Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian recently wrote an article for our friends at the Christian Vision Project that appeared in Christianity Today. He asserts that, ultimately, the relationship of Christians to culture is the singular current crisis point for the Church. In response to the magic bullet formulas sometimes used by the church to contextualize itself into its surroundings, he unpacks a new and different strategy to reach our cities. Find out what he says are the keys to living out this new kind of urban Christianity here.

Is he truly a "generous giver"? Warren Buffett will be giving close to 40 billion - yes, that was 40 BILLION - to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation over the next several years, making his commitment one of the largest in our country's philanthropic history. He will be leaving a small amount (a couple of billion) of his overall assets to his family, along with funneling several million to family related foundations. This unprecedented giving strategy is unsurpassed when you compare to other wealthy individuals and families in the history of our country. With average giving among Christians at around 3% of their annual income, Buffett's commitment certainly causes one to stop and re-think the term "generous."

We've all strived at some point to show that we were cool- hip, trendy, innovative, edgy, rad. Whether in 1st grade or on the first day of our first job out of college, the drive to show we were "in" seemed to be consistent. But now, as Fast Company magazine notes in their latest issue, companies are getting into the "cool" game. That's right, it seems the latest trend is for large companies to outsource "cool" to nimbler, closer-to-the ground outsiders who are on the cutting edge, paying large sums to these innovators for their insight on how to gain an edge in being the most popular and trendy kid in the class, so to speak. Outsourcing other core competencies, like Human Resources, IT, distribution, and even manufacturing has been a norm for many years, but outsourcing "cool," to help these companies keep up with customers rapidly changing tastes and demands, is a whole next level of core competencies! Seems to be a move that could prove risky for companies looking to keep their brand consistent with their values and vision. It's like asking someone other than your family what you should wear to work in the morning!

Well, the list of the 50 most influential churches, according to The Church Report, released late last week. North Point Community Church, a longtime friend of Catalyst and the original location of the Catalyst Conference back in 1999, made the top five list at #3. Of note, Life Church in Edmond, OK (Craig Groeschel) also cracked the top ten at #7. Do you agree with the top 50? If not, who is missing?

If you haven't subscribed to the FREE Catalyst Podcast, now is the time to join in. Our latest issue features an interview with Rob Bell, the teaching pastor at Mars Hill just outside of Grand Rapids, and the voice of NOOMA. Rob gives a plethora (yes, plethora) of valuable thoughts, ideas and insights on everything from historical Jewish customs to the "call" of a pastor. He truly seems to be at another level in his thinking. One big idea that seemed to be consistent throughout the two part interview was the value and importance of churches being involved in the local community. So we want to know specifically how YOUR church is having an impact on your local community. Share what is happening.