by Jason Joyner | Jan 15, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
For those who may remember, there was a great book by Bob Briner that discussed the same topic I’ve been addressing lately: Roaring Lambs. I can’t believe it is from 1993! (How long ago was that again?) It may be hard to find now, but it should be well worth it. His idea was basically that Christians needed to be salt and light in the world. Definitely not a new concept, but it seems that God’s people constantly need reminding about getting out and reaching people. Just like the disciples who wouldn’t leave Jerusalem in Acts until there was persecution to force them out to Judea and Samaria.
Today’s sphere is the Family and the Home. This may not seem like a field that Christians would go out into as a professional, but there is no denying the influence that family and home has on culture in general and people specifically. We know that people can turn out well from broken households, and a good family is no guarantee of kids growing up well. Yet the vast majority will stay true to what they are raised with at home.
I think fields like counseling move into this arena. There’s a lot of secular ideology in the counseling and social work fields – all the more reason to have Christians who are strong in their faith and a Biblical worldview to enter this area to touch families where it is needed.
Everyday Christians can do a lot to minister to individual families of kids that come into their lives. Of course, prayer is a vital area, and this is one that we should not neglect. God longs to put the lonely into families – it is His heart, so it should be ours as well.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 14, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
I have to say that I’m feeling pretty rushed through this little series, and I don’t feel like I’m always able to get my thoughts out the way I want. Before the end of the year, I’d post at lunch at work, and I had time to get my points together. Now I’m squeezing blogging into home and family time, and I fear I’m not coming across the way I want. But there’s nothing else to do but press ahead, for now.
One more thing to say in general regarding the Seven Spheres of Influence. Like I said originally, I learned this at YWAM. This teaching was meant to emphasize that we can be missionaries wherever we are called to. Not every one is meant to stay in YWAM – most aren’t in fact. The leaders there realized this, and began to work on training people to be missionaries in every field, not just under the specific term “missionary”.
Saying that, Sunday’s sphere of influence is actually the Church. Yes, the church needs people to come to it with the idea that they will do everything for God’s glory and to reach people with the gospel. It may be a sad thing to say, but sometimes this doesn’t happen. But it is also more benign than that. There is no denying that religion is a major sphere of influence in culture, and we need to recognize that.
I don’t pretend to have the goods to change the church in general. However, I hope my blogging can bring up issues that enlighten people to things they haven’t thought of. Also at church, I try to be a catalyst for things that God may be trying to show us there. Since I have had some varied experiences, I try to bring that to the table and offer it up for consideration.
We need to be as mission-minded in church as we are in any other endeavor we take on. It shouldn’t be overlooked just because it is our own backyard.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 14, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
I have to say that I’m feeling pretty rushed through this little series, and I don’t feel like I’m always able to get my thoughts out the way I want. Before the end of the year, I’d post at lunch at work, and I had time to get my points together. Now I’m squeezing blogging into home and family time, and I fear I’m not coming across the way I want. But there’s nothing else to do but press ahead, for now.
One more thing to say in general regarding the Seven Spheres of Influence. Like I said originally, I learned this at YWAM. This teaching was meant to emphasize that we can be missionaries wherever we are called to. Not every one is meant to stay in YWAM – most aren’t in fact. The leaders there realized this, and began to work on training people to be missionaries in every field, not just under the specific term “missionary”.
Saying that, Sunday’s sphere of influence is actually the Church. Yes, the church needs people to come to it with the idea that they will do everything for God’s glory and to reach people with the gospel. It may be a sad thing to say, but sometimes this doesn’t happen. But it is also more benign than that. There is no denying that religion is a major sphere of influence in culture, and we need to recognize that.
I don’t pretend to have the goods to change the church in general. However, I hope my blogging can bring up issues that enlighten people to things they haven’t thought of. Also at church, I try to be a catalyst for things that God may be trying to show us there. Since I have had some varied experiences, I try to bring that to the table and offer it up for consideration.
We need to be as mission-minded in church as we are in any other endeavor we take on. It shouldn’t be overlooked just because it is our own backyard.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 13, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
Today’s focus on Seven Spheres of Influence on culture is the reason I wanted to talk about this on my blog. Saturday is a great day to consider the impact Christians can have on the Arts and Entertainment.
I am very thankful for the worlds of Christian publishing and music. However, there is no reason why we shouldn’t have more Christians involved in creating the highest quality entertainment and art in all fields: theatre, movies, literature, music, painting, and more. I’ve talked plenty about this subject before. I won’t necessarily rehash all of those points again (unless anyone out there has questions).
It is very sad that Christians had abandoned the arts as far as producing it to appeal to the masses over the last 50 years or so. As a group we have had so many striking individuals, from Bach to Lewis and Tolkien, contribute great examples of their craft that was appreciated by the world. I don’t know why there was a large move away from this in America over the last several decades.
Thankfully, some of this may be changing. The need to engage in creativity and excellence is being noted by Christians across many artistic fields. I think of Barbara Nicolsi as a Hollywood script writer and activist for encouraging faith in her field. David Cunningham is the son of YWAM founder Loren Cunningham, but his mission field is being a major film director. Fiction from a Christian perspective won a major victory with Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, as it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. These are just a few examples of what is happening in this arena.
I really hope that we can see more Christians enter the artistic fields, offering up challenging, beautiful art, that is a credit to our faith and our Creator. We know how much influence entertainment can have on a culture. Let us rise up as people who love Jesus to be excellent in our respective craft and make a difference.
Edit from 1/13: Got this link for the article “Christians, Get Creative” from The Point.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 13, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
Today’s focus on Seven Spheres of Influence on culture is the reason I wanted to talk about this on my blog. Saturday is a great day to consider the impact Christians can have on the Arts and Entertainment.
I am very thankful for the worlds of Christian publishing and music. However, there is no reason why we shouldn’t have more Christians involved in creating the highest quality entertainment and art in all fields: theatre, movies, literature, music, painting, and more. I’ve talked plenty about this subject before. I won’t necessarily rehash all of those points again (unless anyone out there has questions).
It is very sad that Christians had abandoned the arts as far as producing it to appeal to the masses over the last 50 years or so. As a group we have had so many striking individuals, from Bach to Lewis and Tolkien, contribute great examples of their craft that was appreciated by the world. I don’t know why there was a large move away from this in America over the last several decades.
Thankfully, some of this may be changing. The need to engage in creativity and excellence is being noted by Christians across many artistic fields. I think of Barbara Nicolsi as a Hollywood script writer and activist for encouraging faith in her field. David Cunningham is the son of YWAM founder Loren Cunningham, but his mission field is being a major film director. Fiction from a Christian perspective won a major victory with Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, as it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. These are just a few examples of what is happening in this arena.
I really hope that we can see more Christians enter the artistic fields, offering up challenging, beautiful art, that is a credit to our faith and our Creator. We know how much influence entertainment can have on a culture. Let us rise up as people who love Jesus to be excellent in our respective craft and make a difference.
Edit from 1/13: Got this link for the article “Christians, Get Creative” from The Point.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2008 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Christianity, culture, ministry, missions
I’m continuing on with looking at seven areas that pretty much encompass all of society, dubbed “Seven Spheres of Influence.” I know this is a very late Friday post (read: Saturday), but in the YWAM prayer diary it suggests praying for Business and Commerce on Fridays.
This is a pretty broad category that can include areas such as science and health care as well. When this is taken into account, there are so many areas that Christians can impact acting as professionals in these fields.
One of the basic areas in this area is the impact of general integrity a Christian can provide. I know there are many non-Christians with integrity in these areas, but there’s a lot of potential for abuse as well. I know of Christian businessmen who have gone overseas and have really made a difference with all of the graft and corruption that goes on in other countries. Integrity plays a role in all of the various business areas, but a special emphasis on science is crucial. Proper interpretation and ethical consideration is an addition from believers in this field. I think of being in the medical field myself, and the rapidly changing landscape due to scientific advances such as gene therapy. I need to stay educated on the issues to be able to discuss them and the ethical ramifications.
Another area is the plain fact of making money. The love of money is a root of evil, but money itself is neutral. Having Christian professionals who are able to raise capital and support other missionary endeavors. We need knowledgeable people who are gifted at what they do to go into the areas they are called to, and there they can make a great impact.
Hopefully this idea is starting to seep in. I remember a story from early in YWAM’s development. Two men came to Loren Cunningham (the founder), feeling a call to missions while he spoke at their church. Their question was how God could use heavy equipment operators. They ended up serving to build a road to a village in Africa. Wherever you are in your life, you can be used by God!
