Hugh Halter is a disciple-maker, church-planter, and author of a number of great works. One of his most popular books, specifically pertaining to creating a discipleship culture in the church is, The Tangible Kingdom. This book seeks to inspire you to create an incarnational community in your neighborhood.
In this article, I will just give you a glimpse of this transforming book by noting two quotes that will certainly wet your appetite for more.
1. "Go drop off a nice bottle of wine to your neighbor with a note saying, "Love to get to know you guys sometime. Call and we'll enjoy this together. (14, Elvis has left the building)"
To provide some context, Halter is describing the need for people in our culture to experience Christ's church, not their negative vision of the judgmental, prudish, church. Halter encourages people to make disciples in their own world; in their neighborhood. What better way to connect with non-Christians than by getting into their home and having a couple glasses of wine with them? What better way to engage a culture than actually walking into a bar and having a brew with a guy from work? Let's create a sense of belonging. Then we can inspire believing!
2. “[Do you ever wonder] why people continue to spend money they don’t have even though they know they are deeply in debt? Why some keeping jamming food in their mouths when they’re already overweight?... You’d think the response to all these things would be obvious and cause them to scream, “Duh, of course I need to change this!” Why do we keep doing church the same way even when we know it is in critical decline?... Why is returning to a simpler form of ancient church so hard to grasp?” (58, Paradigm)
Halter begs the question, “Why do paid church leaders spend so much time preparing for a 90-minute church service for Christians who have heard it all before?” He is not one of those new age “Christians” who dislike the church, but rather he wants to inspire his readers to do church differently in order to make real disciples. If this idea intrigues you, I recommend checking out our next feature here at TheDiscipleLife.com entitled, Stop Inviting People to CHURCH! and start inviting them to church.