Joshua Benton
I love good Rock ‘n Roll, the Chicago Bears, any and all things geeky and most of all, Jesus Christ. I'm a bit kooky, ADD, and trying to be a passionate follower of Jesus.
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Posted in: Clusters
When I served with an RCA church in South Dakota, the classis was so large that they had smaller "clusters." That is, churches in specific regions that would meet on a regular basis. our cluster of just pastors met roughly once a month and then we had a leadership training event once to twice a year in our cluster. Good thoughts. Keep them coming and doing.
Posted in: Ministry and Mental Health
Mark...It's so great that we have these rescources. Wish I had added them in, but was trying to keep it around 600 words. I will keep these in mind for future ministry though.
Posted in: Ministry and Mental Health
Loving boundries are so very important. We always need to remember that bounries also have a gate, to let certain things in and keep other things out. With proper boundries we can effectively love and minister to those with mental health issues. Thank you for sharing your story.
Posted in: Deep Skimming: What Would You Recommend?
To be honest, I found Bill Hybles' book Courageous Leadership to be very helpful and insightful. It gave me a lot to go by for my own perosnal growth in leadership. I know it's a bit more "pop culturery" (as in not Henri Nouwen) but it has some good stuff that can be taken away for leaders.
Posted in: Where Have All the Tulips Gone?
I recently metnioned the Cannons of Dort in a sermon about witnessing (Art 1 pt 3) and our Reformed tradition. Two years ago, I went through a 5 weeks series looking at the Cannons of Dort using the acronym FAITH (Fallen Humanity, Adopted by God, Intentional atonement, Transformed by the Holy Spirit, Held by God). That went over very well.
Posted in: Prayer Summit Reflections
As for one who wasn't able to attend, it helped me feel I was there. Thank you.
Posted in: Next Steps for Me...and for The Network
I like a lot about the network in many ways. I have printed off blogs for my elders and deacons for council meetings so that they might be up to date on a few items. On the other hand, I am a bit unerved sometimes about the harshness some people respond to posts in the forums.
I will be honest, there is something missing and I just don't know what...if that makes sense at all.
In the end, keep it up though, keep evolving and be fluid in how the Network opperates. It takes time for a child to learn how walk, it will take time for the Network to become what it is supposed to become.
Posted in: The Geek in the Pew
Love the breakdown of 42. Gotta use that sometime. Do you have your towel handy?
Posted in: The Geek in the Pew
Glad you liked it Aaron.
Any suggestions for reaching The Geek in the Pew?
Posted in: The Geek in the Pew
Just a follow up to this blog post. Here are two sites that examine geeks in the pew.
www.geeksinthepew.com and http://thechristiannerd.com/
both are good sites about being a geek in the pew.
Posted in: The Geek in the Pew
I've heard of churches (and youth groups) doing that before. Glad to hear the good reception. Out of curiosity, have y'all ever used other movies the same way?
Posted in: Worship for Whom?
My first response is AMEN!
My second response is the fact that I've been running into the fact that we have to find that balance to make sure both sides are being fed--the faithful attending and the visitors. I've found this argument not just in the younger generation but in the older generation (70's-80's). Some say we need to change our music to help others feel more welcomed and the other side says we're losing the gospel to emphasize the beat.
How much is this based upon personal preference and truly desiring to worship. You stated this isn't traditional vs contemporary but in the end you state that there is a disconnect between the week and Sunday. Could someone have a true desire to worship with organ and people who play don't want to be payed because this is part of their ministry? Is that wrong?
How can we feed both?