Biblical Seminary presents “Theology & The Arts” a two-part event on Monday, February 1, 2010.  This event is free of charge but registration is required.  For more information, please click here.

Click play to hear the teaching from Sunday, January 17, 2010 by J.R. Briggs

From Ecclesia Board Member, JR Woodward…

We have all been touched by the tragedy in Haiti and most of us feel drawn to be of help somehow. But what is the best way to help in this situation? Michelle Singletary in an article for the Washington Post says Haiti earthquake brings out generosity, and scam artists. So true. Which is why it is good to be networked with my friend Bruce Hopler who pastors Cornerstone Community Church in Columbia, Maryland. Bruce and his congregation have been working in the Dominican Republic for many years. The congregation Bruce serves is a part of the Ecclesia Network and their organization, the Del Comino Connection, is in a unique position (sharing the island with Haiti) to help people in Haiti in wise ways.

I received an email from Bruce on Friday on how Dominican Republic organizations, in an effort facilitated by Esperanze Intl. and including Compassion International, Food for the Hungry, World Vision, Healing Waters and the Red del Camino Network churches developed a two phase action plan.

Here is what his partners in Dominican Republic wrote him:

Phase one involves funneling locally purchased relief supplies through churches, ministry partners and community-based organizations connected to the coalition in Haiti. The immediate request from our partners is cash donations so that we can purchase supplies in Dominican cities along the border with Haiti. From previous experience, we have learned that containers sent from abroad take up precious time in transport, customs processing, and transport to the emergency site.

Phase two of the plan will draw from the assessment and mapping currently happening in Haiti. Once emergency processes are met and conditions are stabilized, we will be requesting in-kind contributions.

Please go to their site to download a pdf file with more details as well as giving donations to the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund, knowing that it is going to meet needs wisely.

Ever wonder if there was a safe place to ask dangerous but important questions about life, faith, God, Jesus, the church?

What if we could openly talk about our questions, concerns, and doubts with others who are searching and seeking on this journey of life and faith?

We can.

Join us for doubt :: night on Tuesday night January 19th at 7:30 pm in the meeting room at Third and Walnut Bar and Grill (corner of Third Street and Walnut Street near the Lansdale Train Station) for a laid-back, yet intentional discussion about faith and doubt and a chance for you to air out your doubts.

Why is Renew hosting something like this?
Because regardless of who we are, we all have doubts.
And if we can’t wrestle with and process and discuss our doubts at Renew then where can we?

And sometimes its better to question the answers than it is to answer the questions.
The opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear.
And we don’t want to fear the questions.

This is open to anyone and everyone* regardless of your religious background.
Hope to see you there!

*By PA law, no one under the age of 18 is allowed in Third and Walnut.

Click play to hear the teaching from Sunday, January 3, 2010 by J.R. Briggs

Have you ever seriously considered church planting but wondered what that could look like?

The Renew Community seeks to be known more for our sending capacity than our seating capacity. We’re more interested in asking the question, “How are we blessing the neighborhood?” than “How many people were there on Sunday?” We desire for people – formally and informally, directly and indirectly – to be sent out to be representatives and ambassadors in the name of Jesus.

Which is why we’ve developed the Renew Apprenticeship Program (RAP), a one-year learning lab and equipping experience for missional leaders seriously considering church planting. This program provides formal and informal training as well as hands-on opportunities to lead, serve, teach and seek out new kingdom initiatives. This is a unique opportunity was created with the intention of providing potential future church planters with an opportunity to learn first-hand the ins and outs of missional church planting.

The program consists of:

Learning – formal and informal environments of learning, growth and maturity

1. Understanding the ethos and DNA of Renew as well as its core practices.
2. Learning the contextual elements that comprise a missional church and why it is important in the 21^st century approach to ministry.
3. Reading and studying pertinent books together with weekly discussion and regular implementation into the rhythms of daily life.
4. Attending 1-2 classes per semester at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA (www.biblical.edu) in the MA of Missional Church Planting program.
5. Attending The Ecclesia Network National Gathering in Washington, D.C. and the Ecclesia Network Church Planters Training Week in Richmond, VA.

Living –being involved in the lives of the people at Renew in formal and informal ways.

1. Working closely with the J.R. Briggs and Tracy Commons, the pastors of Renew, in helping shape the ethos of Renew and entering into the rhythms of pastoral ministry.
2. Building relationships with the Renew Community family.
3. Learning intentional rhythms of cultivating an oikos (“sphere of influence”) with those far from Jesus.
4. Serving in areas of need in the region that fit with your unique ministry bent (i.e. passions, skills, spiritual gifting, interests, etc).

Listening – opportunities to listen to God and others through various sources

1. Holy Spirit: regularly scheduled retreat days and times of intentional reflection and meditation. Discerning God’s long-term call in your life and if it may involve church planting and/or vocational ministry.
2. Other missional leaders, pastors and church planters: exposure to different church plant models and approaches on a weekly basis.
3. The culture: being a student of the culture and the context of the North Penn region and knowing how to best engage it with the gospel.
4. The voices of skeptics and dreamers in the region: being involved in relationship to hear the heartbeat of those outside of the Church.

Leading – overseeing and providing direction with specific, valuable area(s) of ministry based on giftedness.

This could involve – but is not limited to – the following:

1. teaching in Renew gatherings (when appropriate)
2. overseeing new initiatives, ideas and events that engage with the context and culture of the North Penn region.
3. birthing, shepherding and providing leadership to a new house church
4. overseeing, initiating and/or focus on a particular area of need depending upon context and individual passion/gifting (high school students, college students, the poor, the mentally ill, minorities, the large Muslim population in Lansdale, community engagement oversight, economic development, etc).

**Each RAP participant is required to raise their own financial support. This may involve finding a part time job to supplement the support raising process. An approximated budget will be determined with each participant prior to acceptance to the program.

Interested? For more information contact:

J.R. Briggs
215.833.4424
jrbriggsis@gmail.com