Clover is a great website building company.

They built the template for our website, and we supplied the graphic design... it's SO customizable, I love it!

www.okcbiblemethodist.org

And check them out (full disclosure, this is a referral program, and if you buy, I get $100.) :-)

http://www.cloversites.com/f/darrellstetlerii

Blessings,
Darrell

Things I'm thinking now...

I am currently disturbed about the Conservative Holiness Movement and specifically the Bible Methodist Connection (of which I am a part - www.biblemethodist.org) in this specific area:

1. Ecclesiology
Over the last 2-3 years, a nagging distubance in this area has become growing certainty that we do not take biblical ecclesiology seriously.
> What is the nature of the Church?
> What is a local church?
> Who leads a local church?
> What is an elder, and what are his biblical qualifications? (Yes, I did intend to put "his" there...)
> What does an elder look like in the local church?
> Is there any biblical precendent for a single elder in a local church?

I'm not saying I've got it all down, here. I'm struggling to integrate this thinking into my own work here in OKC. It will probably take 5 years to fully integrate all that I am learning into what I'm actually doing.

Subcategory: Church planting.
I feel that we have planted churches that we have set up for failure (at worst) or anemia (at best) by ignoring the biblical practices of planters...
* what kind of preparations did they make?
* what kind of team did they assemble?
* what kind of strategy did they use to launch?
etc.

I believe that prayer that Jesus will "build His church" is limited in its effectiveness at best if we do not know what it is, how it should be started & led, and whether or not it should prevail... and what that looks like.

Blessings,
Darrell

I suppose I might as well.

I suppose I will go ahead and enter the blogosphere.

With such half-hearted entrance, I hope not to raise expectations too high. :-) Not that anyone is expecting much out of me, anyway...

I am going to use this blog to "learn out loud," share my struggles theologically, biblically, pastorally and spiritually. I will post thoughts that I am currently percolating, leading to eventual sermon series, etc.

I probably won't post often, and will use Twitter when I do post an update.

I'm ambivalent as to whether to vlog this with my webcam, etc. I will update on what I'm currently thinking... rant, etc.

Blessings,
Darrell