Introduce Yourself to the Missional Community!

[James Nored]

Matt Brunk, my good friend from Liberty, MO, suggested that we introduce ourselves, since this site is drawing together people from various backgrounds and parts of the country. This will help us to know one another better.

You may introduce yourself here, or, perhaps even better, put down this information on your "My Page." On your "My Page," where it says "Text Box," click on "Add Text." Make the title of the text box "About Me" or something like this and write about yourself..

I would suggest telling us:
- Name,
- Vocation
- Any family information you would like to share
- What missional or spiritual topics you are interested in, experienced in, or are working in
- Any websites you would like to link to that would help us know you better (to link, type a site name, and then click on the paper clip looking link (next to the bold, italics, etc.) and then paste the site's "URL" (web address)
- Anything else you would like to share!

[Matt Brunk]

Hello everyone. I will introduce myself as well as treat you to a game called "2 truths and a fib". At the end of my introduction, I will give you 3 statements. Two of them will be true and the other will be a fabrication or as policiticans say when they get caught lying- "I said something I knew not to be true".

My name is Matt Brunk. From small towns in Iowa, our family moved as my dad was a preacher in Christian Churches around Iowa. Before becoming a minister, my dad was in law enforcement and rose to the level of Chief of Police. He connected with many people and had great compassion for people dealing with sin and the consequences of sin in their lives. Sometimes, members of the church would request that he not use such vivid illustrations of the "real world'. He was insistent on loving people, hating sin and changing lives for Jesus. I have that same passion for people in my life. My passion for evangelism is based on what Jesus did for me as well as the example my father and mother set for me. I seek to get myself and our church family members out into the world. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Evangelism is like parenthood- sometimes it's dirty and everything doesn't go perfectly.

My wife, Jennifer, is a former high-school art teacher. She is at home with our 3 girls (ages 2,4 and 6). Our girls love dance, tea parties, music, KOW time and hanging out with their family and friends.

As far as spiritual topics I am interested in, one topic that has never gotten much attention in my past is the Holy Spirit. Sometimes when I mention the Holy Spirit as something to study for an upcoming class, I get some strange looks from others.

James used to come to our local Sertoma meetings (a service club in town). He showed me that by using the skills I use in my business (basic relationship building), I can gain friends and have an impact on the kingdom. There are so many people hurting in our communities. My missional focus now is to bless others through community groups and maybe someday someone will want to know about the hope I have.

Ok- here you go for the 2 truths and a fib:
1. I met and shook hands with Ronald Regan in Iowa when my father was a police officer.
2. I have a tattoo of a sun with my wife and kid's names on it.
3. I have never eaten at McDonald's.

[Teresa Riley]

#3

Teresa

[James Nored]

Matt, thanks for sharing this with us. We are so glad to have you join the missional community. There are few people I know that have as many daily opportunities to bless people's lives as you. Your spiritual growth is a great encouragement to me, and I knowt hat God is using you to impact and help a lot of families.

I would say that the lie is that you have never eaten at McDonald's!

[Matt Brunk]

Ok all. number 2 is TRUE. Although I do have some artwork on my arm, I haven't added my 3rd daughter's name. She will be ready to read pretty quickly so I am a bit nervous. I need to get her name added soon.

[James "Jimmy" Jones]

Hello

My name is James, and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage in December. My wife is amazing, and enables me to 'have it all'. We also have three children.

I have been preaching full time for 10 years. Being part of the Lord's church is a tremendous honor. Our work in the world is of utmost importance. I want to grow into Christ's image more and more each day.

I am here to study, learn, and grow.

[Melanie Campbell]

Hello everyone! My name is Melanie Campbell. I am a proud mother of two boys, Preston-8 and Logan-4. I currently work at a resturant training to be a chef as well as marketing for the business. I love to cook! I strive to put the Lord first in every aspect of my life, listen to Him, and follow His will. I have been involved in twelve step recovery meetings for many years, and I want to give back what has been given so freely to me through the Lord and these support groups. I am very excited about being a part of facilitating a new Celebrate Recovery group in Mckinney! Addictions have affected so many families, and I want people to know that there is hope, and there is a better way to live through Jesus Christ and the twelve steps. We all have a void inside of us to be filled, and I am so grateful that I have finally found that the only one who can fill that void is Christ!

[James Nored]

James, great to have you join. And great to have a fellow preacher! We will seek to study, learn, and grow with you.

James "Jimmy" Jones said:

Hello

My name is James, and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage in December. My wife is amazing, and enables me to 'have it all'. We also have three children.

I have been preaching full time for 10 years. Being part of the Lord's church is a tremendous honor. Our work in the world is of utmost importance. I want to grow into Christ's image more and more each day.

I am here to study, learn, and grow.

[James Nored]

Melanie, God is going to use you tremendously in this work. I'll look forward to spending some time with you and meeting your friends and people that you are helping.

Melanie Campbell said:

Hello everyone! My name is Melanie Campbell. I am a proud mother of two boys, Preston-8 and Logan-4. I currently work at a resturant training to be a chef as well as marketing for the business. I love to cook! I strive to put the Lord first in every aspect of my life, listen to Him, and follow His will. I have been involved in twelve step recovery meetings for many years, and I want to give back what has been given so freely to me through the Lord and these support groups. I am very excited about being a part of facilitating a new Celebrate Recovery group in Mckinney! Addictions have affected so many families, and I want people to know that there is hope, and there is a better way to live through Jesus Christ and the twelve steps. We all have a void inside of us to be filled, and I am so grateful that I have finally found that the only one who can fill that void is Christ!

[Lynn S. Nored]

Hello, my name is Lynn Nored. My greatest claim to fame is being the father of James Nored--anyone like to know some good stories?? :). My wife, Martha, and I have three other wonderful married children and six grandchildren. I am an engineer by training with 24 years in industry and 16 years as a Prof. at Oklahoma Christian Unversity--which I helped began and headed the EE dept. I am most interested in postmodernism and postmodern evangelism. I am currently teaching a college course on Postmodern Evangelism at the South Pacific Bible College in Tauranga, New Zealand. My wife and I have been involved with Let's Start Talking and foreign missions since 1988.

One series I will be working on over the next few months is a course entitled "Why Do We Do What We Do When We Do "Church"?. It is a course that will compare the originas and discussion of Forms (e.g church buildings, order of worship, the Lord's supper, music, etc) --even "pultpits"--we use against the Functions detailed in the bible. I would be especially interested in any references that will assist in this research.

Websites etc. will come later.

[James "Jimmy" Jones]

Lynn, I cannot wait to read what you write on that subject. Will it be along the same lines as "Pagan Christianity" by Barna?

Lynn S. Nored said:

Hello, my name is Lynn Nored. My greatest claim to fame is being the father of James Nored--anyone like to know some good stories?? :). My wife, Martha, and I have three other wonderful married children and six grandchildren. I am an engineer by training with 24 years in industry and 16 years as a Prof. at Oklahoma Christian Unversity--which I helped began and headed the EE dept. I am most interested in postmodernism and postmodern evangelism. I am currently teaching a college course on Postmodern Evangelism at the South Pacific Bible College in Tauranga, New Zealand. My wife and I have been involved with Let's Start Talking and foreign missions since 1988.

One series I will be working on over the next few months is a course entitled "Why Do We Do What We Do When We Do "Church"?. It is a course that will compare the originas and discussion of Forms (e.g church buildings, order of worship, the Lord's supper, music, etc) --even "pultpits"--we use against the Functions detailed in the bible. I would be especially interested in any references that will assist in this research.

Websites etc. will come later.

[Trey Finley]

Hi friends,

My name is Trey Finley and I work at Highland Oaks Church of Christ on the Dallas campus. I came to Highland Oaks in 2007 after serving as small groups minister at Quail Springs in Oklahoma City. My current responsibilities include working with ministry leaders and small group leaders and generally providing oversight, direction, and coaching for adult ministries at Highland Oaks.

My wife Marla and I have been married 8 years and we have two sons--Caden is 3 and Grant is 5 months.

I was introduced to the missional concept through MDiv work at Abilene Christian. In 2005-2006, I worked on a project with other ministers designed to provide a small group curriculum with a missional focus for the ACU Ministry Summit in 2006. When I presented it, I had a minister present in the room who was very skeptical (to put it mildly) about the potential for small groups to take on a missional focus. I disagreed.

I still do. Taking existing small groups and asking them to become missional is every bit as daunting as asking a church with a long institutional history to re-envision itself as missional. But just as church plants can be started with a Missional DNA, so too can small groups begin in much the same way. We call ours Road Teams (as opposed to our Bible Study groups called Home Teams), and we've just begun trying to discover what that may look like.

Looking forward to keeping up with a missional conversation here.

[James Nored]

Hi Trey. Our family attended Quail Springs in high school back when Ronnie White was the minister. It is a small world!

Alan Hirsch quoted Lyle Schaller I believe in The Forgotten Ways as saying that in his decades of ministry, he has never seen a group that started out with something other than outreach as its focus become missionally focused. So it is a challenge, definitely. Your analogy with the overall church is well taken. I'll look forward to hearing from you on this important topic!

Trey said:

Hi friends,

My name is Trey Finley and I work at Highland Oaks Church of Christ on the Dallas campus. I came to Highland Oaks in 2007 after serving as small groups minister at Quail Springs in Oklahoma City. My current responsibilities include working with ministry leaders and small group leaders and generally providing oversight, direction, and coaching for adult ministries at Highland Oaks.

My wife Marla and I have been married 8 years and we have two sons--Caden is 3 and Grant is 5 months.

I was introduced to the missional concept through MDiv work at Abilene Christian. In 2005-2006, I worked on a project with other ministers designed to provide a small group curriculum with a missional focus for the ACU Ministry Summit in 2006. When I presented it, I had a minister present in the room who was very skeptical (to put it mildly) about the potential for small groups to take on a missional focus. I disagreed.

I still do. Taking existing small groups and asking them to become missional is every bit as daunting as asking a church with a long institutional history to re-envision itself as missional. But just as church plants can be started with a Missional DNA, so too can small groups begin in much the same way. We call ours Road Teams (as opposed to our Bible Study groups called Home Teams), and we've just begun trying to discover what that may look like.

Looking forward to keeping up with a missional conversation here.