Ron Martoia

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to listen to Ron Martoia, a postmodern church growth guy who has some really good stuff to say. Here are my quick notes, if you want explanations, you can ask me or check out his website : Velocity Culture.

· Our current situation: Deep change or slow death

· Semiotics: Reading the signs and context of our times
o Why is Extreme Home Makeover so popular?
§ It showcases real people with real problems
§ People are willing to give if they can be convicted of the cause
§ Tripping our emotions is often the key to realizing the importance

· We need a ecclesiology based on missiology rather than doxology
o Our view of the church must be based in mission as well as praise

· Information does not guarantee transformation
o We have a narrow scope of cramming information into our parishioners
o We often preach a fall/redemption paradigm. We need a Creation/Fall/Redemption paradigm
o Categories: Fidelitas, Feducia, Visio, and Ascencis
§ Ascencis is far overplayed in today’s church (doctrinal/creedal)

Knowing --> Doing
· This paradigm doesn’t work
· We need more steps
· Knowing-->Seeing-->Sensing-->Doing

· Plant when a church reaches 400. This should be a mothering relationship rather than a “planting” relationship

· Old Testament Themes
o There are three stories which set the tone of the OT
§ Exodus
§ Exile
§ Priestly
o We primarily teach the priestly story, which is not holistic
o Modern people operated with a guilt mindset, in which priestly themes were perfect
o Postmodern people feel no guilt
o If we do missions overseas, we learn the language. We need to learn the postmodern language.

· Our current programs are perfectly constructed to get the results we’re currently getting.

· World Religions: Islam, Buddhism & Hinduism are descriptive of our current human state. Christianity is prescriptive of the life that we ought to live and will live. It does not accept the status quo.

· Salvation
o Zaccheus wouldn’t have been saved in most churches today
o Christ made the initial statement, justifying him before he asked

· Isaiah 61 is foretaste of Luke 4. It is a Rabbinic telos.

· In developing programs, go deep, not wide at first

· Leadership from Leath
o Leaders must cross thresholds
o Commonly associated with death

· Change is like trapeze artistry
o One must let go and hang on

· Three requirements
o Logos: Speaking the Word
o Pathos: Feeling for your people
o Ethos: Living in the present