Here's a quote from the second book I got...
"...many churches are introverted, concerned about attracting larger and larger congregations to their pulpit-centered services, increasing their budgets, improving and expanding their facilities while their members remain afflicted with arthritic spectatoritis."
Talk about timely and relevant! I tell you, this speaks to what I have experienced lately...
Oh, wait, this book was published in 1982!
It's call "The Church Unleashed: Getting God's People Out Where the Needs Are."
And I believe it has hit close to what I believe this ministry is about: "[A] Focus on Getting God's people out where there are sin and pain and need."
I have only just began this book as well (now five I am reading, in total) but it still speaks volumes, even (if not more so) today!
In short, so far as I can gather, the book challenges churches to "get out" with various ministries, rather than just focusing on bigger, flashier, and newer churches.
To quote:
"Forget about bringing people in...forget about institutional success...forget about binding members to an organization with ties of loyalty, cords of convivial programming, and busy intramural involvement. Focus on unshackling members, motivating them to give time and energy beyond any ecclesiastical ghetto. Forget about growth as an end in itself. And, paradoxically, growth will take place as the by-product of a ministry that refuses to be self-centered and self-serving."
To that, all I can say is, Amen.
I love that last quote. That is what churches should be about - not "growing bigger and better".
ReplyDelete"Focus on unshackling members, motivating them to give time and energy beyond any ecclesiastical ghetto. "
ReplyDeleteHow does a church achieve this without programming, campaigns, series, etc. I know of a prime example of a church that has failed because it didn't reach out enough with any of these things. It simply said "go out and serve". And no one did. In this day and age, simply telling the congregation to "go out and serve" simply isn't enough. The people that are self motivated enough to just go out and do are few and far between. And words only go so far if you don't engage people enough for them to want to listen.
True, this is tricky...It's more than just telling then to "go and serve" but MOTIVATING. Motivation is tricky. Programming may help, but it should not be the ONLY form and the programming should and needs to be able to change with the time and the people. The church should be dynamic. The church should be the resource for people to go out - a launching pad.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten through the entire book yet, so hopefully there will be a bit more insight...