Blog Pals....

Part of my homework for the John Paul II Media Institute this week is to create a blog entry that links to a video or podcast that I enjoyed.

I will do that, AND MORE... lol

Some good friends pastor in Ottawa, Ontario at a great church called the Life Centre (www.lifecentre.org). They are making the sharing of the teaching that happens at their church with others via the web a regular priority, and they have some excellent resources available for people.

There are a couple that I would like to share with you.

The church I attend, Alive Christian Church (www.alivechristianchurch.ca) is currently nearing the end of year 1 of a nearly 3 year long process designed to help us rekindle the passion for disciplemaking and shift the focus and efforts of our church to align with the great command and commission that Christ left for his church.

One of the things I am particularly challenged by and am thoroughly enjoying is examining our beliefs and attitudes about what a disciple is against the backdrop of scripture. Barry Boucher, team leader at the Life Centre, recently spoke about the process of making disciples, providing clarity about what's involved and demystifying it. I highly recommend you check it out. The video is 37MB- enjoy!

One of the other things that is emerging from this process for me is the need for believers to throw off the modern concept of individualized faith and recognize that the faith we have is not just about connecting vertically with God through experience and prayer, but it is equally about the journey of walking with Christ that we share with others who are following Christ. The richness and fibre of our faith is enhanced by commitment, interdependence and relationship with others. This podcast about community hilights some of these elements...

Since we're linking, Jason and Lori Boucher, who are the current associate pastors at the Life Centre, have recently begun individual blogs in an effort to communicate with their people and provide insight and wisdom about what it means to follow Christ and live in community with others. You can find Jason's blog here ( http://jasonboucher.typepad.com/jasonboucher/), and Lori's blog here (http://www.confessionsofapastorswife.blogspot.com/). They are two of my favourite people, and I can't express the amount of esteem I hold them in as leaders in the church. I hope you enjoy the resources I have mentioned above, and visit J and Lori's blogs often. They are refreshing and real people with a dedicated love for Christ.

Thanks! Check in with you again soon.