I’m in my second year of church planting, and I have a 6-week old baby. I’m taking a short maternity leave, and this time away from work for a few months has been a gift, but it’s swiftly coming to an end. I’m simultaneously itching to get back to the daily
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In many ways, neighbouring has become a lost art form. From the juggling act of maintaining our busy schedules to the anxiety around relating to those who we see as different than us, the practice of neighbouring can
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Next week, New Leaf is putting on a pre-conference day about the religious landscape in Canada at a big Church Planting event in Montreal. It crossed my mind that one reality of my upcoming travel is that I probably won’t have to wait in line for the restroom like I usually do at big events. The mens room will likely be more crowded than the ladies room.
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In theory, all denominations want to engage in forming new kinds of churches. Many will state publicly that their future depends on it. But saying something is different than doing something. The future we all face
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Some of my favourite moments in the Bible are when God calls someone to something big. I find a strange sort of comfort in how these stories play out. Jeremiah 1:4-10 shares an intimate moment between the prophet Jeremiah and God Himself, when God calls Jeremiah to do his difficult work of preaching bad news
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Planters and starters are people who are fueled by what is their hearts: a gnawing sense of holy unrest, a vision of a new way of being the body of Christ, a courageous decision to try something new, and the willingness
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Clarity is a valuable commodity in any start-up project. Clarity can be hard to come by especially when things are going full steam. Planters and starters can find themselves so busy mopping up the floor that they don’t have time to turn off the tap.
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Planning for your future becomes more important the closer you are to retirement. If you’re 20 and come into a windfall of cash, it’s unlikely all of that money is going into the TFSA. We tend to struggle with picturing ourselves in the distant future. Churches tend to lack vision that extends beyond 3-5 years. Lead pastors are kind of like politicians, they have direction enough for their term, and little beyond. What we rarely see is vision casting that extends into generations. We struggle as a whole to plan for the future.
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What difference does your place make? As of this June, I completed my first year of work toward starting a new church in Oshawa, Ontario, which we've named Ecclesia. In this season, I find myself thinking and praying and speaking often
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Hi, I’m Rohadi. What an exciting opportunity to be a part of the New Leaf blogging initiative seeking to expand the conversation of faith and the church from a Canadian perspective. To be a part of this idea at its infancy is a privilege. My interest in this unfolding dialogue
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Over the last ten to fifteen years there has been a flourish of writing, thinking, and teaching on the missional nature of the Triune God. I remember back in Seminary reading Stanley Grenz, at the time Professor at Carey Theological in Vancouver, writing on the Trinity’s missional impulse and flow.
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As a kid growing up my favourite cereal was Froot Loops. Yes, it’s true…although in our health conscious society this is not really something I care to admit, but it is true.
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My grandfather was a rural Manitoba bi-vocational farmer and Mennonite minister for 40 years. While he never planted a church he was a starter. He began pastoring in the 1920’s and at some point started Sunday School and a choir.
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