THREE WORLDS...Explained, Part Two...

By now, you've heard and seen "Three Worlds" a number of times.


Hopefully you read my earlier blog post beginning to explain "Three Worlds."


Let me continue explaining this revolutionary approach to missions.

In addition to having an in-built system of support and accountability (our Three Worlds Team), we will be living and working within three very different worlds of Christian faith.

And no, I don't mean "Catholics, Baptists, and Church of God folks."


The three worlds of Christian faith are these:


1.) The Traditional Church


2.) The Post-modern/Post-Christendom Church

                             and

3.) The Non-Western/Acts 2 Church

The Traditional Church is the Church in which I was raised, and (largely) the Church in which I have ministered over the past decade. This is the Church that is established and accepted in its local context. People understand you when you say, "I'm going to Church," and they don't automatically look down upon you for doing so. This is the Church that still (largely) exists in the MidWest of the USA. But it is on the decline as the society around it continues to evolve and morph into something other than Mayberry (RIP Sheriff Taylor).

The Post-Modern/Post-Christendom Church is the Church in which we will largely be working in Europe. It is the Church that struggles to exist and maintain its identity as distinctive and holy in the midst of an ever-encroaching surrounding culture of Secularism. The culture around this Church is no longer understanding and accepting of the Church. People are less likely to understand you when you say "I'm going to Church," and if they do, in light of scandals and the ongoing science-faith battle, they are more inclined to look down upon you or write you off as uneducated. This Church has a struggle on its hands to make inroads with the surrounding culture(s) and display the Church to be something positive and something worthwhile in the 21st Century.

The Non-Western, or Acts 2, Church is the Church that is largely comprised of new believers, many from outside "the West," and many who don't struggle to reconcile Christian faith with their historical culture. Faith is easy for this Church and they have little difficulty believing in a supernatural God who works in ways Science and Reason cannot make sense of.

I want to be very clear about something.

All THREE of these expressions of the Church are right.

The issue is not that one's better than the other, and we're trying to support just that one while quietly allowing the other two to fade into oblivion. That's not the case at all! The reality is that since all three exist, we must seek to support and strengthen all three, and allow the Spirit to continue to blow as it will.

Within the context of the Netherlands, and Europe/TME, Christy and I (and Sofie...) will be forced to operate within and minister to all three of these different worlds of Christian faith regularly.

In addition to doing this because it is what the Lord has called us to do, and in addition to supporting and equipping specifically the "Post-Christendom" Church because they need help navigating their secular culture while maintaining their distinctive, holy (Gk.: "set-apart") faith, let me tell you one more reason why what we are going to do is important.

The Traditional Church of Today is the Post-Modern/Post-Christendom Church of Tomorrow.

With the de-evolution of Mayberry here in the MidWest (USA), for example, the Role of, the Identity of, and the Importance of the Church is ever changing as well.

Hopefully what we will experience, and the responsive methods we will develop can be effective in ministering to the Post-Christendom Church of Today in Europe/TME. And hopefully this experience can better lead us to help guide the Post-Christendom Church of Tomorrow, which is currently the Traditional Church of Today.

Stay Tuned for Part Three of Three Worlds Explained.

Introducing Sofie Rose Kihm!

Friends, please meet our new daughter!!!

Sofie Rose Kihm was born on Wednesday 11 July 2012 @ St. John's Hospital in Anderson, IN.

She weighed in at 8 lb. 4 oz., measuring 21 inches. Mom and Baby are both doing great.

We look forward to introducing our sweet daughter to the goodness of the Lord and the people of God.

Tenth Anniversary: DEpendence Day

Ten Years Ago, right now, where were you at? What were you doing?

I'll forever remember exactly where I was on 4 July 2002.

I was in Evert, MI, working at Spring Hill Camp. Lunch had finished, and I had gone with my 7th grade boys to the Activity Field.

Ten years ago, almost to this exact minute, I was lying on the field writhing in agony, unable to move my left leg.

Two surgeries and innumerable PT sessions later, here I am: Ten years removed from shattering my left kneecap.

I wasn't doing anything reckless. I wasn't doing anything dangerous. I was simply running across a field when my quadricep muscles randomly overpowered my left patella and snapped it in two.

And, to be realistically dramatic, my life was changed forevermore.

The remainder of that summer saw me lying on a bed allowing my knee to heal, not bending it or putting any weight on my left leg. I was given ample time to wrestle with God, a la Jacob.

"WHY did this happen to me?!" While that is fodder for much longer writings, allow me to simply say that one thing I learned from this experience is my complete Dependence on God.

While I have experienced much discomfort, pain, inability, random swelling, etc. in my left knee, I rejoice that I have healed to the point that I have, and I am able to do infinitely more than the surgeons told me I'd ever be able to again do.

And every year since, on this day when so many of my friends and family light things on fire and celebrate "Independence," I (quite cautiously, sedentarily, and thankfully) celebrate "Dependence."

In John's Gospel, Jesus says these words: "Apart from me, you can do nothing." While this application is  not exactly what he meant, nevertheless for me there is truth in this statement. I can do nothing apart from God. I am nothing apart from God.

I challenge you on this day to reflect on the importance of God in your life, and to give thanks unto the Creator God for blessing you with all that you are and have.

If I could go back in time ten years, amongst lots of other lessons and warnings, I'd tell my 22 year-old self these reminders: "Be safe. And no matter what, remember that God is with you."

THREE WORLDS...Explained, Part One...

By now, you've probably heard Christy and I say "Three Worlds" this and "Three Worlds" that a number of times.


I know some of you are quite familiar with "Three Worlds," and others, not so much.


HERE is a link to the website for Three Worlds. (I've actually put many links in the above lines, so happy clicking--All roads lead to Oz).


In a nutshell, aside from our specific responsibilities in The Netherlands, we will be a part of the Three Worlds Team.


What this means is that we will be functioning alongside the other Church of God Missionaries working in the region of "Europe & The Middle East." We will be a built-in support and accountability system for one another. Thus, none of us will be working in Isolation.


This is a very healthy method of doing ministry. However, if you have experience in ministry, or are familiar with ministers, chances are you will readily agree that this is sadly quite unusual!


Over the past 7 years of serving as a Senior Pastor in Anderson, IN, I've known entirely too many ministers who experience burn-out, frustration, and develop unhealthy outlets for stress (or suffer unhealthy results of stress). In addition to personal fizzling-out, this wreaks havoc on families. And congregations. And further contributes to a negative view of Christ and the Church.


Part of the Team-based approach of Three Worlds is intended to curb these typical results, and prolong the health of the individual ministers in the region as well as the congregations we will be serving.


Stay Tuned for Part Two of Three Worlds Explained.