tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post5215527621419304218..comments2023-09-18T05:20:31.904-04:00Comments on Dan White Jr.: The Subterranean Life: Re-imagining RadicalDan White Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17023754484637458143noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-80945580315760695802015-09-26T20:50:10.454-04:002015-09-26T20:50:10.454-04:00Dan
I’ve just finished reading your words. Thank...Dan<br /><br />I’ve just finished reading your words. Thank you for the insight. I have a question (@ the end of the context section).<br /><br />A group of about thirty of us are in the 2nd year of a pilot ministry with a local Methodist church to establish a 2nd campus within the city to reach a neighborhood psychologically unlike the majority of the congregation who worship at the sending campus. Despite our carefully visioned launch, adequate funding, the usual enthusiasm, and plenty of talent on the team, we stumbled in the execution and never really focused on our supposed common vision to be a mission-oriented campus. Most of the original core has moved on, God has supplied remarkably different talents in the form of the new core members, and we have finally begun to relationally connect with the neighborhood people groups. We have also begun partnering with non-Methodist faith-based groups to reach even more people groups than we initially targeted. Yes, we’ve turned the corner and constantly remind ourselves that God’s in charge and we should not let the smallness of our vision interfere with the grandness of His plans.<br /><br />That has led us to a question, based on the make-up of our diverse church family. One campus, the sending group, is blessed with a significant component of faithful folks who love their church, the music, the tremendous educational programs, their Sunday school classes, the building, etc. In a word, their view of “church” is attractional. God calls people to go on mission, and they mostly feel called to support the people who feel called. Not a bad thing in itself, but a complicating factor to consider in answering my question. The 2nd campus, working out of a recycled church building and attracting 5-6 times as many people in connection/relationship groups as actually attend Sunday worship service, is committed to reaching whoever God sends our way in our daily lives. We seldom talk about “doing church differently” or being “radical”, as we did in the beginning. That has been replaced by a perceived “us versus them” under-current in the conversations.<br /><br />Now that the pilot ministry has begun to grow and flourish, we are at the point of asking what’s next. As I watched the sunrise this morning and asked God for guidance, I heard “Ask”. During the day I read and prayed, and then read your 2013 posting. My “what’s next” question stopped me in my reading of your post, and the need for renewal. So, enough with the context, here’s my question: Since we are rooted in renewal, which will certainly involve a bit of pruning and dying to self at both campuses, how do we renew these diverse hearts within the same church family?<br /><br />I really do look forward to your prayerful input.<br /><br />David<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10054912765901649285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-13613715582543479852013-10-07T12:42:50.045-04:002013-10-07T12:42:50.045-04:00Tim,
I love, love hearing snapshots of stories lik...Tim,<br />I love, love hearing snapshots of stories like yours. This post reflects my own long journey into the neighborhood, resisting the pull to greener grass. It has not been easy and still is not easy. But you are right that the burning bush, the pillar of fire is in these places. Be encouraged as you and your wife practice faithfulness. <br />Peace. Dan White Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17023754484637458143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-67774199604403827692013-10-04T09:51:22.353-04:002013-10-04T09:51:22.353-04:00Dan
I've been following you on twitter for so...Dan<br /><br />I've been following you on twitter for some time now, but this is the first blog post I've read. Your words have been like a hammer blow to me. There is so much here to digest, but the overall blog message resonates so loudly in my soul. I was hit particularly hard by the lines: "We need to move beyond an idealized personal vocation that causes us to chase our dream job wherever the opportunity appears, which so often leads to resentment and dashed expectations to sour inside us. Our faithfulness to location matters. God's dwelling is tied to the neighborhood, the streets connecting us to each other, the homes we eat in and the parks that we play in. Inhabit the relational ecosystem of your neighborhood and listen." My wife and I have begun to delve into our neighborhood in the last few months and have realized that this is where God's presence is leading us, the place where the pillar of fire is standing. To say I'm deeply challenged by your words would be an understatement. Thank you so much for this blog post.Tim Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082395390398825777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-90395525309395488472013-09-16T15:47:51.615-04:002013-09-16T15:47:51.615-04:00Thanks Stephen,
It is a complete renovation of wha...Thanks Stephen,<br />It is a complete renovation of what it means to follow Christ in the world -- beautiful and challenging but worth it.<br />Peace.Dan White Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17023754484637458143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-30606398345770695432013-09-16T15:44:50.506-04:002013-09-16T15:44:50.506-04:00Truly a beautiful and tough challenge to our conce...Truly a beautiful and tough challenge to our conception of what it means to be Christ in this world and to live meaningful lives. I love these lines: "The most ground-breaking missional work is done in the unattractive details of our ongoing lives...Your two steps forward and one step back, ragamuffin pursuit of Jesus, becomes the witness of God's intruding grace in our world." Thank you, Dan.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762382766792525398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-44100795409717562652013-09-13T09:57:05.891-04:002013-09-13T09:57:05.891-04:00Thanks David.
Thanks David.<br />Dan White Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17023754484637458143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235948486010322074.post-19597400524108272362013-09-13T09:13:22.592-04:002013-09-13T09:13:22.592-04:00What a great post. Love the flow of the text and y...What a great post. Love the flow of the text and your clarity around the ideas. Resonate much with it. I wrote a research paper on theo. of place this summer, your points bring out some great application.Davidhttp://www.westsidegathering.comnoreply@blogger.com