So a month or so back I went on a little Tweetstorm about how Christians use the word “movement.” Looking back, I think I probably should have blogged those thoughts. But that’s the beauty of Twitter, right? Regardless, for those who missed it, I thought I would post the tweets in succession so my readers can think through these same ideas. Let me know your thoughts!
Warning: Tweet storm is forthcoming. (1/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Dear Christians: Please stop calling everything a movement when it's successful. (2/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Success does not equal a movement. It means you've done well and people have responded. (3/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
The problem is when we call everything a movement, then the word movement means nothing. It's just a buzzword for success. (4/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Movements mean things have gotten so wildly out of control that we can't count where our influence has gone. (5/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
The key to determining whether you are in a movement: You are not at the center. You may not even be known. (6/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Movements are based on principles. They have initiators and spreaders, but those are not the focus. (7/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Black Lives Matter is a movement. It has an ideology, a purpose, & because it does it spreads everywhere, spontaneously. (8/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
But your blog site, worship band, or ministry school is probably not a movement, because it doesn't spread spontaneously. (9/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
To be clear. I love the message of Jesus & the Christian church is a movement. I hope the Gospel in your mouth can become one, too. (10/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
But in order for us to become a movement, we must be focused on teach others to obey the Gospel. Then teach them to do so also. (11/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Calling things movements that aren't only cheapen real movements and cause us to pursue things that aren't movement. (12/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Movements are possible but they require us to abandon success as the ministry goal. (13/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
If you want to do this, find someone who is reaching people and teaching them to reach other people with the Gospel. (14/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Look for reality, not theory. Practitioners, not talkers. (15/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
This is hard, because many talk but few practice. (16/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
I don't claim to have hit this stage. I still consider myself a talker. I want the fruit to speak for itself. (17/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
If you are looking for a good example of this, look no farther than @dougblackjr who has been egging me on from the background. (18/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
For those of you who don't obsess over movements like I do, I apologize. But this is important. End Rant. (19/x)
— traviskolder (is reading Bonhoeffer) (@traviskolder) August 27, 2016
Travis Kolder 
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