For the last few years I‘ve had the opportunity to teach in Beirut, Lebanon. I was on my way there in July 2006 when the Israeli-Hezbollah War broke out. The runways at the Beirut Airport were bombed and I was stuck in Paris for a week. There could be worse places to be stuck! When Read more

Church planters must come to grips with the reality that there is no guarantee of success in church planting if by success they think of having a large, self-supporting church with its own facilities, etc. God measures success differently and considers faithfulness the measure of ministry success. I have witnessed the birth of churches which have folded Read more

  All the guys on our leadership team are chaplains with the Philadelphia Police Clergy. One is in full time law enforcement. (You can see some of us in the pictures below with the mayor and police commissioner at National Night Out Against Crime.) We meet monthly with two district police captains and other clergy. Among the Read more

Someone asked me last week a question I've often heard: "Who is your target group?" By that they were asking if we trying to reach students (since we are in University City), middle-class professionals, Afro-Americans (since we are in West Philadelphia), immigrants, etc. My standard response is that at Grace Church we don't have a Read more

There are many things in church planting over which you have no control. Really over most things. You do what you know to do, can do, and then stand back and see God at work. I saw this while in line recently at the post office. I rarely stand in line at the post office, Read more

One of our elders at Grace Church, John Leone, has written and spoken extensively on the relationship of the gospel and mercy ministries. Please read this message he preached at our church.

From my conversations with pastors and church planters I do think that church planters are more attached to exploring missional ideas because they are looking for ways to bring the gospel to people rather than simply bringing people to church (although that's okay). I've spoken with church staff including pastors who told me that they can go Read more

Is there something about hands-on church planting and/or living and serving in urban areas which makes you think missionally in a different way? In other words, does context in some sense determine content, direct outreach and effect  outcomes? I'm wondering out loud as I hear debates on the missional church or on missional church planting. Read more

There seems to be a growing interest lately in many circles on missional churches, whether to understand, discuss, advocate, criticize, or misrepresent. (BTW, an upcoming conference should be of interest on the Missional Church Movement.) It has been rightly pointed out that there is a need for clear definitions. There has also been concern expressed about the centrality of proclamation.  In an Read more

We observe the Lord's Table each week at Grace Church. We don't say that weekly observance is a biblical mandate or think that since we do it this way all churches should. For us it has been a conscious decision and has become an integral part of our liturgy. Over the years I have heard Read more