by Kimberly | Jun 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
This recipe is a result of good blog reading. I love Hannah’s blog – don’t know her personally, but I’ve been a fan of her blog for a few years now. She is a creative photographer, thinker, and baker. I wanted to bake something for our Singles Gathering at Providence the other night, so this is what I came up with. If you like butterscotch – these are dangerous. I had to get them out of my house and clean the bowl real quick so I wouldn’t lick it clean!
Makes 9×13 pan
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 (heaping) cup butterscotch chips
Mix dry. Melt butter. Stir together butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine with dry. Fold in butterscotch chips. Line pan with foil and spray. Dump in batter. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for about an hour and cut. Best when served warm in my opinion.
by Kimberly | Jun 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
I had a friend in the ministry tell me, “I wish every pastor would have to read Total Church.” That should give this book on practical ecclesiology merit in its own right. I don’t know if I would go as far as to say that – but I can definitely see its usefulness for ministry team discussions and personal wrestling with ecclesiology.
Timmis and Chester come from many years of pastoral and church planting ministry in the UK. That is what gives them credibility to write a book such as this. Their goal in writing is simple: how to be the church as a we – not an I – and how the gospel must shape that model.
The best part about this book is you almost have to engage it and think and process for this book to do you any good. They have designed it well that way; it is full of thought-provoking ideas.
The thing that is most difficult in this book is the UK slant. Yes, the church is the church is the church. But, the church will look different in different cultures. The examples from The Crowded House they use may not necessarily transfer to church in American culture – or in a non-Acts 29 church.
I think this book would best be read by 1) a ministry team in a local church. We just read through it as a ministry team at my church and we had good conversation on many aspects of this book and how we could incorpate/improve in many areas. 2) by a ministry student who is studying and then preparing to do full-time ministry. It is important to know and understand why you have the ecclesiology you hold to. If you don’t like multi-site, cell group, family integrated, seeker friendly, traditional SS model, etc – you should know why. You should definitely be able to articulute what is important to you in the life of a church. This book will help you clarify that belief.
“Where God’s Word is not heard, chaos and darkness close in again. God rules as his word is trusted and obeyed. God is rejected when his word is not trusted and not obeyed.” (p 25) I am so grateful to be in a church where the Word of God is clearly and passionately taught at every event I go to (whether singles events, youth training events, and most definitely the worship service on Sunday).
“Few Christians are going to object to being gospel-centered, just as no one is against mothers or apple pie. The problem is the gap between our rhetoric and the reality of our practice. The continual challenge for us is to apply this principle to church life and ministry without compromise.” (33)
“The UK (USA) will never be reached until we create open, authentic, learning and praying communities that are focused on making whole-life disciples who live and share the Gospel wherever they relate to people in their daily lives. We need non-full-time leaders who can model whole-life, gospel-centered, missional living. This means creating church cultures in which we see normal, celebrating day-to-day gospel living in the secular world and discussions of how we can use our daily routines for the gospel.” (37)
“God is at the center of the gospel word. Yet much evangelism tends to place people in that position. The gospel becomes skewed toward me and how Jesus meets my needs.” (55)
“We need to be communities of love. And we need to be seen to be communities of love. People need to encounter the church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter.” (59) Based on some recent conversations, perception is reality – for those people. We need to always strive to be reaching out to people – whether they look like they have it all together or not. People need people.
“The best thing we can do for the poor is offer them a place of welcome and community. People are often unaware of how much the culture of their church is shaped by their social class. Someone at the door of a church, for example, may hand a newcomer a hymnbook, a Bible, service guide, or bulletin with a small and greeting without realizing how intimidating these can be to someone from a nonliterate culture. The social activities to which the poor are invited, the decision-making processes of teh church, the unwritten dress codes, the style of teaching can all be alien to the marginalized.” (81). We take the culture of our church for granted. Would the poor feel welcome in a upper-class church? Would a traditional person feel welcome in a Acts 29/modern church? It goes both ways. And we always need to be aware of people who may not look like us – to make them feel just as welcome and to care for them.
“We have a simple rule of thumb in our church: if we do this as a family, we can do it as a church; if we would not do this as a family, why do it as a church?” (190). Baptism and Lord’s Supper – two ordinances Scripture gives the church – not the family. Acts 2 – clearly evidenced in both. Children and Youth Ministry – how most churches operate – is there a place for those ministries in Total Church churches?
This book is thought-provoking. Read through it critically.
by Kimberly | Jun 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
Love Mexican. It ranks up there with my fave foods. Can you go wrong (yes, you can, just let me tell you, bad Mexican is not good)? But, Mez is not one of them. This restaurant had been highly recommended to me – and it is owned by the same restaurant group that owns others I’ve loved (518 West, 411 West, Squids).
Unfortunately, my first taste of this restaurant was take out, but I’m not complaining. Its the best take out Mexican I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to actually go to the restaurant – I know it will be so much better. Authentic, contemporary Mexican – can it be done? Yes.
I had carne asada tacos – in corn tortillas (I would have preferred flour, but I was told these are more authentic). The meat wasn’t tough at all – and the gaucamole was fabulous. A perfect sauce to the seared meat.
You are going to pay for what you get – none of this 2$ taco thing. But, when they taste this great – its worth the money! I really want to go back and try everything on the menu? Who’s up for doing that with me?
by Kimberly | Jun 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
Pizza. You don’t usually associate Raleigh as being the pizza place. Well, Raleigh might not have great pizza – but as long as Lilly’s is in the city – we’ll have good pizza. When so many people recommend a place, I go with reservation. I hope it is going to be as good as everyone says, but have been let down in life with food choices of others, so I try to keep an open mind.
I was not disappointed. I went with a bunch of girlfriends on Memorial Day night. It is trendy, culture, eclectic place. Not Italian by any means. But, I loved the atmosphere. It was raining so we couldn’t sit outside, and I am wondering still if their a/c was broken because it was very warm in there. We arrived at 530 which was perfect because we were able to order our pizza and only had about a 10 minute wait in getting them. After 6, the wait is more like an hour if crowded. Note to consumer: go early!
It was hard making a choice, but room and I split one slice of their Big Star pizza: Homemade pesto, mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola, fontina, roasted red peppers & pistachios. Who would have thought pistachios on a pizza would be delicious. So so good. Also, I got their house salad: the croutons were made of pizza dough – how good is that. That’s a winner. Roasted pear vinaigrette – I was in heaven with that stuff. A dressing that I need to drink. That good. I tasted my friends stuffed mushrooms. Best I’ve had. Not too salty, so pretty to look at, and with pesto – can you go wrong? Roasted mushrooms filled with monterey jack, pesto, grilled shrimp and bacon. Topped with fresh basil!
So – note to self: split a slice, get a salad. Cheap and filling and delicious (if you can choose just one slice). Get there before 6pm. Enjoy yourself.
by Kimberly | Jun 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
I’m a little behind on my restaurant reviews – but here goes.
The American Tobacco district in Durham is home to some great night life, the Durham Bulls, and fabulous restaurants. Parking is not fun, especially when there is a football game, but it is a great way to spend a Friday night with friends.
Cuban Revolution is one of those places. The atmosphere is fun, eclectic, historical, cultural. The wait staff are wonderful and engaging and knowledgeable. The food – I really did love what I ordered.
We started with sweet potato fries. Good – but not the best I’ve had.
I ordered the Cuban salad – black beans and maduros – I fell in love. So good. Dressing on the side. Who knew maduros on a salad would be so good?
We went on a night with a baseball game across thestreet, so we had a pretty lengthy wait – but it was worth it, fun nightlife atmosphere, would be fun for some dancing if they ever had any times to do that, price was reasonable, and once the game started it cleared out and ended up as a quiet evening (until the game got out).
by Kimberly | Jun 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
God is a good God. He brings people into our lives that matter and remain. 10 years ago I met one of these authors; the other I met 3 years ago. Both will be in my life in some way shape or form hopefully for as far as the future goes.
Dr. Shane Parker, who now teaches in Pennsylvania, and I were seminary students at SEBTS together. We worked DNOWs together and served as part of different Centrifuge staffs. I love his wife and kids are precious. I love Shane’s humility, heart for the church and missions, and his love for his family. Shane would clearly rank in the top 10 guys I know in my life. Thank you Shane.
Dr. Michael Wilder, associate Dean in the School of Church Ministries at Southern in Louisville, was one of my bosses while I worked there from 2007-2010. Couple things I appreciated about him: he treated me as an equal and not as a secretary – he cared about my opnions and believes in the gifts and talents God has given me. He loves his family. He loves to cook (and is a good one).
The only two things about either one of these guys that I don’t care for is their choice of college football teams: South Carolina and Georgia, respectively. But, we all have our faults.
This new book by both of them is not one of those faults. I loved hearing them talk about this book in the office and hear their passion for what they were learning. Now that you know a little about the authors – let’s work on the book.
TransforMission (great title by the way) is about the impact of short term mission trips on the lives of youth (student ministry) and how it can be a sanctifying agent in their lives and in the ministry as a whole. This title is seen clearly throughout the book as they keep their goal insight and never leave it behind.
If you aren’t a statistician (like me), I ask that you persevere through the first chapters. The authors do a skilled job at providing the reader with tons of research, well-done research, broad and indepth research on short term missions and churches.
Here is where I think Wilder and Parker excel:
1. My favorite part of the book is definitely the personal stories that each of them tell by some time each of them have spent on the mission field. I saw this book put in action by the telling of those stories. I had heard them both before – but seeing them written anchored that truth to me – the gospel is for the World – and these two men breathe this.
2. They keep their goal in mind. In all 200+ pages of TransforMission I never wonder why I am reading it. They know that mission trips, however long they might be, serve youth by changing their Americanized culture mindset and giving them a look at the world God created for His glory. They know that if youth pastors can give their students a view of the world – they will never be the same.
3. This book is filled with the Word. They don’t just rely on personal experience or research studies. They take it back to the infallible Word of God for the base of their study. They walk through the NT for its views and emphasis on sanctification. It was neat to see how different books of the NT had a different focus on sanctification. You can clearly see they hold the Word as their authority.
4. TransforMission has clear guidelines on how to do this. I think this book would be very useful in a seminary classroom or for a youth pastor who is fighting upstream at getting the other staff/parents at his church to see the importance of taking his students across the world. I once heard a seminary prof/pastor/friend say that it is not dangerous to send your kids overseas – it is dangerous not to. What he meant by that is it is harming your students if you allow them to stay chained to this weak American culture Christianity and never see what God is doing in the world. Videos and biographies can only do some much. My trip to SE Asia in 2005 helped shape me (you can read about it on page 64 in TransforMission, my first published writing). To see college students lives changed by seeing the devastating effects of the 2004 tsunami and the cold lies of the Islamic religion – and then to see some of those very students give their lives over the past years to serve over there – giving up (even for a short time) the American dream of getting a great job right out of college, getting married, owning their home…was humbling and causes me to praise Christ.
If you are involved at all in missions, discipleship, youth ministry, college ministry – you would be wise to pick up this book. This will help strengthen your argument for short term missions. My first one was in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I’m so thankful for Tommy Warnock at FBC Plant City who had a vision to take high school students to Gatlinburg TN and let us experience teaching kids the gospel. Then to Charleston, Costa Rica, Alaska, Russia, SE Asia, Thailand, New York City. Let me go back, Lord. Keep opening the doors.
I hope by reading this book you are compelled to proceed with getting your students and self overseas – no matter for what length of time.
So, when’s the next plane leave RDU?
“Firsthand exposures to the realities, people, and impact of a life lived on mission can enable the participant to get his hands dirty in genuine missions environments. In this way, contact through short-term mission is one gateway of seeing our world and our commission more clearly.” (p 46)
“We have realized that for students to become true disciples, they must themselves become concerned and active disciplers of the nations. If this generation will be influenced and developed toward, engaged in, and assessed for growth unto a global vision and life, God will raise them up to change the lives of whole tribes, communities, and nations.” (p 237)
This recipe is a result of good blog reading. I love Hannah’s blog – don’t know her personally, but I’ve been a fan of her blog for a few years now. She is a creative photographer, thinker, and baker. I wanted to bake something for our Singles Gathering at Providence the other night, so this is what I came up with. If you like butterscotch – these are dangerous. I had to get them out of my house and clean the bowl real quick so I wouldn’t lick it clean!
