The RENEW idea was born out of this experience, our reluctance to accept the status quo and the understanding that the American institutional church of our fathers is crumbling. While we admit some church expressions are thriving, many are only the result of transfer growth of those who are discontent. While the 'cool' factor may bring them in, we know there's not a fog machine, a strobe light, a celebrity pastor or a worship band that can reverse the decline. The time has come for a wholesale change. The group we believe has done the greatest investigation and learned the most through…mehr
The RENEW idea was born out of this experience, our reluctance to accept the status quo and the understanding that the American institutional church of our fathers is crumbling. While we admit some church expressions are thriving, many are only the result of transfer growth of those who are discontent. While the 'cool' factor may bring them in, we know there's not a fog machine, a strobe light, a celebrity pastor or a worship band that can reverse the decline. The time has come for a wholesale change. The group we believe has done the greatest investigation and learned the most through practical application is the Forge Network. Michael Frost, Alan Hirsh, Lance Ford, and Hugh Halter have been championing movement to extend God's Kingdom and reign through solid orthodoxy, proxy and pathy. The American culture has made it clear to those gathering on Sunday: The good news is only good if you are willing to proclaim it and live it daily. Forge provides a host of residencies and training across the world. RENEW is a missional expression in a great sea of expressions to authentically reach, teach and create true followers of Jesus. Anything less taints the message and enforces the American Christian hypocrite stigma. RENEW encompasses the best of all great expressions and heralds back to the original movement of Jesus. We are part of the larger movement seeking to discover a life worth living which truly offers a foretaste of heaven. We are focused on reaching the "none, done and undone" in every context. The "nones" are those individuals with no religious context, the "dones" are those individuals who have been in the belly of the current American church and "undone" are those who have all but checked out of this life because of what they have or are currently enduring. The following fifty-two chapters are the discussion primers. They represent an effort to synthesize orthodox theology with cultural conundrums to help individuals and groups become more thoughtful in the practice of the Christian faith. We believe all the topics lead the group to a more orthodox understanding of Jesus. We subscribe to the Christian theological mainstream. Our book is meant to be read, wrestled with and discussed. We suggest this book be a group project with multiple levels of spiritual maturity present during the discussion. Our first RENEW group consisted of over fifty individuals. We are now in the second year of meeting together on weekday evenings. We have seen all types of people and viewpoints. We have laughed, cried, argued and even agreed to disagree. The process has been life giving.
How many people now think that workable evacuation plans for New Orleans or Houston were a good idea? It's a little late once the water's up to your attic. The same thing is true of what may potentially happen to all of us in the next few years. Regardless, it is inevitable that planet Earth will face these challenges in the future. Anyone who doesn't believe that is a fool. Ask the people of Atlantis or Lemuria or the other civilizations that vanished almost overnight from this planet. Whether you believe that they existed or not, the evidence that there was some civilization that preceded ours is overwhelming. Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines of Peru, Easter Island, submerged roads off Bermuda, Kailasa Temple, the "stone of the pregnant woman," and so many others were created by someone, but no one knows who or how. Maybe it would be a good idea to prepare for the unexpected. That was the original intent of this novel. The sequels have happened as a natural extension of the first story. This book was never intended to be a series. I had planned to kill everyone at the end, but I just couldn't do it. I wanted to follow them and see how they adapted to their new environment, something that we may all have to do one day, soon maybe, without modern technology. It could prove quite challenging. Mostly, this novel was intended to be interesting enough for students to read. It is written with high schoolers in mind. Therefore, there is no vulgar language or "sex" in this novel, nor will there be in the sequels. This book can be read by anyone of any age without fear of being offended for those two reasons. However, many of the questions posed by the characters are questions that each of us asks at some point during our lives. Questioning the existence of a higher power is human, regardless of your religious upbringing. I believe that the more questions that you ask, the better answers you get. Above all, I hope that you enjoy my story. It should make you laugh, cry, be angry, be sad, and be happy. Those are what separate us from the other animals.
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