Thank You Lord for John Stott

By Yancey Arrington | July 27, 2011

John R. W. Stott (1921-2011)

I shed a few tears today upon hearing the news that John Stott, at the ripe age of 90, died. A leader among the British evangelical world, Stott was former rector (read ‘pastor’) of All Souls Church in London, author of some 50+ books and one of the sharpest theological minds around. He was a hero in the faith to me.

His book, The Cross of Christ, was recommended by great men in my life. After reading it I could see why. The book plainly yet eruditely expounded upon the importance and centrality of the crucifixion. It has been – and likely will be – one of the greatest, most influential, books I will ever read. If you haven’t read it. Buy it today. Read it as soon as you can and be blessed by it!

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Stott when he visited Houston several years ago. A friend invited me to hear him at St. John the Divine, and I jumped at the chance. He preached a straightforward, biblically sound exposition of a specific Scriptural passage which blew me away because it was so very unspectacular. No grandiose opening illustration. No bellybusting humor. No riveting narrative. Just clear, accurate teaching from God’s word. It was refreshing and instructive for a young preacher sitting in the pew that evening. Afterward I shared a few words of gratitude with Dr. Stott. He was kind, gracious and left a lasting impression on me.

Only this past May I found myself at his church, All Souls in London. I and my traveling team barely missed the evening service (they had dimissed merely a minute before). However, I counted it a privilege merely to have walked into the church building. For some reason, it felt special to have been in the same sanctuary in which a hero of mine had given his life to the preaching of God’s Word.

So it is with a heavy heart and numerous tears that I grieve my British brother’s death. While I know his is a greater reward at present, Dr. John Robert Walmsley Stott will be sorely missed by many. You can certainly count me among that number.

Thank you Lord for the life and ministry of John Stott.

NOTE: Here is a video in memory of Dr. Stott

Posted in Current events | Leave a comment

Thinking (and Interacting) Rightly

By Yancey Arrington | July 20, 2011

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a fellow staff member who was distressed at watching a video that not only proclaimed a different way to do the ministry he oversaw but said the current way he was doing ministry was unbiblical. After watching the video I could see why he would be upset. However, instead of simply telling him what I thought of said video, I encouraged him to work through the following questions in order to truly interact well with what he’d seen and heard because how do you know if you’re right or wrong if you really don’t know why you’re right or wrong?

Here are the questions:

  1. What claims are they making?
  2. How do they defend those claims?
  3. Is their thinking sound – logically, biblically, etc.?
  4. How does their position interact with mine?
  5. How do I defend my claims?
  6. Is my thinking sound – logically, biblically, etc.? (for example, Does it grieve me because I know they’re wrong or because it contradicts what I currently do?)
  7. Where do I stand after interacting with all of this?

Far too often we merely get angry at a contrary opinion because it confronts all we’ve ever known about something. But that is not a good enough reason for our displeasure. Opposing ideas may  expose our lack of discernment, shallow doctrinal depth, or (heaven forbid) our lemming-esque attachment to wrong ideas. That’s when facing a contradictory view is a good thing.

Working through these questions helps us think critically about what we’ve heard, what we know and what we need to do about it. I’m confident there are better questions to ask when confronted with contrary opinions/teachings, but I’m also confident not working through any will only leave many stunted and disadvantaged when it comes to engaging ideas of every shade.

Posted in Discipleship | 1 Comment

Sunday Service Evaluation Questions

By Yancey Arrington | July 5, 2011

Here are questions our teams in charge of putting together weekend worship services (e.g, teaching, music, sound, etc.) asks each week. These are intended to keep our services missionally-focused and intentionally-driven for our specific context. I’m sure over time we will add and delete questions as we get smarter, but for the moment, here is our current set of questions.

Was the service…

  1. Gospel-centered: Did we show the glory and sufficiency of the Person & Work of Jesus?
  2. High challenge: Did we call people to life under Christ?
  3. Bible connected: Did we display the Bible as our final authority?
  4. Authentic: Did we give the truth without spin?
  5. Male-focused: Would this speak to a man?
  6. Missional: Did we call people to live on mission for God?
  7. Excellent: Did we do the best with what we have?
  8. Next-step: Did we tell people where to go with their commitment?
  9. Provocative/Risk: Did we keep the right tensions in the right places?
  10. Story: Did we involve the story of others to point to the One Story?

For your context, you may have better/different questions to ask of the intentionality of your services. If so, what would be your questions on Monday about Sunday?

Posted in church, preaching | 2 Comments

Acts 29 Retreat in Vail

By Yancey Arrington | June 26, 2011

Over the past week my wife, along with two other couples from our church staff, made our way to Vail, Colorado, to spend time being refreshed with fellow Acts 29 Network pastors and their wives. I am continually grateful for the partnership I share with Acts 29. The men (and women) who make up this community dedicated to reaching the world with the gospel through church planting has been a boon for me both ministerially and personally. The retreat gave me time to reflect on a few reasons I so deeply love this fraternity of faithful shepherds…

  1. Brotherhood. Leading a church is like climbing Everest. Very few can thrive in the thin air of constant critique, wayward staff and problems too numerous to count. Right or wrong, the result is an overwhelming sense of loneliness. That’s why it’s so important to find other like-minded pastor-climbers. They ‘get you,’ understand your struggles and can laugh heartily at your gallows humor, finishing with the punchlines of their own broken story. Acts 29, this cohort of climbers, has been a band of brothers for me unlike I’ve ever encountered in ministry.
  2. Theology. What we believe is, and always will be, important. At least it should be. Frankly, I struggle to respect ministers who’ve left their doctrine on the top shelf in ministry in lieu of the easy reach of pragmatism. A pastor who ‘isn’t really into theology’ (something one local pastor actually told me) is akin to a doctor informing you he really isn’t into medicine. However, the truth is, one always (and I mean always) impacts the other. Acts 29 not only understands this maxim but is rooted in it. Far from being doctrinaire prigs, this collection of leaders is outpacing most, if not all, church planting endeavors in the States yet is robustly committed to biblical soundness. It’s a community where doctrinal distinctives are rightfully seen as a strength not weakness. For that I’m very grateful.
  3. Humility. Unfortunately, I think  many within the network are often painted as stiff-necked, arrogant power-mongers who desire to mow people down in their pursuit of whatever is at the end of their bulls-eye. While I’m sure some have fit that description in certain times and places, from my experience, I’ve seen a tremendous amount of humility in the men whose paths I’ve crossed. From leaders who’ve confessed of deep, painful personal struggles to those who welcome direct correction and accountability, Acts 29 has been a rich garden in which I’ve witnessed the growth of grace in the hearts of rebels turned sons.
  4. Fellowship. If brotherhood is a connection of heart, fellowship is a connection of sharing. Acts 29 is a place where I can hear from others, bounce ideas off friends, be encouraged by prayer, deepen relationships with old friends and lay the foundation with new friends. Like Howard Schultz’ hope for Starbucks, the network has become a ministerial ‘third place’ for me that stretches between home and church. It’s an avenue where I can speak/pray/counsel with fellow husband/father/pastor/leaders. And not only for me, but for my wife as well. In Acts 29, my spouse has found sisters-on-mission who’ve blessed her greatly and connected with her deeply. So very grateful…
  5. Grace. I think, in the end, what God is doing through Acts 29 is wholly, completely an act of grace. After being around men and women who are passionately pursuing Jesus and given to the mission of the gospel with hearts full of faith and hope, I simply want to stand back and watch in amazement to God’s great work. But that isn’t the call. Ours is to jump in with both feet and not only witness but enjoin this great and good mission for the King. Oh that God would continue to use Acts 29 in it. Grace upon grace.

There’s more to write but I’ll leave it for now. Needless to say, I’m grateful to God for the men and women who make up the family of the Acts 29 Network and the blessing to be a part of it.

Posted in church planting, Current events | 2 Comments

Friends on the Inside

By Yancey Arrington | June 13, 2011


“A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
- Proverbs 18:24

Every year I take a trip with my college friends called ‘Fandango.’ Many times those annual escapades find us in the Texas Hill Country. It’s a place where we, as young, bright-eyed students at Baylor University, gazed at night skies dancing with stars, floated in tire tubes on the oh-so-wonderful waters of the Guadalupe River and swapped dreams with one another as we enjoyed the finest of cuisine we could throw on the grill. It was perfect years ago and still perfect today.

But what ‘makes ‘ the trip isn’t the beautiful scenery. That’s only the icing on the cake. The cake is the friendships. I believe great friendships, like great teams, are forged. Time, experiences (both good and bad) and love make the best ingredients for true friends, but in a world where we find ourselves increasingly isolated it seems those elements are in short supply. We far too often waste our days settling for the cheap, thin, pseudo-community in cyberland where we can give people what we want, take the same and close it down with a click. Is it evil? I don’t think so. But it surely isn’t a replacement. I’d argue, for many, it’s a weak and soul-shrinking diversion to what really matters.

The truth is few of us are really known. Even fewer are known and accepted. Most of the time it’s easy for people to know you only on the outside – things you like, music you love, hobbies you enjoy, places you go, etc. Friends on the outside are miles wide but inches deep. But rarely are there those who’ve been with you through thick and thin, who’ve got more than a decade of mileage with you, who’ve committed to stay in touch even when you move away…get married…have kids…

Blessed is the man who has friends on the inside.

Friends on the inside know you better than you know yourself. They are the safest people in the world, not because they won’t tell you the truth – they will – but you know without a shadow of doubt they’re in your corner rooting for you to do well. They love you and don’t mind telling you they do. They are the folks you talk to when you can’t talk to anyone else. They pray for you and don’t have to be prompted to do so. They get angry at your stupid choices because they really do care. They’re vested in you. To be with them is like breathing oxygen. You need it. They need it. It makes life all the sweeter.

Everyone needs ‘Inside Friends.’

So, maybe for some, that demands turning away from the computer to the phone in order to reconnect with that most precious of commodities – friends on the inside. Call them up. Make a date to meet up somewhere to share hugs, stories and hopes. You’re only getting older, and every year that passes is one less year to be together. Make an effort in this season of your life to be as intentional with inside friends as outside friends. Believe me, it’s very worth it!

Posted in Current events, Friendships | 6 Comments

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