In our months of discussion and evaluation at Circle Church, what eventually evolved is a philosophy of the church which is given in this series of blog posts. We found that we first had to answer the question: “Why does the church exist?”
Just as it is foolish to ask whether there is value in using a video projector during the morning service if no one has first determined a purpose for that service, so it is equally foolish to become excited about specific solutions to parts of the local church’s ministry if a unifying total of what is desired has never been figured out.
These blog posts, based on my 1971 book, Full Circle, deal with many new approaches to methodology, but each is rooted in a well-thought-through philosophy of the local church. As far as I am concerned, it is rooted in a well-thought-through philosophy of the local church.
As far as I am concerned, it is only in the context of how a church functions that value can be assigned to new ideas.
Congregations must therefore come to a clear understanding of why they exist before any consideration of methodology be allowed to occur. Only when satisfactory answers are given to such basic questions can patterns be built that are both original and truly helpful.
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For so many of us, the Christmas celebration can be a mile wide and an inch deep. We tire ourselves with an ever-growing list of gifts to buy, activities to complete, and traditions to uphold. And through a maze of cards and calls, outreach and entertainment, we struggle to connect with others in meaningful ways. Our intentions are sincere, but often trivial. When we look back on the season, we’re often left feeling like our holidays somehow lost the Christ in Christmas, and only touched the surface.
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