steve Taylor: A Review
By Roger N. Overton
Overton reviews Taylor’s blueprint for how the churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.can apply the gospel to the changing culture.

Postmodern Black Church (or a church where a Negro can feel at home) Part 2: A thought experiment on being a Missional Negro Christian
By Anthony Smith
A thought experiment on being a Mssional Negro Christian

Random, disorganized thoughts about life after the Katrina disasterhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Steve Lewis
Amazed and confused describes the author’s reaction to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Real Life @ 400 S. Orange
By Leslie Ramusack
Sometime contributor Leslie Ramusack brings us up to date on her “Real Life.”

Rest stop dinosaurs and the image of God
By Christy Lambertson
Dinosaur statues at rest stops miss the point.

Solomon and the Emerging Church
By Brian Orme
Is the Emerging Church conversation just a fad. Solomon said “there’s nothing new under the sun.” What do you think?

Women and apostolic leadership
By Steve Taylor
Joanna is a favorite biblical hero of the author. She shows how women moved with Jesus in apostolic leadership.

Issue #83 – November 2005
Growing God’s Kingdom from the Harvest an interview with Neil Cole
By Next-Wave
The Organic Church seeks to spread the seeds of the gospel of the Kingdom among the lost and allow transformed lives to be the momentum for building God’s church.

A job description for missional leadership
By Dan Sheffield
Poet, prophet and apostle, the missional leader forms a community of faithful, growing Jesus-followers.

A movement is born
By Neil Cole
The organic or simple church, more than any other, is best prepared to saturate a region because it is informal, relational, and mobile.

Ask Constantine: You fight the system. You become the system.
By David Hopkins
How does one keep from selling out when they become part of the system?

Barna’s Revolution, a review
By Darryl Dash
Revolutionaries, tired of religious games leave the church to serve God.

Buck Naked Faith, an interview with Eric Sandras
By Brian Orme
Living transparent before God.

Christiamnesia
By Bill Dahl
Maybe we need to forget what we know to meet someone worth knowing.

Contagious Disease strikes Christians!
By Bill Dahl
Increased devotion may become infectious.

Missionalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.Plain and Simple
By Steve Lewis
A simple, concise explanation, huh?

Passive Reactionaries or Proactive Participants
By Rob McAlpine
Why not start a conversation around a Venti cup of coffee.

Please no more doing church for them
By Ryan Bolger
A focus on the church service as connecting point perpetuates the idea that following Jesus is about going to church.

Post-What, Exactly?
By Michael Giobbe
Not postmodern, post-print.

Risk
By John Wallis
God has a high level of tolerance when it comes to risk taking.

When God Won’t Dance
By Bob Hyatt
The pain of suffering and doubt can cause us to ‘choke up.’

Issue #84 – December 2005
What is the Gospel?
By Scot McKnight
You would think the one thing we could all agree on is the gospel, but the fact is that I think defining the gospel is one of the pressing issues for the emerging movement that is giving shape to the Church for many Christians today.

A response to John Hammett
By Jason Clark
Emergent UK coordinator responds to John Hammett.

A southern response to a southern response
By Steve Taylor
John Hammett, Professor of Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has offered An ecclesiological assessment of the emerging church. I glanced through it and have made about 10 brief responses.

Are we too sophisticated for healing?
By Chris Munroe
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Barnyard Births in the City: Wishing you an Unconventional Christmas
By Jeremy Del Rio
Little devils find God’s grace in the city.

Body Prayer by Doug Pagitt and Kathryn Prill: A Review
By Fred Peatross
The human body’s ability to communicate feelings is as significant as the words we speak.

Boundary Markers and the Emerging Church
By Alan Hartung
Do our boundaries define whether we are in or out?

Conservative Christians v. the Religious Right
By Kevin Powell
At first glance, the Religious Right and Conservative Christians look distressingly similar. They vote for the same parties. They read the same bible. They sometimes worship in the same churches. But there are differences between the two. BIG differences.

Dear Church, Welcome to the Revolution!
By Jason Clark
A new generation wants to experience God with passion.

eChurch and father figures
By Eric Keck
A father’s presence is always felt.

Four Horseman Ride
By Eric Blauer
Struggles with the haunting specters of fear, failure, disillusionment.

How Emergent Are You? McLaren’s Seven Layers of the Emergent Conversation
By Skye Jethani
“We all enter at a different layer,” he said, “but everyone should be welcomed into the conversation no matter where they may be.”

I went to a U2 concert (and other reflections on missional living)
By Jeremy Del Rio
I had started my university career thinking I was sent to be Billy Graham on campus. I believed that if I would preach, “they” would come and receive Jesus. I was wrong.

In the Hands of Fools
By Karen Gilmore
A drop of purity or a case of faith?

Joy to the World, a Christmas parable
By Charlie Wear
When home is a distant dream, God comes in the form of human kindness.

Lessons from Jailhouse Christianity
By Glenn Fitzjerrell
“Christianity in a vacuum” has been so rare and fragile, that until this emerging church conversation, I’ve almost dismissed it as an unrepeatable fluke.

Lighted Lithos
By Shane Tucker
Seeing the Creator in ‘the former forms of life.’

Mistakes on the Yellow Brick Road
By Rachelle Mee-Chapman
Have you ever heard people complain that the postmodern church is just an old dog dressed up in a new trick?

Stop Channeling Marsha Brady
By Eric Blauer
Struggling with optimism and doubt.

The best book yet on the emerging church
By Jonny Baker
Research based book on emerging churches reviewed.

The word that will replace emerging
By Bob Hyatt
I’ll be happy because I’ve long felt that “emerging” needed an upgrade. It just doesn’t say much, does it? It’s rather non-descriptive.

Vocation Vacations and Paralyzed People
By Christy Lambertson
The idea of vocation is a hard one for me. I’ve never stayed at any job longer than three years, and if there’s a ladder somewhere, I apparently don’t know how to climb it.

Why did the Post-Colonial Christian cross the road?
By Lance White
Why did the Post-Colonial Christian cross the road? For some Chimay and Cloves of course! A response to Dr. John Hammett, professor of theology at Southeastern Theological Seminary, Wake Forest N.C.

Issue #85 – January 2006
The State of Emergent 2006
By Tony Jones, National Coordinator, Emergent-US
Tony Jones, National Coordinator of Emergent-US, reflects on 2005, the “Year of Criticism” for Emergent and the state of the conversation/movement.

Adventures in Church Planting
By Liz Rios
I’d like to add a few of the things I have learned on my church planting adventure.

Along the Yellow Brick Road: What we did right, tips for forming generous soulcare communities
By Rachelle Mee-Chapman
If you’re interested in some tips from a quasi-church planter about building a generous soulcare community, I’m happy to help.

Apr05: Just who is emergent, anyway?
By Bob Hyatt
Because the emerging church conversation/movement is a non, pan, cross and inter-denominational movement, the question arises, how does one know an “emergent” church?

Aug05: On Emergenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Ryan Bolger
For the last few years, Emergent, primarily through books and conferences, has served as an alternative voice to the mainstream perspective that small ‘tweaking’, i.e. minor changes to church services will do the trick.

Best Selling books of 2005
By Next-Wave
The best selling books through the Next-Wave web site for 2005.

Control – Alt – Demerge or Rebooting the Emerging Church for 2006
By Bill Dahl
Is it time to reboot the emerging church?

Dec05: What is the Gospel?
By Scot McKnight
You would think the one thing we could all agree on is the gospel, but the fact is that I think defining the gospel is one of the pressing issues for the emerging movement that is giving shape to the Church for many Christians today.

Engaging our postmodern culture: An Interview with Stanley Grenz (1950-2005)
By Rogier Bos
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Feb05: Why YOU Should Plant a Church
By Bob Hyatt
One of the hardest things about church planting is deciding to do it.

Field Notes on Community
By Mike Bishop
How do we remove the barriers to community?

Fighting the System
By Mike Stavlund
When I was a seminarian, theology was more like that. We realized that our developing theologies were very serious, and would be critically important for our lives.

Jan05: Churches: The Pamela Anderson Syndrome
By Darren Davenport
Bigger is not always better.

Judah, Meet Jesus: Reflections on Childlike Faith
By Jeremy Del Rio
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Jul05: Emerge, but for Pete’s sake avoid the liturgical kitsch
By Mark Van S
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Jun05: Chef Barna’s State of the Church 2005
By Bill Dahl
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Mar05: What I am and what I’m not – or a short history and explanation of the wider ‘emerging church’
By Alan Creech
Many of us have been doing what we’re doing, in some form, for much longer than the term emerging church has even existed.

May05: The Last Word, and the Word After Thathttp://www.the-next-wave.info.an interview with Brian McLaren
By Next-Wave
Why is hell such a thorny issue for Christians?

Nov05: Growing God’s Kingdom from the Harvest an interview with Neil Cole
By Next Wave
The Organic Church seeks to spread the seeds of the gospel of the Kingdom among the lost and allow transformed lives to be the momentum for building God’s church.

Oct05: Incarnational Practices
By Mark Van S
You are church before you do church. Being the church is a matter of “incarnating” a Christ-like presence in our communities.

Sep05: Becoming Convergent
By Brian McLaren
placeholderIn the midst of criticism and controversy Brian McLaren introduces his nonfiction self.

The church: Stuck in a moment it is trying to get out of
By Dave Crampton
Many people have decided that they don’t want to go to church any more. It’s got nothing to do with God or faith. It has to do with Christendom.

Thoughts on House Church: from a spa of ill repute
By Andrew Jones
Deep thoughts originating from an unusual location.

What Every Church Planter Should Know
By Steve Sjogren
A veteran baby boomer church planter shares his insight on some essentials for church planters.

When GOOD becomes the enemy of BEST
By David Allis
In a strange paradox, I can now see situations where ‘good’ is not close to ‘best’, but rather it is at the opposite end of a spectrum from ‘best’.

Issue #86 – February 2006
Interview with Steve Sjogren: Back from death, a pastor shares what he has learned about life
By Next-Wave
The Day I Died, Steve Sjogren’s newest book, tells the incredible story of his brush with death and the lessons he learned from his experience.

An open letter to Stephen Baldwin
By Hervict Jacobs
Promoting conversations rather than confrontations.

Book Review: Under the Overpass by Yankoski and Purvis
By Drew Goodmanson
A journey of faith from the vantage point of the homeless.

Cries in the Wilderness: On what it means to be ‘Emerging’
By Jeremy Del Rio
The prophetic voices of the emerging church cry out in the wilderness.

Eutychus Report: Third Millenium Church Movements
By Eutychus Bailey
Back from the future, a retired pastor writes about churches in the Third Millenium.

Everyone needs a friend like Kimm
By Patrick Fore
Connection starts with conversation.

Five Sundays with Jesus
By Rusty Wirt
What would happen if half the churches in your county took one Sunday a month and served the community by meeting some practical need?

Hope as a new pair of shoes
By Christy Lambertson
Sometimes hope looks like a new pair of shoes.

Nobody Likes You When You’re 23: The Aging Adolescent
By Jason Johnson
Doing the hard work of adolescence, however, and getting past these important developmental milestones, is undermined by postmodern ethics, now pervasive in universities and middle class churches.

Resonances with the Emerging Church
By Stephen Shields
Why do folks participate in the emerging church conversation?

Seven Habits of Successful Emerging Discussions
By Scot McKnight
Scot McKnight makes a plea for more successful emerging discussions.

Story: Recapture the Mystery
By Steven James
There’s a Jewish saying: ‘God created man because he loves stories.’

That’s not Community!
By by Rogier Bos
There is an ongoing search for authentic Christian community.

The Day I Died: Chapter 1
By Steve Sjogren
It was a beautiful day when all hell broke loose in this pastor’s life.

The Porpoise Diving Life
By Bill Dahl Copyright © 2005
Maybe there’s more to God’s desire for your life than what everybody has been telling you in the name of Christianity.

Together apart – managing generational differences without breaking up
By David Pullar
Overcoming generational churches in the contemporary church.

What I Mean When I Say ‘Emerging-Missional’ Church
By Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones explains what he means when he says ‘emerging-missional’ church.

Why Emerging Churches are Nonviolent
By Ryan K. Bolger
Emerging churches tend to reflect nonviolence as a value.

Issue #87 – March 2006
Post-Charismatic?
By Rob McAlpine
Self-described post-charismatics are open to the working of the Holy Spirit, but due to excesses and abuses that they have seen or experienced, they are skeptical and even wary of ministries that are charismatic.

A Modern Parallel: Culture, the Church and lessons from Detroit
By Sandy McCann
Looking for a new way to relate the cultural changes to those who want to hang on to the past? Join us for a spin through a comparison of how the the changes affecting the automotive industry can be compared to those in the churches in North America.

A Weekend to Remember
By Liz Rios
A church celebrates its one-year birthday and reflects on what God has done.

An Intergenerational Stirring: Why Christian Churches Should Adopt Public Schools
By Jeremy Del Rio
Transforming youth starts with public schools.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
By Jim Best and Rob Lane
The “real” St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland with his “Celtic” practices.

Clarity
By Bob Hyatt
Somehow, stepping away like this gives me some sense of clarity on all the different areas of my life. New ideas for my ministry and for my marriage. To me, this is better than going to Disneyland. That’s fun, but it’s not refreshing.

Consolidation, convergence and specialisation
By Gareth Powell
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Emerging Peter: Heaven Hope
By Scot McKnight
The Apostle Peter exhorts, keep an eye on heaven, while we get our hands dirty in the world.

Facing
By Brad Nelson
Perhaps the sacred act of facing begins at presence. Not “I am here to alleviate your pain,” not “I am here tohttp://www.the-next-wave.info.” fill in the blank. Maybe facing begins with “I am here.”

Fundamentalist
By Alan Creech
It’s OK to be ignoranthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.we all arehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.but please, let’s not put our ignorance up on a pedestalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Missional-Priority
By Fred Peatross
It’s counter-intuitive for church folks to disconnect from the church way of thinking and feeling but it’s the most effective way to incarnate the post-Christian world.

Obligatory Valentine’s Day ruminations on love
By Christy Lambertson
Is love really as hard as it seems?

Passionate Practices
By Steve Taylor
Interactivity and digestion form this emerging church’s practice.

Post-pluralistic Christianity?
By Matt Stone
What does it mean to be a ‘post-pluralistic’ Christian?

Reaching out in our neighborhood?
By Rogier Bos
Why do we live where we are living?

Review: The Three Hardest Words by Leonard Sweet
By Fred Peatross
Giving and receiving these three words, I love you, can be hard.

Surrendering the ‘God told me’ card
By Frank Viola
After “God told me”, does He change his mind?

To Preach or Not to Preach?
By Gary Goodell
From July 2002, a career pastor discusses the role of preaching.

Youth ministry in the emerging church
By Mark Riddle
Finding the answers to the questions in youth ministry starts with values and beliefs.

Issue #88 – April 2006
Review: The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D. McLaren
By Andrew Careaga
McLaren unlocks a different kind of “Code”, the revolutionary message of Jesus that is sometimes hidden among contemporary evangelicals.

A Mystical Three-Legged Race
By Tom Ponchak
With the recent untimely passing of two fellow followers of Jesus I’ve been reflecting on our connection with our brothers & sisters in Christ who have gone before us.

Bearing the marks of Christ
By Chris Munroe
Are the marks of Christ apparent on his followers?

Beyond Passion: Living a Crucified Life
By Jeremy Del Rio
A “crucified” life proclaims volumes.

Churches Plan Web Outreach Focus Day on May 7
By Internet Evangelism Day
Focus on Internet Evangelism set for May 7, 2006.

Introduction to The Secret Message of Jesus
By Brian D. McLaren
McLaren’s introduction to his latest book, The Secret Message of Jesus.

Jesus and Darwin: When the fittest choose not to survive
By Rogier Bos
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Ten Keys to Sane Church Planting
By Bob Hyatt
An “emerging church” planter-pastor gives his take on keys to church planting.

The Gospel and ‘This American Life’
By Ken Carter
Finding the narrative in preaching.

The Jesus Testimony
By Bill Dahl
What would Jesus say if he was called to testify?

ThisThing
By Greg Quiring
Emerging Church can be a good thing, it can be a bad thing.

When Young Leaders Diehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Around the internethttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
Reflections on two fallen kingdom warriors.

Yes, buthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.Music in Worship Context
By Mark Douglass
Let’s not let musical taste get in the way of worship.

Yesterday Sucked
By Tony Biasell
Sometimes real life is difficult!

Issue #89 – May 2006
The Da Vinci Code and a Hunger for Something More
By Stephen Shields
Is the interest in the DaVinci Code and the Gospel of Judas a symptom of something more?

Can We Still Trust God’s Word?
By Ron Duty
An advocate of the sufficiency of Scripture speaks out.

Comments on Can We Still Trust God’s Word, pt. 1
By Next-Wave Readers
A lively discussion on the authority of the scriptures.

Comments on Can We Still Trust God’s Word, pt. 2
By Next-Wave Readers
A lively discussion on the authority of the scriptures.

Comments on Can We Still Trust God’s Word, pt. 3
By Next-Wave Readers
A lively discussion on the authority of the scriptures.

Comments on Can We Still Trust God’s Word, pt. 4
By Next-Wave Readers
A lively discussion on the authority of the scriptures.

Comments on Can We Still Trust God’s Word, pt. 5
By Next-Wave Readers
A lively discussion on the authority of the scriptures.

Developing Vocabulary for Change
By Steve Sjogren
Change agents need to develop the language of change.

Graced Peacefulness: A Pastor’s Reflection on Angry Preaching
By Leon Hebrink
A reflection after listening to some old sermons while choosing a couple to submit to a potential church.

How to Speak About the Authority of Scriptures in our Times
By David Fitch
Is the “inerrancy” of Scripture discussion tacky?

Living the Story of the Word: The Atonement
By Scot McKnight
For some Christians, clearly not all, the doctrine of Scripture ignites all theological reflection.

Power to the People! How Technology is Changing the Face of Theological Formulation
By Drew Moser
New Media is changing the balance of power in theological formulation.

Reading the Book of Daniel
By Brian Ross
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REVIEW: The Sky Is Falling!?! – Alan J Roxburgh
By Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D.
Provocative! Challenging! Engaging! I would use all of these words to describe this new volume from Alan Roxburgh. Continuing in the same vein of a number of his previous publications.

Review: God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations by Jackson W. Carroll
By Andrew Careaga
American pastorate: A new book offers a look at the state of the U.S. clergy.

WWJD (What Would Jay-Z Do?)
By Jeremy Del Rio
How do we go about engaging youth culture?

Issue #90 – June 2006
An Open Letter from an Emerging Church Leader
By Jordon Cooper
If you are in denominational or church leadership, I am writing to you. I am writing you from some of us who are a small part of this thing called the emerging church.

Caleb’s Promise: A Father’s Day Tribute
By Jeremy Del Rio
Fathering: a dilemma for 24 million Children

Decoding Christian Code Language
By Frank Viola
Did you know that we Christians have a code language? The language is commonplace and widely accepted, but the coded message that lies underneath the surface is quite subtle.

Five Years Traveling Off The Map
By Jim Henderson
Where is Off The Map headed? It has been an exciting first five years.

I Dream of a Church
By Dan Kimball
What do you dream a church could be?

In Christ or Christ in You
By Chris Munroe
“Have we evangelicals so emphasized asking Jesus into our hearts, that we’ve under-emphasized the importance of being ‘in Christ’?”

Jesus is a Verb
By Keith Giles
What the world needs most, I believe, is to see the people of God start to act like the people of God.

Leadership Formation and the Declining Cost of Information
By Stephen Shields
I wrote that the seminaries expect the churches to send them people ready for spiritual leadership and the churches expect the seminaries to send them people ready for spiritual leadershiphttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Live Nude God
By Chad Hall
One thing the builders of porn sites know is this: the Internet was built for speed and accessibility.

Paul’s Pregnant Text
By Scot McKnight
Today there is a significant questioning going on about what role Romans 3:21-26 ought to play in our theological schemes, but that questioning only shows the significance of this text.

Review: The Untold Story of the New Testament Church
By Mike Morell
The question of who “the apostle to the Gentiles” is http://www.the-next-wave.info. has been raised repeatedly in the last two years by critics of those of us who are reimagining ways to be the church in a postmodern, post-Christendom context.

Sensible?
By Matt Smith
Faith, fear, or whatever?

The NexTestament: A Review of A Heretic’s Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke and Barry Taylor
By Bill Dahl
Newsflash! Luther’s church at Wittenberg has a back door! Spencer Burke and Barry Taylor have found it and removed it from its’ hinges.

Why Christian Political Activism Often Backfires
By Dave Crampton
With a little bit of tolerance and understanding, as well as a little less emotion and conservatism, Christians can make a difference in the political realm.

Issue #91 – July 2006
Profoundly Disturbed on The Fourth of July (redux): God, The Flag, and the End of America
By Bob Hyatt
The word that the New Testament uses to describe those of us who belong to God’s Kingdom, yet still reside here on earth is ”strangers.” The idea is that our citizenship has shifted to another country, that we have become aliens- people who reside in one country, but whose allegiance, heart and destiny lie with another.

Allegory
By C. Baruch
The author believes this novella captures the spirit of the emerging church, what do you think?

Are There Emerging Church Shibboleths?
By Stephen Shields
One thing that the various categorization schemes out there (and I offered one myself a while back) do reveal is that folks have different resonances with the emerging church conversation.

BBQ Waffles Anyone?
By Keith Giles
As I read about the early church in the book of Acts I am amazed at their simple devotion to one another, to the poor, and especially to Jesus.

Elijah, to pray for us
By Dan Schmidt
Much later I realized that Elijah had not been drawn very well for me. Or, to put it a different way, he had been caricatured.

On Becoming Post-Gnostic
By Steve Lewis
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Origin of the terms ‘Emerging’ and ‘Emergent’ church
By Dan Kimball
http://www.the-next-wave.info.:Since I get asked this so incredibly often “Where did the term ‘emerging church’ start?” or what is the difference of “Emerging” or “Emergent” that I thought I would [write my history] of where the terms originated”

Quarantining a Generation
By Suzanne Hadley
I longed for my mom’s reassuring words or my dad’s warm embrace. Instead I was met with an oddly uniform sea of youthful faces — faces of individuals, I guessed, who felt as adrift as I.

Take Nothing for the Journey: A Fresh Look at Church Health
By Leonard Hjalmarson
When we reduce truth to formulas or success to size, we are far along the road of idolatry and the worship of technique. We have sold out to the evil Empire, and forgotten that we are strangers and aliens here.

The Next Questians
By Bill Dahl
In the Bible, do you know what the first question God ever posed to man was?

Wrestling with Dr. Strangelove
By Christy Lambertson
I have to do battle with my apocalyptic tendencies on a regular basis. I used to try and think of the worst possible thing that could happen in any given situation, and then try to be prepared for that to happen.

Issue #92 – August 2006
An Interview with Spencer Burke: Author of a Heretic’s Guide to Eternity
By Next-Wave
Spencer Burke is a friend of mine. He’s a great father and he loves Jesus. He is the founder and the mover behind The Ooze. And, apparently he is a self-proclaimed Heretic! Spencer was a mega-church pastor when he moved from his third-story office to his beach shack garage to start The Ooze, which is arguably the premier ‘emerging church’ internet site with over 250,000 visits per month. On the occasion of the publication of his most recent book, I sat down with Spencer to explore some of the issues he has raised in a Heretic’s Guide to Eternity. — Charlie Wear, August 2006

A Theologian’s Review of a Heretic’s Guide to Eternity
By Scot McKnight
Because A Heretic’s Guide raises some of the central questions about universalism, it will move us forward into a profitable discussion.

Asking the Wrong Questions: A Survey of the Kingdom
By c. baruch
A read through a children’s Bible story book shows up our ignorance of what questions were really on the minds of Yeshua’s audience. Why does it matter, and what happened so that we ended up asking the wrong questions? — A brief history lesson.

Bridging the Gap
By Carolyn O’Connor
Can the generation gap be bridged?

Fellow Explorer, Sometimes Guide
By Fred Peatross
p

God’s View of a Woman
By Frank Viola
God has a high view of women!

Leading a Culturally Diverse Church
By Daryl D. Green
How does one deal with the cultural differences in our churches?

Making Sense of Heresy, A Review of A Heretic’s Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke with Barry Taylor
By Andrew Careaga
In A Heretic’s Guide to Eternity, Spencer Burke claims to “resist shrink-wrapping ideas and creating neat little marketing devices.” http://www.the-next-wave.info. But his choice of the term “heretic” for the title of this book sends my hype meter into the red zone.

Rating Churches
By Peter J. Walker
What would happen if people would start evaluating churches?

The World Does Need a Superman Savior
By Mykel Pickens
I was expecting your average fare—superhero summer blockbuster movie but what I was not expecting was the spirituality of Superman.

This is a Great Church, buthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Fred Peatross
The church that exchanges “come to church” with, “go to the world” becomes the missional template church for the 21st century.

Why should I care so much? and other Christ-like Musings on MySpace
By Jeremy Del Rio
Social networking web sites offer pitfalls and an opportunity.

Issue #93 – September 2006
Reality for the Rest of Us
By Bill Dahl
As I looked out over the Pacific ocean, sun setting in the west, I realized the gift that purpose-driven theology had bestowed upon me: the passion to pursue a relationship with God, beyond the boundaries of the horizon. I began to realize that perhaps, “God is bigger than the Christian faith.”(12) Maybe there’s more to God than what we presently portend to comprehend. I was at a point in my life where, as one author recounted, “We must learn how to perceive the living God who is building a new world in unexpected places and shapes; indeed, we must learn what it means to enter the new world of God. In short, we must relearn the meaning of being a Christian.” It was time to move on, pursuing the God of More.

A Lesson From History, The Need for Discerning Church Leaders
By Stephen Chatelier
Other than the emerging church movement, many in the West are looking to the Asian churches as “successful” models of church.

Brenda-Based Youth Ministry vs. Family-Based Youth Ministry
By Brenda Seefeldt
There was a time in my life when I thought pretty highly of my Brenda-based youth ministry. I felt alive. I felt like I was making a dent in this world. I felt true joy when some teens “got it.” But I also felt tired, overwhelmed, stressed, etc.

Copious Concerns about Video Venues
By Bob Hyatt
The answer is not to come up with new and creative ways to put space between those teaching and those being taught.

For Young Women Only
By Kelly Schauermann
In Shaunti Feldhahn’s most recent book, For Young Women Only, the mysterious world of what men really think is divulged.

More ofhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.Reality for The Rest of Us
By Bill Dahl
http://www.the-next-wave.info.Some folks out there, just like mehttp://www.the-next-wave.info. were pondering the possibility that maybehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.this life is more than a dress rehearsal. Perhaps the “purpose of life” http://www.the-next-wave.info. is not intended to be reduced to the confines of a nutshell.

Notes for The Problem with Preaching
By David Allis
Notes and Footnotes for the main article.

Old Time Religion
By Tom Ponchak
I’ve been thinking about my attitude and the attitudes of others within the emerging church towards religion.

Space for All The Stories
By Christy Lambertson
Instead of singing, I cried instead, because something about that song made me feel like I belonged whenever my church would sing it.

The Problem With Preaching
By David Allis
Preaching is considered one of the essential ingredients of Christianity throughout the last 2000 years, and arguably through OT times also. It is one of the bastions of church tradition.

What the Church Needs Now
By Mike Bishop
What if what we need is courageous people to lead the church, and that courage only comes as a gift of God through an act of worship and obedience?

Wrapped in a Cocoon
By Fred Peatross
The church has a limited perception on infinite reality. And with a grandiloquent self-assurance, it imposes that perception on its members until they think it’s their own.

Issue #94 – October 2006
Suggestions for Critics of the Emerging Church
By Michael Spencer
Criticism of the emerging church is growing among traditionalists, fundamentalists and many of the reformed. I don’t like to argue, so I thought I might offer a contribution to the discussionhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Are the Popular Methods of Doing Church Working?
By Brad Hightower
The church growth method of serving up spectacular church services with great professional music and slick lean sermons has only served to produce spectator Christians whose only understanding of mission is to bring people to the spectacle.

Brand Name Jesusâ„¢
By Scott Berkhimer
We’ve fashioned a new Jesusâ„¢, one who just wants to live in our hearts and not in our neighborhoods, one who is content with being accepted instead of being followed.

Buttdriver
By Tom Perez
The plan was simple: get a part-time job to supplement my income until people started coming by the 100’s to hear me preachhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Eckhart 11
By Martin Burke
And if we dwell If we dwell in love then all will remain And the fruit be good

Equal Time on Video Venues
By Darrin Patrick
Our plan was to plant a neighborhood church and then plant other neighborhood churches. We would get to 250 or so and then give 50 people to a planter, “rinse, repeat step one.” This was a great plan except it didn’t work.

I went fishing the other day and do I have a fishing storyhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Craig Stonehocker
I was going fishing as a means of escape, an escape from the reality of where I am right nowhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Imagination and God’s Future
By Len Hjalmarson
The power of imagination to evoke alternative worlds

Off Broadway
By Jason Burgett
Every time Jim Spencer preached about “minding God,” I knew he was talking to mehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Oh, Spencer
By Bob Hyatt
Warning: this started off as a short, breezy commentary on a couple things from Spencer’s book. A few hours later, my fingers are tired from typing and I’m cussing. Read on at your own riskhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Paying to Follow Christ
By Nathan Colquhoun
Instead of doing what Christ did and getting dirty with people that we would never in a million years spend time with, we find ourselves sitting comfortably in our church pews dropping money in the plate.

The question of the hourhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
A quiet moment down at the local pub churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

What’s a Faithmap?
By Stephen Shields
One of the critiques of a modernized evangelicalism is that it has collapsed theology to mere information. The “faithmap” metaphor reflects my desire to make three statements about Christian theology and praxishttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #95 – November 2006
Pews, Pulpits, Pastors, Preaching and other things that can get in the wayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dan Kimball
My growing theory of most churches is that when churches become so inwardly focused, we can produce the fruit of knowledgeable but usually negative and critical people always pointing out the wrongs in everything. Or when we become so outwardly focused, we can become shallow theologically and produce Christians who barely know the Bible. Or when we become so felt-needs and methodology focused , we can produce consumer Christians who end up depending on which church best meets their needs which produces a bigger and better cycle for the church leaders to deal with. All of these things can produce a people who aren’t seeing themselves as missional Christians being the church throughout the week – but people who have faulty (in my opinion) definitions of church and then they “go to church” for meeting the faulty expectations we have set up for them to define “church” by.

An Emerging Blur: Journeying Towards the Simplicity Beyond Complexity
By Drew Moser
As the dust flies, definitions and boundaries seem fleetinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Become a Soccer Coach or Send Your Friends to the Eternal Smoking Section
By Brooks Hanes
I have found that one of the easiest ways for a Dad to have immediate opportunity for influence on his culture and children ishttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Coming to Blowshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Melissa Lathan
A friend once commented that the Christian community was moving progressively towards an anti-intellectual stancehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Community in the Image of God
By Scott Berkhimer
To be created in the image of God is a vocational calling in which we participate as God’s stewards, in community and service together, participating in God’s own creative activitieshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Dear Emergents
By Keith Drury
I hope you will be able to ignore those in my generation whose idealism has been crushed and have now appointed themselves balloon-busters for your generation’s dreams. I pray you will succeed where we failedhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Icebreakers, Oprah, Hermit Crabs & Christian Community
By Frank Hamrick
What I’m hearing from God is this: give yourself to my mission (cause) and you will find communityhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Jesus of Suburbia: Review and interview with Mike Erre
By Dustin Bagby
As the Scriptures remind us, not all worship is pleasing to God, not all church services are attended by Jesus, not all teaching is sound teaching, and not all prayer is “in Jesus’ name.”

Minding Godhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. Rev Jim pt 2
By Jason Burgett
The most intense religious fixture of my youth is dead, and I am only now, 25 years after I first set eyes on him, trying to understand how he influenced my faith and my Christian imaginationhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Near/Far (or, does a tractor-pull make an effective metaphor for emerging worship?)
By Rob McAlpine
So what’s the deal with saying that the church has been “feminized”???

The Emergent 23rd
By Addison Road
The Lord is my DJhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Wanderer for Wonder What
By Rob Woodrum
One Man’s Journey Away from Church as He Had Known It.

They Will Know We Are Christians By Our…?
By Chris Lyons
I’d almost forgotten the question as I walked the sidewalk to my downtown high-rise office, when I heard a blaring noise, which just about knocked me off my feethttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

thoughts from the ether
By Next Wave
Quotes from our forays into the world of books, conversations and the interwebhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Why God is More Glorified by Web 2.0
By Drew Goodmanson
Something powerful is behind the internet shift that Christians should be aware ofhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. God is more glorified by Web 2.0 than Web 1.0.

Issue #96 – December 2006
Theological Disagreement and The Emerging Church
By Stephen Shields
A plea for the emerging church, emergent and her criticshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

‘Tis the Season
By Sean Michael Murphy
“You want my Christmas list now?” “Yes.” “You mean a list of all the things I want for Christmas?” “Yep.” “You know it’s not for a couple of months, right?” “I just want your list.” “In October?” “That’s what I’m saying”http://www.the-next-wave.info.

“Exciting” Christianity
By Jeff Nelson
I hope that this article doesn’t make me sound like a stick in the mudhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

A Three Ghost Night
By Charles Churchill
It takes nothing to wake him, and when I do, his face flushes with momentary anger, and then he recognizes me. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” I say to him. “I’ve prayed I would,” he says, “but none have come.”

A whole lot morehttp://www.the-next-wave.info
By Next Wave
Again, down at the local pub churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ANTI-NOMENCLATURIST:A Cautionary Call To Front-Line Emergelicals
By Glenn Johnson
http://www.the-next-wave.info.”most of the people actually living and doing this kind of church have entered into people’s lives in ways that some emerging, emerging power-brokers and conversation-peddlers risk avoidinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Feeling Like God
By Chip Anderson
A few weeks back my lowlife brother called me because he was reaping what he had sown over 15 years before. His life had, once again, been turned upside down and inside out by his own degenerate actions. He was crying, suicidal and hopeless.

How Not to Crash
By Tom Perez
My gymnast girlfriend (who would later become my wife) asked me to spot her while she performed a difficult maneuver on the balance beam. Having seen the carnage that can result when these tricks are done wrong, I was reluctanthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Jesus is a Sherpa
By Tim Good
If I climb a mountain high; Who is altered, it or I?

Joy to the Worldhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
A Christmas Parable.

My Celebrity Neighbor
By Nathan Colquhoun
Does it ever strike you as weird that we know as much as we do about someone we’ve never met and will probably never meet?

Poinsettias and Easter Lilies
By Alan B. Ward
To fully understand and appreciate the Christian story requires more than showing up once or twice a year like Holiday flowershttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Review: Chazown
By Kelly Schauermann
Beginning with three circles, Groeschel explores how one’s core values, spiritual gifts and past experiences intersect to find the center of one’s Chazownhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Books That Have Ruined Mehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Drew Moser
It’s no secret that I love to read. I try to keep a book-a-week pace (which has been challenging as a new father), and with college and seminary, I’ve read my share of books. They all seem to fall into a few categories:

The Church Has Had Its Dayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. (pt 1)
By David Allis
The universal church, consisting of all the redeemed from all ages, both alive & dead, certainly can never have ‘had its day’http://www.the-next-wave.info. But if we narrow the ‘church’ we are discussing down to the church that we are part ofhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Church Has Had Its Dayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. (pt 2)
By David Allis
The universal church, consisting of all the redeemed from all ages, both alive & dead, certainly can never have ‘had its day’http://www.the-next-wave.info. But if we narrow the ‘church’ we are discussing down to the church that we are part ofhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

This Adventhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dan Schmidt
The point with Advent is to slow the pace and ponder, to meditate on the One who came, and why, and what it means for ushttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #97 – January 2007
The Dementape Letters, pt 1
By Aly Hawkins
The following correspondence was found in the storage area under the stairs in our condo, which is also where we keep the catbox. Its authenticity has yet to be verified.

A 21st Century Witch Trial
By Phil Wyman
My trouble started with an innocent photo. It ended with a certified letter which coldly stated, “This letter serves as a notice that both your ministry credentials, and your ministry’s non-profit status with (insert denomination here) have concluded.”

a Theology of Marriage and Divorce
By Karlene (Macaulay) Clark
http://www.the-next-wave.info.scripture teaches us that there is a mysterious revelation of Christ’s relationship to his Church within the relationship between a married couplehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Evangelism Is Another Animal-Not the One We Thought
By Fred Peatross
The process of salvation is as important as the event. For as long as I can remember faith communities have emphasized event over processhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

How (Not) to Speak of God
By Scott Berkhimer
To the critics who have said that the emerging church offers nothing of substance, Rollins offers a heaping helpinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Meanwhile, down the street from the local pub churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
Meanwhile, down the street from the local pub churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

People who want you and people who need you
By Bob Hyatt
As a pastor, a fact of life that you come to grips with (or better come to grips with) pretty quickly is that your supply of avaliable time is exceeded by the amount of people and needs that demand that time.

Please Don’t Stereotype The Emerging Church
By Dan Kimball
. I received from a friend a mass letter going out to supporters of national radio preaching ministry. He sent it to me to read since the whole letter was about “the emerging church”. I was really dismayed and saddened to read this letter he sent outhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Rev. Frank Peoples is dead, too.
By Jason Burgett
I think some of us got saved again at church on Sunday, and they prayed over us before we left to go home. We said that we went there to give, but were going home having received. Funny how something can be contrived and still truehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Wobbly Bits of Reality
By Melissa Lathen
“I just want to meet some real people. People who want to connect with honesty and be real about who they are”. I immediately thought… this poor guy has come to the wrong place.

Issue #98 – February 2007
Catching up with Spencerhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Bob Hyatt
Six months after the publication of A Heretic’s Guide to Eternity we sit down and check in with the Author, Spencer Burkehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Clean
By Ann Pitman
Imagine if we all were so obsessed about cleanliness in our liveshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Incremental Change and Band-Aid Fixes Aint Gonna Cut It
By Alan Ward
The way it always was is no longer good enoughhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Jesus Camp!
By Erin Sweeten
http://www.the-next-wave.info.you had people who were utterly stunned by what they saw, calling for someone to rescue those children from the fascists. You also had people praising the summer camp to the skies and calling for all Christians to similarly train their childrenhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Preaching the Mystery
By Russell Howard
I woke up at three in the morning, alone in a hotel room, thinking about a girl I danced with twenty-five years ago.

Some Thoughts on The Complex Christ
By John La Grou
There’s so much good stuff in here that I’m fighting the urge to simply restate everything Kester has writtenhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Someone Who Actually Visited Emerging Churches
By Dan Kimball
In the continuing sadness and frustration about what I would call urban legends and over-generalizations being made about “the emerging church” and their theological beliefshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Dementape Letters, pt 2
By Aly Hawkins
The following correspondence was found in the storage area under the stairs in our condo, which is also where we keep the catbox. Its authenticity has yet to be verifiedhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

This thing of ourshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
dispatches from the fronthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

When Lists Get Stupid
By Drew Moser
C’mon! Let’s take a step back and look at how ridiculous this is: WE ARE RANKING PASTORS. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Why Radicals Don’t Fit
By Mike Barrett
These days I simplistically think the world is made of two kinds of people, radical and foundationalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #99 – March 2007
Listening to Doug Pagitt and the Beliefs of the Emerging Church
By Next Wave
Editor Bob Hyatt sits down with Doug Pagitt for a brief chat about “Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Church,” a new release from Zondervan and General Editor Robert Webberhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Dialogue!
By Next Wave
Let’s try this againhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Doubt
By Keith Giles
We would never counsel someone to go into a marriage quickly, and yet we are sometimes over-eager when it comes to pushing people to enter into an eternal relationship with Jesushttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

If Mankind Cannot Come To The Mountain…
By Kester Smith
Most of us are familiar with the phrase “if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must come to the mountain.”http://www.the-next-wave.info.

My Journey into Prison
By Ben Polhemus
http://www.the-next-wave.info.I didn’t know what to say. I was shocked I wasn’t expecting a story quite like that. He later told me that conversation is never going to leave him and really changed his lifehttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

Pressure
By Bob Hyatt
I went back to a very odd spot this last weekhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. a place I hadn’t really been in quite a while.

Sacred Spaces
By Emily Smith
In the midst of the chaos of life, it can be such a challenge to find space for sacred moments with Godhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Some thoughts on “Listening to the Beliefs of The Emerging Church”
By Chris Leonardo
We are in fact “listening” in as these voices interact, which makes it such a great book and there’s some good midrash, some interesting collisionshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Subverting the Empire: Undermining
By Josh Brown
Undermining is a radical posture and extremely polarizing. It is a dangerous thing to suggest that there is another way to live. So much that it can get you killed by the empirehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Way of the Cross- Atonement and the Emerging Church
By Scott Berkhimer
In defending substitution, I’ve observed that a growing number of folks seem to be moving away from seeing the cross as our example. This is, I think, a critical errorhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

What the Atonement Didhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Aaron Smith
The hows are important to think about, but they must not replace the what: what Jesus’ sacrifice didhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. what it accomplishes in our liveshttp://www.the-next-wave.info. what hope it makes real to us.

Issue #100 – April 2007
100 Months
By Charlie Wear
Publisher’s Note: In the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, It seems appropriate to reflect on our role in participating in God’s Kingdom work.

100 months and onhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Bob Hyatt
In this Issue of Next Wave we have two ways for you to reflect with ushttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Bad Things Happen
By Charlie Wear
The death of young people is especially troubling. How do we respond?

Culturally Relevant Ministry in a Postmodern World
By Ed Stetzer
A fascinating movement has been born. Postmodern churches have begun to spring up across North America.

Emerging Pastor Magazine!
By Next Wave
A new publication, for you or your Emerging Pastor!

Field Report: A Woman in Ministry
By Rachelle Mee-Chapman
I’ve learned some things about being a woman in the emerging church that has deflated my happiness balloonhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. Even though we are theologically on board with all people being involved in leadership and ministry, our praxis has not significantly changed.

Interview With Stan Grenz
By Next Wave
Rather than stating what I think will happen (which in the end might be quite irrelevant), let me say that as I look to the future I am profoundly hopeful–not because of what I believe we will accomplish, but because of the God in whom I believe.

Organic Church with Neil Cole
By Next Wave
We went back to asking the question, “How does God start and build his church?” Can you actually start a church without slick glossy brochures and direct mail advertising? What does it mean to plant God’s seed into the soil and see it grow?

Origin of the terms “Emerging” and “Emergent Church”
By Dan Kimball
first heard the term “emerging church” around 1997 when Leadership Network was using it as their tagline which said “advance scouts for the emerging church”http://www.the-next-wave.info.

That’s Not Community!
By Rogier Bos
We talk about community, but we do not offer ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Emerging Storm
By Stephen Shields
We have been told that a few high-powered conservative evangelical voices have targeted us for critique. We have expected this for some time, and have so far been impressed by how generous and restrained critique has been. That restraint may end soon.

The Next Reformation
By Len Hjalmarson
We need to recover Eph.4:16, where the body is built “as each part does its work.” As Markus Barth put it, “It is at the point of connection that Jesus is made known.”

They Say It’s Just a Phase
By Brian McLaren
So, ignore this transition if you want to, and treat it like a phase if you want to. I think you’ll miss one of the most exciting times in anyone’s memory.

What I Mean When I Say “Emerging Missional Church”
By Andrew Jones
So . . . this is what i mean when i say the “emerging-missional” church and why i prefer to keep the two words together. Add this to my other thoughts and the plot will thickenhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

What is The Gospel?
By Scot McKnight
There is a growing conviction that the previous generation packaged the gospel for an easier sell-job and the package not only distorts the gospel, but it distorts the entire Church. Let’s think about these distortions.

When the Church Is Its Own Worst Enemy
By Stephen Shields
Whenever a system of ministry is put into place, those who move and operate within that system must take extra care not to overly rely on that system as a means of spiritual transformation.

Why I am Not Missional
By Dwight Friesen
Does “Missional” language do justice to the joy, mystery and fullness of life Christ invites us to share with the Triune God?

Issue #101 – May 2007
Review: An Emergent Manifesto of Hope
By Dustin Bagby
What kind of impact will the Emerging Church make in the long run? Is it a fad that will pass away and be remembered as a fringe group of protestors to the spirit of the modern age? Or is it a long term reform in the way we have been “doing” church and living out our role in culture as God’s agents?

Can Christians Be Friends With Witches?
By Pam Hogeweide
“Everybody is weird. And we are weird and that’s why Jesus came because we’re all weirdoes. I just really love witches and pagans.”

Emerging Pastor Magazine, issue 2
By Next Wave
Our best issue yet!

Friendship as Sabbath
By Gary Davis
Lately though, I am finding that some of my friends are finding themselves somewhat self important, and are living their lives to feed their ferocious “pastor” personalitieshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Give to the Next-Wave Missions Fund
By Charlie Wear
Is it time to take the conversation to the next level?

Letter to a Discouraged Saint and a Down-Trodden Sinner (same guy)
By Dan Gilliam
Look for opportunities to share life and love with those around you. If you remain alert to the promptings of the Spirit, you will realize that giving it away is the only way you are able to keep it.

Marching Parable (and/or Prophecy)
By Agent B
I grew up in the vast wasteland of unimaginative edged yards, cookie cutter subdivisions that replaced farmlands, and the birthplace of product marketing and materialism all rolled into onehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Purpose-Driven Nooma
By Joel Triska
What’s hiding behind the mask of the Emerging church and post-modern theology? My guess is Rick Warrenhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas
By Brian Thomas
Until now, the grace of God is not one of the things that have crossed my mind when considering Vegashttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Deep Ecclesiology of The Body
By Frank Viola
There lies underneath our varying models of church a basic underlying reality that is manifested in our historical and social settings. This notion has been coined “deep ecclesiology.”

The Language We Use
By Jared Byas
We often compartmentalize our spiritual lives (categories of the sacred & profane) and I find that our language of “going to church” emphasizes that even morehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Methods Changehttp://www.the-next-wave.info. But the Message is the Same
By Jonathan Pedrone
I’ve used that phrase hundreds of time, usually in support of a new methodological ministry endeavor, or a new form or function to the “normal” way of doing churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. What if I was wrong?

The Sophistry of Forced Conscience
By Christian Charette
Recently, the Southern Baptists made headlines and renewed with vigor their organizational stance on the use of alcohol among their leaders and parishioners. In case you live under an ecclesiastical rock or a in a pub, they are against ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #102 – June 2007
The Culturally Savvy Christian
By Dustin Bagby
What are the implications of knowing more about what’s going on in Paris Hilton’s life than we do about our neighbors or even our own family members?

Interview with Frank Viola, part 1
By Mike Morrell
This month kicks off a 3-part interview with Frank Viola about his new book release, God’s Ultimate Passion. In it Frank discusses a Scripturally-rooted concept that gets surprisingly little airplay.

On (digital) sparrows
By Jon Swanson
“Popular culture is getting smaller and smaller as people are creating their own, including instant updates on twitter. Ignoring these new threads of informationhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.and self-disclosure, ignores God’s attention to even the twitters of falling sparrows.”

Parents Day at the Local Emerging Churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
Eventually, everyone’s parents come for a visit. Some think it’s greathttp://www.the-next-wave.info. others?

Quotedhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
I was neither capable nor competent to form Christ in another person, to shape a life of discipleship in man, woman, or child. That is supernatural work and I am not supernaturalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Remembering Rightly
By Scott Berkhimer
I have sort of an ambivalent relationship with Memorial Dayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Review: The Culturally Savvy Christian
By Dustin Bagby
Let’s be honest. A majority of pop culture suckshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Sex and the Church in the City: A Predicament of Forgiveness Proportions
By Brian Thomas
What do you do if a formerly convicted child molester tells you he would like to start attending your church?

Shared Stories: Connecting The Words of Others To The Word of God
By Kester Smith
The first thing that I discovered upon working at BookPeople was that there was nothing weirder I could have brought to the store than simply being a Christianhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Difference
By Christopher Sowers
The other night I was having conversation with this young guy at one of my local watering holeshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Things I Wish I Had Known When I Planted My Church
By Chris Elrod
I was so naive when we planted three years ago. The sheer metric tons of stuff I didn’t know then that I know now could feel volumes of books.

We Believe in The Resurrection of Jesus
By WatersEdge/ Joel McCLure
We believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. We don’t just believe that the resurrection happened. We don’t just believe things about the resurrection of Jesus. We believe in the Resurrection of Jesus.

What I learned from being kicked out of church
By Agent B
The following is in no way, shape, or form a “rant”http://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #103 – July 2007
Why I’m Not Done With Church
By Bob Hyatt
I’ve often wished I could write off churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. It certainly would make life easier in many ways and at least I’d get to sleep in on Sundays. But, if I truly understand the Gospelhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. I just can’t.

A Coalition of the Willing
By Scott Bane
It’s time to move beyond dead religion to living mission.

Can We Trust the Gospels?: a Review
By Kristen Jeffrey
It is important for Christians and seekers to understand that there is a solid base for believing in the truth of the gospelshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Christ, commission, community — what is the focus?
By Dave Crampton
So often, what we do when we gather together in our church community – usually in a large group setting once a week – influences how we understand both Christ and missionhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Facing Up to Our Flaws to Secure Our Future
By Alan B. Ward
Just as Titanic was built based on state-of-the-art technology of the day, our churches were also “state-of-the art” institutions for the mid-20th centuryhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

How Missional is Your Church? Keeping the GLOBAL in Missional
By Jonathan Dodson
Moving from the theological tower to the church planting trenches, more than my clothing changedhttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

Interview with Frank Viola, pt 2
By Mike Morrell
This month continues a 3-part interview with Frank Viola about his new book release, God’s Ultimate Passion.

Jesus Justice: So Easy a Five-Year-Old Can Do It
By Jeremy Del Rio
Justice is so easy even a five-year-old can do ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Something Important Happened in the World Today
By Carmen Andres
Ordinary things can have great importance, especially if we stop and listen to God.

the debatehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By NextWave
Just what does that pesky “c” stand for???

Through The Looking Glass
By Robby McAlpine
“Fine,” replied the Elder, “pick a couple of opposites, just for the sake of argument, and let’s start therehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.”

Why I tolerate the coffee for the sake of the creamerhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Gary Davis
My history in the Church is kinda messed up in the first place. I was a pastor in the past, and a porn addict in secret and eventually self-destructed and fell from the ministry. Buthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #104 – August 2007
Book Excerpt, Divine Nobodies: Waffle House Theology (Wanda the Waitress)
By Jim Palmer (published by permission)
An excerpt from Jim Palmer’s book, Divine Nobodies that chronicles Jim’s journey toward discovering God without religion through the ministry of the “divine nobodies” who populate our daily lives.

Book Review: Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely About Right and Wrong
By Tim Berroth
Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely About Right and Wrong, by Norman Geisler and Ryan Snuffer, is a welcome resource in a time where relativism and personal freedom blur the biblical lines of morality.

Church in the Cracks
By J. R. Miller
I sometimes think that in our fervor to reap a harvest for God’s Kingdom, we have put more value in reaching “blocks” of people more than people themselves. But what about the people who don’t fit into the big blocks?

Facing the Unknowns
By Kester Smith
Glenn I sit down and he says “you know, they call where you are ‘the church planters’ graveyard’?”

Generation Gap?
By Next Wave
Generation gap? Nohttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Hearing Voices
By Matthew Reece
As we reach for theological engagement, praxis in whatever this new emerging era is bringing, the old categories fall away. The lines are blurring.

Interview with Frank Viola: God’s Ultimate Passion
By Mike Morrell
How can we reorient our churches to be more like families (in the positive sense) and less like Fortune 500 companies or dysfunctional families, which tend to be insular bless-me clubs?

Interview with Mark D. Roberts: The Reliability of the Gospels
By Kristen Jeffrey
An interview the Mark D. Roberts, author of Can We Trust the Gospels.

Numerical Nonsense: The Immaturity of Three Statements
By Chris Elrod
Chris Elrod takes a shot at the “numbers” game and comes out on the side of people.

Out on the Wings With Jesus
By Alan Ward
We live in a well-curve society; People tend toward extremes; the middle ground is crumbling away. Jesus does not come to us in the middle, he calls us to embark on a journey toward life on the wings—from an average life to life to the full.

Soularize 2007 in the Bahamas
By Jordon Cooper
Soularize 2007 looks to be an outstanding eventhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Stopping Church Thefthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dustin Bagby
Church theft is an epidemic that has been plaguing the Church for decadeshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Emerging Church in Rural Ohio
By Jeff Nelson
I’ve realized that the emerging church has somewhat earned these stereotypes of the beatnik poet reading scripture to bongoshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Whipping the Church into shape
By Scott Bane
The next generation will see the Messiah when he gets the church “whipped” into shape.

Would Jesus be allowed to be a Southern Baptist pastor?
By Dan Kimball
Would Jesus then have 99% of the ministry doors shut on Him?http://www.the-next-wave.info.

You Can’t Know What You Don’t Care About
By Chris Leonardo
I had a bad realization 2 months agohttp://www.the-next-wave.info. I didn’t know a single substantive thing about any of the baristas I see almost every dayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #105 – September 2007
Worship as Evangelism
By Sally Morgenthaler
Somehow, the show goes onhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.even if most of the unbelievers we thought we were reaching either weren’t there in the first place, or they left the building some time ago.

Dingy and Musty
By Rob McAlpine
But we’re getting there. Bit by bit, I really do believe we’re getting therehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

God’s Hiddenness vs. God’s Absence
By Drew Moser
God’s not absent from your life. He may seem hidden, but He’s not absenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Hi. My name is Kester, and I am “emergent”http://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Kester Smith
The major complaint against the emerging conversation is that we’re impossible to nail down, that we won’t just come out and say what we mean. And sometimeshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.sometimeshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.that complaint seems valid.

How did Christianity become an excuse to be mean? Or, Why I resigned from the doctrine police
By Helen Mildenhall
About seven years ago I had a realization that changed my life: my Christian beliefs had given me the excuse to be meanhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Jim Henderson navigates Off The Map
By Charlie Wear
Soularize and Off The Map Live are great opportunities to get together and learn with friends.

Listening to the Lost
By Jonathan Dodson
Listen to the lost and you will learn. Love the lost with that understanding and often you will see life.

Living Towards Resurrection
By Scott Berkhimer
Look underneath the surface of suburban America and I believe that you’ll find a simmering anxiety, frustration, despair, and even at times rage. We live in a society that is defined by instant gratification and disposabilityhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Marketing Reimagined
By Troy D. Sanders
I can’t help it. I think I’m a closet marketing guy. Just enough of one to make it sound somewhat convincing that I know what I’m talking about, but yet not enough to collect a paycheck for it.

OFF-ROAD Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders
By Jonathan Dodson
The book OFF-ROAD Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, takes top-shelf missiology and places it within reach of the average pastor/leaderhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Open Your Eyes Wide
By David Trotter
An excerpt from David Trotter’s book, I Willhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Poster Wars!
By Next Wave
Competing visionshttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

Sometimes…
By Gray Davis
We are only “sometimes” who we claim to be…

The Celebrity Church Must Die
By Bob Hyatt
I’ve said it before and I will, no doubt, say it againhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. The Celebrity Church must die.

The Fascinating Matisyahu
By Dan Kimball
Dan takes in a Matisyahu concerthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Thinking Outside the Box
By Charlie Wear
Creative thinking means learning to color outside the lineshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

When Friends Get Togetherhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
Soularize and Off The Map Live are great opportunities to get together and learn with friends.

Issue #106 – October 2007
Interview with Jim Palmer, author of Wide Open Spaces
By Bill Dahl
Bill Dahl, who runs The Porpoise Diving Life.com interviews Jim Palmer on the eve of the publication of his latest book, Wide Open Spaces, Beyond Paint-By-Number Christianity

A better gifthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Sheryl Bane
There are many ways to give our besthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

A Stranger
By Next Wave
Denizens of the Pub Church encounterhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. a stranger!

Adventures in the 8th Dimension of Noticing
By Steve Sjogren
Noticing what God is Noticing is an activity we can all improve inhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Dumb Up, Brother: A Spirituality of Ignorance
By Michael Spencer
I’ve spent years listening to claims and counter claims about how various theologies, doctrines and denominations can get you the real Jesus if you’ll learn there bit or or join their teamhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Interview: William P. (Paul) Young, Author of The Shack
By Brother Maynard
Religious publishers said they liked it, but it was too edgy. Secular publishers told us they like it personally, but there was too much ‘Jesus’ in ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Live and Direct from Soularize (not really!)
By Jordon Cooper
Jordon Cooper, our friend from Resonate! in Canada has graciously given us permission to repost his Soularize blogshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Marketing Reimagined
By Troy Sanders
I can’t help it. I think I’m a closet marketing guyhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

My Carefully Calibrated Difference
By Rachel Stanton
I care about people whose lives are messy and dysfunctional and I want to help them. But give up my carefully calibrated difference?

Quotedhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
From books and blogshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Review/Interview: The Year of Living Biblically
By Kester Smith
He wrestles with it in a way that I, as a pastor, often forget to. He tries it on and walks around in it, and he realizes that, in doing so, he risks being changed by ithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Depths of Communityhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Alan Knox
Today, it is fashionable to talk about community. Everyone wants community. Followers of Jesus Christ want community. People who do not follow Jesus Christ want community.

The Old in the New and the New in the Old
By Bob Hyatt
Honestly, I don’t know why this isn’t more of an emphasis in the emerging churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The power of a coach
By Scott Bane
My old coaches are still giants in my mind. I’ll never forget those days.

The Shack: A Spoiler Free Review
By Brother Maynard
I’m going to contend that those who take the brief time necessary to read The Shack will find a message directly to them, from God. If you’re in particular need of such a message, read the bookhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Welcoming the Awakened Woman
By Julie Clawson
“Goddess worshiper, feminazi, heretic.” These are the names I have been called since realizing that I too, as a woman, am created in God’s image and am a valuable part of the church.

Issue #107 – November 2007
An Interview with Brian McLaren
By Bill Dahl
I had the opportunity to attend the Off-The-Map LIVE conference November 1st – 3rd in Seattle a few weeks back. Brian was kind enough to agree to the following interview about his new book: Everything Must Change – Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope

Beyond Belief
By Kester Smith
For too many of us, being a part of the church began and ended with believing. If we simply answered “true” to a set of belief statements, we were then a part of the church, at which point we were invited to fill a pew until eternity.

Embrace the Mess: Why Youth Must Lead Now
By Jeremy Del Rio
As an official youth group, we were still young – not yet two years old – and our teens were even younger spiritually. Most were new to the congregation and raw street kids without any prior church association.

Emergent Theology: The McLaren Method of Interpretation
By Jonathan Dodson
Many critique the Emergent Church/Village for abandoning truth in favor of culture. Is this the case?

In search of churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Jim Palmer
I pulled the rip cord on my involvements in organized Christendom, and faded into the woodwork of nobody landhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Is Christianity a Cult?
By Chip Anderson
For the past several weeks I have been teaching a class to high school students on the Jewish feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23. After doing so, I am convinced that Christianity is a cult!

Post-Mathhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
Posthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Radical Discipleship and Social Change
By Nathan Myers
This specific example comes from a fellow well known in Church of the Brethren circles named John Kline. This man was a powerful example of Christian discipleship whose life was lived amidst the struggles of moral ambiguity in slavery and the Civil War.

Rain on the Windshield
By Robby McAlpine
The door of the dingy pub closed abruptly behind them, perhaps aided as much by an aversion to natural light and fresh air, as by the damp and chill breeze driven off the nearby oceanhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Secret Society
By Daniel Curtis
It has been about a decade now since I joined this secret society. I can still barely believe that they allowed me to be part of them. They must have saw something in me that told them that I would conform to their ways.

Two Messiahs
By Ross Daws
I believed in two messiahs: a 21st century one, all ethereal and compassionate and oh so concerned for my own wellbeing and personal comfort, and a 1st century one who was concerned for his friends, his people, his God, and God’s Kingdom.

Why This Christian Turns off Christian Radio
By Brooks Hanes
A long time ago I gave up Christian radio. Today I tuned in again. Tonight at “Grab a Brew Share Your View the topic is “What’s Wrong with the Jesus Fish?: Consumerism Among Religious Americans.” I thought I should do some research.

Issue #108 – December 2007
UNchristian – What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity – And Why It Matters
By Bill Dahl
An Interview with David Kinnaman, President – The Barna Group and Author of UnChristian

80-20 and the Organic Church
By Bob Hyatt
No more “programming” as a pastor. Counseling, teachinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info. that was all I was going to have to do. Yeah, right.

Advent: Resisting Christmas
By Brother Maynard
There’s a lot of talk this year about Advent. I might think it’s not so much more than usual, except that I keep finding people who are new to the observance of Advent.

Anna the Prophet: A Life of Obedience
By Rachel Stanton
Anna the prophet had the honor of being one of the first evangelists recorded in Scripture, one who gladly proclaimed the Good News of the promised King.

Changing Christmas: Rediscovering Incarnation
By Joel Kurz
I have grown weary of the way Americans have done Christmas. The expectations, the lists, the fears of not having enough, the two-days-before-Christmas-freak-out-because-you’re-not-finished-shopping, the ads, the consumption…yes, it’s the consumption.

Do you believe in the Prosperity Gospel?
By Heather Fischer
Do you believe in the prosperity gospel? Perhaps you wouldn’t put yourself in the category of the name-it-and-claim-it types, but let me propose something here. Every Advent season many of us carry a thread of the prosperity theme with us.

Emerging/Emergenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info. Emerge!
By Next Wave
A rose by any other name?

For people without need, anticipation is boring
By Jon Swanson
I decided to write an Advent calendar-blog this year, a wonderful way to have something new appear to lots of people at the same time, a way to have people open their reader and discover something special for that day.

Joy to the Worldhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
A Christmas Parablehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Rob Bell’s the gods aren’t angry tour: Some Reflections and Concerns
By Justin Buzzard
Ever since reading Rob’s book, Velvet Elvis: Re-painting the Christian Faith, I’ve had some significant questions and concerns over Rob’s handling of Scripture and some of his theological conclusions.

Take Away the Stone
By Bill Dahl
http://www.the-next-wave.info.Man has a tendency to respond with fear and trepidation when confronted with the prospect of something emerging. Entire industries are based upon creating new realities whose emergence is dependent upon our reaction to themhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Gospel According to Bob and Larry
By Kester Smith
Jesus’ birth wasn’t a sweet and tender moment, but a glorious inbreaking; Christ came into a rather sad and broken world that had long forgotten how to have faith or hope or love and gave it a reason and a way to have those things again.

Wisdomhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
Good thoughts from diverse sources

Issue #109 – January 2008
The Top 10 Paradoxes That Will Rule the Future
By Len Sweet
On 28 February 2008, the “secret of life” turns 55.

20/20 Vision for Schools: Transforming Public Education within a Single Generation of Students
By Jeremy Del Rio
Youth Pastor Edwin Pacheco is on a mission to save New York City’s public schools.

2008: Behind and Beyond
By Brian McLaren
Next-Wave launched ten years ago, and so did a number of other interrelated endeavorshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

An addiction to the theological nouveau
By Stephen Shields
Any degree of knowledge and sophistication that we can claim only comes as we build on the knowledge, expertise, and wisdom of those who’ve gone before.

Book Excerpt: Tony Jones’ The New Christians
By Tony Jones
Is there something in the air? Is there a spiritual itch that people are trying to scratch but it’s just in the middle of their back in that place that they can’t quite reach?

Book Review – Pagan Christianity
By Darryl Dash
The book he’s talking about is Pagan Christianity, originally written by Frank Viola but now updated with George Barna as co-author.

Contemplating the New Year
By Christy Lambertson
Whether we entered 2008 with a smile or a hangover, something about the new year makes many of us think, “This is it. This is the year I am finally going to get my shit together.”

Continued Emergence: 3 predictions, 3 Exhortations and 3 Signs of Hope
By Mark Van Steenwyk
What began a decade ago as an agitated stirring has become a bona fide movement—though it is more accurate to say “movements.” The ecclesiological shifts of the past decade hardly fall under one umbrella.

Epiphany Reflection
By Kester Smith
The story of Epiphany is the story of the Magi, the story of those who first declared Jesus to be “King of the Jews”. It, like the Christmas story, is a revolutionary one. The light of the Epiphany is political dynamite.

Fiddling while Rome burns
By Charlie Wear
As Next-Wave starts its tenth year, the Publisher reflects on where we are headed.

Hope for a New Year: Hope, Memory and God’s Future in a Place of Exile
By Len Hjalmarson
If I had something to speak into the emerging and missional conversation, it might be this wisdom of Francis. Let us begin again, for as yet we have done nothing.

How Big Is The Kingdom? A Personal Look At My Deconstructed Faith
By David Hopkins
http://www.the-next-wave.info. By 2003, I didn’t even know if I even wanted to be a Christian.

Listen to Me
By Scott Bane
People want someone to listen to them.

Making History Can Feel Boring
By Jim Henderson
Did the disciples know they would be famous? Did Peter realize his curses for Jesus would be recorded for all of us to read?

Missional Church
By David Rudd
In recent years, several new words like “emerging, seeker, and missional” have entered and become part of the ecclesiastical conversation, resulting in confusion and debate regarding the meaning and implications of the concepts represented by these words.

Missional Goes Spiritual
By Todd Hunter
We need a new story to tell. We need a version of the Gospel that naturally and routinely affects our actual life—not just our death and afterlife.

Segregated Churches in America and Their Future
By Daryl D. Green and Dahlia D. Cunningham
Over 90% of churches nationally remain segregated. Multiracial churches comprise only 5-8% of America’s congregations.

The Value of Many Voices
By Helen Mildenhall
I appreciate sites like Next Wave which invite contributions from many voices and don’t set narrow limits on what people are permitted to say. The only way to ensure we don’t miss the best new ideas is to let them be voiced.

Transformational Leadership: A Woman’s View
By Rose Madrid-Swetman
A woman in leadership reflects on her approach to transformational leadership.

Waitaminnithttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
Hold on a second herehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

What We Need are Name Tags
By Michael Spencer
Oh those slippery emerging types. Right when you think you have them defined, they go squirming across the room, claiming you’ve misunderstood themhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Worship: the place to empty your grudge account
By Steve Cornell
How does forgiveness relate to worship? Have you ever thought of it as an act of worship? If you haven’t, what you’re about to read could radically change the way you think about forgiveness.

Your Christ Is Too Small
By Frank Viola
Living in organic Body life for many years has taught me the reality of a major teaching in the New Testament. Namely, the Lord dwells in all of us, and He is a speaking God.

Issue #110 – February 2008
Lent–Laying It Down
By Bob Hyatt
Ash Wednesday begins Lent by reminding us that the journey towards the Cross is one every Christ follower must make- step by step, selfish impulse by selfish impulse.

Adventures in Church Planting: Well, I Was Heading Around Turn Three When All of a Sudden It Spun Out of Control
By Chris Elrod
A church planter writes about the difficulties of his third year.

Book Review – Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church
By Dustin Bagby
Book Review: Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church by Paul Louis Metzger

Busyness or Gluttony?
By Bob Hyatt
People have enhanced quality of life, but at the same time they are adding to their stress levels by taking on more than they have resources to handle. It’s as though their eyes were bigger than their stomachs.

Clear the Bench – Doable Evangelism for the Ordinary Christian
By Randy Siever
If we can agree that it is the duty and privilege of EVERY follower of Christ to help connect others to Jesus, how can we begin to engage the ordinary, non-evangelistically gifted Christian in the game?

Community: Who You Are, Not What You Do
By Jonathan Dodson
First, defective Christian views of community are based on unbiblical notions of the Church. Second, true community is based not on what you do but who you are.

Emerging Questions: Are We Doing It?
By Micah Tillman
Are we emerging or re-emerging? Can we be postmodern, or are we just repeating modernism? A philosophy teacher reveals the questions he can’t shake about the conversation we’re in.

If you think I’m going to hell, you should care that I’m going to hell.
By Dan Kimball
“If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” – Charles Spurgeon

Into the Spokes of the Wheel
By Kester Smith
I continue to be reminded of how much of Christ’s warning to “repent, for the Kingdom is at hand” was a railing against the failed powers, authorities, and systems that mankind has created.

Lent and the Pursuit of Justice
By Julie Clawson
I discovered the connection between Lent and justice.

Lent- Experiencing Rebirth
By Alan B. Ward
The Lenten Journey that begins on Ash Wednesday is meant to be a time where we choose to let a part of us die that we might be reborn and move closer to Godhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Something Every Non-Christian Should Know
By Kester Smith
I am increasingly convinced that, if I am walking in the Way of Jesus and you only know one thing about me, it should be thishttp://www.the-next-wave.info.that I love you.

The Kingdom of God is Like a Drunken Pirate Festivalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.huh?
By Scott Bane
Evangelistic encounters and the questions they raise.

The Wrong Kind of Christian
By John the Younger
Our generation has created something of a Christian subculture – a lifestyle in which God and Jesus are both definitive parts of the framework but by no means the focal point.

Issue #111 – March 2008
Interview: Doug Pagitt
By Next Wave
Doug Pagitt and Bob Hyatt talking about how Doug thinks of his critics, about pressure from the left and right, and what’s next- a career in politics?

A Weighthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Bob Hyatt
Honestly, sometimes the weight of this thing feels like it’s going to crush mehttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

Adventures in Church Planting: The Sound of Screeching Tires and Crunching Metal
By Chris Elrod
A church planter writes about the difficulties of his third year.

An Old Hope
By Chris Leonardo
Easter asks us to remember that hope resting on the resurrection is a beautiful and real hopehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Building a Kingdom
By Cody Stauffer
What do you suppose the universal church could do with 67 million dollars?

Home-Grown Leadership
By Chip Anderson
The job hunt is like dating. Everyone involved showers, gets all dressed up, combs their hair, sprays on their favorite scent and tries to have a good time all the while hoping for a love connection that leads to a lasting relationship.

Olives, a Jar of Pickles and 80’s Music…
By Gary Davis
Whatever it is, the cross is not about the cross itself or the substance that makes it up. It is symbolic of deeper realities that we all can share.

The Dangers of Easter
By Bob Hyatt
Remember, Little Pastor- Easter is not a marketing opportunity. The resurrection of the Son of God is not an opportunity to pimp our programs or build our flock, even under the guise of “concern for lost”.

The Man Behind the Curtain
By Charlie Wear
We want so much more from our leaders. We want their approval and we want them to recognize our contributions to the enterprise. We want them to be kind and calmhttp://www.the-next-wave.info

The Two Messages of Jesus
By Scott Bane
Answering the question, “So do you believe in ‘born again’ stuff?”

Thinking about St. Patrick, the Missionary
By Dan Kimball
Patrick understood the people and their language, their issues and their wayshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #112 – April 2008
Brian McLaren Responds to Everything Must Change Concerns
By Andrew Jones
This month we’re featuring two different interactions with Brian McLaren and his recent book Everything Must Changehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Adventures in Church Planting, pt. 3: Life On Pit Row
By Chris Elrod
My first thought was to crawl into a hole and die. Instead I crawled away to Guido Gardens in Metter, Georgia to pray and seek God.

America, Race, and the Church
By Julie Clawson
The reactions across the blogosphere and in newspaper editorials to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments and Barack Obama’s response have helped demonstrate the underlying attitudes and priorities of the American church.

Bingo!
By Next Wave
Will someone please just say “missional”??

Charisma
By Kester Smith
Working at Texas largest (and best) independent bookstore (BookPeople) comes with it’s share of interesting and often hilarious memories. I even have a top 5. The day that Tori Amos came for a book-signing event may well be #1.

Hunter launches new ministry
By Three is Enough
Three Is Enough Groups – Spirituality For the Sake of Others Todd Hunter, former National Director of Alpha USA, launches new ministry to focus on spiritual transformation

Losing My Religious Security Blanket
By Grace
When my husband and I decided to leave our former church four years ago, I remember crying to him, “I don’t want to be churchless!” That was my greatest fear.

Over Indulgence: My Confession
By Josh Brown
I can’t sleep these days. I lay in bed for at least an hour every night. Heavy. Overwhelmed. And thinking. I can’t quit thinking about my over-consumptionhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Review/Interaction: Everything Must Change
By David Fitch
I found EMC to be a compelling statement for the emerging church’s theologyhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. I also think the book illustrates why emerging theology/writers are often misinterpreted or criticized.

The Question
By Mark McMurray
As a pastor I admit I have a sadistic side. There were a few minutes where several scenarios played out in my head. I could act like the king of all sinners, and challenge them on every point of their argument, then ask where I could score some drugshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Time-shifting
By Charlie Wear
I remain pretty convinced that Christians, particularly seasoned veterans, are less and less interested in religious programming.

Too Much Heaven?
By Michael Spencer
I think it’s telling that the two most prolific evangelism programs in evangelicalism both approach their audience with questions that Jesus never used.

Why I Stayed
By Aaron Monts
As I looked back over 9 years of ministryhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. I am amazed that I’m still at it. You could say that I’m a glutton for punishment.

Issue #113 – May 2008
An Interview with Todd Hunter
By Stephen Shields (with Charlie Wear)
We recently had a chance to grill Todd about what he’s learned, the next phase of his leadership adventure, the Society for Kingdom Living, and something called “Three is Enough Groups.”

A Profile in Missional Leadership: Larry Kapchinsky
By Charlie Wear
I think it is rare to find leaders that we can truly look up to. One of my heroes is a pastor named Larry Kapchinsky.

Adventures in Church Planting, pt. 4: Conclusions
By Chris Elrod
Now that the story has been told, it’s time to add a few final observations, comments and conclusions.

An Evangelical Problem
By Scot McKnight
There are too many today who want to usurp control over evangelicalism by demanding uniformity in theology.

Interaction with Tony Jones’ The New Christians
By Bob Hyatt
A good book, and a good window into where the emerging church is at both at its best and its most “challenging”http://www.the-next-wave.info. or maybe I should say, those areas where it most needs to be challenged.

It’s OK to Be Extraordinaryhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.In Fact, It Is Worship!
By Dominique Rastrelli
I have a bad habit. Well, the truth is that I probably have a lot of bad habits. One that I have become aware of lately is that I think that I have a fear of being extraordinary.

Meeting Jesus in Orlando
By Dan Kimball
The Holyland Experience, a learning experience.

Mistaken, But Not Wrong
By Chip Anderson
No one likes to get answers wrong. No one likes being wrong, although it is a common occurrence. But is it as common as we think?

Quoted
By Next Wave
The distinctly kingdom question is not about how we should vote but about how we should live.

Starting Stuff is Difficult
By Scott Bane
Life in its beginning is so fragile. That’s what makes starting things so difficulthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: an interview with Christine Wicker
By Helen Mildenhall
Is Evangelicalism in trouble? Christine Wicker makes her case in her new book.

Issue #114 – June 2008
Avast! Church Pirates!
By Bob Hyatt
“We love church plantinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info. over THERE.” Where is “over there”? Anywhere but within driving distance of my church.

A Conversation with Larry Norman and a Note on His Passing
By Doug Murren
Larry Norman was a controversial figure in the Jesus People movement and for decades after.

Finding Our Way Again
By Bob Hyatt
McLaren talks about the idea that practicing disciplines in small ways and areas that don’t matter much makes a big difference when it comes to those make-or-break moments and the areas that really do matter.

Jesus and Dinohttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Next Wave
We don’t know if Jesus ever rode themhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Live Like You Were Dying
By Charlie Wear
Russert seemed to be one of those who embraced life with “enthusiasm” and lived it for an “audience of one.”

Oprah: A Catalyst for Kindness
By Steve Sjogren
Does Oprah Understand What Others Don’t?

The Church Basement Roadshow
By Tony Jones
Some Christian celebrities pack arenas and auditoriums, but we’re more like the two-bit revivalists of yore, thus the “Church Basement Roadshow” was born, and from there it grew.

The TV Show Lost and Eschatology
By Dr. Andrew Root
Lost is the critically acclaimed and viewer obsessed drama about a group of passengers from Oceanic Flight 815 who crash on what they believe to be a deserted island, only to discover that the island itself possesses some magical or supernatural powers.

Things They Tell Church Planters That Are Simply Wrong
By Pat Loughery
Here are some of the things we were told along the way that I just don’t agree with anymore, whether or not I did back thenhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #115 – July 2008
Missional Synchroblog: The Skinny on Missional
By Andrew Jones
Missional. I lost my job because of “missional”. I will tell you how in a second but, first thing, before i start whining over losing my job at the Baptist Convention of Texas, welcome to the missional synchroblog, organized by Rick at Blind Beggar. My entry is one of the latest (stuck in Aberdeen due to airport strike, stayed in youth hostel and said no to their £5 an hour internet rate) so I am adding my thoughts to what others have said and then am giving a medley on what i have said about this word over the past 5 years.

A Review: Why We’re Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
By Bill Dahl
“We write this book because the more we learn about the emerging church, the harder it is to swallow.”

Artists as Shepherds in Communities of Faith
By Paul D Glavic
The biblical image of the shepherd has long been my primary means of understanding the role of a pastor.

Books, Ecclesial Conversation and the Mission of God
By Christopher Smith
Is reading and discussing books together in our church communities a new way of doing theology that brings the often-distant virtues of theological reflection and social action closer together?

Listening to the culturehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dan Kimball
Those people to me are heroes of the faith. The ones who may be quiet in personality, or the ones not on the stages at churches – but the ones who are passionately praying for their friends who aren’t Christians.

Navigating New Moves of the Spirit
By Jason Clark
Being in the Association of Vineyard Churches for 20 years, means I have seen several movements like this come and go and many are connected to these current ones.

Post-Charismatic?
By Rob McAlpine
This archived article from March 2006 seems to fit the current environmenthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Preson Phillips: A Tampa Alternative
By JE Caterson
Longing for the authentic, for the divine, and to be used by God to right injustice.

Stripping Down To Christ Alone: Rethinking the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
By Frank Viola
I am often asked what I believe about “the gifts of the Spirit.”

The Economy of Church
By M. Scott Rogers
As the necessity to meet ever-changing social needs and balance cultural shifts, it has become paramount that they think beyond the traditional mode for ministry, for regular, structured religious education and development.

Touch
By Bob Hyatt
At that moment, her eyes cleared and she looked at me for the first timehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #116 – August 2008
Missional, Monastic, Emerging: A Traveler’s Guide
By Len Hjalmarson
Emerging, Missional, Monastic? Do you need a traveler’s guide to see the landmark’s on the journey. This is one traveler’s overview.

An Interview with Ray Sikes: Keeping it Between the Ditches
By Next-Wave
First of all I’m a Christian, but that term means very little anymore, so I like to say I’m just an old Jesus Freak.

Batman — the postmodern hero?
By Melissa Hedden
I found the Joker to be an exhilarating portrayal of the kind of man we can all become when we you mix unresolved anger with contempt for the modern world’s view of life.

Billy Graham, Dictators, and Jesus?
By Eric Bryant
My daughter Trevi will grow up to be the first female Billy Graham or a dictator of a small country. I’m convinced of this.

Biopsy, Carcinoma, no fun, Son praying, priceless
By Charlie Wear
Carcinoma? Biopsy? For an itchy spot on my scalp?

Did I sit on the sidelines while the playing field burned?
By Chris Elrod
A Lakeland pastor talks about the aftermath of the Lakeland “Revival.”

I love the sinner’s prayer
By Charlie Wear
Every once in a while I need to get born again, again.

things you learn in a church basement
By jim palmer
Tony, Doug, and Mark are all friends, and each of them have had an impact in my own spiritual journey.

Viva La Vida: A theological review of Coldplay’s new album
By Andy Jolivette
Nearly every song on Coldplay’s Viva La Vida contains theological undertones and themes.

What is evangelism?
By Steve Bowen
Much has been written, been theorized about and probably more talked about then actually done.

Issue #117 – September 2008
Emerge-ed?
By Brother Maynard
Is it time to dump the term emerging?

Adventures in Emerging
By Next Wave
The real questionhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Architecting the Culture Pub
By J.E. Caterson
Knowing the culture of your city.

Barista Counterpoint
By Rob McAlpine
http://www.the-next-wave.info.A harshly judgmental, knee-jerk assumption?

Coming out of the cocoon
By M. Scott Rogers
Developing a relationship takes effort and a lot of it.

Dark Thoughts on The Dark Knight
By Jonathan Dodson
My first thoughts walking away from Dark Knight were dark thoughts. This film was, at times, too believable for a comic book hero.

Doug Pagitt on Emerging Church, Emergence and Emergent Village
By Charlie Wear
Doug Pagitt gives and Emergent Village take on the place of the emerging church in the scheme of things.

End of an Erahttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
Next-Wave’s editorial baton is passed.

I Don’t Carehttp://www.the-next-wave.info. But I DO Have Hope
By Bob Hyatt
I had hoped that an Obama-McCain race would be a more civil one. That these two would avoid, and make sure their campaign surrogates avoid, the kind of smear politicking that Americans seem to respond to.

Move Over Baby Boomers
By Karen Swanson
I see an emerging movement that is more passionate and perhaps more like Jesus than my Boomer friends will ever be. My children are looking at the Boomer church with some of the same disinterest with which I looked at my parent’s church.

Review: Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren, pt. 1
By Len Hjalmarson
Finding our Way Again is the first in a series of eight books that will be called The Ancient Practices Series.

Review: Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren, pt. 2
By Len Hjalmarson
Continued from Part 1

Stupid Political Analysis Tricks
By David A. Zimmerman
I have a new working theory, which came to me in an epiphany while, as is usually the case, I was watching TV. Here goes: Barack Obama’s success is owed in part to David Letterman.

The Art of Woo
By Eric Bryant
Learning the “art of woo.”

The Born Again Church Tour 2008
By Next-Wave
We think Jesus deserves a chance to be rejected/accepted for who he really is. Not because of some mistaken religious affiliation.

Tomato – Tomahto
By Rick Stilwell
There’s room for both sides of the aisle to see the other as friends, as co-workers, as co-laborers for the common goodhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Vote, it’s your dutyhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
I don’t really feel the need to convince you of how you should vote.

Your average pastor preparing for Sunday morning serviceshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.not
By Next-Wave
Is this dignified?

Issue #118 – October 2008
Out in the Middle
By Scott Bane
Jesus does something wild and dramatic to come to the aid of his friends. He walks on the waves and then quiets the storm with his presence in the boat. I think he’s ready to do these things again. I think he is glad that we’ve gotten ourselves out here in the middle, with no more props to cling to and no more comfortable “normal” to soothe ourselves with. I thinks he’s on the water now and heading toward people all over the world who have followed his call into rough seas.

Beyond the Noise
By Jeremy Del Rio
The power of the worship song is to compel a lifestyle of worship as sacrifice. But when the music fades, will “Christian” music permit authentic worship?

Everything is changinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Charlie Wear
The world has changed in momentous ways in the past few weeks. Let’s try to discover what this means for the church and culture in the years to come.

I Did Go See Religulous
By Dan Kimball
I went with my friend Tim to see the new movie “Religulous” today. Religulous is the Bill Maher film that is about Bill traveling around the world and interviewing leaders and average people about religion.

I Might Go See Religulous
By Andy Jolivette
There’s a new documentary that came out in theaters recently called Religulous. If I end up seeing it, I’m guessing I will find myself nodding in agreement with a lot of the jokes being made on religions and religious people.

Life is Fun
By Doug Murren
I learned a new word today. Well it’s a concept wrapped in a word actually. The word is druxy. Its pronounced druck-see. It means to have rotten spots concealed by good wood. Who of us is not a cover up at least in part?

Missional On My Mind
By Bob Hyatt
Recently I got to have dinner with Alan Hirsch. Alan loves Jesus and has a brain the size of a planet. He also loves America and loves what God is doing here.

Spiritual Subtraction (I – Me = Freedom)
By Jim Palmer
It’s fall, and we decided to do a house deep clean yesterday. It got me thinking about all the “letting go” kinds of things on my journey these last few years. There have been many instances of letting go of my fixed ideas about all kinds of things.

Step with the Spirit
By Kester Smith
For years I’ve been hearing the Fruit of the Spirit passage discussed as if each part were something we through force of will, could learn how to do. But I hadn’t been paying attention to the guiding principle of the passage.

The Commandments of Jesus
By Charlie Wear
The first commandment of Jesus was not written on tablets of stone and handed down on a mountaintop. It was a simple invitation to fishermen engaged in their occupation. It is the same invitation he makes to each of us today. “Come, follow me.”

The Eschatology of Politics
By Scot McKnight
What Election Day might reveal about the hopes of evangelicals.

The Mind Is Metaphor
By Dyton Owen
The human mind is an incredible piece of creation. The most fascinating thing about it is it operates on metaphor. Aristotle said, “The mind never thinks without a picture.”

The Torture of Disconnection
By Andy White
I’ve had an increasing realization of the unfathomable scope of the story in which I find myself; a story of which I am not the author, over which I have no authority, in which my part is miniscule and yet, for which my participation is vital.

Issue #119 – November 2008
Church as Family
By Frank Viola
Surprisingly, the Bible never defines the church. Instead, it presents it through a number of different metaphors. One of the reasons why the New Testament gives us numerous metaphors to depict the church is because the church is too comprehensive and rich to be captured by a single definition or metaphor. Do you know what metaphor for the church dominates the New Testament? It’s the family.

Can You Speak My Language?
By Alan B. Ward
Like scientists at NASA, the Church uses lots of jargon without ever defining our terms. Many of us are so thoroughly immersed in the nuances of the language that it never occurs to us that we should stop and define our terms.

Christianity Isn’t the Way; Jesus Is
By Tim Timmons
I came to the conclusion that in order to reach the non-churched world I would have to separate myself from mainstream churches and Christianity. I did that, but I still had to take up offerings to keep the church and its staff alive.

I Surrender All
By Sheryl Bane
Anyone that grew up in church has heard this song. Of course I surrender all to you Lord, have it all Jesus, I’d think to myself all the while not surrendering a darn thing.

Living with Thanksgiving
By Charlie Wear
Learning to live with Thanksgiving

Missional Leadership
By Bob Hyatt, Contributing editor
To be a community that makes more of a difference for the unchurched, I think we’re going to need to press forward and outward in relationship and missional living here in the city.

More Love, Less Politics
By Keith Giles
American Christians will always be frustrated by a desire to see our laws correspond with the Bible. The truth is, it never will.

Simple Message of the Gospel
By M. Scott Rogers
In a world as diverse and dynamic as the one we live in, one can’t help but wonder if church should be the same way. Perhaps we, the “churched,” have come to learn that institutionalized religion is a safe and secure place.

Strength and Honor
By Dr. JE Caterson
As our nation marked another Veterans Day, thousands of troops are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with anxiety, depression and other emotional problems.

The Common Root 2009
By Mark Van Steenwyk
Together we will explore ways of creatively embracing the in-breaking Kingdom of God in the shadow of Empire.

Walk Humbly
By Kester Smith
We are a people of free time and disposable income. So, what if we took that time and money to God and humbly asked what we should do with it?

Issue #120 – December 2008
A Loving Voice Calls, Awaken
By Jim Palmer
The meaning we have assigned to life in this world is, “Have.” Look around… look within… every single soul on this planet is in… The hunt to get, to add something to itself it obviously has not – or has and wants more of.

A Prophetic Shift or A Swiss Chalet: What’ll it Be?
By Kelley Deppen
There are people out there frozen in time and space and spirit. They are clinging to a prophetic word, a bit of hyped up misinformation about their lives, their destinies, or their deepest held hopes.

Covered in Kisses
By Debbie Owczarzak
Over the years I have had many people watch my dogs interact with me and then comment, “Look how much they adore you!” To which I jokingly reply, “Oh yes, they worship me!”

Even the “Grand Miracle” Needed a Hand
By Alan B. Ward
God doesn’t need to use us… but he chooses to. How incredible is that?! When God wants to accomplish something in the world, he usually uses ordinary people like Mary and Joseph

Joy to the World
By Charlie Wear
A parable of the season

Soularize in-a-Box Volume 2
By Next-Wave
Holiday Special! Soularize in-a-Box Volume 2 with 20 talks and over 40 hours of both AUDIO and VIDEO.

Truly Missional
By Bob Hyatt, Contributing editor
I’m realizing that Evergreen could disappear tomorrow and most of the things we support would be fine- not because we aren’t missional, but specifically because we are. Let me explainhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Two Kinds of Simple Church
By Jonathan Dodson
We have made some significant changes along the way that have pushed us into more simply being the church.

What Would George Do?
By Steve Sjogren
Throughout the film, people sought to borrow money from the generous Mr. Bailey. His policy was astute beyond earthly wisdom. Like most people that live life in the outflow of kindness, George never made loans—he gave grants.

Issue #121 – January 2009
Ten Years Out: A Retrospective on the Emerging Church in North America
By Stephen Shields
To both assess the state of the conversation today and to get some perspectives on the history of the emerging church, Next-Wave reached out to some of the movement’s most notable leaders.

A Retrospective on the Emerging Church in North America Pt. 1
By Interviews by Stephen Shields
Part 1 of the full, lightly-edited content of Stephen’s interview with: Jordon Cooper, Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, and Andrew Jones

A Retrospective on the Emerging Church in North America Pt. 2
By Interviews by Stephen Shields
Part 2 of the full, lightly-edited content of Stephen’s interview with: Jordon Cooper, Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, and Andrew Jones

A Spiritual Sea Change
By Becky Garrison
In the spirit of change, I’d like to see us dismantle those religious idols that prevent the Christian community from living out our faith in a post-9/11 world.

Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others
By Todd Hunter
I’ve been wondering: what is the connection between belief and practice?

Diapers in the Road
By Scott Bane
Something was happening on the inside of me and the destroyed diaper box was only the sign pointing the way to the journey that I’m on.

Living a Life that Counts (Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino)
By Charlie Wear
Missional living in Gran Torino.

Missional Attractional
By Steve Bowen
How do outward focused churches remain both attractional and missional? Someone somewhere is “doin’ the stuff.”

Polarized to the Positive
By Kelly Deppen
The dream and hope that I share with you today is one that is perhaps the most deeply rooted in my own emotions and heart. It is this: That we all begin to perceive ourselves and to define ourselves in the Affirmative and in the Positive

Rediscovering Centeredness
By M. Scott Rogers
As the economic, occupational, and society conundrums of the modern age increase, I find myself searching for “old wisdom.”

Ten Years and Looking Forward
By Charlie Wear
A reflection on the past and a look to the future from Next-Wave publisher

The 1st Next-Wave Article – The Church of the Future: Missional Communities
By Todd Hunter
First published January 14, 1999

Why Denominations Matter
By Ed Stetzer
Is the era of denominations over? Dr. Ed Stetzer doesn’t think so.

Issue #122 – February 2009
Mustard Seed Sized Solutions
By Jordon Cooper
There isn’t an easy fix to homelessness and poverty in North America. Despite the rhetoric, it won’t come from the government and there are very few cities in North America who have the political will to do anything about it. Instead of waiting for the meta fix, there are a lot of opportunities to support something existing or help form something new. Start small and see what happens as those mustard seeds start to add up.

Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Mission
By Dan Kimball
Could blogging, twittering, Facebook etc. be addictive – and if so, can it actually get in the way of mission?

Clean
By Ann Pitman
Imagine if we all were so obsessed about cleanliness in our liveshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Does it Matter WHY Jesus had to Die?
By Bob Hyatt, Contributing Editor
There’s a lot of talk these days about the Atonement. It didn’t start with Steve Chalke or Brian McLaren, but maybe they planted the seeds in the emerging church of questioning whether Jesus’ death could best be described as “substitutionary.”

Fusing the Two Halves of Jesus
By Scott Bane
The Gospel is news. I know the word means “good news,” but I’m only lately meditating on what it means to be news at all. News is a report on what is happening (or has just happened). News is right now. News is going on.

If All Sin Is Equalhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Ben Polhemus
For most of us in the “normal” world the discussion of all sin being equal is a fairly short one and the discussion usually centers on petty examples that we are willing to admit.

It’s All About Jesus, Right?
By Charlie Wear
I must confess. To me, “emerging,” and “missional,” when applied to church all seem like the same thing.

Racism is a Thing of the Past?
By Dr. Bob Kellemen
My field and passion is comprehensive, compassionate, culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation, and the “contemporary” models for biblical counseling I’d been studying and hearing about were falling short of that standard.

The god of Love
By Andy Christopher
“When you’re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?” Initially that does challenge youhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. until you realize that this question assumes something entirely against Biblical teaching

Issue #123 – March 2009
Video Venues: The Death of Preaching
By Bob Hyatt
It’s a pretty bold statement to say that video venues will eventually mean the death of preachinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info. but I think I can make the case.

Emerging Parenting
By Julie Clawson
As adults we have gone through the process of examining our faith and rethinking our religious practices. While we might be okay with this, there is a distinct feeling that somehow we are leaving our kids behind in the process.

From Mirrors to Maps
By Jim Henderson
Since 2000 Off The Map has been helping Christians see themselves through the eyes of Outsiders. We’ve been holding up a mirror for Christians and asking them if like what they see.

God’s Eternal Purpose – A Critical Addition to the Missional Conversation
By Frank Viola
Ephesians teaches us that the purpose of God stands far outside the reaches of redemption. In eternity past, God the Father has been after a bride and a body for His Son and a house and a family for Himself.

How Managers Can Showcase their Spiritual IQ in Business
By Daryl D. Green and Dr. Gary Roberts
Servant leadership is the essential character attribute that enables managers to promote the Great Commandment and Great Commission in the workplace.

Leading from the Future
By Len Hjalmarson
In too many organizations relationships get rationalized; purpose becomes planning; and meaning is buried by media. We begin in the Spirit but end in the law.

Lent: Journeying to the “Dark Side” With Jesus
By Alan B. Ward
Lent calls us to journey to the “dark side” with Jesus and contemplate his suffering and death on the cross. If we choose not to follow Jesus to the foot of the cross, how can we possibly grasp the full significance of the empty tomb?

Open the Doors, See All the People
By Charlie Wear
We need to get outside our man-made boxes and limitations and see what God sees, not church buildings or steeples, but people.

Two Churches – both Practicing
By Jeff Smith
I spent Sunday morning between two churches.

Why Silence is No Argument
By J. Alex Kirk
Perhaps no issue is (and will be) the greatest flash-point between culture and historically faithful Christianity than homosexuality.

Issue #124 – April 2009
Missional Renaissance, an Interview with Reggie McNeal
By Next-Wave
Next-Wave interviews Dr. Reggie McNeal, author of The Present Future and now Missional Renaissance, about the missional movement, his take on where we are, where we’re going and his new book in particular.

Beyond the Emerging Church?
By Jason Clark
Whether you are catholic, house church, proto emerging church, we are all the emerging church, helping each other respond to similar contextual problems. Trying to form churches that see people find and grow in love and orientation around Jesus.

Community
By Andy Christopher
I’ve noticed that most of the new church plants I hear about are establishing themselves on the idea that the Church needs to be more community centered, meaning that newer church planters place high value on the power of interpersonal relationships.

Creating God Space Where God Things Can Happen
By Steve Bowen
Our fast paced task orientated lifestyle prevents us from being aware of others. I’m convinced we miss every day opportunities to serve others because we rush through life.

Leadership as Self-Definition
By Dr. Dyton Owen
Leadership begins and ends not simply with doing the right things, but with who I am. In other words, how I define myself determines what sort of leader I become.

Origins: Birthing a New Network
By Dan Kimball
A new network/community called Origins is being birthed.

Rwanda’s National Mourning Day and the Gospel
By Nathan Myers
In 1994, in the most “Christian” country of Africa, one tribe of Rwandans slaughtered one million of their own people. For persons who care about the gospel that leads to a big question, How could this happen?

The Emerging Missional Church Fractures into Mini Movements
By Mark Sayers
Has the emerging missional church fractured? A missional practitioners ask the question and talks about some of the mini-movements.

The Power of Transformational Preaching
By Charlie Wear
Preaching the Word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit still changes lives.

When the Church is its Own Worst Enemy
By Stephen Shields
Whenever a system of ministry is put into place, those who move and operate within that system must take extra care not to overly rely on that system as a means of spiritual transformation.

Issue #125 – May 2009
Where ARE the Women?
By Peggy Brown
So, where ARE the women? Well, they’re everywhere, actually. Doing some of the most amazing ministry. Some of them are serving out in the open with official status and proper recognition. Some are also serving out in the open with no official status or recognition. Some are serving under the radar where status and recognition have no meaning or worse, could get you in a heap of trouble.

A Symbol of Resurrection
By Christy Lambertson
The pain is part of the art.

Carrying Our Friends Through The Darkness
By Alan B. Ward
There will be moments in each of our lives when the difficult circumstances of the present moment weigh us down and drown and threaten to extinguish hope for the future.

Jesus and Jazz
By Scot McKnight
How is bringing Jesus and humans together like jazz? How does jazz help us understand our task?

Maintaining an Even Strain
By Charlie Wear
I can’t stand the same old, same old.

Never got a haircut during a worship gathering before
By Dan Kimball
Angie is not part of any church and has been cutting my hair for 3 years. We have had great talks about faith and life over the years. But she never has desired to come to one of our gatherings.

Never Wrong to Love
By Andy Christopher
Once you decide in your heart to believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is your only hope for salvation, there is the matter of the rest of your life to be dealt with. A number of questions ensue.

Serving the Future You
By Jason Jaggard
Busy, but not feeling fulfilled is a really dangerous place to be.

The End of My Political Career
By Matthew Raley
What would have happened if, for the last twenty years, they had committed the same resources to making disciples for Jesus?

Women, Church Leaders and Affirmative Action
By Jeff McQuilkin
Affirmative action is an attempt to force a balance or equilibrium without dealing with the reasons why imbalance was created.

Worship and the Joy of Feeling Hungry
By Bob Hyatt, Contributing Editor
it wasn’t until I embraced discomfort and learned to listen to it in a different way that I got where I wanted to be.

Issue #126 – June 2009
Review: Shane Hipps’ Flickering Pixels
By John La Grou
Self described, “unapologetic techno-ecclesio geek,” John La Grou, gives a review of Shane Hipps’ popular book, Flickering Pixels.

At the Movies
By Judith Hougen
We don’t create strong art by pointing a spyglass toward the culture, diagnosing their need, and creating art to fill in that crack.

Evangelicals, Harry Potter, and the Arts
By Matthew Raley
Evangelicals have a tortured relationship with the arts, and often use specious principles to discern good from bad. Exhibit A is Harry Potter.

Moving from a Transmission Model to an Inquiry Model
By Andrew Moore
Clergy spend hours of preparation, hoping that as they stand in front of a congregation, some will hear a good message and come closer to God. But every Sunday, so many attendees sitting quietly in Church pews struggle to be sponges.

Preachinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dustin Bagby
It is a lot easier to preach when you are the “breath of fresh air.”

Review: Enough by Will Samson
By Julie Clawson
When I first started the book, I half-expected it to be a diatribe against modern culture, focusing on the sins of our excess. While the book does mention those excesses, what I found instead was a call to live into true church community.

Review: The Monkey and the Fish by Dave Gibbons
By Greg Atkinson
I felt my spirit resonating with the spirit of the book and inside I was shouting, Yes! Yes!

Starting to Follow Jesus
By Charlie Wear
I always felt pretty good when there was a response to the invitation I had made.

The Suicidal Missionary
By Eric Bryant
I recently read a familiar story that included some surprising details I somehow had missed over the years. Jonah would rather die than see the people of Nineveh forgiven by God.

Who’s Afraid of Evangelism
By Jesse Lava
It’s time to celebrate: mainline Protestant denominations are starting to get hip to the need to market themselves.

Women Silenced! Probing Problematic Punctuation
By Peggy Brown
Should women remain silent in the gathering? Peggy Brown doesn’t think sohttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #127 – July 2009
A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century Church
By Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
Christians have made the gospel about so many thingshttp://www.the-next-wave.info. things other than Christ. Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives them significance, reality, and meaning. Without him, all things lose their value. Without him, all things are but detached pieces floating around in space.

A New Generation Demands New Categories for Theology and Ministry
By Andrew Root
Lily Allen is a mostly unknown name in the United States, but in the UK she is ubiquitous. She represents the new world of a new generation; a generation that refuses to so easily be categorized.

A Post-Evangelical Manifesto
By Raffi Shahinian
We seek love, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, of which tolerance is a weak parody, at best.

An Origins Project Update
By Dan Kimball
Looking ahead at what’s in store for the Origins Project.

Bearing the Baggage of Enculturation?
By Christopher Smith
A Review of: A Lover’s Quarrel With the Evangelical Church, by Warren Cole Smith. Paperback: Authentic Books, 2009.

Christianity and Zen
By Tyler Lacoma
The ways in which Zen concepts can help Christians with their faith

Is the God of the Old Testament Christian?
By Matt Stone
One of the stumbling blocks I find coming up again and again in interfaith conversations, particularly with Atheists and Gnostics, is the difficulty they experience in reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament.

Michael Jackson and The Sinner’s Prayer
By Charlie Wear
Repentance, that heart and mind-change that is motivated by the desire to turn around and follow Jesus, is an action that can’t be measured by human understanding or the performance of a ritual.

Peacebuilding and Transformation: Being a Christian Witness in a Conflicted Land
By Dann Pantoja
Peacebuilding is a practical form of being a martyr-witness.

Strong Partnerships Spread Contagious Hope
By Alan B. Ward
There is ministry that God longs to see done in this world that we can only accomplish working together as partners.

The Cost of Commitment
By John Wimber
Our ultimate destination in Christ is to arrive found in Him. While we are on the way, He cleans us up as we yield our wills, our plans and ourselves to Him.

Twitter, Leadership and the Kingdom Future
By Len Hjalmarson
Can we get on with the work and spend less time discussing details?

Wikiklesia – The Experiment
By Cynthia La Grou
The award winning Wikiklesia Project is an experiment in personal participatory media and on-line collaborative publishing.

Issue #128 – August 2009
Why I Love the Church: In Praise of God’s Eternal Purpose
By Frank Viola
When George Barna and I released Pagan Christianity last year, some of the critics of the book (most of whom had never read it) accused us of not loving the church, but hating her. Ironically, we addressed this very point all throughout the book, stating that we were writing the book precisely *because* we love the church and no longer want to see her hindered (at best) or sabotaged (at worst) by a human-invented system that has often smothered her personality and robbed her freedom.

All the Martyrdom I Can Stand
By Christy Lambertson
Given my self-chosen identity as a pacifist for the past fifteen years, it’s a biggish step for me to say that sometimes, non-violence is not the highest value.

All Things Grow
By Jesse Lava
On the challenges of leaving the place you lovehttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Becoming Self-Feeders of Scripture
By Dan Kimball
We are spending 5 weeks teaching about biblical hermeneutics and the importance of becoming a “self-feeder” of Scripture.

Begin With What You Have, From Where You Are
By Steve Bowen
I wonder what it would look like if every believer, began to serve others from where they are with what they have? I think their world would change.

Do We Claim to Have All the Answers?
By Bob Hyatt
You have to abandon relativismhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. if you are to be truly tolerant.

Don’t Just Love Me
By Doug Murren
Maybe being “loved” just isn’t enough.

Eutychus Report: A Postmodern Retirement Party
By Eutychus Bailey
Truth or Fiction? From the archives we republish an excellent entry.

The Dream Lives On
By Bill Dahl
A reflection on Senator Kennedy’s impact on one man’s life.

The Gift of Faith
By Charlie Wear
Losing our faith can cause us to understand what a gift faith is.

Urgent or Eternal – A Call for Empty Hands
By Kelly Deppen
This is something that I have learned: The Urgent is the enemy of the Eternal.

What If Evangelism Were a Two-Way Street?
By John Backman
The word evangelism can strike terror in the hearts of Christians. Maybe the problem isn’t us, but evangelism itself—or at least a traditional model that fails to reach people in a postmodern culture. What would happen if we overhauled the model?

Issue #129 – September 2009
What On Earth Is God Up To?
By Tony Dale
I am fully convinced that simple church movements must be actively outward looking and evangelistic or the natural tendency of any small group will default to becoming more inward. Yet, I see God working through extraordinary numbers of Christians across the United States, moving them from traditional settings into house church type settings, with no regard to my conviction that all of these groups should be outward looking!

A Planning Meeting Update
By Dan Kimball
Origins is a network/community being birthed for those who are passionate about Jesus, Humanity and Innovation.

Avoiding Evidence of Hypocrisy
By Andy Christopher
Lately I’ve been thinking about repentance and its necessity in the life of a Christ follower.

Discovering the Secret of A Life that Works
By Alan B. Ward
Jesus knew the secret, and shared it with his discipleshttp://www.the-next-wave.info. and calls us to share it as well.

Doubling Down on Jesus
By Joshua Rhone
We live in a world ripe with opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ. People are broken and hurting. They are in need of a Savior. The question is: how will we respond?

Rabbits on My Mind
By Charlie Wear
I am a refugee from “normal” church. I am still a follower of Jesus, even if I am not a “member” of a church.

The Role of Women in the Kingdom of God
By Felicty Dale
As women, we are now faced with some choices. We can decide that the church owes us some statushttp://www.the-next-wave.info. Or we can willingly choose to lay down our rights and to serve with humility in whatever God is doing.

There Is NO Virtual Ecclesia
By Bob Hyatt
After giving this some thought I think I want to say that the problem with virtual community and Internet campuses isn’t that it’s not churchhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. it’s that it is just church enough to be dangerous.

Third Millenium Church Movements
By Eutychus Bailey
But as I type here 40 years since that article was written I’d like to take up a similar challenge and recount what movements have made the North American church what it is in the third millennium.

Why Public Schools Matter to God (and Should Matter to You Too)
By Jeremy Del Rio
Should it matter to pastors then that average graduates of America’s city schools read at eighth grade levels?

Issue #130 – October 2009
Honor
By Doug Murren
Excerpted from chapter 6 of, TEN: What God Really Meant by His Commandmentshttp://www.the-next-wave.info. “Any society that does not care for its elderly, valuing and esteeming them, is certain to fall. The church must stand for the care of the elderly, honoring fathers and mothers. But also, and more importantly, individual Christians must care for their own mother and father as part of their faith.”

A Call to Action
By Melissa Hedden
Mother Teresa once said, “If we don’t accept Jesus in one another, we will not be able to give him to others.”

Accidental Anglican
By Charlie Wear
“I linked to the emergent thing because I loved these young Christians who were trying to figure out church and what it means to be a follower of Jesus in this new era.” — Bishop Rev. Dr. Todd Hunter

Closure
By Bob Hyatt
I flew down to San Diego yesterday to bury my father. He died and was buried just how he lived, how he liked it – alone.

Getting in the Game
By Charlie Wear
So much of following Jesus is all about getting in the game.

Living in the Mess
By Sheryl Bane
It eats me up to imagine what people might think of me when they walk in our home and see the mess. Even now I’m tempted to tell you that it’s not as bad as I make it out to be but that would be a lie because it’s much worse.

Modern Churchianity
By Jeffrey Krause and Michael Signorelli
This is an excerpt from their upcoming book, Real On Nine, effecting change in the Church of the 21st century. Not unlike many abusive relationships, there is still some good being done by the Church. This good is what keeps us coming back.

Power
By Andy Christopher
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Prayers God Likes
By Charlie Wear
Here’s a tip for you, a prayer that always works, Oh God, get me out of this mess.

Reflections of a Middle Class White Man
By Ben Polhemus
Almost all of my friends, associates, and people I come in contact with are middle class Americans.

The Apostle and Larry Joe
By Kelly Deppen
It all comes down to this for me: Are we ourselves or are we our titles?

We Need Each Other if We Are on Mission
By Dan Kimball
This isn’t the time to argue about non-essential thingshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Issue #131 – November 2009
What Should Pastors Think About the Emerging Church
By Charles Wear
Is the emerging church a fad? What does it mean? As a pastor, what should I be doing about it? Is D.A. Carson right? What about Chuck Smith, Sr.? Is the emerging church a sign of the end? Is it a forerunner of last days apostacy? Has Slice sliced it correctly? Has Pyro burnt it appropriately? Is Mark Driscoll the poster child for the EC, or is Spencer Burke?

A Mixed Economy of Church in a Post-Christian Marketplace
By Becky Garrison
In the United States, some of us were experimenting with our own new forms of worship, but without the benefit of much cross-pollination across the big pond.

An Appeal for Romantic Theology
By Len Hjalmarson
We use word-pictures and rhyme and music, because poetry and music help words take flight, and the experience of love is both rooted and wild and words need wings to approximate it.

Changing Christmas: Rediscovering Incarnation
By Joel Kurz
How many Americans broke their checking accounts last Christmas?…or became stressed?…or couldn’t wait for the Holidays to simply be a memory?

Changing the System
By Alan B. Ward
The renewal we desire will require “radical” change in the way we do business — “incremental” change and “band aid fixes” are not going to get it done.

For the Three People Who Might Still Check My Blog
By Christy Lambertson
I’ve had some major internal shifts in the past six months, and I think I haven’t been writing because I needed some time to adjust to my new normal.

Friends
By Charlie Wear
While it’s true that relationships need contact and communication, have you ever noticed that some relationships are so connected that you can be out of contact for months, or years, and pick up right where you left off?

From Ennui to Epichttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Bob Hyatt
I was sitting with a new church planter yesterday, talking. He asked, “So how have you avoided burn out?” And my first thought, honestly? I haven’t.

Go and Do Likewise
By Julie Clawson
Recently, during a Sunday school lesson at church, I was asked to reflect on this passage by placing myself in the midst of it.

Peeking Through the Blinds
By Melissa Hedden
Every Christian has a testimony of faith.

Quietness and Rest — A Great Christmas Gift
By Christine Sine
I have been thinking a lot lately about the need for rest and quietness in our lives.

Stuck Inside
By David Trotter
Photo Essay

The God Jesus Knows, a Review of The Good and Beautiful God
By Paul Hill
The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith is a book about Christian discipleship that emphasizes getting our stories about God straight and finding in the right space for spiritual transformation.

The Year of Living Like Jesus at Vintage Faith Church
By Dan Kimball
I first heard of Ed Dobson back in the early 1990′s when he was pastor at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was passionate about people outside of the church and was going against the grain of what normal churches did at the time.

You are not the Responsible Party
By Kelly Deppen
Have you been feeling as though you have missed the mark in your relationship with Jesus?

Issue #132 – December 2009
Hallelujah!
By Next-Wave
Sing Hallelujah! as you remember God’s gift this Christmashttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Burger King Health Clinics and Christmas Humbug
By Bob Hyatt
Today’s newspaper contained some great news. Nearly $9 million of federal stimulus money is flowing to Portland in the form of a grant to open a health care clinic in the middle of downtown for the poor.

Caught Being Good
By Charlie Wear
If you don’t know by now, The Blind Side is the story of a white Memphis family taking in a Black homeless boy, and their journey together.

Encounters with Sexism
By Julie Clawson
Every now and then I get that slap in the face reminder that sexism is alive and thriving in our world.

How Would You Define Organized Religion
By Dan Kimball
What is organized religion?

I Believe, I Know
By Matthew Paul Turner
Some things I believe, some things I know.

I Dare You to Pray This
By Francis Chan
Praying for our daily bread.

I Love My Wife More Than You
By Joel Kurz
On the tension between marriage and pastoring, specifically church plantinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info. Advice received from Brian McLaren.

Joy to the World
By Charlie Wear
A Christmas Parable.

Review: Faith in the Future by Patrick Nachtigall
By Rex Miller
Patrick Nachtigall lives in Hong Kong and mentors a young thriving Christian congregation. He travels throughout Asia training church leaders. This quick read is a brief, tightly packed, global status report.

Sometimes It’s All About What’s Left
By Melissa Hedden
Even though I really love to teach history to kids – there’s something about science that makes it so much easier, exciting and approachable.

Taking on the Disciplines
By Phyllis Tickle
Putting first things first.

Tell George Bailey to Leave Me Alone
By Christy Lambertson
I love Jimmy Stewart as much as the next person, but George Bailey gets on my nerves.

The Origins Project: Creativity and Creeds
By Mark Sayers
How can you pursue innovation and creativity, yet seemingly limit yourself by holding to a set of rules?

Yesterday
By David Trotter
Yesterday

Issue #133 – January 2010
The Decline of the Emerging Church(?)
By Bill Dahl
How do we measure what God’s Spirit is up to? Who could be bold enough to posit such an equation that might capture the depth and breadth of this sacred mystery? During the past year and a half, I have come to appreciate the explosive, timeless truth Jesus spoke in John 16:12-15: “I have more to say to you, more than you can now bearhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.”

A Response to Pat Robertson’s Comments about Haiti
By Donald Miller
Donald Miller gives a measured response to the pronouncements Pat Robertson made in the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake.

Bible Cover
By David Trotter
For 2 weeks in December, David Trotter and his family served in India.

Circumcision of the Heart
By Melissa Hedden
For the longest time, I thought that if I was a Christian, bad things wouldn’t happen. If I prayed more, followed the rules closer and did everything in my power to live as a Christian.

Five Things I’ve Loved About the Emerging Church
By Bob Hyatt
Some praise for the maligned emerging church.

Global Snapshots of Emerging Church
By Becky Garrison
What is emerging around the world?

Is There an Organic Church Movement?
By Neil Cole
A leader in the Organic Church Movement responds to those you say they aren’t a movement.

Jesus Freak (an excerpt from the upcoming book)
By Sara Miles
God gives us everything we have: and whenever we are willing to receive that blessing and pass it on, we live in the kingdom of abundance.

Love Is All They See
By Kelly Deppen
Love is the tip of the iceberg that people are able to see.

Missional: More Than a Buzz Word
By Brad Brisco
Despite the fact that missional terminology has been in use for at least a quarter of a century, it is being applied today in such a wide variety of ways that many times it results in confusion.

Shalom and No Evening Facebookhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.
By Dan Kimball
Learning to live in peace in wholeness.

Starting the Second Decade of Next-Wave
By Charlie Wear
A word from Next-Wave’s publisher as the ezine begins its second decade.

The Emerging Church, A controversial movement inspiring many the past 10 years, dies at 21
By Rick Bennett
Are reports of the death of the emerging church premature? Hmmmmmhttp://www.the-next-wave.infohttp://www.the-next-wave.info

The Missional Church and Worship
By Julie Clawson
Worship is much bigger than ourselves.

The Power of Belief
By Alan B. Ward
Staggering global and personal crises confront us daily: Does belief in Jesus really have power to make a difference?

Issue #134 – February 2010
A Recovering Pharisee
By Charlie Wear
At the ripe old age of 60 I have finally figured out what was and is wrong with me and understand why I have such a hard time with “normal” church.

A State of the Union for the Church: On the Other Side of the Ashes
By George Elerick
Death becomes all of us. But what about ideas? What about truth? What about theology and maybe even, dare I say, Church?

Free for All: A Leap Forward in Training Leaders
By Jeremy Del Rio
“Freely give,” Jesus said as he sent his disciples to represent the Gospel, which he defined in the same breath as, “The Kingdom of God is near.”

God Won’t Yell
By Alan B. Ward
God speaks constantly, but God usually refuses to yell to get our attention.

Hearing from Godhttp://www.the-next-wave.info. at Verge
By Charlie Wear
Having listened to the many challenging speakers on the topic of the DNA of Gospel Movements, I can sense that God is on the move here in the U.S.

Humbling
By David Trotter
For 2 weeks in December, I took my wife and two kids (6 and 10 years old) to India to work among the lowest caste.

Life Without Judgment
By Jim Palmer
I’ve judged a lot of people in my life and I’m not proud of it.

On the McLaren Nay-sayers
By Mike Morrell
I suppose it’s inevitable that, when you’re deemed the ‘Papa’ of something as amorphous and volatile as the emergent movement, eventually your spiritual children are going to have daddy issues and take out their frustrations on dear ‘ol dad.

Reclaiming a Narrative of Hope
By Jonathan Pedrone
How do we expand the controlling narratives in our lives so that we can recognize the big work that God is doing in our world?

Responding to Critics: The contrast of Perry Noble and Brian Mclaren
By Dustin Bagby
In processing the contrast of Mclaren and Noble this week, my prayer is that I will have the ability to say no to those urges that rise up within me.

To Be Content
By Melissa Hedden
As much as I have always wanted to be “content” with the “church,” it just isn’t happening.

Wheaton College and Positive Things About the Emerging Church
By Dan Kimball
Just got back from a really great time at Wheaton College. I was there for a 2 day event put on by the Christian Ethics Center. They called the event “The Emerging Church: What Do I Really Know?”

Issue #135 – March 2010
Could I Become A Christian? (Ryan’s Story)
By Ryan, by way of Jim Palmer
I was raised “Christian” (in all the various interpretations and misrepresentations of that vaguest of possible terms). Then I became an agnostic, then an atheist, then – well, now, these names seem pretty funny to me. Mostly these names, which are meant (perhaps) to designate meaning, really steal meaning if we don’t qualify what we mean by them.

Avatar, Ephesians 3 and the BIG Story: Mystery, Memory and Mission
By Len Hjalmarson
Avatar, Ephesians 3 and the BIG Story: Mystery, Memory and Mission

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
By Jim Best and Rob Lane
The “real” St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland with his “Celtic” practices.

Church 3.0: An Interview with Author, Neil Cole
By Charlie Wear
One of the things that has crippled the Church in America, in the West, is the idea that we need professional Christians to make it happen.

Dallas Willard on Jet Lag
By Dustin Bagby
Dallas Willard isn’t an easy man to create small talk with.

Endangered Workers
By David Trotter
I wish it was as simple as dialing 311http://www.the-next-wave.info.

Fascinating to Look at your Church from Someone Else’s Perspective
By Dan Kimball
Dan reads a review of his church written by a visiting atheist.

Following U2 to Church
By Jason Byassee
Learning for worship at a football stadium.

How Far is Too Far?
By George Elerick
Children love to push boudaries, teenagers do too. And you might even meet some adults who like to do the same.

How It All Began For Me
By Melissa Hedden
When I first started this “spiritual quest” concerning my involvement and place in church, I was confused, angry and deeply disturbed at where I found my faith taking me.

Humility and How I Attained It
By Jonathan Pedrone
Humility is often talked about, and frequently held up as a virtue required of all leaders.

The Jesus Curriculum: God-Centered Reality
By Alan B. Ward
Followers of God have always been called to have the courage to stand out from the crowd and challenge the normalcy of our world in every wayhttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Problem with Words
By Charlie Wear
I think it is unfortunate that “kingdom” is the word and message that is being explored.

What About My House?: Materialism and Discipleship in America
By Erin McCrum
Haggai’s Message is directly applicable to the American Church today: “We have been busy building our fancy houses; meanwhile, God has put holes in our pockets to get us to focus on Him and to build His house.”

Issue #136 – April 2010
Women of the Kingdom
By Felicity Dale
God has given me (and many other women) certain desires and gifts that have always led me to be a strategic thinker. I love listening to God, particularly in the context of a group that is seeking His face for what He is doing within the Kingdom.

Bam! Hit and Run
By Charlie Wear
Real life has a way of coming up and kicking you in the rear.

Comfortable in My Own Skin
By Neil Cole
Neil Cole is a founder and director for a non-profit organization that helps resource people to follow Christ and start organic churches.

Embracing the Spark
By Melissa Hedden
As the population entering our places of worship continues to shift from modern to postmodern, the church (as God’s people) needs to take some time to reflect.

Going into Full-time Ministry
By Charlie Wear
Following Jesus means being a full-time ministry in our 24-7 daily life.

Holy Week: Exposing the Roman Curriculum
By Alan B. Ward
Followers of God have always been called to have the courage to stand out from the crowd and challenge the normalcy of our world in every way. Our job is to demonstrate that a new reality is not only possible, but desirable.

Jesus Manifesto: The Interview with Len Sweet and Frank Viola
By Mike Morrell
Mike Morrell Interviews Len Sweet and Frank Violahttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

May the Church (and Seminaries) Be Part of Helping Change How We Teach and Educate
By Dan Kimball
The biblical truth is that role of the church is to lead people in their understanding of their gifts, passions and to succeed (so to speak) on the mission in life that God has for them.

Morality: On The Inside
By George Elerick
We’ve gotten it in our heads that morality is a plumbline we grapple for or wrestle others over. But what if morality is deeper than something that’s out there? What if morality has been ingrained within us?

Mystery
By David Trotter
Open your eyes and there it is!

Recovering Pharisees
By Charlie Wear and Scott Bane
Recovering Pharisees video message by Charlie Wear and Scott Bane, March 2010.

The End Is Near
By Jonathan Pedrone
What is the chief end of man? What does it mean to be a community of eschatological people? How can we properly connect the hope for our future with our actions today?

Two-Way Evangelism Without Losing Your Faith
By John Backman
Assume that instead of making the gospel “sales pitch,” we join the general conversation as the only way to build trust with a skeptical culture. Conversation means listening: not while preparing our rebuttal, but with an open heart and mind.

What About Being Paid to Minister?
By Interview with Tony Dale
What about being paid to minster? – Q & A with Tony Dale

Issue #137 – June 2010
Rethinking the Challenging Scriptures
By Felicity Dale
One of the main reasons that women are so restricted within the church is that certain Scriptures apparently forbid their taking any role of significance. And all of us, both men and women, want to obey the Bible. But these challenging verses can, with integrity, be understood differently.

10 Things I Learned About the Church Since Seminary
By John O’Keefe
I graduated from Drew University some years back, and while the experience was “OK” I did not have the greatest of times.

All You Need is Love
By Charlie Wear
It’s not easy being lovable.

Breaking the Lightbulbs: Silencing Theology
By George Elerick
God is a metaphor for the realization that there are experiences beyond our words.

Can We Handle the Truth?
By Alan B. Ward
How willing are we to shake up the status quo in our comfortable churches and speak the truth in love, even when it’s not easy – even when telling the truth might make us unpopular or worse.

Jesus Manifesto: The Interview with Len Sweet and Frank Viola
By Mike Morrell
Mike Morrell interviews the authors of Jesus Manifesto

Making Lunch
By Jason Evans
The spiritual discipline of making lunch.

Moving in a Missional Direction
By Brad Brisco
Here are nine elements to consider when making a missional shift.

Origins: First Formal Event
By Dan Kimball
Origins is having its first formal event Saturday, July 24, 2010.

Progressive Dialogue
By Jonathan Pedrone
Is it possible to interact with those of differing viewpoints and come away with a greater understanding of truth?

Respecting the Journey
By Charlie Wear
Listening and encouraging one another is part of living the Jesus life together.

Review: Untamed by Alan and Debra Hirsch
By David Fitch
I’ve always been a fan of Alan Hirsch and his wife Deb. I like that they have risked a lot in their liveshttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

Rules for the Game
By Melissa Hedden
Maybe it’s just a stage of life – this wondering and questioning about what I am doing.

The REAL Dirt on Organic Church
By Neil Cole
Here are a couple things about organic church that you may want to know before you try it. Let the reader beware, organic church is not something every leader should attempt.

Time
By David Trotter
Examining the nature of time

Where is My Bride?
By Darlene Stern
Where is My Bride?

Why Did We Start Evergreen?
By Bob Hyatt
Our overriding desire was to begin a community that would reach people not reached by existing communities.

Why I Don’t Go to Church Anymore
By Wayne Jacobsen
Where do you go to church?

Issue #138 – August 2010
Setting Women Free
By Felicity Dale
Women have too often become accustomed to our lack of freedom within the church. We are content to sit on the sidelines, even as we gaze longingly at what other women are doing around the world. We need the Lord to help us break out of our inertia so that we can move into our calling as women of the Kingdom.

Being What God Has Made Us
By Bill Bremer
He has made us new beings and gathered us together in Messiah Jesus—to be to His glory. He has called us into His marvelous light to be what He has made us.

Cooking Up a Church
By Erin McCrum
Three recipes for cooking up a new church.

Dr. Wagner’s Cart Has Been Pulling the Horse for Too Long
By Neil Cole
For years missional leaders have repeated the refrain articulated by Dr. C. Peter Wagner that “The best means of evangelism under the sun today is church planting.”

Fake It Til You Make It
By Bob Hyatt
The thought of days like today exhaust me. But in actual practice, they often energize me

From Dog to God: Man’s Best Friend
By Ronnie McBrayer
My friends’ new pet is a rescued dog who must have suffered a terrible life of abuse before his adoption. Chowder won’t let me, or any other male for that matter, get near him. His fear is very real, and very severe.

Looking For the Real Fruit
By Dan Kimball
Artificial fruit isn’t so easy to spot.

Meeting Victoria
By Kelly Deppen
Victoria has the integrity to never again accept a man-made idea as God-birthed.

Origins: The gathering at Club Nokia
By Dan Kimball
Origins Co-Founder writes about the first Origins event.

Post Modern Leadership: From Hero to Host
By Len Hjalmarson
What type of leadership does the world need now?

Religion or Science?
By Jonathan Pedrone
Do you believe in science or religion?

Second Chances
By Melissa Hedden
Faith in Christ is the forerunner of all second chances. We have a faith built upon the premise of a second chance. It’s a concept that changes everythinghttp://www.the-next-wave.info.

The Fine Art of Judging Others
By Charlie Wear
Sometimes I think I would like to be a judge.

Unstudying God: Finding God in the Barren Land
By George Elerick
Theology is the study of God. More specifically of any deity. A place where we come and try to understand God.

What is a New Testament Model of Church Leadership?
By Keith Giles
The church in Corinth is a fascinating example of a church with numerous moral and ethical failures, yet when Paul writes to correct them he doesn’t address their Pastor and command him to fix things.

Issue #139 – September 2010
Jesus Died for This? (an excerpt from the new book)
By Becky Garrison
Forget about trying to find any signs of the risen Christ. Something tells me Jesus of Nazareth doesn’t exactly like “doing lunch” with his classier counterpart Commercial Christ®. Despite the business books proclaiming Jesus as the perfect model for today’s corporate CEO, he doesn’t own the proper Armani suit or even a decent pair of shoes. For sure, he’d get shown the door for blowing his stack at the shareholders one time too many and probably end up in jail for giving away all the company’s assets.

A New Leadership Idea
By John O’Keefe
Will the same skills used during the Industrial and Information Ages work in the Conceptual Age?

Alan Hirsch: at Verge 2010
By YouTube
Bootleg copy of opening video from 2010 Verge Conference.

Anne Rice and the not-yet-so-beautiful-as-she-will-be-bride
By Bob Hyatt
A number of years ago, Anne Rice, author of Interview with The Vampire and other books, became a Christian.

Book Burning, Are You Serious?
By Charlie Wear
Can we come up with a better response than book burning?

Breathe Deeply and Live Again
By Alan B. Ward
The Church today is struggling to breathe; our lung capacity is greatly reduced.

Catalysthttp://www.the-next-wave.info.More Than a Conference
By Dan Kimball
I am at so many conferences each year and a few stand out which really impact my life personally.

Emerging for the Rest of Us
By Josh Tandy
The year was 2003. I was in college and I was reading Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christian.

Real Community
By Melissa Hedden
“Living as community” – it’s one of those key characteristics the emerging church proclaims.

Structures Are the Problem
By George Elerick
I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from?

The Joys of Sin Management
By Charlie Wear
Now, this is good news. God is with me and he loves me, what more do I need?

The Model Shepherd
By Erin McCrum
If all believers are called to The Great Commission, then we are all called to disciple others by teaching others to obey the commands of Jesus.