Good Article in Adventist Review Online

This is an article worth reading, and re-reading. It has implications for our group and its role within the wider fellowship. My vision (and that of others who seek to shape what the Study Group is) is that to be part of our group is to participate in a transformative process that touches us personally, as opposed to 'consuming' another form of Christian ministry. Have a read of this article and let me know whether you share this vision.

http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=857

The end of 2006 is a good time to ask ourselves some questions regarding transformation. As a member of the Bible Study Group,
(a) do we have a deeper understanding of God's word than we did at the beginning of the year?
(b) are you more strongly drawn to God than you were at the beginning of the year?

An excerpt from the article to raise your interest.

"Generally speaking, what today’s Church is doing isn’t working," claims John White, a house church coach in Denver. "According to recent Barna statistics, during the last 50 years there has been more Christian activity than any time in history, and yet the church’s impact on the culture and quality of discipleship in the churches has continually declined. There are certainly exceptions, but overall, the system is broken."

So why is the house church model a potentially better solution for impacting the culture? For Brad Cecil, a pastor of Axxess, network of house churches in Fort Worth, Texas, that question can be answered in one word: transformation.

"Transformation is a slow, steady process that occurs as we share life with people, and a house church environment is much more conducive to this phenomenon," said Cecil. "Many churches celebrate the idea that people show up and consume their sermons, songs and ministries. But consumption is not transformative! I don’t think much transformation is occurring in many churches today—just a lot of activity."