Next-Wave's Best of 2003

Five years of "riding" the Next-Wave by Charlie Wear
In the summer of 1998 I discovered the Internet as a means of communication...I didn't know how the internet worked, or that it could be used as a means of communication. What I did know is that I wanted to do something to encourage and support ministry to the emerging generations.
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February
Word, Work Worship
by Mike Bishop and T Freeman
I think there is a huge misunderstanding occurring between those who are still heavily invested in a meeting-centric way of being church and those of us experimenting with new ways... We are attempting, by word and deed, to break once and for all the separation between sacred and secular, between faith and life.
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March
A Graceful Atonement
by John Janzen
The confusion I have over the evangelical theology surrounding the atonement was birthed by a skeptic I met in university. His point was simple but difficult. "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"
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April
More on Nomo Pomo
by Stephen Sheilds
A couple of months ago, Kevin Miller, Executive Editor of PreachingToday.com and editor-at-large of Leadership Journal, offered the Emerging Church Community Nomo Pomo – a Postmodern Rant.  Kevin’s piece precipitated quite a bit of discussion in the pomoChrisitian thoughtspace...
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May
Demolition or Renovation
by Andrew Hamilton
Maybe its also possible that de-struction is so intent on reform that it ignores the people toll in its scathing bombardments (friendly fire perhaps?) Whereas I imagine de-construction to be about walking with the people thru the change and hopefully growing with them. Destructive types seem to talk about the church as ‘them’ whereas ‘de-constructionists’ speak of church as ‘us’.
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June/July
Confessions...
by Andrew Hamilton
I know I can't change my neighbours – but I'm willing to give God a shot at changing me into someone who is willing to get a bit more involved in the lives of those I live near to. I am willing to spend less time consumed with church life and activity and more just being with the people I am living amongst.
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August
Church 7 Days A Week
by Rudy Carrasco
I really like our little Sunday worship service, for two reasons. First, we try to live out the biblical idea of a "kingdom of priests," so many members have preached, led sharing and prayers, delivered mission field reports, and served on the worship team. Second, and more importantly, Sunday morning does not define us as a body.
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September
Is a Partial Gospel Really Good News?
by Joel McClure
Would Paul point out inadequacies with what passes for ‘good news’ in contemporary communities of Jesus’ disciples?  From what he wrote in his letters and from what Luke records of his activities, it is quite probable that Paul would take issue with the presentation of today’s version of ‘good news.’  What might Paul of Tarsus say is wrong with ‘evangelism’ in its early 21st century American ‘evangelical’ incarnation?
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October
The Wealth of Koinonia
by Trey Sklar
With our wealthy ability to drive to church, drive to visit our friends, and drive to everything, we have become more connected and yet more disconnected than ever before … and because our interaction is so segmented, we end up with nearly total control over what others know of us.
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November
The "Kama Sutra" of an Emerging Church
by Paul Fromont
So, where does your church position itself on the “sensuality” scale? How multi-sensory, multi-layered and ‘multi-connectional’ is your church experience? What does your church (in both the sense of church as “building” and church as “people”) look like? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? What kind of ‘taste’ does it leave in your mouth? What does it ‘smell’ like? Are beauty, life, and vitality present?
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December
Profile: Shane Dryden and Southpoint
by Jason Evans
"I am desperately trying to get rid of a 'balanced life.' I am not sure if my life should be 'balanced.' I am honestly trying to live in the sphere that I believe God has called me to live in. The moment I step out of this sphere and poach someone else's, then I believe I will be living an 'unbalanced' life."
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Film Review: The Matrix - Revolutions
... after reviewing countless reviews of “The Matrix Revolutions” I am convinced that we have all been duped by a huge conspiratorial plot concocted by Warner Brothers and of course the malevolent Wachowski’s for making such a film.
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