Comments on: The New Traditional Church: Community http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/ Trying to be strategic. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:56:19 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tony Grogan http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-18501 Tony Grogan Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:58:45 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-18501 Great thought provoking post. I believe small groups are great for discipleship training, just as Christ did, for new Christians. Small groups can also be an awesome outreach for the elderly in your communities, especially the widows and widowers, that would otherwise not have relationships with the "church". But I have been in small groups that became too social, weekly junk food, and gossip fests. I have been in churches where you were assigned to a small group because someone decided you would fit in with identity of that group, without respect of how you felt about it, or what your calling or gifts are. The new church has to be about service, not just being served. Nothing wrong at all with offering small groups, but we should also offer service ministries. Those could be groups of hundreds of people or as small as a single individual, virtual or live, or a mix of both. Great thought provoking post. I believe small groups are great for discipleship training, just as Christ did, for new Christians. Small groups can also be an awesome outreach for the elderly in your communities, especially the widows and widowers, that would otherwise not have relationships with the “church”. But I have been in small groups that became too social, weekly junk food, and gossip fests. I have been in churches where you were assigned to a small group because someone decided you would fit in with identity of that group, without respect of how you felt about it, or what your calling or gifts are. The new church has to be about service, not just being served. Nothing wrong at all with offering small groups, but we should also offer service ministries. Those could be groups of hundreds of people or as small as a single individual, virtual or live, or a mix of both.

]]> By: Caught My Eye… | joshbrickey.com http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-17170 Caught My Eye… | joshbrickey.com Thu, 21 May 2009 14:19:52 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-17170 [...] pretty sure that making sure everyone is in a “home group” is not the answer.  This post by Tony Morgan talks about how churches feel the need to organize people’s relationships and hits the nail [...] [...] pretty sure that making sure everyone is in a “home group” is not the answer.  This post by Tony Morgan talks about how churches feel the need to organize people’s relationships and hits the nail [...]

]]> By: Johnny Ervin http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-17085 Johnny Ervin Wed, 20 May 2009 18:34:02 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-17085 So right about the reliance we built with church programs. One way to think about this is to view our role as a church as more of a brand creator than a social planner. We should want the power of the Holy Spirit working with our brand to motivate people to build relationships and serve. Some brands today are powerful but what we need to consider is something like a super brand. With God anything is possible. So right about the reliance we built with church programs. One way to think about this is to view our role as a church as more of a brand creator than a social planner. We should want the power of the Holy Spirit working with our brand to motivate people to build relationships and serve. Some brands today are powerful but what we need to consider is something like a super brand. With God anything is possible.

]]> By: Value: Service « thoughts into words http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-17039 Value: Service « thoughts into words Wed, 20 May 2009 11:02:55 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-17039 [...] The “service project” has become one of the best ways to engage people.  In a recent blog post, Tony Morgan says, “What would happen if we put less attention on organizing relationships [...] [...] The “service project” has become one of the best ways to engage people.  In a recent blog post, Tony Morgan says, “What would happen if we put less attention on organizing relationships [...]

]]> By: Tiffany Sellers http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16826 Tiffany Sellers Mon, 18 May 2009 15:46:08 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16826 Hey Tony! It's been a while! I thought this was an excellent post. It reminds me of something I learned when in the student ministry at my church growing up. If we took a group of students who barely knew each other, from all different backgrounds and all different interests, on a mission trip of some kind, we would all come back closer than ever with bonds built on the serving people and ministering the gospel that we did together on the trip. The CAUSE united us. People still are naturally drawn to certain personalities and all that, but the cause of Christ was the foundation for friendship and the gravity that gave us the desire to work together and to know each other more deeply. I feel like all this focus in churches on "building community" (which is too often synonymous with getting together over a bucket of KFC, struggling to turn off the game, and then forcing out something good God did that week) is hollow if it isn't centered on doing God's work together and seeking Him together. The bonds form naturally in an atmosphere that is led by the Holy Spirit. Hey Tony! It’s been a while! I thought this was an excellent post. It reminds me of something I learned when in the student ministry at my church growing up. If we took a group of students who barely knew each other, from all different backgrounds and all different interests, on a mission trip of some kind, we would all come back closer than ever with bonds built on the serving people and ministering the gospel that we did together on the trip. The CAUSE united us. People still are naturally drawn to certain personalities and all that, but the cause of Christ was the foundation for friendship and the gravity that gave us the desire to work together and to know each other more deeply.

I feel like all this focus in churches on “building community” (which is too often synonymous with getting together over a bucket of KFC, struggling to turn off the game, and then forcing out something good God did that week) is hollow if it isn’t centered on doing God’s work together and seeking Him together. The bonds form naturally in an atmosphere that is led by the Holy Spirit.

]]> By: The Link-eths of the Week-eths « Straight Up http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16499 The Link-eths of the Week-eths « Straight Up Fri, 15 May 2009 14:03:41 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16499 [...] Something I Found Kind of Funny. Why do churches think I can’t find my own friends? [...] [...] Something I Found Kind of Funny. Why do churches think I can’t find my own friends? [...]

]]> By: Nick Blevins http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16232 Nick Blevins Wed, 13 May 2009 05:17:28 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16232 Tony, I love your thoughts here. To me, the church is trying to organize Biblical community, not just friendships. I think there can be a difference. If I'm totally honest, many of my good friends and I don't have Biblical community. We're great friends, but we don't read and discuss the Bible together or speak into each others lives regularly (by that I mean it might happen once a year). On the flip side, I totally agree that it would be much more effective if we could give people something to organize around and let community happen. In my opinion a big challenge would be encouraging people to have Biblical community within their existing friendships. Tony, I love your thoughts here. To me, the church is trying to organize Biblical community, not just friendships. I think there can be a difference. If I’m totally honest, many of my good friends and I don’t have Biblical community. We’re great friends, but we don’t read and discuss the Bible together or speak into each others lives regularly (by that I mean it might happen once a year).

On the flip side, I totally agree that it would be much more effective if we could give people something to organize around and let community happen. In my opinion a big challenge would be encouraging people to have Biblical community within their existing friendships.

]]> By: The New Traditional Church: Community at neoLeader http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16217 The New Traditional Church: Community at neoLeader Wed, 13 May 2009 00:51:48 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16217 [...] Link to original article in Uncategorized. Feed for this Entry Trackback Address [...] [...] Link to original article in Uncategorized. Feed for this Entry Trackback Address [...]

]]> By: Hal Hunter http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16160 Hal Hunter Tue, 12 May 2009 15:27:30 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16160 It's always useful to ask "why?" It's not that churches want to "organize friendships", they want to encourage people to grow spiritually, and believe that some kind of community is the most effective way to encourage that. It’s always useful to ask “why?” It’s not that churches want to “organize friendships”, they want to encourage people to grow spiritually, and believe that some kind of community is the most effective way to encourage that.

]]> By: Erica http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/#comment-16084 Erica Tue, 12 May 2009 01:07:22 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=4010#comment-16084 ...and this is why I read your blog. Thank you. …and this is why I read your blog. Thank you.

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