Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

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You are here: Home / Archives for Community

Helping Christian Community Thrive: What Do You Teach?

August 18, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen 6 Comments

A new community blossomed after that first Christian Pentecost. Not only did 3,000 get baptized into the Body of Christ after Peter’s first sermon. They found an effective way to live the faith together — a way so appealing to outsiders that day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being […]

Filed Under: Calvin, Community

Helping Christian Community Thrive: What Are Your Priorities?

August 11, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen 7 Comments

I’m fascinated by the second chapter of Acts. On that first Christian Pentecost, Peter and the whole apostolic gang were hiding out. Then suddenly they were filled with God’s own Spirit. They left their bunker and joined the crowd at the great Jewish festival in Jerusalem and began to bear witness to Christ. Peter preached […]

Filed Under: Community, Ministry, Theology

Keeping Our True Orientation to Communion (Heidelberg Catechism, Q55)

July 28, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen 8 Comments

Last week I posted that the church is most the church when it is in worship, on Sunday morning, receiving the Lord’s Supper. My friend and colleague Chris James left a thoughtful reply disagreeing with me. I see his point. Isn’t this actually the problem in mainstream Christianity? We neglect the mission of God in the world because we are […]

Filed Under: Community, Heidelberg Catechism, Theology, Worship Tagged With: Church, Communion, Eucharist, Lord's Supper

Church and Community: What Are You Aiming to Be?

July 22, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

There is a huge amount of energy right now around creating new worshipping communities. That’s good: Like all living things, the Church needs to grow or we will die. But all that ferment should prompt some questions: What makes a “community” a “church”? What are we aiming to be? I’ve blogged off and on about the many forms […]

Filed Under: Community, Theology Tagged With: 1001 New Worshipping Communities, Cafe church, Church in a pub, Church under a bridge, Ecclesiology, Internet church, Missional Church

How to Renew Your Church: A Page from John Calvin’s Playbook

July 7, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

I took another trip  in the time machine recently. I went back to Calvin’s Geneva again. Okay. Not really. It was a Skype call with a friend from seminary: the Rev. Jerry McKinney. I interviewed him for a class I teach on forms of Christian community. But I’m telling you, the story of Jerry’s pastoral ministry is […]

Filed Under: Bible, Calvin, Community Tagged With: Calvin's Geneva

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Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

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