Thursday, November 30, 2006
Church Priorities
A while back, Jollyblogger commented on some of Dallas Willard's writings. David, based on what Willard says, looks what the church is supposed to be about doing. David agrees with Willard that the church should be about something that I will call "evangelism in depth," that is to say a call not to the altar, but to apprenticeship in faith.
But this is what I really like
Let me try that another way - the church, as an organization/institution, is about being a community of Christians and helping all Christians grow more so. Part of being that community is to be oriented towards bringing others into that community. Now, I am departing partially from what David was saying in the post here, but I don't think it's that different, because David is also agreeing with Willard that the church has to do a much better job not of conversion, but apprenticing.
The church expresses its mission not in what it does, but in who it produces. Think about this for a minute. The church is absolutely called to evangelism, but the church accomplishes it not by holding a tent crusade, but by making, through apprenticeship, evangelists. The church is called to social action, but the church accomplishes this not by organizing politically, but by making, through appreticeship, politicians.
The church is community and incubator, a place of nurture, not just new birth nursing, but nurture to maturity, producing people that answer every call God has placed on the church.
The practical question is, of course, how do we best use the resources of the church? That's what this always boils down to. My answer is supporting the memebers of the congregation with their ministry. In other words, when it comes to setting budget priorities, etc. - those that make those decisions do so not by setting the agenda but responding to it. The job of the ruling board becomes twofold - helping the people in the church know what they are called to, and then supporting them in that call.
Think about it, and then think about what a radical differnce it will make in how we do church.
Related Tags: church, priority, agenda, mission
But this is what I really like
Having said all of that, I do think the above can be taken too far. It seems to me that a vital part of apprenticeship to Jesus is learning to be outwardly oriented and evangelistically motivated. The call of Abraham's descendents is a call to be a people who will be a blessing to the whole world. [emphasis mine]In that quote lies the roots of what I think really is the right way to do church. Church is about building Christians - deep, mature Christians - Christians are about making other Christians.
Let me try that another way - the church, as an organization/institution, is about being a community of Christians and helping all Christians grow more so. Part of being that community is to be oriented towards bringing others into that community. Now, I am departing partially from what David was saying in the post here, but I don't think it's that different, because David is also agreeing with Willard that the church has to do a much better job not of conversion, but apprenticing.
The church expresses its mission not in what it does, but in who it produces. Think about this for a minute. The church is absolutely called to evangelism, but the church accomplishes it not by holding a tent crusade, but by making, through apprenticeship, evangelists. The church is called to social action, but the church accomplishes this not by organizing politically, but by making, through appreticeship, politicians.
The church is community and incubator, a place of nurture, not just new birth nursing, but nurture to maturity, producing people that answer every call God has placed on the church.
The practical question is, of course, how do we best use the resources of the church? That's what this always boils down to. My answer is supporting the memebers of the congregation with their ministry. In other words, when it comes to setting budget priorities, etc. - those that make those decisions do so not by setting the agenda but responding to it. The job of the ruling board becomes twofold - helping the people in the church know what they are called to, and then supporting them in that call.
Think about it, and then think about what a radical differnce it will make in how we do church.
Related Tags: church, priority, agenda, mission
