1. Jun 07, 2020 (RNS) — Timothy Keller, founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and a bestselling author and church planter, announced on Sunday (June 7) that he has pancreatic cancer and will soon.
  2. Tim Keller and J. Allen Thompson, Redeemer Church Planting Center’s Church Planter Manual (Redeemer City to City, 2002). This is a fairly comprehensive, interactive workbook for church planters that provides lectures, outlines, essays, case studies, and worksheets that lead you through the many considerations involved in developing a.

Tim keller church planting manual pdf, casaruraldavina.com “The Redeemer Church Planting Manual is an extensive compendium of outlines, lectures, essays, exercises and other materials that prepare learners for church planting especially in an urban setting.” In the first part, Keller chronicles Redeemer’s development.

Yesterday I finished reading the 'Redeemer Church Planter Manual', by Tim Keller. In this previous post I shared that although I'm pastoring a 170 year old church, the community around us is rapidly changing (i.e. growth in population from 200 to 8000 in eight years). I thought reading a church planter manual would help me see any blind spots of my own, and give me lots of ideas as I seek to give leadership to our church in its evangelistic ministries. I was not disappointed. Keller strikes an amazing balance between the practicalities of ministry and the theology of church planting. I'd recommend this book to any/every pastor (and as a must read for church planters in particular).
One particular quote stuck out to me, not so much in regard to any particular church, but with the North American evangelical church culture in general. In a chapter on the dynamics of corporate renewal, Keller discusses what he calls dead (or drifting) orthodoxy. This happens when a church has all of its doctrinal ducks in a row, but still lacks vital spiritual life. He recognizes that this is a continuum -- and that most churches fall somewhere on it. But his penetrating insights help any believer to search his/her own heart and look for blind spots. Although there are many 'brands' of dead orthodoxy, Keller expands on what he calls the legalistic 'stream'. Its characteristics are noted blow.
Keller1. Much more emphasis on defending the truth than propagating it. The emphasis is on attacking false views, not winning sinners to Christ. There is smugness toward those without the right views.

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2. Strong, even fierce opposition to change programs and worship. What people call ‘closeness to God’ is often the security (sentimentality) that comes from familiar forms and procedures.
3. Often a desire for inspiring, general messages, but nothing disturbing. It is an unwritten law that the pastor must be ‘nice’ and must not offend anyone. On the other hand, in the power churches, the other extreme may happen. The pastor may become very authoritarian and controlling.
4. A tendency toward gossip and censoriousness. Differences cannot be discussed lovingly. Defensiveness creates bitter quarreling. The only way the church deals with this is to hide and suppress disagreements.
5. A dislike for the healthy disorder found in revival/renewals. Either the tradition or the pastor and/or key lay leader must stay in control. Sometimes there is an opposition to displays of emotion of any kind. During renewal people are so wiling to get involved in ministry and worship that there is a kind of ‘divine disorder’ that has to be addressed.Tim Keller Church Planter Manual
6. And unwillingness to believe in glorious possibilities. Unable to expect or believe that certain kinds of people can change, or no vision for community impact. Planning myopia that comes from a conviction that we can only do as much as we have visible human resources for.
7. Little discussion of one’s spiritual experience -- nearness to God, growth in love, temptations, and so on. There are objections to any self-examination or regular accountability for one’s growth in grace and walk with God.
8. Total focus on the needs and concerns of members and the survival of the institution (church). No desire or intention to reach the world.
9. A lack of lay involvement. A consensus and expectation that the pastor should do virtually all the ministry.
10. A strong clinging to cultural forms and customs -- types of music and styles of dress and speech and ‘unwritten’ rules of conduct -- which are semi-consciously considered part of what it means to be a ‘mature’ believer.
- Taken from ‘Redeemer Church Planter Manual’, pp 203-204.

In the second and third sessions of the Greenhouse Church Planter’s CoOp, we (1) set forth the gospel by tracing the four major plot movements in Christian Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation; and (2) talked about the gospel’s implications for humanity, the church, and the city. The CoOp had assigned those attending to read portions of Tim Keller’s Church Planting Manual, so we used some of Keller’s material, modifying it a bit and adapting it to the focus of this particular session. Here are the six talking points:

The Gospel: The gospel is the good news that through Jesus Christ, God’s kingdom has entered history. Through Christ we may be saved from our sin, have union with God and his church, and be set free to live a gospel-powered life. When we believe upon and rely on Jesus’ person and work (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us. May we never cease to revel in the power, beauty, and profundity of Christ and his gospel. This was Peter’s point when he said that the gospel sent from heaven is something into which angels long to look (1 Pet 1:12). Even the angels, whose lifespan is far longer than ours, are endlessly interested in Christ’s gospel. This gospel is simple enough to be understood by a child, and deep enough to be everlastingly contemplated by the wisest of men or angels.

Humanity: The gospel is the power of God to salvation. It changes us from the inside out, giving us a radically new identity, freeing us from both self-righteousness and self-condemnation. He liberates us, breaking the bondage of idols we once worshipped. One result of this inner change is that we now overflow with grace and love toward our fellow image-bearers, including those who do not share our beliefs.

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The Church: The gospel creates a new community which is a sign of God’s kingdom. This community proclaims and embodies the gospel. In the church, we see diverse types of people loving one another who could not have done so without the healing power of the gospel: the gospel overcomes racial, social, and economic barriers. In the church, we also see sex, money, and power used in God-honoring, life-giving, and non-destructive ways: the gospel breaks the power of idols.

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Service: We joyfully invite every person to faith in Jesus, but at the same time we are committed to serving our neighbors sacrificially whether they believe as we do or not. We do this by using our gifts and resources for the needs of others, especially the poor and powerless.

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The City: Nothing promotes the health, peace, and joy of a city like the spread of the gospel. It renews not only individual lives but also whole neighborhoods and even cities. Only the gospel can motivate us to humbly love and live with all of the diverse people of the city.

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The Culture: The gospel has a deep, profound, and healthy impact on all dimensions of human culture: the arts, the sciences, government, media, business, and the academy. Therefore, we are committed to engaging all dimensions of our socio-cultural context, especially by supporting believers as they fulfill their vocations/professions with faithfulness, excellence, and distinctiveness.