You may not know this, but I have an affinity (possibly an addiction) for venn diagrams. For some reason these circles- along with various other shapes, lines, and arrows-help me process ideas. Below I’ve copied some thoughts I’ve been having over the past few years concerning how to best engage our culture and communities with the gospel. Naturally, it requires a venn diagram. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
kevin pounds' blog 
Great thoughts!
I noticed the intersection of “Christian Ministries” & “Secular Culture” (only) is not labeled… am i understanding the flow of thought right that this is where parachurch orgs engage the culture, but fail to plug into/submit to a local church leadership (or fail to direct new believers to their local church)? I’ve seen issues with this in my years of ministry.
When we are “One” as Jesus prayed for us, all of our strengths are complimented & work together for the healthy building of His Body.
LikeLike
I’d consider the overlap of both Evangelical Church & Christian Ministry spheres with the Secular Culture sphere as where missional engagement happens. One reason I placed “Christian Ministry” sphere a little further to the right is because I think more para-church ministries are willing to take risks and exist on the fringe. That being said, my personal passion is to mobilize local churches to engage their community and culture with the gospel. I believe where parachurch orgs bring the most value to the kingdom is when they serve to mobilize the local church and connect people back to the local church (which are big reasons for the existence of Serve Burlington). Personally, I’ve had great experiences serving alongside some parachurch collegiate ministries that effectively do just that: Intervarsity at Rutgers, Navs and Lifelines at UVM.
LikeLike
Thanks for these great thoughts. I appreciate your thinking process and your ability to communicate those ideas to others. This is one of the best things you have come up with yet. I have re-posted with (with your prior permission) at http://www.terrydorsett.com
LikeLike
Pingback: My Homepage