Moving Forward with The Gospel Trust
As we are looking to move forward with the vision of the gospel trust, it is our desire to use this website to aggregate the blogs and websites that are committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. What we want to do is develop a directory of gospel-centered blogs (or in the words of Abraham Piper, those who “do not bury the gospel in their blogs”) and seek to regularly highlight the work and writing that emphasizes and underscores the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
To begin this process, we are asking you to consider submitting your name and blog address for this directory. Bear in mind, however, with this vision and trust comes accountability and a standard which we desire to maintain–that is, to blog in a manner worthy of the gospel.
If you would like to move forward with us and join us to spread a passion for the gospel in the blogosphere, please leave your first and last name along with your blog address in the comments section.
In the coming weeks, we are going to redevelop this website to make this a hub and launching point for gospel-centered blogging. Please stay in touch as we work together to keep Jesus Christ and him crucified front and center in our blogging.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Yup, me too…
April 24th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Timmy, you write that “with this vision and trust comes accountability and a standard which we desire to maintain.”
I’m a firm believer in Christian accountability. We have it among the members of our team blog, and we’re under the authority of a series of supervisors at Focus on the Family. That said, I think it may be appropriate for members of your network of gospel-centered bloggers to be accountable to each other, and to hold each other accountable.
What might this look like? Perhaps by joining the network, you’d be agreeing that from time to time you might receive gentle correction for something ungraciously written, for something that’s not entirely orthodox, for including content that distracts from the gospel, and so on. A dilemma: Who would provide this accountability feedback, and how would the blog in question receive such feedback? And would there be any “discipline” for rejecting such sound feedback/accountability?
I love the idea, Timmy; I just am concerned that the network not merely be a list of websites whose owners want free promotion.
Together for the gospel….
April 24th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Great Idea
April 24th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
It’s not much… but love to be included.
Soli Deo Gloria.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Count me in.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Please consider counting me in as well.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Ted Slater is speaking discerning wisdom here. I agree that this is a potentially good idea, but there are some inherent concerns:
1. Biblically, that accountability should come through our local churches. I have a group of pastors from my church that hold me accountable; next in line with them is my ministry board made up primarily of pastors as well that I have known for years and that hold me accountable to orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Third would be other believers that are dear friends that also know me well and that I interact with on a weekly if not daily basis. Fourth, the blogosphere has its own inherent accountability doesn’t it… the meta. The dialogue that goes on in each of our respective comboxes is profitable to this end. I receive many hundreds of comments each week from faithful Bereans who measure what I write against the standard of God’s Word–many of whom are pastors, theologians, professors, and missionaries. I thank the Lord for their corrective and encouraging voice in my life.
2. As you know, what is considered doing ministry that is consistent with the gospel is too subjective today (i.e. I would consider even Abe’s blog weak on real gospel content). You might have a certain appreciation for someone’s ministry that myself and others would find vulgar, unbiblical, pragmatic, contextualized, and ecumenical. Is there room for healthy disagreement and debate? And if so, how elastic and flexible are those boundaries?
Again, I agree with Ted here; it’s a good idea and I applaud your heart on this. But in reality, implementing this beyond a mailing list function, a reference list of other blogs, would be very difficult.
Grace and peace to you,
Steve
2 Cor. 4:5-7
April 24th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Just signing up.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I hesitate because my blog can’t hold a candle to most of the ones I see here…
but I do desire to be gospel-oriented in my words. I would be privileged to take part.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I’m wit it! Count me in!
http://jonathanignacio.wordpress.com/
April 24th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Sounds good!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’m in.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Enthusiastically signing on, both in print and in sign language.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Curious as to the nature of accountability in all this as well. Nevertheless, I think it is a great idea. Please count me in.
P.S. Shouldn’t this somehow dovetail into the Puritan Paperback Challenge 2008?
April 24th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Sounds like a great idea. Looking forward to the next T4G and BOB meetings….
April 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Totally.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
May Jesus Christ be glorified.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Perish my honor. May Christ be glorified through our blogging!
April 25th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Think About These Things
hantla.com/blog
Jacob Hantla
April 25th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Ted,
I totally understand your concerns and appreciate your questions. After BoB ’06, I had the discussion regarding accountability with several folks for a period of a couple of months about what would be the best way to go about keeping to a standard where we “blog worthy of the gospel.”
At this point, I cannot delve too deeply into the things being considered, partly due to the fact that it is still quite preliminary in the process. Perhaps there are some things I could say from a personal perspective, but I would rather refrain at this point in expressing my thoughts until I have the counsel and input from others.
Know, however, that your questions are being considered as we seek to move forward. In that process, it won’t be perfect, but it’s a start. I look forward to talking with you in the future and benefiting from your contribution to this work. Thanks for taking the time to express your encouragement and support!
April 25th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I’m in!
April 25th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Would love to be included – Thanks
April 25th, 2008 at 6:10 am
It would be an immense privilege to be included.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am
As a church planter committed to the Gospel…sounds great to me:
http://www.marcbackes.com
http://www.eternityjc.com
April 25th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Timmy, I’m in, my blog may not be of the same quality as some, but I have the same goal. To lift high the gospel of our crucifed savior.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Thanks, Timmy, for all your hard work. I’m delighted to be part of this gospel-centered Christ-exalting community.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Please add me too (if there is room). What a great outpooring of people of God.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Count me in!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I would like to be counted in to.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I’m on board!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Ditto.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I would love to be a part of this.
April 26th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Timmy writes: “What we want to do is develop a directory of gospel-centered blogs… and seek to regularly highlight the work and writing that emphasizes and underscores the message and mission of Jesus Christ.”
I’ve read (and re-read) this a few times, and read all the comments as well, after a discussion with a friend that touched on this subject, and reading Dan Phillips’ post on blogger accountability at TeamPyro.
It initially looked like a fine idea, but then it occured to me that what’s being proposed is something that’s already (and has been, for years now) being done in the Christian blogging community every day. We link to one another via semi-permanent blogrolls and individual blog posts and we also link to new bloggers we discover that are Christ-centered & God glorifying in their writing. This happens all the time on Christian blogs.
If this is all about networking, then I get that, since this is what we’re already doing.
I’m just not sure what the goal is here, since what it seems like you’re proposing, is already being done. I just have to ask what makes this proposal different?
The other question I have would be, who decides who makes it into this directory, and who doesn’t? Will every professing Christian blogger be included, or will there be a panel of folks who reject certain applicants – and what will that omission be based on?
I do hope someone can answer these questions, and I appreciate your time, in advance.
SDG,
Carla
April 26th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Carla,
Thanks for asking. I will only briefly respond at this point with the intention of addressing this more in the future.
A “trust” (noun) has been defined as ““assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something: one in which confidence is placed.”
We have been given such a trust and stewardship comes from God through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through the gospel. This gospel trust is something that should be cared for on the horizontal plane through reciprocating and responsible relationships as well. The vision behind the gospel trust is not to arbitrarily set up standards or police the internet as though everyone is accountable to the “band of bloggers”; rather, we are simply desiring to encourage and exhort bloggers to faithfulness and good stewardship of the gospel with their blogs.
So the goal is more than networking but certainly less than policing or watchdogging.
Now, at this point, I will speak personally regarding the need for mutual encouragement and accountability. I don’t trust myself. My heart and mind, though renewed, still need to be helped and even checked. I welcome that. I need that. If you or others find this intrusive or unnecessary, then by no means do I (or anyone else) think less of you for not being a part of it.
The details and delivery of this vision is still being worked on, and it will take some time. I welcome the challenges, critiques, and questions, but I do ask that you understand that many of them will simply not be able to be adequately answered at this time.
Thanks again,
Timmy
April 26th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I’m in.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Timmy,
thanks for taking the time to address my comment, I do appreciate that.
It will be interesting to see where the Lord leads with this project and how it all works out.
SDG,
Carla
April 26th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
please add me to the list
-joe
April 27th, 2008 at 2:41 am
thanks man!
April 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I’ll be your huckleberry.
The Gospel-Driven Church
http://www.gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com
April 28th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I would love to contribute!
April 29th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
i’d be grateful to be added as well.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
can this puppy play with the big dogs?…please?
Great concept, brother!
May 1st, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Grace and peace!
May 1st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Sign me up.
Arthur Sido
May 1st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Thanks
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:16 am
Thanks guys, looking forward to this
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Count me in too.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I’m in. http://www.redeeminghistory.wordpress.com
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:29 am
Sign me up, thanks!
May 4th, 2008 at 2:10 am
please include me. cheers.