At Biblijski institut, we've been talking a lot recently about our mission and vision, etc.  As we have distilled it: we exist to partner with churches and other ministries to expand God's Kingdom in our region through education, training, research, and networking.  (We have a couple of different statements for different audiences, but they both … Continue reading Means and Ends

A church that wants to program for disciple-making needs to do at least these three things: Teach a biblical worldview (large groups) Teach and apply the content of the Bible to daily living, with general accountability (small groups [6-25 participants]) Practice transparency and accountability that focuses on specific issues or behaviors in accountability groups (3-5 … Continue reading Programming for Discipleship 3

... then how can science and faith be in conflict? Some people think that science and faith cannot coexist.  I don't buy that position, because I think they are different spheres that meet but do not overlap; the term some people use is "non-overlapping magisteria." (Gould's formulation is imperfect, but essentially correct.) Science is knowledge … Continue reading If all truth is God’s truth …

A church that wants to program for disciple-making needs to do at least these three things: Teach a biblical worldview (large groups) Teach and apply the content of the Bible to daily living, with general accountability (small groups [6-25 participants]) Practice transparency and accountability that focuses on specific issues or behaviors in accountability groups (3-5 … Continue reading Programming for Discipleship 2

A church that wants to program for disciple-making needs to do at least these three things: Teach a biblical worldview (large groups) Teach and apply the content of the Bible to daily living, with general accountability (small groups [6-25 participants]) Practice transparency and accountability that focuses on specific issues or behaviors in accountability groups (3-5 … Continue reading Programming for Discipleship 1

This is the third study in the series.  I think what I want to do should be called "narrative discipleship." CREATION II. “Who Are We? And WHERE Are We?” Genesis 1.26 – 2.25 Last week, we talked about two tools that can help you understand the Bible better. FIRST, we talked about learning to see … Continue reading Study: Who Are We? WHERE Are We?

This is the revised version of the Bible study that I posted a couple of weeks ago, made much less academic (and more practical).  It's part 2 of a series that began with a post on 1 January, "Study: Why Should We Study the Bible?", and a revision of "Study: What Kind of God?" from … Continue reading Take 2: What Kind of God?

So what am I trying to achieve with my ministry, both the writing I'm doing and with BIZG?  I keep drilling down and thinking I have hit bedrock, only to discover that there's something else beneath. Every night for the past two weeks, I have gone to sleep with the prayer, "Lord, show me what … Continue reading A Vision for Spiritual Maturity

Croatia is a deeply Catholic country.  85% of Croats identify as Catholic, and about 15% are active. (For comparison: in America, about 40% of the people attend church regularly. In France and the UK, less than 5% are regular church attenders.) By comparison: evangelical Christians make up only 1/10 of 1% of the Croatian populace.  That’s … Continue reading Evangelicalism, Evangelism, & Church Planting in Croatia