Welcome to ie:missional, my new blog. I hope to be a part of the growing community of those who are attempting to influence the entire world for the gospel. You can link to here from either www.iemissional.com or www.martyduren.com.
A couple of things: First, on this blog you can choose your own background. Under the title on the header bar are a series of thumbnails. By clicking on one of these, you can change the wallpaper as often as you see fit, thereby getting a personalized feel for this blog when you visit. Some photo files take a little longer than others to load; that is caused by the size of the photo as uploaded to the server. Some will take only 3-4 seconds to change, while others may take up to 20 seconds. I think this is a pretty cool feature.
Second, this is a discussion blog, so feel free to discuss. Lots of topics will be on the floor and it will be fun learning from each other. You need not be a follower of Christ to participate
Third, we will not always be attempting to reach a consensus, but rather to be exposed to various ideas that will help us get closer to both a biblical world view and a biblical lifestyle. Any billigerent commenter will be banned, but I’m not going to stop vigorous, on point debate simply because someone cannot hold their own.
Fourth, play nice! Nobody likes a bully. If you cannot defend your thoughts using words as something besides a club, then you probably need to head over to Rush Limbaugh’s place.
Last, I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off so that I can finish the blogroll and some other things, but mostly to rest and re-create. I’ll see you officially on Monday, July 2.
Entries (RSS)
June 18th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I have nothing to say, but how in the world can I pass up being the first ever person to comment at martyduren.com? I’m loving the new digs, Marty.
June 19th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Marty,
While I will miss your old blog, your shift in focus has inspired me to enter the blog world as an active participant. I look forward to the conversation.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Marty,
Nice new blog!
Micah,
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you were technically not the first to comment on Marty’s new blog. There were comments made that have since been deleted. The good news is that you are the first to comment at http://martyduren.com AND http://iemissional.com. What a special honor indeed!
Todd,
Thanks for leaving this blog and coming to mine! I look forward to your posts in the future.
June 19th, 2007 at 10:13 am
Marty, God bless on your new blogging endeavor.
June 19th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Hmmm…Looks like the secret is out. Thanks, everyone.
June 19th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Let ‘er rip, bro.
June 19th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Nice place. Looking forward to it all, brother.
June 19th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
VERY nice, Marty. I’m looking forward to the new direction.
June 19th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Big deal.
:)
June 19th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
rock-n-roll!
June 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
So, hi and stuff. Nice blog.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Cool!
June 19th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Looking forward to seeing where the new direction leads.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Well, at first I thought you were going to have an unreadable blog, but after about 10 minutes the black boxes finally loaded over the bright sunlight & clouds motif. Now I’m looking at a breathtaking sunrise scene that I believe is very appropriate for the dawning of your new blog.
All right, I’m outta here before things start getting as sappy as all the farewells at SBC Outpost.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I would love to comment, but have become very queasy and nauseated by experimenting with the various wallpapers. Many Blessings and the best to you, Marty!
June 19th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Marty, I visited your previous blog knowing that I would get a fresh perspective, whatever the subject. Now, I’ll excitedly anticipate your comments and the responses you stir up in other missional thinkers. Count me in, brother! Until all know and worship Him!
June 19th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Marty, love the change in focus and look forward to the discussion that will take place. A suggestion, if you think it is appropriate to include: The World Hunger and Human Needs Funds, both managed by the IMB, are awesome ways to be involved overseas. When with the IMB, I reported a number of stories from overseas where these funds, along with volunteers, dug wells, built housing for the displaced, fed the starving, provided medical help, etc. to suffering people. Again, just a suggestion and an unadulterated plug.
June 19th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Now that my epileptic seizure has ceased from the initial blog background and I have wiped the foam from my mouth, let me say it looks really nice. Best wishes with this.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Looking forward to the new venture, Marty.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:21 am
What? No beach scene? I guess the sun setting over a lake will have to do.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Marty,
Looking forward to all your thoughts on all things missional. The new site looks great. I hope you will guest post at Outpost from time to time as well.
Enjoy your break.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Marty, look forward to the blog and your contributioon to the topic.
June 20th, 2007 at 8:45 am
You done gone big time Marty!
June 20th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Wow, it’s very peaceful here with the nature-photo backgrounds… wonder how long this feeling of Zen is going to last?
June 20th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Looks Great!! I can’t wait to get involved in the discussion.
In Christ,
Tim Cook
June 20th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Zen, zeleven, zwelve, who knows how long?
June 20th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Welcome, Allan Blume and Chris Turner, to the blogosphere.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Praying for you, Marty. I’m so excited I can’t hardly stand it. May more be ignited to become missional and see the bigger picture of God’s Kingdom
June 20th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I’m looking forward to your posts after your break for some R & R. I like the option to choose your own background. Nice site!
June 20th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Looks like a good start, Marty. Hope you have even greater success than the last one. Blessings.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hi, Marty. From half a world away, I have been following and appreciating your work on SBC Outpost, and I’m glad it will continue as a collaborative effort. Now I’m really lookin’ forward to the new direction in conversation for several of the Baptist blogs.
BTW, I liked your parting reference to the Eagles and “Already Gone”. Tres apropos! When I think of missional ministry, I’m reminded of a Steven Curtis Chapman song …
Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace
Let’s follow our Leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other — this is The Great Adventure
Come on get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long-faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for
Praying for a revolution of lives changed, churches planted, and nations transformed by the love and power of Jesus through His people. Blessings! –Todd in Malaysia
June 20th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I think this is another marketing ploy by Microsoft (IE:missional - IE? suuure), and Marty Duren is really Bill Gates…which explains why he knows so much. Game on, “Bill.”
June 20th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
awesome. just stinkin’ awesome.
June 20th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
http://www.missional.org–relates; see it too.
Best wishes, Marty.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:10 am
Great new views! I look forward to what will take place here.
ta
June 21st, 2007 at 11:17 am
Alright, enough of the tripping backround stuff. Let’s talk about marching out with Jesus and attacking lostness.
June 21st, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Strider-
Patience, Grasshopper.
I think you’ll really like my first post.
June 21st, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Wow! I love the format! Looks great!
June 21st, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Hey Marty, love the new site. I have followed you on Outpost for a long time now. I met you in SA a few weeks ago, after one of the evening sessions, we stood outside and talked for quite a while. Im the hick from Eastern KY (Loretta Lynn country :) remember?). I felt a bit awkward just approaching you and talking to you out of the blue, but when you held the door open for me, I had to take my chances and introduce myself. Meeting you was one of the highlights of the week for me, not because you are some kind of “celebrity” or something, in fact quite the opposite. You were more down to earth, easy to talk to, and ridiculously polite than I ever expected. Any one who would ever attempt to villainize you for your efforts toward reform surely must not have met you. Though I was a stranger, you talked to me like we were long-time friends. You asked my opinions and listened as I spoke. I really appreciated that.
I am really jazzed about the missional shift. In my PhD studies (as SBTS) this has recently been a huge focus of mine. I have done much reading on the “missional movement” and would highly recommend for anyone out there the book recently released by NAMB entitled “Pursuing the Mission of God in Church Planting: The Missional Church In North America” The book can be obtained for free if you are a minister, just call NAMB (at least that has been my experience so far and I have gotten a few copies for others). The book is full of articles that explain “missional” and what it might look like in our churches as well as what must be done to make this shift in our thinking. I am convinced that the greatest shift must be in our attitude and thinking above all else. We must (as churches) stop focusing inwardly on institutions and begin to focus outwardly on the mission of God in our world.
Anyway, I will be following the new site closely. Keep up the good work. I count you as a friend, although a new one, and will look forward to future exchanges with you.
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:00 am
Great lay-out! I agree with Chris Turner about adding the World Hunger Fund.
June 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Marty,
Great looking site. Will we get to have long off topic posts about which background is the coolest?
June 22nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
David-
Now would be the appropriate time, but be forewarned, some of the more wierd backgrounds were stock and are going to change.
Leapster-
The pleasure was all mine, bro. Be sure and tell all those folks in Possum Holler that I said, “Hey, ya’ll.”
Thanks for the tip on the book, I, for one, will be checking it out.
June 22nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
*weird*
June 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am
Marty,
The coolest blog I’ve seen, yet! I am looking forward to your missional posts and the dialogue! By God’s grace - I may even be able to add something valuable to the conversation.
Clif
June 24th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Stuart, re: a beach background–try the wallpaper, “SunTidePools2.” It’s the best I have right now.
June 25th, 2007 at 5:49 am
Keep up the good work. I meant to call you while I was in the States but the time got away from me.
June 25th, 2007 at 6:35 am
Kevin-
Same here. Maybe next time.
June 25th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Nice Marty, very nice. I look forward to what you have to say about being “missional.”
Tim
June 26th, 2007 at 11:59 am
July 2nd has been marked on my calendar. Looking forward to your insight. So glad you’ll still be blogging!
June 26th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
What a nice look! Makes me want to fix up my place.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
The IPhone look really rocks. I look forward to following this blog. Can’t wait to hear from you in July.
See ya, later.
Your friend,
Steve H
June 26th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I hope some of you are listening to what Bob Roberts is saying. Revolutionary!
http://glocaltrekker.blogspot.com/2007_06_20_archive.html
June 27th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Very Cool. Two thumbs up.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Kiki Cherry. Welcome back.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Cool look, cool direction. Just cool.
June 27th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Man, this place is a wasteland. You need to get some content. Fast. ;-)
June 27th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Oh, waaaah.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Yeah, I agree with Paul. I feel like I’m on someone’s Myspace page or something. This is kind of freaking me out. Who’s your favorite band? Who are your friends? Can we meet at the mall or something?
Just kidding. I’m just jealous of the new look. But, I am looking forward to your first posts. Write something controversial. Everyone’s starting to play nice. :)
June 28th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I’m not great at this but count me in. I will try to contribute a bivocational viewpoint. I am currently searching for new ways to move our churh family towards reaching the communities around us that are so overwhwlmingly different that our church at this point.
June 28th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Hey, Marty. Love the new site. Can’t wait to learn from it. You are a blog king.
And thanks for the link. You are right - more testosterone is welcomed over there. I live in a chick world.
June 29th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Marty, this Okie has never met you, but is continually impressed with how the Lord has blessed so many (including this itinerant Christian) with the blog ministry He has given you.
In His Grace and Peace,
T. D. Webb
June 29th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I can’t understand how a Christian can remain in the SBC. I see all the infighting, lying, and hypocrisy, and feel sickened. I was a Southern Baptist for over 50 years, but after seeing the really poor condition of many of it’s ‘preachers’ I bailed out.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Bill-
Don’t I remember you from the Lifeway Younger Leader Forum?
Even if you bailed on the SBC, you are likely to find friends here. Welcome.
July 2nd, 2007 at 4:17 am
Okay Marty - I saw you commented on the Outpost so I know you were online this morning. Today is supposed to be the big kickoff day here too I thought. Where’s the beef?
:)