Reformational vs. "just reformed"

I am now back from a two week vacation and will hopefully resume consistent posting.  Gotta start back with a great quote from David Fairchild of Kaleo Church in San Diego.  He notes that Outreach Magazine has liste3d the top 25 church planting churches in America and the top 5 of them are reformed in their theology, with Redeemer PCA in Manhattan (yep, that's Tim Keller) being #1. 

In his post, David has a very good quote that shows a very subtle distinction between what he calls "Reformational" vs. "just reformed" thinking. Speaking of these church planting churches, David says this:

Also, their theology is a particular kind of reformed theology, it is reformational not just reformed. This distinction is important. To use reformed theology as a cul-de-sac in our churches is to move against the entire point of God’s work in this world. Good reformed theology is going to be church planting, kingdom driven, multiplying, culture engaging, and grace centered or it is not good reformed theology.

BTW - this post and these churches are a good antidote to my friend Dan Edelen's post "Throwing Stones in Glass Houses of Worship."  Dan shares some bad experiences with reformed churches and I think Dan's experiences are with "reformed theology as cul-de-sac" churches. 

I am pretty hopeful for the reformed community - I hate to use cliches but I do think there is a fresh wind blowing in reformed circles. Bloggers like David and Drew Goodmanson are reformed in their theology and are demonstrating the best in missional thinking, as is the entire Acts29 network.

And our PCA circles and circles influenced by Westminster Seminary are seeing a revival of interest in the work of Harvie Conn, one of the best missional thinkers and theologians of the last generation and yet one who has been largely forgotten (Harvie Conn was missional before missional was cool).  I think this is largely due to the growing influence of Tim Keller and Redeemer church, and this is being helped along by bloggers like Mark Traphagen, Tony Stiff and the Conn-Versation blog (which needs to be updated more frequently - hint, hint!).

So, let's hope this reformed-missional-church planting movement continues to take us out of our cul-de-sac.

Technorati Tags: Religion, theology, church, Christian, Christianity, ministry, church planting, reformed theology, reformed

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Comments

[DLE]

David,

Thanks for the link to my post at Cerulean Sanctum on glass houses. I didn't really want to write that post on glass houses of worship. I just get really tired when we talk about how "the other guys" are blowing it while we have plenty of examples in our own house of our own guys blowing it.

I would much rather find common ground OR address the problems in my own house. We have enough issues to confront right here at home, don't we?

Thanks again. I prayed just now that the new vision you have for your church comes to full blossom and blesses everyone it touches.

[David Wayne]

Many thanks for that prayer Dan !!

[Chris Rhoades]

Speaking of Harvie Conn and Westminster...
Check out this link for his books as well as full blown courses via audio:
http://www.wtsbooks.com/search-exec/search_term/aGFydmllIGNvbm4%3D/page_num/1

I'm eager to start listening to his course on contextual theology. Methinks it will smack of "reformational" thinking.