Plant & Thrive

I cannot express enough gratitude for the influence and sharpening that I get personally and Missio Dei recieves through the Acts 29 Network. Their concern for the clear preaching of the Gospel and the attention and care for the men preaching the Gospel is top notch.

In February, Vintage 21 in Raleigh will host the Acts 29 bootcamp Plant & Thrive.

This bootcamp is required for all Acts 29 applicants and is helpful for anyone thinking about church planting, no matter your denominational affiliation.

Main sessions include speakers, Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church, Seattle), Tyler Jones (Vintage 21, Raleigh), Daniel Montgomery (Sojourn Community Church, Louisville), Dr. Wayne Grudem, and Dr. Andreas Kostenberger among others.

You can get more information including registration on the Acts 29 Network website.

I'll be there assisting with assessments and if you're thinking about going, would love to get a chance to dialogue about your plant.

Vintage Jesus

One of the fringe benefits of being part of a great network like Acts 29 is the resources. Mark Driscoll, the founder and president of the Acts 29 Network, of which Missio Dei Church is a proud member, has just released his latest book, Vintage Jesus. I received my copy early this week and have been thoroughly enjoying it.

Vintage Jesus offers a fresh, winsome, down-to-earth look at the real Jesus. One doesn't need a Masters degree to unpack the bold truth in the book.

Let me whet your appetite with a quote from chapter two, "How human was Jesus?":

Jesus was a dude. Like my drywaller dad, he was a construction worker who swung a hammer for a living. Because Jesus worked in a day when there were no power tools, he likely had calluses on his hands and muscles on his frame, and did not look like so many of the drag-queen Jesus images that portray him with long, flowing, feathered hair, perfect teeth, and soft skin, draped in a comfortable dress accessorized by matching open-toed sandals and handbag. Jesus did not have Elton John or the Spice Girls on his iPod, The View on his TiVo, or a lemon-yellow Volkswagen Beetle in his garage. No, Jesus was not the kind of person who, if walking by you on the street, would require you to look for an Adam's apple to determine the gender.