Alan Hirsch’s 4th characteristic of missional DNA (mDNA) or Apostolic Genius is what he calls Organic Systems. This entails perceiving and structuring the church’s life in mission on organic, living models rather than institutional and bureaucratic models. As Hirsch says, “A living systems approach seeks to structure the common life of an organization around the […]
We took a one week hiatus a week ago from the blog but continue this week after Thanksgiving with our series on Alan Hirsch’s five characteristics of genuinely missional churches, the mDNA that constitute Apostolic Genius. This week, however, isn’t so much one of the characteristics, but the central definitive feature that permeates all of […]
For one who grew up on a farm in the Midwest, Thanksgiving Day meant more than church and cooking, turkey and the trimmings, football and family. The hymn that conveys the origin of the day is in the “Harvest and Thanksgiving” section (that title alone says much) of The Lutheran Hymnal, #574. Come, ye thankful […]
The third characteristic of genuinely missional churches, the mDNA that constitute Apostolic Genius according to Alan Hirsch, is Apostolic Environment. In the New Testament age, Hirsch perceives that the leadership of the Apostles constitutes the apostolic environment. This leadership “embodies, symbolizes, and re-presents the apostolic mission to the missional community…a missional church needs missional leadership” […]
As I indicated last week, Alan Hirsch identifies five characteristics of genuinely missional churches, the mDNA that constitute Apostolic Genius: My (Kent) intention it to take up each of these in the following weeks and show how the catechumenate embodies these characteristics. I am going to begin with the Missional-incarnational impulse (simply because we haven’t […]
This week we begin an ongoing series focused on disciple making. I don’t think there is any question that the primary goal of the catechumenate is making and forming lifelong disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Disciples are those who believe in the God and Father of Christ Jesus, who trust that he has come […]
Dr. Schuler and I spent three days two weeks ago with the LCMS pastors in Oregon (and a few from Washington and Idaho) presenting on the catechumenate at their pastors’ conference. We are very grateful for their hospitality and the time for fellowship with them in the Body of Christ. Several themes emerged for me […]
St. Mary’s Lutheran Church*, one of the congregations where we did our research, imparts three lessons for beginning an effective adult faith formation process. Lesson 1: Create buy-in among current active members After attending a conference led by Paul E. Hoffman, author of Faith Forming Faith, Pastor M followed Paul’s advice and offered a summer […]
As promised in last week’s blog, we’re hearing again from Pastor Eggold about the catechetical gatherings of those in adult formation at Grace Lutheran Church; in today’s video he describes the African or Lambeth method of Scripture study in detail. I confess that after my first exposure to the African/Lambeth method, I was not 100% […]
I recently had a conversation with Pastor Daniel Eggold about his experience introducing an adult catechumenate at his current parish, Grace Lutheran Church in Lafayette, Indiana. Key to his vision was doing—not talking about—Christian practices. As he said, “Instead of talking about Bible study and the importance of it, we just do it; instead of […]