Announcement: Coram Deo and Core Are Merging
Yesterday we made a historic announcement: Coram Deo Church and Core Community Church are merging. These two churches, which have been pacesetters in the work of urban, missional church planting in the Midwest, will join forces as one church.Core Community Church was founded by Ethan Burmeister in the fall of 2000. It was the fourth church to join the then-fledgling Acts 29 Network. Ethan was, in many ways, a man ahead of his time...
Four Truths About Missional Community
Recently I asked Coram Deo's Deacon of Missional Communities, Paul Gardner, what he would want people to know about being part of a missional community. Here is what he said...
Redemption Stories: Erin and Daniel
We love capturing the stories of people in Coram Deo who have experienced the redeeming grace of God through the gospel. This story is one of my personal favorites from the past year... you'll see why as you watch Erin and Daniel narrate the amazing saga of God's work in their lives, which involved a trip to Vietnam, a Kindle, a breakup, a sermon on heart idolatry, and the relentless loving concern of family members who loved Jesus and spoke truth.
Page CXVI @ CoramDeo 8.21.11
On Sunday, August 21, we are honored to host the very talented musicians Page CXVI to lead Coram Deo in worship. If you are not familiar with their work, here is a sample:They also do Johnny Cash:
Missional Community: Culture, not Content
Recently we hired one of Coram Deo's most effective missional community leaders, Paul Gardner, to oversee all of our missional communities and help us multiply and create new ones. Last week I sat down with Paul and his wife Michelle to talk about their own growth in the gospel through missional community.If you are new to the language of missional community, or if you're skeptical that it's different from other forms of community in the church, watching this interview will be helpful. If you're currently leading an MC, you'll especially benefit from hearing Paul and Michelle talk about how repentance changed the whole dynamic of their leadership.
Porterbrook Omaha 2011 Preview
Part of Coram Deo's vision is to serve the church by training leaders theologically and missiologically. We think church planters, pastors, and local church leaders should be the best theologians, the best missiologists, and the best students of culture in a given city.Porterbrook Omaha exists to provide church-based theological training for leaders and emerging leaders. We've put together a brand-new preview document to help you understand what Porterbrook is, how it differs from traditional models (i.e. seminary), and how it might benefit you.Click here to download the Porterbrook Omaha 2011 Preview (PDF).
Coram Deo's Sunday Gathering is Moving
As of July 31, 2011, Coram Deo's Sunday gathering will move to a new location.Just to be clear: it's the Sunday gathering that's moving. Coram Deo is not moving. Coram Deo is a people, not a place. The people of Coram Deo will gather in a different place on Sundays from now on... Church is not what we do on Sundays. It is who we are - the called-and-sent people of God.
A Story of Missional Community
We have been married 6 years and have been trying to have children for the past 2 years. We recently broke the news that we were expecting our first child and all was well. Today we found out that our child is dead, and my wife is painfully awaiting a miscarriage.
I am angry. I am sad. I do not understand why or how this is part of God’s plan. Part of me screams this is not fair. For so long I have been thankfully praying to God, and now I do not know what I should say to God. How can I be thankful, for what I see as almost cruelty?
What Is A Missional Community?
It's easy - and tempting - to adopt the nomenclature of 'missional communities' without actually reorienting your life around the mission of God. When I find myself falling into this trap, one of God's greatest gifts in my life is my friend Jeff Vanderstelt, who passionately and compellingly reconnects me to the outward movement of the gospel.If you're in a missional community... if you're thinking about launching missional communities... or if you're wondering what a missional community is... watch as Jeff explains the dynamic of missional community - and introduces you to his own.