Paul Temple shared with us key “missing areas” that have resulted in the state of churches today in our conversation on church renewal. The solutions are discipleship, caring, really loving people, and investing in the next generation. This really is a spiritual work, not a turnkey set of strategies. The need for finding a mentor and choosing someone to mentor yourself is so important.
“Pragmatism that we can do ourselves has replaced the Holy Spirit.”
We also touched on in our conversation:
Church growth movement dead ends: attraction, one-sided evangelism, transactional ministry
Bivocational ministry valid and normal—even the norm throughout church history
Average church size being closer to 60 people
Seminary grads having to work one or two jobs to pay for school
Alternative paths of ministry preparation and education
Importance of finding a mentor
We mentioned Resources of Mark Hallock, John Mark Clifton, Thom Rainer, and Mark Dever
