Today, Frank Viola comes by the blog and interacts for the day.

As I have written before, I like Frank. He is not a subtle man. He is calling for big changes. And, he loves Jesus. Those are some good qualities.

Now, if you have read my books and my blog, you also know that Frank and I have some pretty significant differences about an important subject-- ecclesiology. And, I believe that ecclesiology will be one of the defining issues in the evangelical conversation in the years to come.

I am so passionate about the subject, my next scholarly book will be on ecclesiology, probably out in 2012 (my missiology textbook comes out in 2010), so I am pretty concerned about this subject and have some firm convictions.

And, it is no secret to Frank that I found his last two books to be lacking in ecclesiology (as I see it in scripture), but I appreciated his passion for the church and God's mission in From Eternity to Here. His passion for the church and its mission comes through in From Eternity to Here. Whereas his other books seemed to want to deconstruct the church (in a way I found destructive), this one provides the reader with reasons to love the church.

I also see this when Frank writes against "churchless Christianity," something I was encouraged to see. He did so in two parts at Out of Ur:

I had the opportunity to speak at Leadership Network's Innovation 3 Conference yesterday about the future of the church. It was a special conference featuring some of the great leaders in the Christian church today. The conference was broadcast live, discussed in online chat rooms and was live twittered. Conferences are changing in the 21st century allowing the information and influence of speakers can be more widely felt.

I promised to post my notes. So, here they are - from my talk on "The Dangerous Church in 2020."

And the last installment of the blog "look back" covers October through December.

October

• Shared my notes from my talk at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta.
• Most of the month was taken up with posts from Krakow, Poland and Rome, Italy. Near the end, I opined on "When the Mission Gets Lost in the System" and listed the posts at the end of that entry. A final wrap up and summary came a bit later.
• Launched the B&H Leadership Book interviews with Thom and Sam Rainer.
• LifeWay Research released new research on the voting plans of Protestant pastors (and they did not reflect how the general public voted).
• Ended the month with some seasonally appropriate research on haunted houses.

• One of the more widely linked posts was "Speaking of Jesus and Justice," which was an expanstion of my comments in USAToday.
• In the month of November, we started and ended a conflict with a self-centered missional thinker named Al.
• Discussed the house church movement and how widespread it really is.

December

• A series on cooperation (still to be finished) overlapped November and December and included posts on cooperation, the SBC, denominations, and networks. The Next-Wave e-zine will be reprinting the post on denominations as an article. More on that later...
• Published a post responding to a critique of our research.
• Shared a series of videos about Comeback Churches with the Assemblies of God.
• Posted a humorous (but pointed) post on Social Networking.
• One of the more commneted-upon posts was from Penn Jillette, an atheist, talking about proselytizing.
• My response to some criticism of my comments from Michael Medved.
• A blog post on the problem with lying among many Christian leaders.

Continued from part 1.

Here are some blog highlights from April through June, 2008.

April

• Our research about church architecture was reported in a dozen different places. We first released it here.
• Made a trip to rural Missouri, ate frog legs (pics included), and talked about the history of the Second Great Awakening. It bought out a few folks concerned about heresy in the movements.
• My most recent book (with Philip Nation), Compelled by Love, was released.
• Tim Keller and I discussed research and his new book in a podcast here.
• My most commented upon post was this one explaining and opining upon the decline in the SBC. It brought Danny Akin out of blog-comment exile and prompted many other responses. The strangest thing-- the Associated Press and other media outlets quoted the blog and I decided I needed to be careful.
• A follow up to the SBC decline post explained why this decline will probably continue in the future.
• The month ended as I spoke at the Dwell Conference in NYC and "slow blogged" the experience.

May

• Shared some rules I follow about interaction between married men and women and I was surprised that some people found them controversial.
• Listed some historic and current accountability questions that some have used to keep themselves in accountable relationships.
• Listed the candidates for SBC president and Johnny Hunt allowed me to list him as a candidate here, making it public on the blog that night.
• Mixed it up with Neil Cole and Alan Hirsch about the challenges caused by the professionization of the clergy.
• USAToday reported on our politics research and it ended up getting involved in the conversation about the Evangelical Manifesto. It led to several other posts involving the Evangelical Manifesto.
• Joined the faculty at Southeastern Seminary.
• Was glad to see 11 Innovations in the Local Church (my book with Elmer Towns and Warren Bird) be a finalist for Outreach book of the year.
• Opined on what plagarism in preaching really is.

June

• Mixed it up on multi-site churches with Geoff Surratt. First, my article, "Questions for McChurch" from my monthly Outreach Magazine column. Then, Geoff's response. World Magazine picked up on the debate and Geoff and I were interviewed in the story-- with Geoff on the cover. (He says he is going to buy me dinner.)
• Updates from the SBC annual meeting on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I then penned my analysis and hope for the SBC.
• Kristen and I went on her 10th birthday trip to Yosemite.
• The Pew Forum released some research and we shared some additional research which asked a similar quesiton but with different wording. The comparison of the data became a national story. (I actually will post again about this next week-- Pew has updated the data.)

And I forgot this from February:

• Tim Keller clarifies some issues from a Newsweek story.

Part 3 coming tomorrow...

Please visit www.lifewayresearch.com for more information about LifeWay Research.

Click below for recent mentions of LifeWay Research in the news:

September 16, 2009
Biggest US churches 'contemporary, evangelical'USA Today - USA
USAToday examines the largest and fastest growing churches in America, according to LifeWay Research and published in Outreach Magazine, and quotes Director Ed Stetzer.

May 29, 2009
Keeping Holy Ground Holy
ChristianityToday.com
Ed Stetzer discusses new architecture research from LifeWay Research and Cornerstone Knowledge Network with Christianity Today.

April 29, 2009
Why are evangelicals losing ground in today's culture?
USA Today - USA
Ed Stetzer serves as guest host of the Faith and Culture Blog of USAToday to talk about universalism and exclusivism.

March 30, 2009
In times like these, more people are going to church for help
USA Today - USA
USAToday reports on new LifeWay Research economy data.

March 26, 2009
Southern Baptists urge their members to evangelize more
USA Today
In a study for the North American Mission Baord, a LifeWay Research poll and analysis of American's receptivity is highlightd in a USA Today story.

February 3, 2009
How pastors are soothing congregants in recessionary times
Christian Science Monitor - Boston,MA,USA
"The Christian Science Monitor examines how churches are helping their congregations and cites LifeWay Research data."

January 11, 2009
"Ed Stetzer comments on the growth of New Reformed churches."
The New York Times Magazine

January 4, 2009
"Kentucky-crafted architectural works stretch to the heavens"
Louisville Courier-Journal-Louisville, KY, USA
An article citing LifeWay Research's architecture study.

December 17, 2008
"Where is Christ in Christmas?"
USA Today
Ed Stetzer opines on the importance of telling the whole message of Christ at Christmas.

September 30, 2008
"Nashville pastors shun national pulpit protest"
USA Today
LifeWay Research poll cited in USA Today regarding American's view of church and pastor political endorsements.

September 25, 2008
"Pastors launch challenge of IRS rules on endorsements"
Religion News Service
Religion News Service reports on tax exemption, churches, and the IRS, citing LifeWay Research's recent poll on pastors and politics.

September 8, 2008
"As their numbers stall, megachurches seek 'seekers'"
USAToday
Stetzer comments in USAToday article on the importance of transformation, citing LifeWay Research's work for Outreach Magazine.

August 5, 2008
"Salvation through Buddhism?"
ChristianityToday
Christianity Today cites LifeWay Research on universalism claims.

July 26, 2008
"Out of One, Many"
WORLD Magazine
LifeWay Research survey last year found that 16% of protestant churches in the US are considering adding at least one campus . . . and includes an extensive interview with LifeWay Research's Ed Stetzer

July 12, 2008
"A High Octane Higher Calling"
Washington Post
Churches Use Creativity to Help Parishioners Deal with Gas Price Increases

July 9, 2008
"Actual Beliefs May Vary"
Newsweek / Washington Post
A look at surveys and what they say about Americans' belief in God.

July 8, 2008
"Polls Clash Over Evangelical Beliefs"
The Tennessean
A story about our new research on universalist beliefs and those who hold them.

July 3, 2008
"Defining religion"
Scripps Howard News Service (nationally syndicated news service)
Analyzing the language of surveys and its impact on research.

July 2, 2008
"As gas prices deter congregants, churches get creative"
USA Today
A look at how churches deal with higher gas prices, including LifeWay Research's study on the economy's impact on churches.

June 25, 2008
"Is sex outside of marriage a sin?"Scripps Howard News Service (nationally syndicated news service)
A look at Americans views on sex and sin.

June 10, 2008
"New Southern Baptist president pledges to unite"
The Associated Press
Story about the SBC citing Ed Stetzer's analysis of the denomination.

June 9, 2008
"Southern Baptists fret over decline as annual meeting begins"
USAToday
Story about the SBC citing Ed Stetzer's analysis of the denomination.

June 7, 2008
"Southern Baptist Convention at 'something of a crossroads'"
The Dallas Morning News
Story about the SBC citing Ed Stetzer's analysis of the denomination.

May 31, 2008
"Economy shrinks offerings, increases need for benevolence"
The Modesto Bee
A look at the economy, including LifeWay Research's study on the economy's impact on churches.

May 7, 2008
"Manifesto aims to make 'evangelical' a less-political term"
USAToday
An analysis of the Evangelical Manifesto, citing LifeWay Research's study on Christians in politics.

January 2008
Ed Stetzer on CNN
LifeWay Research Director Dr. Ed Stetzer speaks with Mike Galanos during the Erica Hill hosted CNN Headline News about a recent study of the unchurched in America.

Click here for LifeWay Research in Baptist Press.

Ergun Caner, of Liberty University, called last Friday and we talked about the Evangelical Manifesto. It seemed a bit odd to see his name on the document considering he taught at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. We talked again today.

Whatever you think of the manifesto, Ergun's name sticks out like Joel Osteen at a John MacArthur's Shepherd Conference.

I recently wrote about the Evangelical Manifesto.

On the morning it released, I received a call from one of the key people behind the manifesto, Darrell Bock. Darrell is Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Professor of Spiritual Development and Culture at Dallas Theological Seminary. He was quoted in my local paper this morning.

This morning, I had a nice talk with Darrell about his intent (and the intent of the document).

I have read the document and find it compelling in many ways. Would I change some things? Of course. Does it say some important things? Definitely.

As I mentioned in the USAToday story, I was concerned it would be "spun" to say Christians should not be involved in politics. That was not the intent of the signers, but some have tried to spin it that way.

Darrell mentioned his radio dialogue with Denny Burk. Denny has just posted links to the interviews here. Their focus is on what some call "single issue" politics.

Darrell shared the following with me that addresses some of the intent of the document. He will soon release to other blogs but gave me permission to share it with you:

Should Christians be involved in politics? Yes.

Are Evangelicals too identified as a partisan political bloc? Yes.

Can Christians still be involved in politics and social action and yet more clearly articulate a gospel message? I hope and believe we can.

As a matter of fact, the growing evangelical understanding of the Kingdom reminds us that we must be involved. (See Russell Moore's helpful, The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective, for a helpful analysis. Or, Carl Henry's Uneasy Conscience, for an earlier perspective.)

Today, USA Today weighs in on the subject. This story was tied to the publication of an Evangelical Manifesto, a document I am assuming I will like (based on who is endorsing and the theme). The website is here.

We had just completed some research (to be released on the LifeWay Research website today) on the involvement of Christians in politics, so we ended up in the story. I don't speak much of politics, but the research connected well, so here are a few of the comments I made to USA Today (they cited some of them):

The data tells us that a minority of Americans, and a smaller minority of Christians, are concerned that Christians are "too involved�? in politics. The more liberal and secular one is, the more concerned you are--which is not surprising. But, the majority of Americans (and a large majority of Christians) do not share the concern that Christians are too involved in politics.

I am one who agrees that evangelicals need to be known for what we are for--showing and sharing the good news of Christ, not only just what we are against. But, in regards to public policy, it is a both/and, not either/or.

You cannot stand for justice and be told you cannot speak of Jesus, nor can you love God and His word and not care for unborn children, the abused, and social justice.

Christians need to speak prophetically to all parties, not be beholden to one. If evangelicals are seen as a voting bloc of the Republican Party, I am concerned. If Christians are told to leave their faith outside the public square, I am more concerned.

Religion will always be an issue in politics. However, as evangelicals we need to not try to moralize the unconverted-- our primary mission is to convert the immoral-- other sinners like us.

Simply put, you cannot have a proper view of the Kingdom of God and not care about society. And, part of caring about society involves advocating for social policy that protects those needing protection and promotes the public good. Maybe part of the problem is that we have been known for advocating polices rather than serving the hurting in the name of Jesus.

We need both.

Update: I have read the document (and talked to some of the Charter Signatories), and I am impressed.

Although I have recently shared that I have joined the faculty at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I am still pleased to be teaching a few places in the next year or so, including Reformed, Biblical, and Southeastern seminaries.

It was recently announced that I will be co-teaching my class at Reformed with Joel Hunter.

Joel is quite a legend and has riled up much of the evangelical world. He was offered the leadership of the Christian Coalition, announced his plan to broaden the agenda of the organization, and then the Coalition and he parted ways while he was still "president elect." The New York Times version is here.

CNN explained:

"I wanted to expand the issues from only moral ones -- such as opposing abortion and redefining marriage -- to include compassion issues such as poverty, justice, and creation care," Hunter said in a statement. "We need to care as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb."

He has a book out that gets at some of his political views, A New Kind of Conservative.

However, conservative politics (of the new or old kinds) will not be the focus of our class. We will focus on the gospel, the mission, and the church. Since Joel has been all over the news, many people might not know that he is a pastor in Central Florida with a thriving church called Northland.

And, the book he is requiring for the class is Church Distributed, his manifesto of sorts. You can read the book online here. In it, he explains:

So what is the distributed church, anyway?...

In the present model of the church, the local church tends to be isolated and preoccupied with its own world. It appears to be, and often is, self-centered. Our triune God, by His very nature, models relationship-centeredness. God in Christ came out of His self-sufficiency to identify with those radically different from Himself, and His church is called to be like Him. The church that is distributed values ministry beyond its walls more than ministry inside them because it focuses on those not yet included. It reaches through relationships it has within its congregation to identify with others. Intentional distribution of the church with a goal of ultimate connection through relationship reflects God's image.

Christian, wake up: YOU ARE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH. You don't need to know more; you don't need to have a church program commission you--although both can be useful. But you need to understand that in this definition of the church that you are a minister of the church and you can further ministry by connecting with other believers who are different from yourself.

It should be a great class. You can download the syllabus here.