A few weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to be a part of Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation’s blog tour as they share with others about their new book, Compelled by Love. These guys generously offered to send me a copy of the book to review, which I was more than excited to do. After reading the book, however, I am even more excited about the book.

This book is fascinating in that it looks at missional living from a different perspective than I have seen, that is through the eyes of love. Missional has really become the cool catch phrase of the year with many people assigning their own definitions to the word and, unfortunately, the result has been something of a diluted definition that becomes almost benign, at times, because of its ambiguity. Stetzer and Nation, however, seem to have a very clear picture in mind when it comes to the concept of missional living and this book helps provide a foundation for the application of missional life. By providing what they believe is the foundation to missional thinking Stetzer and Nation help to justify not only the priority of missional as important, but even more than that, they help affirm that is is non-negotiable. Stetzer and Nation’s work is a significant addition to the literary world. I would strongly recommend that you get a copy.

Stetzer and Nation answered a few questions for us about the book. They help shed some light on the book itself. They did this through both a written interview and an audio interview. You can find both interviews below. I appreciate their willingness to invest this time to help us understand the significance of this concept. You also should run by and take a look at the website for the book. You can find it by clicking here.

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Click on the audio player to hear the interview with Dr. Stetzer

[audio:http://www.micahfries.com/audio/Stetzer Interview.mp3]
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1. Ed, you write often about contextualization. Why do you write a book about love and how does love contribute to biblical contextualization?

Ed: Without love, contextualization becomes nothing more than manipulation. Love makes contextualization a personal activity rather than a spiritual experiment.

2. In the book you share that defining biblical love is extremely difficult. While that may be true, can you possibly give us a word picture that will illustrate what biblical love looks like, particularly in relationship to contextualization?

Philip: The word picture which seems most prevalent is that of marriage. Great marriages are characterized by selfless sacrifice. No one is keeping score of who sacrificed more. They simply sacrifice because the other person matters more.

3. There are a tremendous amount of books that are on the market and which correspond with conferences. Why then the need to write this book and how is different from the rest?

Philip: The intention for the book was to give “normal Christians” a guide for why they should do all the things the pastor was asking of them. I think believers want to make a difference, but sometimes their motivations fail them. The biblical ideal of love can be a primary force leading them to be missional.

4. Missional is a popular yet controversial term. Can you attempt to define it and explain its importance?

Ed: I think that “missional” is like a Rorschach Test for many. In the Rorschach test, you asked what you see in random inkblots. It tells much about you and what you think and feel. The same is true for in the missional conversation. In many way, how we define “missional” is influenced by our concerns about what is wrong, and what is right, with the church today.

So, I can’t say my definition is the only one, but I will say that mission is shaped by a few things for me: Seeing God as missionary by his very nature, we join God in his mission. We tell of his good news, engage our communities as missionaries, and are agents of the mission and Kingdom of God.

5. Philip, how did the concepts in this book help you as you planted a new church that was much different than the other churches in your area? Do you find that it helps Lake Ridge to be more effective in communicating the gospel?

Philip: I want to be careful to say that I think other churches in our area hold out love as important. How love is communicated in our church is that without it, you will let your neighbor’s marriage crumble without intervening, your co-worker’s project crash without helping, and everyone around you perish eternally without caring. God’s love being made manifest in our lives causes us to go into the messy lives surrounding us and carry the only thing that will make a difference - the Gospel.

6. How does love relate to Missiology?

Ed: Missiology is the study of how mission work is done and why it succeeds. If you remove love from the framework, it degenerates into secular sociology that is pure pragmatism. With the desire to draw people into the love of God through the gospel, it lifts the study to having a divine purpose.

7. One of the things I’ve noticed is that many people talk about being “missional” but there doesn’t seem to be much difference in their behavior. What practical helps do you offer in the book to lead people to be more “missional”?

Philip: Throughout the book, we real stories from our own lives and those of our friends who live missionally. Additionally, there are discussion questions at the end of each chapter that can be used individually or in a group setting.

8. Philip, as a life-long member of the Southern Baptist Convention, how does this book offer help for our current denominational decline?

Philip: The state we find ourselves is uncharted territory for me. I pray that it can be a clear call of death to self. The denomination as a whole is merely an annual representation of local congregations which are clusters of individual believers. My prayer is that a book like Compelled by Love will awaken our passion for God’s love on such a local level that denominational effectiveness is simply a happy aftershock.

9. With Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation championing a book I’m sure many will assume that this is a book for “contemporary” settings. In your opinions, is this a traditional/contemporary issue or a “church-at-large” issue?

Philip: The state of our hearts is not a style issue. It is very much for the church at large. I grew up and have done most of my ministry in toe-tapping, Southern Gospel singing, wear a suit every Sunday churches. I love the fact that all styles of churches can lead people to Christ’s lordship. Our book gives no specific guidance of contemporary or traditional - it simply asks for an examination of our heart before God.

Ed: After Philip’s description of church, I am speechless. Southern Gospel, eh?

Anyway, I think the fact the book is about people and how they react to the love of God as expressed through the cross-that is trans-paradigm.

10. Lots of people have endorsed the book… why does the message resonate?

Philip: It seems to be relatively unique at this season of church life. We are simply grateful to the godly people who have leant their influence to its message.

11. If you could narrow down your desire for this book to one thing, what do you hope happens in the lives of your readers after reading this book?

Ed: One is hard, so you will have to give me two. First, for Christians to simply understand God’s heart better. Second, for them to see and love their community as the mission field.

12. Both of you have worked for your denomination. How would this message affect the way the SBC operates?

Ed: Though not reared Southern Baptist, I’m glad I have made the choice to be here. Contrary to what you see in the news and on some blogs, love is not in short supply in our denomination. I would hope to see it influence the way we communicate with those who seek to forge new models but still remain faithful to the Gospel and God’s inerrant scriptures.

Philip: The message of God’s sacrificing love can be the reinforcing power of why we do it. The temptation for self-aggrandizement is always before us because we are the largest Protestant denomination. Love will keep us humble because it will keep our focus outward.

13. Many in contemporary culture seem to equate love with tolerance of all things. Is this true? If not, how do you remain committed to biblical principles and yet still remain loving?

Philip: Jesus said in Matthew 10 that he came to bring a sword and not peace. Love must tell the truth and will not tolerate evil. When you tell the truth as God decrees it, it is divisive. As we live out God’s searching love, our work is to bring what will heal the mortal wounds of the soul. It is God’s love displayed exclusively in the Gospel to atone for the sin nature. There is not much tolerance there.

14. According to 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” With that as a central theme in your book, how does it shape the rest of the Christian’s life?

Ed: It shapes a person’s perspective. As God is love and calls us to follow in his way, we will simply perceive everyone with an everlasting scope rather than a temporary lens. When you see everyday events as part of a person’s eternity, being motivated to aid them becomes natural.

15. What if a reader says, “My life is not compelled by love.” What is your answer for them?

Ed: Not to give a Sunday School answer, but look at Jesus every day. Not just the rote “read a chapter a day,” but consider how he interacted with the other members of the Trinity, the apostles, the Pharisees, and the lost around him. Look and see if you can find anything outside the scope of love. Even in his just actions, you find love for God’s glory through redemption. Make that your central thought and you are on the way.

This should probably be my last post before heading to Indianapolis. I’m backed up with work to do and I’ve got a wedding to perform this weekend so I don’t think I’ll have time to write anymore. I wanted to write a quick note and mention a couple of things to look for while I’m gone to the convention.

• First, I will not be live blogging. I’m not planning to take my laptop into the convention hall this year which will be a first compared to the past couple of years. I will, however, be in communication during the convention with my good friend, Alan Cross. Alan can’t be in Indy this year but will have access to his computer. If anything important pops up, I will let Alan know and he will get the word out asap. Be sure to bookmark his site and be prepared to check his updates out.
• Although I won’t be live blogging, I’ll try to provide a nightly update on the convention. I am often very busy during this week so I’m not promising anything. I know, however, that it is pretty typical for my site traffic to triple during convention week so I know many of you are looking for info. I’ll do the best I can to provide it.
• I’m privileged to be a part of Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation’s blog tour to promote their new book, “Compelled by Love“. As part of that I will be posting a two part interview on Tuesday during the convention. Part 1 will feature a written interview which we did this week. Part 2, however, will feature an audio interview with Ed that we’ll be recording Monday morning in Indy. Be sure to watch for that. The book is fantastic and Stetzer and Nation help provide some excellent resources.
• Thankfully our church has been very generous in their commitment to missions giving through the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings and as a result Tracy and I have been invited to a dinner with the IMB and then a luncheon with NAMB. I’m looking forward to spending that time with the great missions thinkers in our convention.
• Ok, this one is kind of goofy, but I figured I’d have some fun this year and mix everybody up. I think I’m going to sport a suit every day of the convention. After my jeans and shirts over the past two years, I thought that would be a fun change of pace.

At Frederick Boulevard we like to say that, “We exist to Reach, Teach and Unleash committed followers of Jesus Christ.” This passion drives everything that we do. When we look at our metro area we know that we have approximately 105,000 people within 15 miles of our facility. Of those 105,000 approximately 80,000 are disconnected from any church. Our goal, then, is to connect those 80,000 disconnected people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we think about new ways to effectively reach those 80,000 we are constantly challenging ourselves to do whatever it takes to reach them.

Our newest effort to reach the 80,000 disconnected people was announced this past Sunday in worship and I am so excited about it! One of the most significant populations in our community that are dramatically unreached is the Hispanic population. We also know, however, that they are probably not going to come to our facility. We have tried over the years to use ESL, as well as other ministries, and have not successfully brought them to our facility. So, in order to reach them with the gospel we are going to go to them rather than ask them to come to us. As Elders, we recently agreed to move towards the planting an additional campus of Frederick Boulevard that will be on the south side of St. Joseph and will be a Hispanic campus. We are moving towards becoming more of a multiplying church than ever before. This should be one of the most significant efforts we’ve ever been involved in as we try to take the gospel to those who do not have it.

So, please be praying for us as we move through this process. Our hope is to begin small in-home Bible studies over the next few months until our campus pastor is here and on staff with us. We then hope to move towards actual services beginning after the 1st of the year. It should be a lot of fun to be a part of.

If you are a part of Frederick Boulevard and you feel like God is moving you towards missions involvement, I would highly encourage you to consider volunteering to be a part of this new campus. We need families who are willing to engage in this new ministry. By the way, Spanish proficiency is not necessary. We have found that we are in need of bi-lingual ministry. Many of the parents speak Spanish as a first language and many of the kids are speaking English as a first language and so we need people who speak either English or Spanish (or both) to be a part of the ministry!

This is an exciting time to be a part of what God is doing in St. Joseph through Frederick Boulevard.

Dr. Joel Rainey has written a new book, Planting Churches in the Real World, that is a fantastic find if you are planting a church of thinking of planting a church. What’s more, if you are in a traditional church I am convinced that much of the material in the book can be helpful to you as well. Rainey has helped plant over 30 churches and is currently the Director of the Mid-Maryland Baptist Association outside of Washington D.C.

I first began to read some of Rainey’s writings over the past few years online through various blogs and found his writing to be very thoughtful as well as insightful. This past February, however, I finally had the privilege of meeting Joel in person and found him to be even more enjoyable in person than he is online. Joel forwarded a copy of this book to read through and review.

What makes this book particularly unique is that Rainey makes no attempt to mislead planters by highlighting the exciting, but statistically rare, church plant which skyrockets in attendance right from the beginning. Instead he considers what is the vast majority of church plants, that being plants that grow slowly, yet consistently, but who will probably never grow to “supersize” church status. What also sets this book apart is that it is extremely practical. Rather than give abstract, ethereal wisdom or advice, Rainey sticks to practical wisdom supported by real life experience which lends itself to simple application on the part of the church planter.

If you are a church planter, or a wannabe church planter, I would really encourage you to spend the few dollars and pick up this book. It’s simple, easy to read, practical advice from someone who has been there and done it when it comes to church planting and I think it could be priceless for your ministry.

You can purchase a copy using the links found by clicking here.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Church planting is not for the easily discouraged. The average new church is less than 100 attenders after four years, but most conference speakers and book writers tell stories of hundreds after the first year– a reality few church planters experience. Rainey paints a picture of reality, including both the difficulties involved in starting a new church, and the evidence that planting a church is worth enduring those difficulties. If you are a planter drunk with vision, this will sober you up. But, it is more than that. It also shows that church plants make a difference whether they are thousands or dozens after the first year. I’ve known Joel for years, and he tells the stories from his own journey– telling lessons he learned the hard way. It’s real world church planting and it is worth your time.
Dr. Ed Stetzer, author of Planting Missional Churches. Director of Research, Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville, TN

“Dr. Rainey amuses the reader with countless stories of life on the field. His “lessons learned” approach to the book serves as a clear warning for future church planters: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near you, but this won’t be easy!”
Dr. Jack Allen, Director, The Day Center for Church Planting. New Orleans, LA

“Candid, winsome, thoroughly biblical, keenly missional, and sensibly linked to the real world. Don’t be fooled. The weightiness of this little book is inversely proportional to its size, and its wise counsel will help point a safe way through the tangle of neglected assumptions, misguided strategies, ill-founded hopes, and unintentional blunders that accosts the unwary planter on the way to church. Well done!”
B. Spencer Haygood, Senior Pastor, Orange Hill Baptist Church. Marietta, GA

“Born in the ward of real world experience, Planting Churches in the Real World is theologically sound, theoretically tenable, and practically accessible. During a time when starting a church can be faddish, Rainey’s work is a dose of both Biblical wisdom and common sense that will stop many would-be church planters before a frustrating failure, and direct many others onward toward biblical success.”
Marty Duren, co-author of Journeys: Transitioning Churches to Relevance. Lead Pastor, New Bethany Church. Buford, GA

“Reality bites, as the saying goes. Yet in the age of incredible lostness in America, we must see church planting for what it is . . . a way to spread Gospel influence to every, man, woman and child. High birth weight churches, although fun and influential for the Kingdom, are not the norm, nor are they the answer. Joel Rainey has captured the reality and yet the incredible potential of church planting. New churches running less than 100 are key players in the Kingdom. Small does not have to mean ineffective. Small groups of missionary Christians are critical to our mission and our future. Way to go!
Dr. Dino Senesi. Church Planting Movement Leader, Columbia, SC

The information regarding this year’s Missional Network Gathering was released recently. It looks like, as usual, it will feature some of the great thinkers in our convention. I’ve been at each of the events held at the annual meeting that they’ve sponsored since the Missional Network was formulated in Greensboro two years ago. I am very excited about the lineup of speakers. Kerry Shook, Brian Bloye, Daniel Floyd & Shawn Lovejoy promise to deliver. On top of all that it’s being held at Bucca de Beppo, which we have in Kansas City, and which offers stellar Italian cuisine. I’m not going to be able to be there this year as I’ll be in another meeting at the time, but if you are free I would highly recommend that you sign up to attend. The cost is minimal but space is limited so sign up quickly. To sign up or get more info, click here.

Thursday night our lovely town of St. Joseph was hit by a small tornado. By most accounts the damage was confined to a small area. The Pesina family, however, was hit the hardest. They rented the upstairs apartment in a building in which the bottom floor was unoccupied. They lived there with their 9 children until the tornado lifted the home of its foundations and set it back down. Most of the family was inside the house and one child was hit by a television. Otherwise, however, the family escaped harm. They did, though, lose everything that they owned.

In response to this tragedy, churches across St. Joseph are beginning to rally around this family to help show them the love of Christ. There is an effort underway to help find the family permanent housing. Whether that be a home that can be purchased affordably or some land that a small home could be built on, many are trying to help this family have a place to live.

I want to encourage you to consider what you can do to help. Our church will be considering ways that we can help meet the families needs. I do now, as well, that an immediate need is a place to live until a permanent solution can be arrived at.

A website has been setup to provide information so that you can be involved. I would encourage you to run over and see if there is a way that you can jump in and help. The site is located at www.helpthepesinas.com

For additional news stories from our local new sources, you can click on the following links.

KQ2: http://stjoechannel.com/content/fulltext/?cid=17316

St. Joseph News-Press: http://stjoenews.net/news/2008/apr/12/picking-pieces/

On this Good Friday it is only appropriate to celebrate the cross. The videos below highlight Chris Tomlin along with Matt Redman leading “The Wonderful Cross” from Passion One Day back in 2000. It’s an incredible song that sings of the wonderful love Christ communicated on the cross.

If you will watch the whole video you will be moved, I am certain, as a couple of gentleman carry a cross towards the front of the stage area. Watching as people throw themselves at the foot of the cross is always a powerful reminder, in visual form, of our need to throw ourselves at the cross.

I hope it reminds you today to think about and praise God for the wonderful cross. Have a wonderful Easter!

Timmy Brister is a student at Southern Seminary who also happens to host the most well read blog in Southern Baptist life (if you follow Technorati rank). Timmy also happens to be a phenomenal example of the younger generation of Southern Baptist leaders who think deeply about theology but who do not attempt to do so in abstract arguments, but in the midst of practical application.

Timmy wrote an article yesterday entitled “The Cross isn’t Sexy: A Dying Man’s Confession” that you need to read. It is a powerful statment of gospel faithfulness. I know it has challenged me.

You can read it by clicking here.