Metamora Mennonite Church

riff:a distinct variation "Death by Meeting"

From Pastor Michael...

I couldn't help but pick up a book entitled Death By Meeting.  We all know what it means.  It's a common experience in business.  It is also a common experience in the church.

In Death by Meeting, by Patrick Lencioni, he makes a solid case for meetings as a key element in effective business.  I riff on his idea by trying to apply his basic framework to our church.  What would it look like for us to re-orient our meetings and their purpose to leverage them for church growth and health?

Click here to read my riff...When you are done, come back here and let me know what you think...

Live Shalom,

Pastor Michael

Rob Wenger on Mission

Our Missions team is leading us on a journey that will transform our understanding of mission and the way we go about it.  From foreign partnerships to new local initiatives to a possible church planting venture...we are on a new road.

This post from Rob Wenger of Granger Community Church, offers a simple contrast between the way many churches did mission in the past and how effective mission is done today.  It is the difference between supporting missions and being missionaries.  We are called by Jesus to be missionaries. 

Interview: Mark Driscoll Comes to Peoria

Mark Driscoll, pastor of the 6,000 member Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA was in Peoria at the end of January.  He was in town to speak at a pastor's conference at Riverside Community Church.  Mike Miller, from the Peoria Journal Star, interviewed him.  You can read that interview here.

Mars Hill in Seattle was one of the first churches to target Gen-X, unchurched, persons and try to reach them with the gospel.  They have been very successful and have also drawn quite a bit of criticism.  All issues that Miller brings up in the interview.

The highlight might be when he mentions The Forecast as one of the bands he is currently listening to on his iPod.  This happens to be the band that Shannon Burns plays for.  Shannon is a former MYF'er and daughter of Joe and Michelle.

New Leadership Resource

Much of what I read concerns church life, growth, outreach and leadership.  It is extremely relevant for church leadership teams.  However, many lay-leaders don't have the time to read books about church leadership.  Enter riff:a distinct variation.

riff: is my attempt to take what I read and translate it into a simple and short document that is relevant to MMC.  Each riff has three sections: The Big Idea, Context, and Application.  The entire document is 1 page (front and back).

The first installment features a riff on Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  Click here to read it.  After you have read it, it's your turn to riff.  Use the comments link below this post to add your thoughts...

Excellent Interview with Brian McLaren

Author and speaker, Brian McLaren, was recently interviewed by Tim Funk of the Charlotte Observer.  Click here to read this excellent interview.  It's a bit lengthy, but it is well worth the read.

McLaren grew up in a Plymouth Brethren Church and has some affinity with Anabaptist faith movements.  He led a workshop at the Mennonite Church USA gathering in Atlanta.  He has also been a featured speaker at Goshen College and other Mennonite institutions.

He offers a glimpse of what is happening in the faith communities outside of Mennonite church walls.  There is much to be excited about when speakers and writers like McLaren speak of Jesus the peacemaker.

What do you think?  To leave comments, just hit the comment link at the bottom of each post.