Encouragement from “AND” for Austin New Church

Last week in Orlando at the Exponential Church Planters Conference a new book was released in the Exponential Series by Zondervan called “AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church“. In it, authors Hugh Halter and Matt Smay (Tangible Kingdom) wrote some incredibly encouraging words about Austin New Church that I feel really captures our heart and [...]

Ministry in Ethiopia

Thanks ANC for allowing me the honor of representing you with our partner the Eden Projects in Africa. Amazing example of a holistic model of ministry. Who’d have thought that every tree planted has a face and a name? “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry [...]

Missional Church: Committed to Mission in 2010

This December has been quite a month for Austin New Church. We’ve been involved in a series of messages called “Advent Conspiracy” in which we are attempting to “Take back the story of Christmas” through (1) Worshipping Fully, (2) Spending Less, so that we can (3) Give more, and ultimately (4) Love All. Not only [...]

Advent Conspiracy: Spend Less.

To Listen or Download Sermon click HERE. When we fail to see our ABUNDANCE, we fail to see what we have as a GIFT.  Our perspective will be that it’s ours to SPEND instead of ours to STEWARD.  We won’t be THANKFUL for what we have, we’ll be less CONTENT, and we’ll constantly want MORE, [...]

Focus Week (Tuesday): Pure Religion.

What is it that really matters in our faith? That’s a great question to ask at Christmas. In fact, that’s a great question for any time. We like that question when we defend our religion. We don’t mind it when it comes to discussing the “way” we do church or the “style” we prefer in [...]

Missional Church: Year in Review

Many of you have requested an additional look at the ANC Mission Report for August 2008-September 2009. Below is from the document we handed out at our gathering this past Sunday. Please be in prayer as we consider both personally and corporately how we can “Love our Neighbor and Serve our City (and world)” even [...]

ANC Sermon Notes: Knowing – The Bible

(Sermon PodCast now available online by clicking HERE) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) PREMISE #1: When we pick and choose from scripture, we are ultimately placing more trust [...]

Proverbs 1 – Learners Again

This weekend Jen and I had the opportunity to fly to Chicago and share a little bit about what’s going on at Austin New Church with the leadership community of Community Christian Church. They just celebrated their 20-year anniversary with a single gathering from all of their nine area campuses. It’s a great church doing [...]

ANC Sermon Notes: “Knowing” – Introduction

Listen to this sermon ONLINE by Clicking HERE. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; [...]

Missional Church – Word on the Street

ANC friend and author of the Tangible Kingdom, Hugh Halter recently made a trip to Austin to do some leadership training for area churches forming incarnational community and/or seeking to take the missional plunge. He said some great things about Austin New Church, so I thought I’d share: I had the privilege of being in [...]