Your Opinion Needed: new column

I have been asked to create and maintain a column in a soon to be created quarterly produced by the church I pastor at. My column is to address faith and culture, and more particularly, faith IN culture. What does it look like to live out our faith in our culture? What does faith look like in our culture? A column title is required of me soon, and I have been brainstorming by myself (not really a brainSTORM I suppose). I have narrowed down to 3 possibilities. Please help me with some feedback about these options. (No! I will not even consider calling it "Fulture".)

Which do you like most? Why?

Less Than 3 City (<3C) The most connected culture we have ever had realizes what "Less Than 3" means; it is what you would type to form a heart in text. I love the idea of Christians developing a love for their city. The first step to reaching any group is developing a love for that group. You cannot serve or reach anyone you do not first love.

Lost in Translation: speaking the languages of culture and faith The first thing any good missionary knows you have to do before reaching a foreign culture is to learn the language. As far as most American Christians go, the culture around them is increasingly foreign. Further, most Christians simply do not speak the language of their city, their culture. That needs to change if we are going to reach our cities.

Urban Missionary This seems almost self-explanatory; at least to those of you who read this blog. But without assumptions like that: Though my official title is "pastor", my real ministry identity is that of missionary. I am trying to apply all the same understandings of what missionary would be and do for a "foreign" culture for this urban culture that is increasingly foreign to most Christians. I am still trying to be a light in a culture that most Christians would rather attack for being too dark.

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Alright! What are your thoughts? You may also share completely different ideas if you have them.

No Christians in Your Community

Part of being a Christian in a culture is simply engrossing yourself enough in that culture that you know enough of its needs, its celebrations, and even its hurts. Part of reaching any culture or community in any capacity is having an educated understanding of that culture. It seems many Christians are without regard for their local community. We are prone to get in our car (parked in the garage), drive to work, and return to our garage to go straight into the house without any interaction toward or for our neighbors or our community.

Though this is the practice of most Americans in general, it is a physical example of an attitude that runs within us.

Though it is an attitude of most Americans, it cannot be the attitude of missional Christians.

Our attitude must be one, which desires to love our communities enough to reach them from an integral and sincere place.

Chris Huertz said, "Remember your community and celebrate the local--most people know more about happenings in Libya and Japan than our own zip codes."

That place within you has to be one that understands what is going on in the community around you. It means being able to answer two questions:

1. Where does my community hurt the most? 2. What can I do to help meet that need?

Answering those questions require our attention to some details we often overlook. We have to read those incessant community bulletins that flood our mailbox. It means we actually attend the community events in the local park, farmers market, community centers, etc.

It means we take notice of the ways our community is struggling by asking questions of our city officials and local organizations. These are the people who can likely tell you exactly where your community struggles or hurts most.

Be involved in your community. Care enough about your community.

It is the first step toward being a Christian in our culture.

Its Why I Come In Here

I haven't been to this coffee shop in maybe months. It started as a need to return to another coffee shop for a while, and then we had our first child a few weeks ago; keeping me from ANY of the coffee shops I frequent. A matter of moments after sitting down with my glass of Pranqster Belgian Ale (another reason I returned to this coffee shop), the chef came out from the back to say hello and to give me a hug.

THAT is why I come in here.

What friendships are you building around you?

Pumpin' the wattage into your cottage

I was asked this morning to be on the radio this Thursday to speak about college and young adult ministry. It is a great opportunity to spread the word about a demographic the church knows less and less how to reach and particularly about what it does look like.

We have already briefly discussed the reality that this is a group that is rapidly giving up on church, faith, etc. That reality drives a lot of us who doing what we can to reach out to this group.

They have asked that I prepare about 15 questions they can ask of me.

HERE'S WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP!

If you are involved in college and young adult ministry: If you were were given this opportunity, what would you want to be sure you addressed? If you were given an open radio mic to speak about the ministry you love to and for college students and young adults, what would you want to broadcast to many people who do not know how to reach this 'people group' we love?

If you are NOT involved in college and young adult ministry: Do you ever read this blog or hear other things from me and wonder "What the heck is he doing anyway?" If you could ask a college pastor anything about reaching this 'postmodern', 'post-Christian', generation-X-Y-Z, etc., what would you want to ask? Do you just wonder what I actually do at the coffee shop every day? What questions do you have?

I will be on air this Thursday, so I need your questions as soon as possible. You can comment them here at Ragamuffin Ramblings.

You can email them to ragamuffinpc@gmail.com

You can tweet me your questions @ragamuffinpc