George Bullard's Journey

A Four-Generation Church?

Today in the early worship service at my church of membership we had a baby dedication. Not unusual. What was unusual was the mention by the pastor that this baby girl represents the fourth generation of that family in our church. It turns out the baby girl has an almost three-year-old brother who truly symbolizes the beginning of a fourth generation in our church.

Perhaps unusual is that our church is only 30 years old and already has four generations in it. This extended family actually connected with our church when it was three years old, and the older brother is almost three years old, so—doing the math—it only took 24 years for our church to become a four generation church from the time this extended family connected with us.

Going deeper, this family already had one grandchild when they connected so our church has been a three generation church since its third year. While not from the same extended family, it is safe to say that our congregation has probably had people who represented three different birth generations—builders, boomers, and busters—since almost its first year.

A City Looks To Its Moral Compass in Lean Times - washingtonpost.com

Saturday, December 13, 2008

A City Looks To Its Moral Compass in Lean Times - washingtonpost.com

Question from George: What role should the Church play in helping government make loving, just, ethical decisions in times of economic hardship when cuts in employment and services become mandatory?

I Remember Daily Newspapers

At some point in the not too distant future grandparents will have conversations with their grandchildren where they will recall the day when there were daily, print newspapers that were delivered to your home on a subscription basis.

Just like train companies had to figure out they were not in the train business but in the transportation business [and in the USA they did so too late], so newspapers will have to figure out a business model where they successfully move from being in the newspaper publishing business to being in the information and knowledge sharing business.

Twice daily newspapers are already gone [and have been gone for enough years that many of you do not remember when there once were morning editions and then afternoon editions of the same newspaper]. Dailies are on their way to becoming weeklies [or weekenders]. Along the way they may be three to four times per week.

What will replace newspapers? What has already replaced newspapers for people under 40? What are our thoughts?

Churches and Their Sense of Anticipation

Gary Nelson in his new book, Borderland Churches: A Congregation's Introduction to Missional Living, shares the following insight on page 127:

"Churches that lose their sense of anticipation, that no longer live open to the surprise of God, simply dry up waiting. They become predictable and stale. When this happens, they lack the ability to anticipate God at work and to recognize God's actions when they happen. Church life was not meant to be predictable. And, neither was it to be a comfort zone in which God is controlled"

Purchase this book at the TCP Resources Store.

Posted via email from George Bullard's Posterous

Funeral Home or Monster Storage?

Yes, strange but true. I have passed it on a road near my home for months and have resisted the temptation to comment on it. Seeing it again today I said, “This is it! This is the day I comment on it!”

About a mile down the road is a former multiple screen movie theater that has been purchased and is being renovated by a funeral home. That alone gives a new angle or two to the concept of viewing or viewing room. “Look, there’s granddad on the screen. He is bigger than life. Oh, I mean death.”