Brad Andrews :: Feeds

stay tuned

I have 2-3 weeks left in my independent studies with Ed Stetzer so my blogging prowess will be spotty. But that doesn’t mean my thoughts about the blog will be idle. In fact, the site will be going under a significant transformation over the next month. I’ll be back with the official re-launch soon and very soon. Stay tuned…

a history maker…

Regardless of your political leanings, this picture sums up what is a giant step for our country…

Click on the picture for a full res version…

[picture by Patrick Moberg]

piper on politics

missional in u-city 2

In my first posting in this series, I mentioned that part of the uniqueness of this ‘cold turkey’ missional initiative - on the front end - is working through the uncomfortableness of talking to strangers. Richard Heinlein’s book, Stranger in a Strange Land, comes to mind - but not for the reason you think.

We typically think of it the way I just said: we are the ones entering a strange land, talking to the ’strangers.’ A strange land yes, but we are the strangers. Much like the Bible talks about Exodus 2:22 when Zipporah gives birth to a son and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become an alien in a foreign land.” We are the aliens, trying to incarnate the Gospel into a ’strange’ land.

Exhibit A: Today, I introduced myself to Steve here at Panera. According to his badge, he is a shift trainer. When I got here, I ordered a cookie from him, thanked him for it, and extended my hand over the register to shake. Time froze. Who shakes someone’s hand in the service industry? And for a cookie? NOBODY. But he obliged. I’m praying that Steve will be here next time…

I can see why many skip over this step in missional ministry, especially to the unchurched. Quickly, you become very conscious of your inadequacies, insecurities, inabilities.

It’s way easier to create something for people to come to. To be frank, strictly attractional ministry takes less intellectual honesty. It takes a serious mojo to think that you can create something that the unchurched will attend. And that will retain them. Believe me, it’s tempting. But for now, I’ll resist and press into this tension…

The process is slow. And in our ministry culture of getting results, this is completely unattractive and unappealing. Eugene Peterson said it best, “A long obedience in the same direction…”
_________________

Missional Thought for the Day: Space may be everything.

In order to create missional pathways through a regular presence, the size of the space you are in may hurt you. For me, Panera feels way too big. I think I may need to find a place that is more intimate where a regular presence is even ‘recognized.’ I think it might unnecessarily prolong the possibility of earning trust and credibility in a space like this. Panera’s upside is the diversity of people here. I feel like it does reflect this context as well as any space in the Loop but looking at other possibilities…

thick in the missio Dei

Sorry for the absence. I’ve been wrapping up term paper #2 under Dr. Ed Stetzer’s direction through Liberty Theological Seminary. Not much will change over the next month because I’ll be working on a third term paper for him during that time. So this is a preemptive apology for my potential lack of posting…

All that aside, the direction Ed wanted me to go with paper #2 was to go deep into missio Dei theology. I’m really excited where I’m headed. The title of my paper is:

I am using four main sources:

1) The Mission of God by George Vicedom
2) Transforming Mission by David Bosch
3) ‘Missio Dei’: An Examination of the Origin, Contents And Function of the Term in Protestant Missiological Discussion by H.H. Rosin
4) “God is a Missionary God: Missio Dei, Karl Barth, and the Doctrine of the Trinity” [dissertation] by Paul Flett.

I’ll be supplementing with texts and articles by Newbigin, Guder, Hesselgrave, Hunsberger, Van Gelder, Van Engen, and Glasser.

I will most likely share what will be three papers on the blog in the near future. Ed has mentioned the possibility of cross-posting on edstetzer.com. All of this will hopefully coincide with a big transformation of the blog before the end of the year. Stay tuned…

urgent prayer request

This came through my MBU faculty email today from one of our librarians, Jeri Schmidt. This is a request for prayer for YWAM missionaries and their churches in Orissa, India. Here is where Orissa is in India:

The request comes from Mable Hurst, an associate of HCJB Global. Please join me in praying for this situation:

Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India.

We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage…. And it is totally under the radar of the Western Media.

Let me explain…. A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and ‘reconverting’ people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend.

Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up…’Kill the Christians!’ And the horror began…. In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.

Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa… they are right in the middle of all this chaos.

In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and ‘finish the job.’ Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.

More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.

All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic
orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in the house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the
road…. even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: ‘We stay with our kids…. we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.’ More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.

This will continue for another 10 days…. supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times. Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart’s cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission.

What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations.
Prayer works!

Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBI
Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

we’re going on vacation…

Ladies + gentleman, your first look at Lost - Season 5:

Oh, the places we will go…

And if you haven’t seen it, from Comic-Con 08:

To read the absolute best commentary on this vid, read here.

t-town bound

My buddy, Clint Carter and I will hit the road tomorrow afternoon - after a train ride for myself in the morning - to head to Tulsa, a.k.a. T-Town, for what I’m trusting will be a providential time.

Clint has been walking with me through the infancy stages of a church planting endeavor - particularly, the planting of networks of missional communities in large Midwestern urban metropolises in the High and Central Plains of the United States.

As I have been praying about a “base” for this adventure, over the last 10 months, God has been strongly leading my family to Tulsa. And after visiting there for the first time this summer with my family, we have a profound sense of excitement about what God may be up to.

Clint and I will be there Friday night through Monday afternoon, meeting with local pastors and community leaders to continue to learn about the spiritual ‘climate’ and seek advice, encouragement, warnings that they would see fit to share, canvassing and “prayer-walking” areas that could serve a “base” for the collective and “hubs” for these first missional communities in the city of Tulsa, and visiting some church worship gatherings.

I’m looking forward to how God will speak. “Open the eyes of my heart…”

missional in u-city 1

I am sitting in a St. Louis Bread Co. on the Delmar Loop in University City…

I’m surrounded by students from nearby Washington University, business professionals, artists, the urban poor, bohemians.

I’m a block away from such landmarks such as Vintage Vinyl, The Pageant, Blueberry Hill, The Tivoli Theatre, Fitz’s, and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

I’m about a mile northeast from my home church community, The Journey @ Hanley Road.

The Loop is a microcosm of urban America. It is a melting pot for cultures, races, ages, socio-economic classes, etc. As for St. Louis, this is one of the most eclectic and vibrant spots in the Lou. The street life alone is amazing.

So why am I here? Because I’m convicted. I’m not living the Great Commission and the Great Commandment like I should. At least to the level I think God expects.

I’m a mile away from the church I attend and I feel like my worship has terminated on itself. Why isn’t it propelling me out into the surrounding community? I’m trying to face these questions head on.

So I’m here. To be a missionary. Commissioned by God. The Loop needs Jesus. And I pray I can be a shining light here…

I am painfully aware on my first day here that the task is a God task. It would be much easier to start some sort of an attractional event that would bring people to me. But that skips the most important step: relationships.

Relationships that form deep, lasting change. Working through the uncomfortableness of talking to strangers. Gaining their trust. Earning their respect. Answering their real-life questions + doubts. Making the Gospel attractive to them.

There is no hiding behind a pulpit here. And let’s be honest, we like to hide behind our pulpits, our blogs, our knowledge, our offices - rather than get out and put action behind our platitudes about missional living. Cred doesn’t come from talking about it. It comes from doing it. That’s why I’m here.

I have no illusions that incarnational ministry is gritty. I can feel the residue already on my soul. But this is where the rubber meets the road. Jesus was a friend of sinners. He went to people. He didn’t expect them to come to Him. Jesus embodied lived theology. It isn’t enough to just know these things. They must be lived…

So I’m praying for the Lord to move. To move me…

I’m praying for the gentleman sitting in front of me reading the Post-Dispatch.

I’m praying for the trio of business professionals sitting to the left of me planning a restaurant grand opening.

I’m praying for the young female student behind me who is engrossed in her studies.

I’m praying for the four young African-American ’skaters’ sitting to my left.

I’m praying for the homeless man sittting behind me who is eating bread and butter - probably his only meal today.

God, my heart is broken. I pray for opportunities to be Christ to the people at the Loop. Help me see where you are at work. Give me your eyes and your ears. Give me the courage to speak and the words to say. This is your work. May your will be done…

pinch me

Unbelievable. From the St. Louis American:

Mizzou number 3 in AP Poll
Monday, October 6, 2008 9:53 AM CDT

Mizzou is in the top three of The AP college football poll. After a week with few upsets, the top of media poll only underwent slight alterations.

Oklahoma was No. 1 with 51 first-place votes and 1,608 points, gaining a few points and top votes in its second week on top of the rankings this season.

No. 2 Alabama has 13 first-place votes and 1,537 points. Missouri moved up one spot to No. 3 after winning 52-17 at Nebraska.

LSU dropped a spot to No. 4 after an off week, and Texas remained No. 5. The Longhorns and Sooners meet Saturday in the annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas. It’ll be the fourth time since 2001 that Texas and Oklahoma will play with both teams in the top five and first time since 2004.

No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Texas Tech held their spots. No. 8 Southern California and No. 9 BYU flip-flopped after USC’s easy 44-10 victory against Oregon.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 10.

bosch, brad + breakfast in johnson city

I had the privilege to travel with with Ed Stetzer last week to and from a conference on church revitalization in Johnson City, TN. It was a great conference - much of it was drawn from his excellent book, Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can, Too, co-written with Mike Dodson.

As for our hang time, as Ed ‘tweeted,’ we talked Newbigin, Guder, and the missio Dei. Before the conference, we had breakfast together and Ed took this picture. Only you missional ‘nerds’ will appreciate this:

abandoned: worship as life 2008 in pictures

If you didn’t get to join us last Saturday, Dan Kimball and Matt Maher truly served us. They challenged, convicted, and encouraged us during the second annual Abandoned: Worship as Life seminar. You can catch the rundown of the day via the live blog here. I was particularly honored to have Dan here to keynote - he is one of my personal heroes…

Here is the day in pictures…

Special thanks to the MBU PR department for the pics…

on the road again with stetzer

I am in Johnson City, TN with Ed Stetzer for a conference on church revitalization. We are doubling this time to prepare for my next term paper on the history and modern usage of missio Dei. This is the second paper on modern missions history through my directed study [Liberty Theological Seminary] with him.

Good times…

abandoned: worship as life seminar live blog

Hope you can join us today:

today’s tweets

• @stevekmccoy awesome steve. keeping you in my prayers… #
• headed out 2 take fam to kingdom city to meet hol’s sister who is taking them 2 versailles. follow? it’s 1/2way… #
• @DanKimball have a safe trip! see you 2morrow morning… #
• @hundiejo i jacked wifi from someone outside of sbux. they had the generic “linksys” tag… #
• @bobrobbins missional, baby! #
• @bobrobbins that explains everything. in the words of johnny carson, “I did not know that.” #
• @markallister i knew i could count on you mark! #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

follow abandoned live blog tomorrow

today’s tweets

• @hundiejo sorry i missed you. @ sbux most of the afternoon… #
• @bobrobbins you should buy some stock in culvers :) #
• i think i just saw someone who loves their husband as much as hol loves me in sbux now. i could just tell. ilots ‘o pda. love my holly! #
• you’d never know the economy is down by the way people are buying coffeed 2day. this place is packed + it’s 2:30pm… #
• talking with @dankimball. finalizing details re: Abandoned worship seminar on sat. here @ mbu. stoked beyond words… #
• @artrogers get well friend! #
• one of the locked wifi networks is called "bumblebee tuna." name that movie… #
• @ st. arbuck’s on olive. am i the only one that’s frustrated w/bux’s wifi policy? panera is killing them on this. that’s why i’m hackin’… #
• @edstetzer where you speaking @ in tulsa? #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

abandoned: worship as life seminar 2008 odds + ends

Things are amping up for this Saturday’s second annual FREE Abandoned: Worship as Life seminar on the MBU campus featuring Dan Kimball and Matt Maher - thus the little to no blogging on this here blog lately :}

A few notes related to this year’s seminar:

Worship leader: Nathan Smith + Band

My good friend Nathan Smith - Worship Pastor at 2Rivers Church in Wentzville - and his band will be leading us in worship throughout the day. Nathan is a MBU alum and I know you will be blessed by his leadership!

Lunch @ The Perk

Lunch is FREE and will be in MBU’s coffehouse, The Perk. This will double as a time for me to share about the new Worship Arts program here at MBU, as well as a time for you to connect with one another and ‘network.’

Event Schedule

This gets me stoked! Here is how the day’s events will unfold:

9:00 am – 9:20 am
worship nathan smith & band
recital hall

9:20 am – 9:30 am
devotion brad andrews
recital hall

9:30 am – 10:30 am
session 1 dan kimball
“what is worship” + “a brief history of worship”
recital hall

10:30 am – 10:45 am
break

10:45 am – 11:45 pm
session 2 dan kimball
“emerging worship: part 1”
recital hall

12:00 pm – 12:50 pm
free lunch provided by mbu admissions
the perk

1:00 pm – 1:20 pm
worship nathan smith & band
recital hall

1:20 pm – 1:30 pm
devotion brad andrews
recital hall

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
session 3 matt maher
recital hall

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
break

2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
session 4 dan kimball
“emerging worship: part 2”
recital hall

3:45 pm – 4:00 pm
break

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
session 5 dan kimball
“created for missional worship”
recital hall

today’s tweets

• maybe you’ve already seen this. rumblings continue re: new emerging alliance with mcknight + kimball leading the way. http://snurl.com/3tg2p #
• my son is a genius. he is typing in internet slang phraseology that my generation doesnt’ even understand. kids these days… #
• my recent gmail chat with my 1yr old son everett. ev: "i f>C "// brad: "eh? is this a kid?" // ev: ",;" #
• feeling rotund. uncle bill’s. pankcakes. enough said… #
• from comment board I’m a Priest & will give Trent Green his last rights. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirt. :) #
• according to espn, rams bench bulger for trent green. this is the shakeup linehan? wow. i’m speechless. green behind that o-line=coma… #
• watching intriguing doc on pbs:"the brothers warner: from the silent era to franchise films." mesmerized by wb’s impact on fut … #
• @markallister http://snurl.com/3t6j1 #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• @nlsmith127 is this who i think it is? #
• @hundiejo great thoughts re:"christian other." this may be the hardest thing to do in our right/wrong culture. i join with u i … #
• just received an invitation to q. it’s like the apple in the garden. so tempting. just way more expensive… #
• headed to o’charleys w/fam for a “brad is done with his paper” lunch, aka “we have our brad back” lunch. kids eat free at the O #
• term paper #1 done. ahhhh. final title: the nexus of the “church and mission” debate: canvassing the conciliar missions movement. nerdy, yes #
• 2nd best political orators of all time on late show: bill clinton. 1-reagan, 2-clinton, 3-obama, 4-kennedy. mlk jr. best non-politician… #
• watching “american experience” documentary on reagan on pbs. he was unbelievable at everything he did. actor, orator, president. wow… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• @jallen one of the funniest vids i’ve seen lately. did you see the snl opening sketch? check it on hulu. hilarious… #
• big announcement coming later this week re: my blog. stay tuned… #
• @artrogers you’re really sticking it 2 me this week + you still have possible pts. from mnf 2nite. ouch. now i know how rams feel… #
• re: term paper. i’ve become convinced us ‘missional’ folks would do well to understand + consult the past 2 better inform our future… #
• on the home stretch w/modern missions history term paper for @edstetzer thru lts. it’s been interesting. looking forward 2 sharing… #
• my wife just brought me a 3lb bag of lemonheads. what a girl… #
• craig kilborn, where art thou? #
• al michaels play-by-play voice is larger than life. what pipes… #
• just had breakfast for supper w/family for our sabbath dinner #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• seahawks 17, rams 0 @ end of 1st quarter. um, we may go 0-16 this year… #
• alex barron, rams 1st round draft pick. 33 false starts since 2005. most in nfl since that time. great draft work st. louis… #
• rams v. seahawks is on. trying not to fall asleep even though blue + gold are my boys… #
• gus johnson doing play-by-play 4 chiefs/falcons game. he is the best. thx bill simmons for your support of johnson… #
• so my son is obsessed with vile ganster, jabba the hut. all i can think of is pizza the hut in spaceballs. #
• @markallister i’ll look into it. good question… #
• interesting story on carlton pearson here: http://snurl.com/3sfdb. #
• @edstetzer very interested in hearing from hirsch/frost in re:jesus… #
• @artrogers looks like we are up against each other 2morrow. good luck. may the best man win… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• looking up tickets for 09 all-star game here in st. louis. uh, ridiculous. cheapest i saw were for $625. for one ticket. #
• glaus just jacked a 3run homer. cards trim cubs lead to 1. cubs 5, cards 4… #
• buffalo hanging tight with ‘zou. tigers up 40-21 9min to go in game… #
• soriano 3-run triple on error by lf barton. ouch. cubs up 3-0 headed to top of 3rd… #
• cards v. cubs on fox game ‘o the week. still holding on the slim chance of winning wild card. marlins + ’stros may be too hot to trot… #
• margo: “jabba the hut looks like a gigantic blob of snot.” couldn’t have said it better myself… #
• @jallen i live in a cave. who is john grassadonia and the hubub of being on ewtn? #
• @stevekmccoy the duhks, broken west, the notwist… #
• i think i’ve fininshed approx. 70% of term paper #1 on modern missions history for @edstetzer & liberty seminary. home strech… #
• @jallen you have the sickness too: RTS [religious television syndrome] i don’t have ewtn. give us a play-by-play… #
• okay, that was evil. a snickers blizzard has been ingested. waistline, i’m sorry. i’ll run for you tomorrow… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• anyone following @thomrainer? in same room w/akin, patterson, mohler, land, rankin, hammond, chapman. it’s an sbc who’s who. to be a fly… #
• peter gabriel. what a voice. #
• via ESPN: The Cards lead the majors in blown saves (30) and share the major league lead in games lost by the bullpen (31). ouch… #
• uh oh, colorado beat #21 w. virginia last night. ‘zou fans beware… #
• @MatteKelly yep #
• pizza @ fortel’s for lunch. mmmmmmmmm. oh yeah, free wi-fi… #
• @artrogers where is the conference @? enjoying the live blogging. love that the tulsa metro is so intentional in bringing in great minds… #
• this is hilarious http://snurl.com/3rtr7 #
• who is the next great comic? i’m stumped. #
• just caught dane cook on leno. i must say, i though he was going to be the next great comic, but he just doesn’t have it… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

today’s tweets

• rockin’ with some queen. great pick me up! #
• @jallen one of my faves… #
• @hundiejo good stuff… #
• back on campus, prepping for rehearsal 2nite. also, gonna squeeze in some more work on the term paper. hitting my stride… #
• i know i work @ xtian institution, but why oodles of spam written in greek? so weird. never experienced this b4 in previous jobs… #
• love it when 80s randomness pops up on iTunes. on now: “no one is to blame” - howard jones. top #10 all-time 80s. reminds me of city pool… #
• getting in touch w/my inner 90’s. “i wanna wake up you are/i won’t say anything at all/so why don’t you slide” - goo goo dolls #
• ripping goo goo dolls “greatest hits, vol. 1″ to iTunes. isn’t that pretentious? this is only volume ONE of the many more hits we will have. #
• going to work from home 2day. paper #1 on modern missions history 4 @edstetzer 4 my liberty seminary directed study looming… #
• missed it earlier. watching video of palin on hannity + colmes 2nite. http://snurl.com/3rb1r #
• back from busy eveningw/fam. qdoba, awana, + dq blizzards & shakes. now back to my term paper. sugar low, come again another day… #

Powered by Twitter Tools.