September 27, 2007

Frisco, Texas: When I started The Theology Program in 2001, I had no idea what God was going to do. We now have over 50,000 registered online and on-campus students in 110 countries. We are in hundreds of churches and soon to begin in hundreds more.

When The Theology Program grew into Reclaiming the Mind Ministries in 2006, I had no idea that the response would be so great. Our website receives over 100,000 hits daily. We are now looking to expand our ministry in ways in which we never dreamed. It blows my mind how many have endorsed and committed themselves to this ministry.

When the Parchment and Pen blog began over six months ago, (most of all) I had no idea that I would be writing so often! I really had no idea what an impact a simple blog could make.

In all the ministries of RMM, I have never sought to confirm prejudices, but to engage the issues as honestly as I could. This takes risk and trust.

The risk involved comes from a personal desire to see people more committed to a persuasion about the essentials of the Christian faith. While it is tempting to skew the evidence, make overstatements, and create straw-men, we have worked under the assumption that we must have a faith that is intellectually honest in all areas. In this, there is the real risk that people may not look like us in the end. They may find alternative positions more persuasive.

The trust must follow the risk. I think that God is a pretty big God. I trust that He is not alarmed with our questions or doubts. In fact, I think he is pleased with them. For in them we show an honest struggle for truth. If we follow the God of all eternity, then we have no need to stick our head in the sand on any issue. We can trust Him to guide us to the truth.

I am glad to say that, from everything I have seen, the risk has done nothing but disarm people and persuade them further in the truths of Christianity. They are disarmed because they cannot approach us with the suspicion so common in our postmodern world.

My greatest desire is for people to know that Christianity is true, not just a blind hope. So many people approach their faith with the hope that in the end the roll of the dice will have been favorable to them. Other faiths have only this choice available to them, but not Christianity. I desire for people’s faith to be real, defensible, and able to stand through the trials that so often turn people away from the faith or into a state of perpetual disillusionment. The seed must go deep. Theological discipleship must happen if the root is to be established.

This is not meant to be a ministry promotion or a plea for ministry funds (although funds are always needed!). It is simply meant to share encouragement with those of you out there who have, like myself, been lamenting the deteriorating condition of the mind within the Evangelical Church. Things really are changing. People are not as ready to turn away from truth as we often think. We just have to provide the avenue and the methodology that regains their trust.

I want to say thank you to all who are involved in and supporting this ministry in so many ways. It encourages me (and all the RMM staff), confirming that we are following God’s direction.

Folks, I think Aslan really is on the move.

Its finally complete!!! The RMM Theological Library.

Hundreds of theological papers online and available for search and download. These are papers from the past 5 years of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) annual meeting. Although RMM does not endorse the contents of all these papers, they are great for study, research, digging deeper, broadening your perspectives, and getting up to speed on current issues in theology. Continue Reading »

Its finally complete!!! The RMM Theological Library.

Hundreds of theological papers online and available for search and download. These are papers from the past 5 years of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) annual meeting. Although RMM does not endorse the contents of all these papers, they are great for study, research, digging deeper, broadening your perspectives, and getting up to speed on current issues in theology.

The goal of Reclaiming the Mind Ministries is to make theology accessible. I hope these papers will go a long way in doing so.

Thanks to Zondervan and the Evangelical Theological Society as we have worked together to get this project up-to-date. Special thanks to Mark Warnick who worked out the deal, Richard Sugg who created the database, and Carrie Hunter who helped me categorize these papers.

We need your help! As you know online and onsite classes are beginning September 9, 10, 11. We need you to be the official Reclaiming the Mind Representative at your church. This can be done in many ways. Here is a list from the most simple to the most involved:

• Place TTP brochures in your church’s brochure rack or on a display table.
• Set up a TTP booth at your church on the coming Sundays before online classes begin, encouraging them to get involved online and enroll. Continue Reading »

All ministries of Reclaiming the Mind may experience some minor problems during the change. Please let us know here if you are having any difficulties. Give us some details so that we will know what to fix.

Your comments over the last few days may have been lost in the transfer. You may still be able to get them by going here: www.reclaimingthemind.org/devblog. You can repost them if you find them and I will be back in the saddle, responding to them if needed next week some time.

As many of you know, Rhome has been out of the country teaching pastors on the mission field for the last few weeks. This is the first email that I have received from him in a long time. Here it is. Continue Reading »

Well, considering my last post, this will seem out of place. We have just crossed a major milestone in our web ministry at RMM. In the month of January, we received over 1.5 million hits! True, Rhome and I do sit at home all day and click refresh on our browsers, but that could only account for 1.3 million of the hits. Yes, I am funny.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged us in such a way. If the Lord wills, this ministry will continue to move forward.

If you were not able to make it to Thursday night’s CWS broadcast with Mike Licona, you really missed out. Not only did our new ConnectionGate (CG) program shine brightly, but Mike did a fabulous job talking about the evidences for the resurrection and preparing us for encounters with Muslim objections. I am sorry to you who were not able to make it. I am also sorry that I set the room limit too low. I did not realize that I had done this and I did not know we were going to have such a large showing.

It should be up on the site for download soon. Ed Komozewski did a good job in moderating it–even if I did have to put him in time-out for a few minutes so that I could take over. Hey…CWS is too much fun for just one host.

Here is a report on the audience:

Rhome sat quietly and listened. I hope he took some of it in. I have been working on that guy for five years now.

Ed Kratz ate popcorn, just excited that CG was working.

Taffy’s Darth Vader imitation was handed over to Ed Komo.

Mark Warnick was just surprised to be in the room.

Carrie was busy IMing everyone saying “Isn’t this great!”

Clay, who never has any sound problems said, “I can’t hear anymore” and left.

Korena never asked one question (can you believe it?)

Dr. Sawyer was jealous that he was not on mic so he came in and took over after hours.

Me, I did really well. You should have been there.

That sums it up.

You all have been gracious and patient as we switch from Paltalk to ConnectionGate. Thank you.