A week ago, Michelle and I moved into a new apartment. “The Experiment” is over, but the data is still being processed. The reason I haven’t posted much about it for the last six months is that most of what we learned and experienced was not interesting enough to share online. On the other hand, the interesting stuff is probably too personal to share online. So, there is not much left to say. Overall, I’d say it was a good experience, and under the right circumstances with the right people, I’d do something like it again. But, Michelle and I are happy to be in our own place again. We’re just a few blocks from Wheaton College. I can walk to class, and I am enjoying that a lot.
Because the last couple weeks were spent moving and unpacking I haven’t been able to blog much. I will slowly get back into the swing of things, I hope. Although, it may still be a month before I get rolling completely. I have final papers and exams coming faster than I like.
I have more thoughts on baptism, especially after going to the Easter Vigil at Church of the Resurrection, where they performed baptisms and recounted the rich Biblical imagery for baptism through Scripture reading. However, the series has gotten long, and probably less than interesting for most people. Plus, I’ve been getting comments from weirdo’s on the internet, and I don’t want to get attract any more of them. So, unless I have a request from someone reputable to continue on the topic, I’ll move on.
As more people are reading my blog, especially from my own community, I feel like I should start using it to address more of the particular concerns of my community, rather than just what tickles my fancy. I get a lot of questions emailed to me, and I love addressing people’s concerns. I might try and tackle more of the issues I get asked about here on the blog. So, if you have a question or an interesting thought, let me know, and we’ll talk about it.
All this is to say, real posts will be coming again soon. Stay tuned.
6 responses so far ↓
Dahvede // April 14, 2008 at 4:57pm
Hey man, glad you’re settled into the new place. Question that pertains to my situation at hand: How does one go about raising support for a ministry without pushing people or coming off as a “spiritual salesman,” yet still pursue informing people about what they are doing?
Brett Dunnam // April 14, 2008 at 7:13pm
Here is something that you should tackle: progressive revelation. I have not been able to find many good essays on it or anything and you have a very scripture based, straightforward presentation of material. It might be a big topic though, but think about it.
claytonius // April 15, 2008 at 12:07pm
Dah, it’s simple. D0n’t overthinking it. Just tell people what you are doing. Tell them how much money you need. Ask if they can help. Let them respond how they want.
2 things to remember: 1) Ministry requires resources. That includes money, time, manpower, etc. You are providing the manpower and the time. Someone else will supply the money. 2) Ministry is ALWAYS done in community, even when the community is sending you off individually. You are not the only one contributing to the ministry that you will be a part of in NZ. If God is calling you to go off to do something, he is also calling other Christians to support that. That means you are not asking people to “Support Dahvede! He’s doing something great!” You are asking people to join in a GROUP ministry in which you each provide some of the resources needed. Of course, this assumes that you have the prior approval, guidance, and support of your community to do what you are doing. Think about Paul and Barnabas. They were SENT OUT by the church in Antioch. They didn’t just GO OUT because they thought God wanted them to. God told the community to send them out.
That being said, relax about raising support. It is a normal, necessary part of ministry. No one thinks you are being a “salesmen” when you ask for help. Just be honest and upfront about how much you need and what you will be using it for.
Brett, I’d love to tackle the issue of progressive revelation. It might take some time to gather my thoughts, but I’ll see what I can do. Specific questions or concerns might help me know how to address it. What has been bugging/confusing/interesting you about it?
Marta // April 15, 2008 at 9:56pm
I was interested in the baptism topics you discussed, but if you just want to talk about your reflections over lunch some time…that would work too.
Brett Dunnam // April 15, 2008 at 11:40pm
I’ll come up with some verses/issues that have been making me think and then I’ll email them to you.
claytonius // April 18, 2008 at 8:24am
Marta, we can do lunch…but if my sister wants more thoughts on baptism, it’s worth my time to post them.
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