Note: I unwittingly discovered Blogspot has limits to the blog length. You can read part one of this article here.
Moving on to the fourth point in the article:
4. A church is a place where I can use my gifts, passion, skills, personality and life experiences to serve, but it’s up to me to become a servant. (Matthew 20:28)
This is my single biggest pet peeve about the article. First let me say that the writer is absolutely spot on, but he is ignoring something I have seen consistently in many churches. And for me it has been the primary reason for moving on.
There are people in the congregation who desperately long to serve, but are never given the chance. I know because I have often been one of them. When I became a Christian, I hit the ground running, eager to serve. One of the requirements of the Bible College I attended was to be involved in service to your local congregation. As a new Christian with a LOT of baggage, I knew I was not spiritually ready to lead, so I discussed it with my pastor, and agreed to be the janitor/groundskeeper for the church.
When I returned to my advisor, he stated simply, "we are looking for something more spiritual in nature".
That's one of those conversations I wish I had back, because today I would have no difficulty explaining how serving by maintaining the premises can be just as spiritual as leading worship, but I can't go back to that point. But I have experienced many such instances in multiple churches, and have seen people who wish to serve pushed aside for various reasons, either because those in charge felt their abilities weren't good enough, or because they felt the person wasn't spiritual enough. I suspect that it's often been the latter in my case, but I can never be sure; at any rate, I've never felt the need to PROVE my spirituality.
I will note in this that in one case the failure to click into an area of ministry was my fault, but that's one case out of several.
Eventually, my quest to serve became less and less ministry centric, and I tried to concentrate on things like hanging around and helping cleanup after church meals, or assisting when numbers are needed; but the majority of my focus has been outside the church walls. My heart is geared to the homeless, and that is where I focus my ministry, because it's one of the few places where my offering is accepted.
On to point 5, the final point:
5. A church is a place where I have the chance to change the world by fulfilling the Great Commission, but it’s up to me to actually become a person of impact. (Romans 10:14)
This statement is absolutely correct, and I have nothing to add to it. But there is a sub point that in my opinion is potentially the most dangerous point of the article:
Churches exist for the purpose of their non-members.
They do not exist to serve the whims of their members.
Now it's true that churches do not exist to serve the whims of their members, the concept that they exist solely for members is wrong, wrong, wrong. It is entirely misguided, it is bad theology, and it is antithetical to EVERYTHING Jesus taught.
Given the fact that the author put together a generally well written article, I am willing to concede context and accept that he may not have meant that exactly as it is read, but the church is as much a place to nurture and grow its members as it is to encourage nonmembers. It is, in many ways, a nest, where we are to feel its comfort and protection, but we must leave as we learn to fly and soar.
And it is, most importantly, still there for us, still beckoning, when we fall.
And again, carefully noting that I do not believe the author intended it this way based on everything else they wrote, I will continue on the point about the church existing exclusively for its nonmembers, as it is a misconception I have seen churches hold.
If the church exists only for its nonmembers, then why do you solicit my attendance, my tithes? I know why, of course, and the above points spell it out, but we must not allow ourselves to fall into the thinking that we can neglect the needs of the faithful at the expense of the unsaved. That can only lead away from Christ, not towards him.
In writing this, I am hoping the reader understands it was written not to argue the quite valid points presented, but to offer another side, another perspective. And hope that can lead us to deepen our ministries.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
What I Wish the Church Understood About Ministry, Part 1
I recently read an article that my pastor posted about how the church does not exist to serve. It is a fairly well written article, and there are several good points about it. I want to note before proceeding that this piece is not to attack the article and its valid points, but to provide perspective from the other side. The article referenced can be found here.
First, merely for perspective, a bit about me: I accepted Christ in 1988, and was then and am now an enthusiastic Christian with a desire to serve, grow, and minister. I spent a year in a small Baptist Bible College until my funds ran out, and have spent the remaining years desperately trying to find a church where I belong in the sense that they need me as much as I need them. I have not found that church, and that is, in all candor, why this page exists. I am long past the bitterness and have moved on to accept that God's will for my life does not include a role in active ministry.
But that is enough about me. Now let's move on to the article.The first point the author presents is as follows:
A church is a place to gather weekly for worship, but it’s up to me whether I will experience the presence of God. (John 4:24)
This point is spot on, but it does a very slight disservice in ignoring the role of the ministers who present the service. If you're not connecting with the majority of your congregation, you're doing it wrong.
Now I admit if I'm the standalone guy who is not getting it while the others are, we have a problem. But if your church is not growing spiritually, it may be time to head home and look in the mirror. I have seen churches of all style and no substance, and it's pretty tough to grow when the soil isn't deep enough for you to spread our your roots.
The second point is one where I begin to take issue:
2. A church is a family I can belong to, but it’s up to me to develop friendships. (Proverbs 18:24)
This seems good, and it is, again, more true than not, but it isn't the whole picture. Building friendships is a two way street, and it is equally the responsibility of the members of the church to work on friendship building with people who come in their doors. That is a major weakness of evangelism; so much effort is spent in bringing people to the cross that little effort is spent on them once they get there.
Now, I will say that if someone isn't taking advantage of the opportunities the church provides, then they are not holding up their end of the bargain. I have, however, in my lifetime, observed one truth about people: there are some people who are very hard to love in a Christian way. I gather from a lifetime of reactions that I am one of them, but I have certainly never tried to be. It is our job to reach out, to love them in spite of the obstacles, and to love them through whatever traits they have. These things are temporary; their souls are eternal.
I have long said that if a church was not ready to accept an alcoholic who came in the door just hours removed from their last drink, they are not truly evangelical. People come broken, and while it is not our job to "fix" them, it IS our job to provide a place where they can be healed, and to direct them in all sincerity to the One who CAN heal.
Matthew 28:19 urges us:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
As I once told a friend, we're doing a great job of going, not so much of making disciples. Mentoring and discipleship are as important as evangelism, perhaps more so.
Let me say before moving on that I recognize that this is easier said than done. But we are called to do difficult, even impossible, things through Christ.
Moving on:
3. A church is place where gifted teachers will explain the Bible and how I can apply it to my life, but it’s up to me to align my life with God’s truth. (James 1:22)
This is where the disciple making part of the church comes in.
I came to Christ in jail because of a serious misstep I made when I was barely 18. What I found when I was inside the jail was an amazing support group of sincere Christians, and that followed me outside the jail while I was still in the Pacific Northwest.
About six months after I was released, I was driving through a bad neighborhood. As I drove by, I briefly caught a glimpse of one of the men who had regularly attended our fellowship. He didn't look good. You could see at a glance he had fallen back into his old lifestyle, his old habits.
This image has haunted me since that day. As a more mature Christian, I'd like to think I would put the brakes on, hop out of the car, and go speak with him, and invite him over to visit. I can't say in all honesty that I would, but I would like to think I would.
To put the entire burden on me to align my life with God's truth is to put aside a great deal of the Gospel. The truth is, I am fallen, you are fallen, and we often need the assistance of others (including and especially the Holy Spirit) to make that connection. Proverbs 27:17 tells us:
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Galatians 6:2 further elaborates on this point:
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Yes, ultimately I, and only I, am responsible for the steps I take to draw closer to God. But as Paul compares us to "babes in Christ", I would say that process is better achieved through the assistance and encouragement of those around me. It's a process that must be relearned, and it is up to each of us to help teach us.
The article uses the example of a money course, and asks if they've made the changes where he had encouraged them. And yet, even the author of the course he is clearly referencing will tell you the relearning process is exceedingly difficult.
Looking at the political landscape, I can't help but realize we are about twenty years removed from the height of the "Promisekeepers" movement. And it looks very compellingly like a lot of the promises made in that heightened state have not been kept. I remember standing in a chorus of men's voices filling Soldier Field in Chicago, and I can't help but wonder how many of those men have left their wives, have abandoned those covenants, and forgotten what they stood for. And while it would be wrong to blame it on the church, there is good cause to wonder if the fellowship they have experienced since has nurtured and encouraged them to keep those vows.
First, merely for perspective, a bit about me: I accepted Christ in 1988, and was then and am now an enthusiastic Christian with a desire to serve, grow, and minister. I spent a year in a small Baptist Bible College until my funds ran out, and have spent the remaining years desperately trying to find a church where I belong in the sense that they need me as much as I need them. I have not found that church, and that is, in all candor, why this page exists. I am long past the bitterness and have moved on to accept that God's will for my life does not include a role in active ministry.
But that is enough about me. Now let's move on to the article.The first point the author presents is as follows:
A church is a place to gather weekly for worship, but it’s up to me whether I will experience the presence of God. (John 4:24)
This point is spot on, but it does a very slight disservice in ignoring the role of the ministers who present the service. If you're not connecting with the majority of your congregation, you're doing it wrong.
Now I admit if I'm the standalone guy who is not getting it while the others are, we have a problem. But if your church is not growing spiritually, it may be time to head home and look in the mirror. I have seen churches of all style and no substance, and it's pretty tough to grow when the soil isn't deep enough for you to spread our your roots.
The second point is one where I begin to take issue:
2. A church is a family I can belong to, but it’s up to me to develop friendships. (Proverbs 18:24)
This seems good, and it is, again, more true than not, but it isn't the whole picture. Building friendships is a two way street, and it is equally the responsibility of the members of the church to work on friendship building with people who come in their doors. That is a major weakness of evangelism; so much effort is spent in bringing people to the cross that little effort is spent on them once they get there.
Now, I will say that if someone isn't taking advantage of the opportunities the church provides, then they are not holding up their end of the bargain. I have, however, in my lifetime, observed one truth about people: there are some people who are very hard to love in a Christian way. I gather from a lifetime of reactions that I am one of them, but I have certainly never tried to be. It is our job to reach out, to love them in spite of the obstacles, and to love them through whatever traits they have. These things are temporary; their souls are eternal.
I have long said that if a church was not ready to accept an alcoholic who came in the door just hours removed from their last drink, they are not truly evangelical. People come broken, and while it is not our job to "fix" them, it IS our job to provide a place where they can be healed, and to direct them in all sincerity to the One who CAN heal.
Matthew 28:19 urges us:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
As I once told a friend, we're doing a great job of going, not so much of making disciples. Mentoring and discipleship are as important as evangelism, perhaps more so.
Let me say before moving on that I recognize that this is easier said than done. But we are called to do difficult, even impossible, things through Christ.
Moving on:
3. A church is place where gifted teachers will explain the Bible and how I can apply it to my life, but it’s up to me to align my life with God’s truth. (James 1:22)
This is where the disciple making part of the church comes in.
I came to Christ in jail because of a serious misstep I made when I was barely 18. What I found when I was inside the jail was an amazing support group of sincere Christians, and that followed me outside the jail while I was still in the Pacific Northwest.
About six months after I was released, I was driving through a bad neighborhood. As I drove by, I briefly caught a glimpse of one of the men who had regularly attended our fellowship. He didn't look good. You could see at a glance he had fallen back into his old lifestyle, his old habits.
This image has haunted me since that day. As a more mature Christian, I'd like to think I would put the brakes on, hop out of the car, and go speak with him, and invite him over to visit. I can't say in all honesty that I would, but I would like to think I would.
To put the entire burden on me to align my life with God's truth is to put aside a great deal of the Gospel. The truth is, I am fallen, you are fallen, and we often need the assistance of others (including and especially the Holy Spirit) to make that connection. Proverbs 27:17 tells us:
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Galatians 6:2 further elaborates on this point:
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Yes, ultimately I, and only I, am responsible for the steps I take to draw closer to God. But as Paul compares us to "babes in Christ", I would say that process is better achieved through the assistance and encouragement of those around me. It's a process that must be relearned, and it is up to each of us to help teach us.
The article uses the example of a money course, and asks if they've made the changes where he had encouraged them. And yet, even the author of the course he is clearly referencing will tell you the relearning process is exceedingly difficult.
Looking at the political landscape, I can't help but realize we are about twenty years removed from the height of the "Promisekeepers" movement. And it looks very compellingly like a lot of the promises made in that heightened state have not been kept. I remember standing in a chorus of men's voices filling Soldier Field in Chicago, and I can't help but wonder how many of those men have left their wives, have abandoned those covenants, and forgotten what they stood for. And while it would be wrong to blame it on the church, there is good cause to wonder if the fellowship they have experienced since has nurtured and encouraged them to keep those vows.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)