Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Missional

Mid-Size Communities Part 2: An Infographic

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One of the best ways to describe a concept is through an infographic! So this infographic gives a good summary of what a mid-size community is.

Definition: Mid-Size Communities are a new way to think about community. They are a group of 20-50 people who journey together to celebrate, to grow, and to be a blessing to those they live, work, and play with.

In part 3, we will continue our exploration of mid-size communities by diving down and looking at some frequently asked questions regarding mid-size communities.

Here’s the infographic:

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Mid-Size Communities Part 1: An Introduction

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Over the next while, I’ll be revealing the research and work that I’ve done on mid-size communities. It’s been a two year journey and this weekend we are introducing the concept publicly at our services (www.beulah.ca).

Check out this in-house produced movie that will introduce some of the history around us engaging in this conversation.

This movie is part 1 of this series and the introduction to mid-size communities.

Check out part 2 for an infographic explaining mid-size communities.

Book Review: Exiles: Living Missionally – Michael Frost

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Michael Frost is the vice principal of Morling College, the founding director of the Tinsley Institute, the co-founder of the Forge Mission Training Network, and an author of several books, including The Shaping of Things to Come. He is a leading voice in the missional church movement and an internationally recognized Australian missiologist.

The thesis of Exiles is that following Christ in today’s world requires a critique of and departure from the culture of Christendom and the greater empire. In order to do that, Frost exhorts his readers to embrace their identity as exiles living on foreign soil – “as a pesky, fringe dwelling alternative to the dominant forces of our times” (10). This is a book that will empower all Christians to embrace a Christ-centered faith that is lived out through a missional lifestyle in the everyday rhythms of life. [Read more…] about Book Review: Exiles: Living Missionally – Michael Frost

Book Review: The Great Omission – Dallas Willard

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In The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship, Dallas Willard magnificently preaches a simple and basic message on discipleship, of which is commonly missing and misunderstood in many churches today.

I love the way that he breaks down the misconception that there are different levels in being a Christian, since this is the exact problem that has made discipleship an option, rather than a baseline requirement for being Christian (i.e. this is the great omission that he is talking about). I appreciate the fact that he is not just calling Christians to change, but that he is actually expanding the scope and call to all people by emphasizing that following Christ is “the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities” (Location 312).

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Is relocation required for urban ministry?

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A picture I took in downtown Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics

Did you know that in 2010, slightly over half of the world’s population lived in major urban centres, but that by 2050, the estimate is 70%?

What are the implications of this massive shift? Well, this scale of an urban migration can often lead to the separation of families due to work and a loss of a communal identity. It can also lead to ecological challenges, increasingly concentrated areas of poverty, and a decrease in family support systems.

Thus, cities need to be on our radar, since this massive shift IS happening.

Doing ministry in the city is going to be an increasingly talked about issue in the 21st century, but is it actually necessary to move into the city? Or is it possible to have an effective and fruitful ministry in the city, while living in the suburbs and just driving in?

Ray Bakke, in his book, A Theology as Big as the City (click here for a book review), has a strong view on this issue. He deeply believes that there is no substitute for “the conscious relocation of Christians to set up residency and witness in the midst of the evil” in the cities. He even goes as far to say that there exists a relationship between the preservation of urban communities and the presence of the godly.

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