A man who encourages me

Over the next few days, I going to send out a four short posts by Dr. Kent Smith. These posts are designed to help us think deeply about this idea of church as "a vibrant family of Jesus". But, today I want to tell you why Kent encourages me.

He encourages me because he is doing deep thinking and writing about the nature of church. You see, this house church "thing" is not just another new program or gimmick or fad. Rather, it represents a fundamental paradigm shift with deep theological roots. And, Kent, is one of the foremost thinkers in this area. He is a seminary professor. See http://www.acu.edu/academics/gst/faculty/smith.html And, he leads the most effective graduate level training program for church planters that I know of. See http://www.acu.edu/academics/gst/documents/MRNADescription.pdf

But, more than all of that, Kent is a good friend. We connect every week on the phone and do SASHET together. We share our lives and pray together. So, I know that the things he writes about are not just theory for Kent. This is what he believes and what he lives.

So, take a close look at his posts over the next few days. Ask questions. Make comments. Jump in.

John