One more post before we turn to tomorrow's research.

Last week in class at Indiana Wesleyan University, Rick Champ, one of my students, presented a good summary of The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch. You can find the PowerPoint here.

I believe Alan is a good thinker and has been challenging us all about the purpose and structure of the church, God's mission, and the gospel. We've developed a friendship-- and have even argued about a few things. But, we share similar passions-- and I know few Christian leaders as gracious and thoughtful as Alan.

I think his analysis of cultural distance and the western church is very helpful:

In January, I was blessed to preach at the Wesleyan National "Gathering" in Orlando, FL.

I made some new friends there and they invited me to teach at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN. The school is quite impressive. (They tell me it is the fastest growing Christian university in the country.) They call themselves "warm hearted evangelicals," and I have found them to be that very thing.

We have a good group of passionate leaders from 5 different denominations in class.

Below is the course description. It is very similar to the course I taught at Reformed Seminary earlier this month and somewhat similar to a course I co-taught at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in May.

Please be sure to note the use of the new boss' book, Simple Church. It is the greatest book ever written. (I am not sure he reads the blog, but better to be safe than sorry.)

And, of course, all biblical references will come from Lifeway's HCSB, my new favorite Bible translation.

:-)

The course lasts one week and ends on Friday.

Ugh.

On the way to the NAMB State Summer Leadership Meeting, I blew a tire and missed my flight.

Tonight is at an Indy hotel then of to the Atlanta meeting in the morning... in time for my sessions.

I was going to say that it was the predetermined will of God that I had a flat tire, but since I am visiting with the Wesleyans I will just say that God had foreknowledge of it.

;-)