Comments on: Jet Set Asia: “When We Reach 100…”

By: Thinking like a missionary - Integrating Missionally

Thinking like a missionary - Integrating Missionally — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:17:23 +0000

[...] friends at the Upstream Collective posted a note about their visit to a Taiwanese church on Sunday. The entire entry was interesting, but I found myself drawn to this particular thought: We met [...]

By: almost an M

almost an M — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:08:43 +0000

“We share the gospel…to build relationships, not build relationships to share the gospel.” quoted as a Tweet

Hmmm? Really? I’m not saying, I’m just saying…. I see this as a common ecclessiological MO, but hoping we think about whether or not this is a missiological ideal…and by extension an ecclessiological ideal.

Thoughts?

By: Caleb

Caleb — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:49:28 +0000

C. Holland,
Thanks for the reminder that we can’t assume things like personal space in Asian culture. We certainly didn’t mean to presume to know what might be “uncomfortably full” for a church in Taiwan. Nor did we mean to sound like we weren’t supportive of the church’s decision to stay small. In fact, we hope to show the necessity for churches to stay small and relational. We’re excited by the life we experienced in fellowship with these faithful believers.
Thanks!

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:47:16 +0000

So refreshing to hear the security guard’s concept of being a missional Christian! Western Christians need to get this concept quickly.

On the “we’ll plant at 100 people”, I’m just not sure we can import American church planter (or other ministry) methods as-is. In Western Europe the personal space is so non-existent that people will gladly sit squished into church pews, so you can actually get more people in the space than Americans would ever put up with. And our nationals are so relational that the size of the American mega-church scares them; they do not want to be part of congregations of that size here, instead more churches.

Meanwhile, not to be boastful, God is blessing our current ministry despite having none of the American techniques in place. We are seriously surprised as we’ve not yet been able to implement some of the basics we’d been taught.