Who Are We?

I've referenced Jeffrey Frymire's blog before, but his most recent post is worth pointing out here in CHOGBlog. Jeff asks the question, "Who Are We?" or how do you describe what the Church of God is to someone outside of our circle, especially to those who may not be able to identify with some of the analogies we sometimes use, like "holiness", "Wesleyan" or even "Bill Gaither"?



A great question, not only for the practical purpose of answering the queries of outsiders, but also for simply clarifying our own identity within the larger Body of Christ.



Leave your suggestions on Jeff's blog.

Church of God pastor works for religious peace

According to Journal Chretien (Eng. "Christian Journal") Pastor Ameal Haddad, Pastor of Bellflower Church of God in California, along with another pastor, formed Ambassadors for Peace, a religious rights organization.



Haddad is originally from Jordan, and understands first hand the conflicts that have arisen between Christians and Muslims. He believes that working for religious freedom around the world not only will contribute to greater human rights, but potentially could allow Christianity to flourish in countries in which there are currently many restrictions.



Read the article yourself, and please comment on what you think of this effort.



(One point in the article which is probably incorrect is that it says they are endorsed by the "300,000 member Church of God based on Anderson, IN". There is no listing of them in the Yearbook, although their website has an endorsement letter from the area administrator in Southern California).

Digging deeper: Comments

My recent diversity postings have been generating a higher than usual amount of comments. In particular there has been significant discussion on whether there is a need for a prophet to rally us back together around our message and mission. I do appreciate readers taking the time to leave their feedback, both positive and negative. This is part of the power of blogging, and contributes to the conversations we need.

For those of you new to blogs, remember that most blogs have a comment section for each post. If there is a topic that interests you be sure to check out what others are saying, or better yet, take the time to leave your own contribution. If you have a blog of your own you can link to my post and comment on it there and a reference will automatically appear in the "Links to this Post" section of my post.

Also, note that my blog now has the ability for you to subscribe to a particular post's comments through your feed reader. That way you can track specific comment conversations as they develop! (By the way, if you are not using a feed reader to read blogs you are trying to drive down a modern Interstate highway with a Model-T Ford. A while back, I outlined how to get started with a feed reader, so be sure to read that post, although it probably needs updating, as my two favorite aggregators are now Google Reader and Netvibes).

Theological diversity - part 2

It's time to get back to my ongoing (but only occasional!) series on diversity within the Church of God. So far I've examined ethnic and regional diversity, and most recently I began looking at theological diversity.

In my last post on the subject I pointed out that there is an important distinction between doctrine and theology. Doctrinally, the Church of God is quite uniform (more so than many recognize). But, theologically, we exhibit considerable diversity. To be sure, what we believe is important. A solid doctrinal foundation is essential. Nevertheless, how we interpret, express and apply those doctrines will vary from person to person, from culture to culture, and from generation to generation. That's theology.

This understanding actually fits well with the Church of God. As a holiness group that emerged out of Wesleyan pietism we have always held that faith is to be lived, not just believed. In essence, we have valued orthropraxy (i.e correct practice) over orthodoxy (i.e. correct teachings), although we recognize the importance of both. In other words, despite occasional excesses in either direction, we maintained a fairly healthy relationship between doctrine and theology.

Unfortunately, however, the liberal-fundamentalist battles of the early 20th-century influenced us to take our eyes off the ball. In the effort to uphold doctrinal integrity we unknowingly bought into rational modernism, a world-view that ultimately is at the core of both liberals and fundamentalists/evangelicals. Church of God leaders and congregations increasingly got caught up in this debate, and in the process moved away from practical holiness and toward propositional faith (an emphasis more representative of Calvinism). Doctrine quickly began to crowd out theology.

We bought into truth as purely doctrinal, using logic, rational argument and philosophy to convince people to accept correct belief. This goes against our theological DNA, where truth is in Christ and a living experience of God's presence expressed in personal, and even social, holiness. Jerry Hickson, in his 2006 Warner Press book Are You Right? Evangelicals and the Church of God, identified this shift and the resulting theological struggles we face as a movement.

What's my point in all this?

The rigid fixation on doctrine (and the resultant disregard for theological engagement) prevents us from seeing the living, dynamic nature of our faith directed by the Holy Spirit. And, as a result, makes it difficult for us to admit that theological diversity is a reality within our own movement, and in fact, is consistent with the New Testament and something to be desired.

In part 3 I will illustrate where this diversity is expressing itself today within the Church of God.

Viewpoint and "God's Blog"

Just a quick mention that the Church of God radio program, Viewpoint, is currently running a series entitled "God's Blog". In it, Jim Lyon uses the blogging metaphor (i.e. specifically the reverse order entry format) to go through Galatians, starting at the end and working backward through the letter.

I figured all of you blog fans would be interested!

(Sorry, no Viewpoint blog yet. Although, there is good news: Viewpoint is now available via podcast feeds, although it is using a frustrating and cumbersome subscription process).

Blogger: Jeffrey Frymire

From time to time I want to share my recommendations of other Church of God - related blogs. I have an extensive list of every known Church of God blog, blogger, feed and podcast on blogrolls on my own blog site, but those lists are getting so long that it is very difficult for most people to wade through them. 

 

I've mentioned Jeffrey Frymire before, as he is the author of Preaching the Story, published last year by Warner Press. I've had the pleasure to work with Jeff as a ministry colleague during my time in Central California when we served together on the Executive Council there. Last summer Jeff left his pastorate in Fresno in order to enroll in Fuller Seminary to obtain a Ph.D. in homiletics. He is a wonderful communicator, and an all around great guy!

 

His blog, The Sabbatical, is self-described as "devotional musings from a pastor making a career change". Not only can you journey with him in his new adventure, but reading his blog will provide some insightful thoughts and reflections. For example, read his latest post, "Things Are Not What They Appear to Be", a second look at our modern world view.

NO Voice - reflections

Now that we've all had some time to reflect on the announcement of the demise of ONEvoice! it's time to make a few personal comments and offer some suggestions for the future.

 

Obviously the demise of ONEvoice! is understandable considering the poor support the church-at-large has demonstrated. All of this is a further sign of how diverse the Church of God really is (I promise I will get back to that topic soon!) in that we cannot find common expression through one publication.

 

And, our world has changed at the same time. Centralized, top-down communications are losing favor everywhere and are being replaced by grass-roots communications like self-publishers, blogs, wikis, social web networks, feed-driven websites, and listserves. Even most of the other Christian periodicals out there are losing ground as well, but aren't showing it yet because they have more critical mass allowing them to survive longer. But, only survive.

 

So, what should Church of God Ministries do in light of these realities?

1. Stop trying to be the one, unified voice for the movement.

2. Recognize, celebrate and promote the diversity within the Church of God.

3. Provide networks for our diverse voices to interact with each other.

4. Harness new technologies, and integrate them well into an overall, consistent communication strategy.

 

What do you think?

 

P.S. - On a side note, I was involved in an interesting conversation last week where we analyzed the evolution of our movement magazine. We began with a clear proclamation (Gospel Trumpet), then changed emphasis to reflect the growing trend toward personal discipleship in American Christianity (Vital Christianity), and most recently we expressed the need for greater unity (ONEvoice!). The future will likely be best stated in a phrase like "Many Voices".

NO Voice

I will offer my reflections in a subsequent post, but here is important, breaking news regarding ONEvoice!

Thanks Joe Allison for sharing the news (originally left as a comment on this blog), and for your contribution toward Church of God communications.

Thanks, Lloyd, for the comments you've made about ONEvoice! in recent months, here and elsewhere. You'll soon be hearing rumors about OV, so I'd like to share an official word.
This is the text of a letter from our General Director, Ronald Duncan, which is being printed and mailed to all Church of God pastors in North America. I'm sharing it on your blog with his permission.

-- Joe Allison, Coordinator
Communications & Publishing
Church of God Ministries

Dear Pastor:
Thank you for participating in ONEvoice! magazine’s Bring It Home! subscription campaign, which ended December 31. You and other members of the General Assembly urged us to launch this magazine. You provided generous funding for it, and you have promoted it for nearly 4 years. We hoped that the subscription campaign would help ONEvoice! turn a corner toward growth.
However, the results were modest and will be offset by expirations that occur after the April-May issue. At that point, paid circulation will fall back to about 2,200 subscribers. So we have decided to end publication of ONEvoice! with the April-May issue.
We are sorry to bring you this disappointing news. However, it’s clear that few Church of God people (only about 1 in 40 households) use ONEvoice! to stay in touch with what the church is doing.
Our Executive Leadership Team and the gifted people who produce our various periodicals are considering how we can better connect with people in the Church of God. Several new communications initiatives may come out of this.
For now, we just want to thank you. Thank you for all you’ve done to support and promote ONEvoice! And pray for us as we seek God’s guidance for the next phase of our communications ministry.
In Christ,
Ronald V. Duncan, General Director

P.S. – Current subscribers to ONEvoice! will receive a refund of the unused portion of their subscriptions. They can expect to receive the refund checks no later than the end of April.

Theological diversity - part 1

Continuing on my discussion concerning diversity within the Church of God...

Previously I have examined the following realities of our diversity: ethnic and regional. Now, I want to tackle the one that is potentially most controversial: Our theological diversity.

Even to suggest that we are anything but theologically uniform can cause shivers to run through some died-in-the-wool Church of God adherents. The prospect of this being even remotely true provides more ammunition for those wanting us to beef up our arsenals with tighter doctrinal stances and explicit statements of beliefs.

Stick with me on this one. I will need a few posts to develop my argument, but hear me out before you send out the heresy police.

First, we must distinguish between doctrine and theology.

I am fairly certain that for the most part we share and express a common doctrinal basis. But, it's in the realm of theology that we really diverge. Is this merely a matter of semantics? I think not.

Doctrine literally means "teaching" and describes the core basic beliefs that we hold. Even though we have resisted (and in my opinion we should continue to resist) sacralizing these biblical convictions into a formal creed, there is a general agreement that runs fairly consistent across our movement.

But, theology builds on doctrine and reflects our interpretations and applications of these beliefs, and our worldviews behind them. It is not merely an ivory-tower, academic preoccupation. We all engage in it as we integrate faith into our lives. And, in the church preaching itself is our most common theological exercise. Certainly there is overlap between theology and doctrine, but it is the confusion of these two disciplines that results in misunderstandings among us, and which is why we do not readily acknowledge our theological diversity. We'll pick up on that in part 2.

Diversity in ONEvoice!

I want to get back to my "mini-series" on diversity in the Church of God. Before tackling my next diversity theme, I must comment on the "Statement of Diversity" under which our magazine, ONEvoice!, operates. Here's the statement as it appears in each issue:

ONEvoice! magazine celebrates the great diversity of the body of Christ as it exists in the Church of God movement. In this, the goal is to go beyond mere tokenism to true representation of the variety of regional, ethnic, international, gender, racial, congregational size, and age differences within the Church of God. The magazine's editorial staff recognizes the limitations inherent in reaching this goal. No single issue can accurately reflect the diversity of the Church of God in scope or proportion. But the goal is that, taken as a whole over time, ONEvoice! magazine will celebrate the broad spectrum of the Church of God.

Well stated.

A few reflections:

This broad spectrum approach may help explain why ONEvoice! has struggled to gain a foothold across our movement. In our highly segmented society the tendency is toward niche targeting in marketing and media. For example, take a look at the literally hundreds of magazine titles on a newsstand, or the plethora of TV channels currently available. Even Christian organizations like Focus on the Family publish a dizzying array of periodicals, each targeted to a specific audience.

The broad stroke approach of ONEvoice! does not appeal to everyone. Some want more doctrine. Others want more church news. And so on. This is one reason why a fringe publication like Reformation Witness has a faithful following.

But, is this narrowcasting tendency in the church healthy? Is it even biblical?

I would be the first acknowledge that there is a place for targeted ministry. Churches, for example, are wise to understand their giftedness and the communities in which they live in order to adjust their ministry accordingly. Reaching people according to age, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural characteristics breaks down communication barriers and is even modeled in Scripture.

But, having said all this, the church is also a new community where there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female" (Galatians 3;27-28). This flies directly in the face of the growing fragmentation in our society, and it is a value and ideal that we as the Body of Christ must demonstrate in our world. Yet, far too often, in our churches we tend to parrot the divided world, keeping even the people in our own congregations from truly living out the vision of the church.

In effect, ONEvoice! is much more than just our official movement publication. It should symbolize and truly reflect the diversity that is our reality and that should be our goal within the Kingdom of God. Despite the struggle to gain acceptance, the current format of ONEvoice! is a worthy reminder of what church should be like.

I know that I have posted frequently on issues surrounding ONEvoice! Be assured that it is not only because I am a current contributor, but because its role and success is truly indicative of some larger matters confronting the Church of God today.

Good looking ONEvoice!

I have commented frequently on ONEvoice!, and not just because I am currently a contributor. I believe in the importance of such a publication, and have offered my perspective on what it will take to make it better.

I just received my Feb/Mar 2007 issue, and I must comment on the new look of the magazine that actually began a few issues ago. In the past I have been critical of the layout and design, but I think they got it right now. The publication now looks very professional and appealing. And, the content is of a high quality too ;)

I know that ONEvoice! is at a very critical stage as far as its viability is concerned. Hopefully, the recent subscription blitz along with the new look will generate greater interest in this vital tool.

Life as an Area Administrator

There hasn't been activity on this blog for quite some time, much to my personal frustration. It's not for a lack of things to write, but mainly a matter of time, or lack of it. And, I've had some technical challenges that haven't helped.

I hope to get back to more regular posting and even to finish my mini-series on diversity, but this is probably an opportune time to reflect on my new life as the Area Administrator for the Pacific Northwest Association of the Church of God, a position that began for me on November 1st.

The whole concept of an Area Administrator is somewhat strange for the Church of God. Our anti-denominational, autonomy-worshipping polity does not seem to lend itself to having leadership positions outside of the local congregation. But, increasingly over the past 127 years we have begun to see that there is a legitimate need for regional and national leadership to both assist local churches and to facilitate accountability. Not that we are completely comfortable with these developments. In fact, we haven't quite figured out how to incorporate these extra layers of structure within our theology and practice. This is revealed in the active evolution of these structures and wide diversity of their implementation across the continent. No one can even agree what the title of the regional leadership position should be, as almost every district has struggled to find its own expression. Apart from the jokes to the contrary, the one title we're not comfortable using is "Bishop".

So, what does an Area Administrator do? It really depends on the state or region. Here in our district (comprised of Washington, northern Idaho, and northeastern Oregon) we are still trying to figure that out too. Our area has had this position in place for several decades already, but we have been going through massive organizational shifts. One of my major responsibilities will be to help our district work through these issues and to discover a new vision of ministry cooperation and effectiveness.

Over the past three months my primary focus has been to make personal contact with as many pastors and congregations as possible. I am convinced that establishing a good relationship with our 48 churches and their leaders is the basis on which our future work will be based. Making these connections is especially challenging considering the vast geographic expanse of our region. I have already racked up almost 5000 miles of driving and a significant number of frequent flyer points.

Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying my new job. We have a tremendous district with many gifted people and healthy churches. We also have much work to do in strengthening our organization and some of the struggling churches that are part of our association.

Probably the biggest challenge is living without my family. My wife and sons are still in California finishing out the school year and waiting for me to determine where we will live (as I have been given the freedom to find a new office location). We keep in touch daily and make frequent visits back and forth, but life has been far from "normal".

From time to time I will provide some further reflections on my work and the role that district organizations play within the Church of God. Stay tuned.

Christmas

Despite all the hustle and bustle around us, even in the church, may everyone experience the full meaning and joy found in the coming of our Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Lloyd

Regional diversity

Continuing on a discussion on diversity in the Church of God ...

Talking about ethnic and racial diversity was fairly straightforward and obvious. For the most part we accept that reality, although I still remain convinced that we don't know how to deal with it appropriately. But, there are other aspects of our diversity that we may be less willing to admit, at least as far as their significance is concerned. Our regional diversity is one such dimension.

I know that some of my comments could be easily misunderstood, but stick with me through this.

For the most part, the Church of God in North America is a Midwestern U.S. phenomenon, with our origins steeped in the socio-religious climate of the region. Not only is this the geographical birthplace of our movement, but the Midwest culture continues to influence and direct us. Our values, worldview, religious perspectives, politics, and socio-economic structures represent this cultural milieu. (There are indications, however, that this trend is gradually shifting).

Let me be clear: I have nothing against the Midwest or its inhabitants. The cultural and ideological framework of this region is not necessarily wrong or bad. But, the reality is that the Church of God is not just limited to that section of the continent. As one who has always lived at the geographic fringes of our movement, I have been long aware of the disconnect that exists with our center. Some of the discontent with “Anderson”, as our headquarters and symbolic center, is really an outgrowth of this reality.

In recent years I have ministered on the West Coast, in wacky California and now in highly secular Washington state, although over the years I have frequently spent time in the Midwest visiting family and attending numerous church-related events. To me, it is more apparent than ever that the differences between these two regions are more than just surface distinctions.

Yet, it is amusing, if not tragic, to watch Church of God congregations and ministers on the West Coast attempt to copy Midwestern styles and programs. It is not uncommon out here to visit a congregation and feel like you've just stepped into rural Ohio, etc. This type of emulation happens because of pastors who have moved here, or because of mimicking the peculiar Church of God style (i.e. language, organization, worship, even architecture) that is common in the Midwest. In most cases, this insensitivity to the local culture has caused numerous problems, mostly in that we have congregations unable to find culturally appropriate ways to minister within their contexts.

For years it has been apparent that copying the programs and styles from other locations is fraught with many problems, if not futile and dangerous. For example, we have seen hundreds of churches copy the success of mega churches like Willow Creek, only to find that what works in upper middle-class, suburban Chicago doesn't necessarily work in rural Nebraska, etc.. Or, similarly the southern California culture behind Saddleback is not easily transferred to Kentucky. Sure, there are basic principles that can be applied elsewhere, but they need to be translated accordingly.

Contextualization of the gospel is hard work. We expect foreign missionaries to find ways to make the gospel relevant, but are oblivious and sometimes resistant to the same need within our society. Yes, at the core people are similar in many ways and share a common need for God, but beyond this there are significant differences that must be taken seriously.

What does all this mean to the Church of God? First, we must put aside any mistaken dreams of a consistent, “cookie-cutter” identity across the Church of God. While there are common elements uniting us (i.e. our heritage, doctrine, cooperative ministries), how we express ourselves will vary according the region in which particular congregations find themselves.

Second, we need to find ways to decentralize our movement's resources and leadership. This is already beginning to happen, as Ron Duncan is leading us to shift greater emphasis to our state/district organizations. Moving around the North American Convention would also contribute to this objective.

Third, we should celebrate the unique aspects of church life that have evolved across the Church of God, both in North America and around the world. As missional people we should see our diversity as a natural consequence of being faithful to spreading the gospel to all creation.

Ethnic diversity

On the subject of "Church of God and Diversity" ...

The Church of God began with a strong, inclusive message. As we called people out of the confusion of denominational Babel, people of all backgrounds were welcomed to join our reformation movement. We valued and started to live out a new Christian unity. With the door open, people of many ethnic and racial groups joined us, and foreign missions were quickly initiated.

But, as we lost our “evening light” vision and we began to institutionalize, our differences became more pronounced. The most obvious division occurred in relation to our African American constituency. There are many reasons for this, mostly sociological and political. While the Church of God has been miles of ahead of many denominations in terms of inclusion of African Americans, all is not well. There continues to be a cry for reconciliation because of some historical and structural matters that have fractured the relationship. Strides are being made, but more work is yet to be done to overcome the misunderstandings of the past.

Certainly there are other examples of ethnic diversity in our history. There has always been a strong German contingent in our movement. Several of our earliest pioneers were of German descent, and some of the earliest foreign work was done in German speaking areas of Europe. During the extensive periods of immigration last century, a number of strong Church of God congregations in the U.S. and Canada were established by Germans who brought their reformation movement faith with them. But, during the political tensions with Germany our relationship with these churches was strained as well. Over time many of these churches become increasingly isolated from their English counterparts, with many of them completely separating from “Anderson” (a reality that is still in effect today).

I suspect that our next biggest challenge will be with the increasing number of Hispanic churches that are cropping up across the U.S. The unique culture of these people and churches are a dramatic contrast to the more typical North American church. As their influence grows we will continue to face many challenges as to how to best integrate them into our larger movement.

So what do we do with all this ethnic diversity?

The idealists among us are tempted to assert that these differences shouldn't really matter as far the church is concerned. We worship the same Lord and find our unity in Him, and therefore we should be able to work through any challenges that all this diversity brings.

But, is this realistic?

I take the position that it is not wrong to acknowledge, respect, and even encourage our ethnic diversities within the Church of God. In fact, we should celebrate the ways God has worked within each ethnic community. And, it is unrealistic to assume that we can all meld together into one big, relatively uniform movement. Our ethnic groups find it natural to be together because they share a common cultural heritage and ethos, and will not integrate easily. Yet, we tend to desire a more homogenous movement - which is not necessarily the right goal.

We will continue to struggle with our ethnic diversity as long as we expect everyone to join together in the same style of worship services, the same congregations, and/or under the same national governance. Striving for these goals will only lead to frustration.

We must work to find our unity beyond common worship, congregations, or organizational structures. Probably the best path forward is to find our unity through our common mission. In this way we demonstrate our unity in Christ. It is through cooperation for the sake of mission that we can build bridges between our various segments, while still encouraging unique cultural expressions.

As our society becomes more pluralistic the challenges of ethnic diversity will only increase. We must, therefore, find new ways to practice unity in the midst of this diversity.

Church of God and diversity

Over the next week or so I will post several messages probing into a topic that's been hot on my radar in recent weeks. For several months now I have participated in numerous discussions that have included probing examinations into the diversity within our movement, and the challenges we face in practicing our unity in the midst of it.

More and more I am convinced that the Church of God is actually quite diverse in its composition, in fact, to a greater extent than we often acknowledge or admit. We have a good deal of ethnic and racial diversity, and theologically we cover a much wider spectrum than perhaps we are even comfortable with.

Yet, we struggle with our diversity because we are faced with two opposing pressures. First, is our firm conviction of Christian unity and its importance for the church. But, on the other hand, there are powerful forces at work among us trying to bring about homogeneity and conformity in both our theology and our culture. The resulting tension of all this has caused us some discomfort, and it is imperative that we work to resolve it.

Maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew, but I hope you stick with me through this discussion and provide feedback and your own comments.

ONEvoice! at the Tipping Point

Recently a news story at chog.org highlighted the current state of affairs at ONEvoice!

Joseph Allison, Coordinator of Communications and Publications (and CHOG Blog reader!), has bluntly stated, "ONEvoice! magazine is at a tipping point ... The campaign will likely determine whether the magazine succeeds.”

The campaign Allison refers to is the recent subscription blitz that is underway across Church of God congregations (on which I have previously posted). Their goal is to obtain 3000 new subscriptions, the largest ever for the publication.

The same story revealed that the current subscription rate is around 2100. On average, that's less than one copy per congregation! I am astounded that our churches and pastors have not been more supportive, especially with all the whining that occurred during the years we were without a national magazine. I know there are some historical factors that come into play, relative cost may be another issue, and the supposed lack of explicit doctrinal teaching bothers some (I will have more to say on this one in the near future); but, certainly the number of subscriptions should be higher.

I remain convinced that the current campaign is an excellent one, and I sincerely hope the larger church responds to it. We need ONEvoice! I say this not only because I am a contributor, but because I believe that it is an important tool for our ongoing communication and identity.

Getting into SHAPE

Life in my new work in the Pacific Northwest is sure keeping me busy, including an incredible amount of travel in the past few weeks.

One of the highlights of my recent activity has been attending the SHAPE National Regional Directors' Meeting in Arizona. While I have briefly referenced SHAPE before, it is still a fairly obscure concept in the Church of God because of its current regional implementation. Now that I am leader in one of the regions I am quickly being submersed in this ministry.

In short, SHAPE (Sustaining Health and Pastoral Excellence) is a ministry initiative between Church of God Ministries and six regions in the U.S. designed to strengthen and support pastors. (More information, including an informative video, can be viewed at their website: http://shape.chog.org). In some ways SHAPE is still under development, as we try to find the most effective way to accomplish the critical objectives. Major funding to make this possible is provided by the Lilly Endowment.

What impresses me most about SHAPE is that this is not just another "program" conceived in Anderson and promoted across the church. Past endeavors of this nature have often had limited success and have often left a somewhat skeptical view in the church toward "Anderson". SHAPE is completely different. First, it is a true partnership with regions, and therefore is much more responsive and in-touch with the needs of pastors and congregations. Second, the leadership is deeply committed and passionate about the need for strengthening our ministers, who are increasingly facing many pressures and challenges. And, third, SHAPE is designed around life-change and community-building, and therefore is an ongoing, dynamic system that cannot be reduced to simple formulas or events.

One of the themes that was expressed over and over again at our retreat is the common vision to see SHAPE "transform the culture" of the Church of God from one of independence to true interdependence. We admitted that in a few years, as it evolves, we may no longer even call it "SHAPE" and that it might look different on the surface than it does now. But, there is a strong resolve to see SHAPE have a profound, almost subversive, effect on how we function. From this we hope to see increased leadership development, congregational life, and Kingdom expansion.

Spending time with these SHAPE-pumped people was very inspiring, and the vision is truly contagious. If you are able to join a SHAPE cluster in your region, take advantage of the opportunity. It can literally change your ministry and your life.

Review - Preaching the Story

With all that has happened in recent months it occured to me that I never did post my review of Jeffrey Frymire's new book, Preaching the Story: How to Communicate God's Word Through Narrative Sermons (Warner Press, 2006). This is one of several noteworthy books published this year by Warner. I have previously reviewed Are You Sure You're Right? and What's Right with the Church of God.

First, I must disclose that I know Jeff personally. He was a pastoral colleague in central California, and I had the opportunity to work closely with him on the Executive Comittee of our regional association. He truly is an exceptional communicator and story-teller, and is well-qualified to write this book. Since leaving his church in Fresno this summer he has begun Ph.D. studies in practical theology (with an emphasis in homiletics) at Fuller Theological Seminary. You many interested in keeping up with him at his blog.

One of the unique aspects of this book, compared to the others published by Warner Press this year, is that it is not Church of God specific. In fact, they deliberately chose to market this book beyond our own circles to the larger Christian community. The book is relevant to the growing number of preachers who are increasingly discovering the importance of story-telling in their communications.

Frymire begins his book by asserting that "We are the last generation to experience preaching in its current form" (p. 1). In the past preaching dealt primarily with propositional truth, but we now "live in a culture that is more affected by story than be technology" (p. 7).

But this book is more than an abstract discussion of story-telling in a post-modern world. Preaching the Story is a "how-to" book, outlining a number of helpful steps for preachers to go through as they adapt to this approach. Preaching in series might be a good, basic starting point for some.

What impressed me most about this book is that it is NOT a book about telling stories in general; but instead emphasizes the teaching of Scripture through its own narratives. This is not just telling cute stories and illustrations - the purpose is to better communicate the biblical narrative itself. Frymire provides a basic outline of how to better grasp and communicate the biblical context. For example, there is a chapter on focusing on characters. The book is full of ideas, tips, and gives its own illustrations.

Most preachers will be able to discover one or more practical considerations that can be used to enhance their own preaching. I especially found the final chapter, "Barriers in Preaching" interesting. While less instructional, he provides an interesting discussion on our traditions and church architecture that often prevent us from effectively engaging our congregations.

The only real shortcoming to Preaching the Story is the lack of detail and length. Unfortunately, Frymire was limited by the book size imposed by Warner Press. Hopefully after his doctoral studies he will be able to build on this and share more to enhance our preaching.

This is a good buy for preachers and teachers.

In the Pacific Northwest

As previously mentioned I haven't been very active in the blogosphere in recent weeks. On November 1st (literally the next day following my last day as pastor in Hanford, California) I boarded a plane for Seattle and began my new adventure. And, it has been very busy, with considerable travel already and more upcoming in the next two weeks. I will offer more reflections on this phase of my transition in coming weeks.

Nevertheless, now that I am here (and I have consistent Internet access) I plan on getting back to blogging. There is much to be said.