The light breaks through
Engaging the Disinterested
Warning: Transformation May Occur
My name is Keith Haney. The writer and architect of this blog journey. Candidly I am a pastor, but you will find no judgment, only encouragement at this site. I am not sure how you stumbled upon this blog. Maybe you were seeking ways to help your congregation better reach its neighborhood. Or you were looking to grow as a leader. It’s conceivable the system and culture are crushing you, and you need consolation. If inspiration is what you are pursuing you will find it here, if you want to grow as a leader, I will challenge you to do that. If you want your church to just improve and add people in the pew, this blog may not be suitable for you. The world is changing and our old ways of connecting isn’t working. This blog will test your traditional views of church and ministry, it may stretch you beyond your comfort zone. So, if you read, follow and share its contents with your leadership I hold no personal responsibility for the metamorphosis you may experience or the stress and transformation you may thrust upon your leadership.
Some categories to avoid if you want to read this blog safely. Avoid the section on Millennials. It is based on actual research and verified by my Millennials friends. It will ultimately alter your misconceptions about this passionate, missional generation. You will discover why they are just passing on the local church in alarmingly large numbers. The post entitled, “A Worship Style That Connects With Millennials” will cause you to abandon many of your Millennial worship initiatives.
You will also want to stay away from the posts on missional communities. It is the wave of the present for connecting with the unconnected. This section will make you angry and uncomfortable if you love the Sunday morning gathering time, this movement is not centered on worship in the traditional sense. Missional communities is centered on authentic relationship with the marginalized and missions. You will get a sense of this with the post entitled, “Are Missional Communities a Threat to the Local Chuch?”
And, you will want to not click on any of the leadership sections. There is one there entitled, “Leadership 101: You Can’t Stop Stupid, and trying to fix Stupid Hurts.” Leadership is a passion of this pastor. I believe it is the one thing holding the church back from entirely being what God created Her to be, a dominant force for change in the hearts and minds of today’s culture.
This blog also tackles the difficult often ignored issue of racial division in America. The writing on this topic led to a Bible Study, published in 2015 by Concordia Publishing House, entitled “Healing One Nation Under God: Healing Racial Divides.” It will challenge your conventional ideas about race while providing Biblical solutions to a complex issue.
There are safer places to surf while visiting this site. The devotions and sermon starters while challenging and insightful dangerous in that the Word of God itself points out our sins put also leads us into the arms of God’s grace and forgiveness.
Read, inwardly digest at your own risk. It is all based on the Word of God so blame the spirit for any transformation.
This content was created to share. Every day is a share-a-thon. Share away. We can help shape the future of the church together.
Four Steps Needed Develop A Masterpiece Pipeline
If I could transport myself back in time to the early years of my ministry, the first change I would have made in my thought process would be to develop leaders. Not developing leaders put a ceiling on our ministry potential. Asking people to wear multiple hats proved to be detrimental not only to the ministry but to my few, overworked and over-committed saints. Burnout was common. Ministry was inconsistent. New ministry opportunity were missed or not taken advantage of because we didn’t have the people or the energy to try new things. Have you been there? Are you there now as a church? If this is your story let me share with you how to change your kingdom development culture.
The first change is to stop thinking of them as volunteers who are joining you on the work you are doing. Instead, see them as God sees them. They are His masterpieces. Your people have been called by God to go and make a mission impact in the world. Your people are missionaries. God’s sent ones. They are sent into places and have contact with people on a day to day basis who may never set foot in the doors of a church. At least not at first. Your flock are God’s delievery system to spread the Gospel. This may shock you even offend some, but stop and think about it. If unconnected people are not beating down your church doors how will you deliever the Gospel message to them? Not with livestreams of your sermon, or a really cool podcast, or even a great blog like the one you are reading now. No, the way the gospel will get into the ears of those outside the church is through the people you are equipping each week and sending out on mission. The church especially Sunday Morning is God’s system to nurture and equip those missionaries for the mission.
- Develop an apprenticeship model of development.
You are thinking is that this a business term. Here we go trying to turn the house of God into a corporation. No, but there is something to be learned from how others train and equip people for service. In an apprenticeship model, the essential foundation of the program includes structured on-the-job training. Your apprentices get hands-on training and equipping from an experienced mentor involved in the particular ministry. This hands-on training would last typically a minimum of one year. This training comprises providing the skills and knowledge the apprentice must learn over the program to be fully proficient at the job. Imagine how this would transform your leadership potential and open opportunities for further ministry possibilities.
2. Create a safe environment for new leaders to experience leading.
Before you embark on this masterpiece development culture shift you must be ready to allow these new apprentice-level kingdom workers to spread their wings and fly. Provide a safe environment up-front to put their gifts to use. In other words, give them the main stage. If they falter, encourage them, give them useful input to improve and send them out time and time again until they are ready to lead on the weight of their own ability. You will never develop the next generation of leaders if you never allow them to lead.
3. Provide Feedback
As you are developing these new leaders, give them feedback. However, a word of caution. If your organization has people of different backgrounds from different nationalities realize they process feedback differently.
Andy Molinsky uses this example “…in Germany in terms of tough, critical, to-the-point negative feedback was actually demotivating to Jens’s new Chinese employees, who were used to a far gentler feedback style. In Germany, you don’t single out specific accomplishments or offer praise unless the accomplishment is truly extraordinary. From a German point of view, these positive work behaviors are normal, rather than extraordinary. Employees are expected to do a particular job, and when they do that job, they do not need to be recognized. In China — at least at this particular plant — the culture was quite different. Employees expected more positive reinforcement than pure critique. These positive comments motivated them to increase productivity and put forth that extra, discretionary effort.”[1]
Take the time to learn what motivates your kingom workers and which feedback style will produce the results you are seeking.
4. Celebrate your masterpieces
They often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Many little kids respond, “A firefighter!” There is something attractive about being heroic… and driving a big red truck! But did you know of the over 1 million firefighters in the United States serving families and businesses as some of the most anxious times in a person’s life, that only 31% get paid? That’s right, 69% of firefighters are volunteers. 98.3% of fire departments in the state of Delaware are comprised of volunteers or mostly volunteers. So why do they do put their lives at risk? Because they love their neighbors.[2]
Faith calls every Christian to sacrifice to serve others. It is not just the role of the paid minister. How can we as a church serve our community at the time when it is most at risk?
You are training God’s masterpieces to take part in the most important mission ever conceived. It is difficult to work and in some places; it is dangerous work. While God calls us to do it, celebrating how God is using His people is crucial. Take time like Jesus did to encourage your faithful servants, lift before the congregation how God is using His people to carry out His mission all around the world. In their homes, in their community, in their work places. Lift up how this masterpieces are having a kingdom impact all around the city. As you do that watch the culture of your congregation change, for the better for the mission of God in the world. It will encourage the entire body of Christ and the ones called to serve.
The Word for 2019: Inspire
One of my readers picked “inspire” as their impact word for 2019. What an interesting word. It brought to mind this quote. “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.” Robin S. Sharma
Inspiration is the method used by God to craft the Bible. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…“– 2 Timothy 3:16. God’s Word was breathed forth by the men who would write the words used to create daily faith miracles. This God-given inspiration was a divine movement of God. Imagine if our lives could be so peculiar, so otherworldly that an unbelieving world would inspire people to seek to know more about God, and the Savior we worship? May our lives be inspirational by the power of the Holy Spirit working in, with, and through us.
Dear Father,
You call us to be in the world but not of the world. I have to thank You for looking beyond those times when we have failed to love those around us. God, you are merciful and love us unconditionally. Forgive us when we do not love others in the same way. Give us eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in our lives and not just see them but to be moved to act to lighten their burdens. We pray Lord for the inspirational lives Matthew describes in chapter 5, “16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” In the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
The Need for A Second Reformation
When I was a young bright-eyed seminary student. God introduced me to another young radical seminary student and, we became life-long friends. Our paths took us in very different directions but through all the ministry challenges and movements of God among us, we remained friends and hopeful about the church’s future. During our time at Seminary, we said, “The church needs a second reformation.” The first one was a course correction of some major theology issues plaguing the church. This new one is about correcting action that is crippling the church: releasing the people of God.
In this next series of blog posts, I will unpack more what that means and pray it will help empower the church to understand it was made for more. Made for more was the theme of a conference I just attended and it rekindled in me the ideas I and this young seminary friend thought and wrestled with some thirty (oh my. has it been that long?) years ago.
Here is the scriptural foundation for this series and a little snapshot of what is coming.
The foundation
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Ephesians 2:8-10
We were made to be more (the believer’s identity in Christ), made to do more (purpose) and made to go more (mission impact). Stay tuned I think this will be a blessing to you and your ministry. The series will launch next week on Tuesday.
Ted Talk: Confessions of a Mircomanager
Think about the most tired you’ve ever been at work. It probably wasn’t when you stayed late or came home from a road trip — chances are it was when you had someone looking over your shoulder, watching your each and every move. “If we know that micromanagement isn’t really effective, why do we do it?” asks entrepreneur Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement madness — and how to foster innovation and happiness at work.
The Word for 2019: Unity
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, [1] John 17:22.
One of my readers picked the word unity for 2019. I love the word unity. The world would be a better place if we could all come together and move forward as one. What is the source of our unity? Can unity be a bad thing? It can. I love how Charles Spurgeon explains unity.
“A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, “Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!” Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel.” – Charles H. Spurgeon, The Essence of Separation, quoted in The Berean Call, July 1992, p. 4.
We must center unity on truth. Jesus wants us to live as children of God but united for the sake of unity. It unites us for a common purpose, as sent on a common mission, to proclaim the incontrovertible truth of God’s Word. As John reminds us in John 8:32. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” May this truth bring us unity.
Dear Lord,
Keep us I pray united around Your Truth. Guide our hearts and lives as we read Your Word and study the Bible. Prevent us, Lord, from being led astray into any false teachings sweeping through the Church today. Give us a discerning heart and help us to find faithful teachers who teach the whole council of God. May Your Word of Truth unite Your Church, around a common mission and a common purpose. May we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 17:22). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
The Nature of God: The Heart A Shepherd
During the Thirty Year’s War in Europe (1618-1648) they slew the King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus while his troops were winning the Battle of Lutzen, in what is now Germany. Sweden was thrown into mourning, and government officials met to determine how to replace the king. Some suggested a republic; others thought the crown should go to Adolphus’ cousin, the king of Poland. The chancellor of Sweden arose and said, “Let there be no talk of a republic or of Polish kings, for we have in our midst the heir of the great Gustavus, his little daughter, 6 years of age.” Some protested that they had never seen her. The chancellor said, “Wait a minute, and I will show you.” He brought in Christina, daughter of the king, and placed her on the throne. One representative who was especially suspicious of the move pressed forward and gazed intently into her face. Then turning to the assembly, he exclaimed, “Look at her nose, her eyes, her chin! I see in the countenance of this child the features of the great Gustavus. She is the child of our king!” From all quarters of the room rang the proclamation, “Christina, Queen of Sweden!” – Source Unknown
In the beginning of Ezekiel 34, there is a serious condition God is addressing. If you look into the eyes of Israel’s priest you would not see the nature of God. They didn’t behave like God, they didn’t reflect God’s nature and they didn’t care for the people the way God intended. Hear the charges against them in God’s own words,
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. [1]
There is a perception that the Old Testament God is an angry, wrathful, quick to punish being. What is often missed, even ignored, is the patience and the amazing love of God. The Almighty, upon closer review, is dealing with sheep who are obstinate, stubborn and rebellious, but still, God reached out to them. God is patient with His people. Israel was guilty of committing great sin but in spite of their failings, God is merciful and forgiving. God offers them time and time again a pathway back for their wanderings. All they had to do was repent and remember the covenant God made with His people. I love this observation from Jeffery, “God’s love is not soft and weak, as if it cares nothing about sin, but, rather, exactly the opposite. He cares deeply and sin grieves him. While he will not tolerate it or excuse it, he will pardon it, and it is against this backdrop of divine holiness that God’s love shines most brightly.[2]”
Unfaithful Leaders
The reference to unfaithful shepherds referred to Israel’s kings and could include their spiritual leaders. How were they unfaithful? The leaders sought to be served, rather than to serve, they were indistinguishable from having no leader at all. Maybe you have been in a situation like this in ministry or life. Where it is obvious your leaders are only concerned about themselves, their career, their personal gain. That attitude destroys the heart of the people. These leaders left the people of Israel like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus points out a similar spiritual condition in Matthew 9:35-36,
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.[3]”
When this happens to the people of God, they wander aimlessly and are easily attacked and became food for their great enemy Satan and the world. It is the role of the shepherd to care for the sheep not feed on them.
Dear Father God, I pray for you to provide Your flock with faithful shepherds who love the sheep as you do. In Jesus name. Amen.
[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eze34:1–6). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2]Jeffery, P. (2004). Opening up Ezekiel’s Visions(p. 103). Leominster: Day One Publications.
[3]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 9:35–36). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Next Week the Series Continues: God’s heart reflected in going after the Scattered.
Are You Looking for a Take-Charge Leader?
When I work with churches seeking a new pastor I usually ask the question, “What kind of pastor are you looking for?” Depending on what transpired before with the last pastor the answer may vary. If the congregation is coming out of a difficult period and has lost is ministry mojo, they will say, “we want a take-charge type of shepherd.” That response makes me nervous, so I probe a little deeper. Define what qualities that pastor possesses. “We don’t care if he is black or white, young or old, just a guy who will take the bull by the horns and lead us out of the abyss of mediocracy. We want to get back to the good old days.” Then the next question out of their mouth is, “And by the way, are you available?” To which I respond, “NO!” What the congregation wants is, Jesus.
The Perfect Take-Charge Attitude.
In Mark chapter 1, he shares this spiritual insight, “The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal experts.”
It was a typical practice for visiting teachers to be invited to read the Scripture and even to speak. So, the fact that Jesus was asked to speak indicates he had already established a reputation as a teacher. Jesus was recognized as a teacher even by his opponents, but what amazed the crowd was how different His teaching was, He had a unique authority. Religious leaders of that day taught the same way. They would read lengthy quotations from the Law and prophets with memorized comments from long gone scholars to supplement the teaching. This lecture style is my worst educational nightmare. Just get me a pillow. How blessed we are that God can work through any style to communicate His message of grace, love, and forgiveness. I am sure the people listened reverently and respectfully, but you wonder how many went away feeling unfulfilled?
Jesus comes along, and His approach is refreshing. It seems too different. Immediately this young teacher got the people’s attention. The verse above has an interesting element in the original translation: “and dumbfounded were they at his teaching.” In other words, the people were speechless. They were struck by a blow, dumb with amazement. Why was this the case? Understandably, the scribes taught from a second-hand knowledge of the Scriptures, but Jesus taught as one who had personal experience. Surprisingly, Jesus taught as an insider. He did not report the facts; He shared what He knew from His personal relationship with God and being the centerpiece of the Father’s plan to rescue His people from sin, death, and the Devil.
Authority in Action
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Mark 1:23-27 [1]
When the man with an unclean spirit appears on the scene, Jesus’ words now go into action. In a later post I will dig deeper into the issue of “unclean spirits,” but for now I will leave you with this thought. We tend to deny the reality of demonic possession. Even in western Christian society, we dismiss the demonic as mental unbalance, or physical abnormalities. There are real 21st century unclean spirits. Flip on your television, and without much effort, you will get a sense of uncleanness. Not to mention the unclean spirits that we can find on the internet with the click of an innocent email or ad. Just think of what evil our children have access to at their fingertips? And don’t get me started on the drug problems people are fighting today legal and illegal. We have our demons. We also have our champion. Jesus rebukes the unclean, and the unclean spirit obeys Him because He only spoke as one who had authority He actually has power.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mk 1:23–27). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
The Word for 2019: Restoration
Several of my readers picked the word restoration for their word for 2019. The key to restoration, is you can’t have restoration until something breaks and it needs repair. Usually that something is severely damaged. This illustration helps frame our devotion.
A few years ago, an angry man rushed through the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam until he reached Rembrandt’s famous painting “Nightwatch.” Then he took out a knife and slashed it repeatedly before they could stop him. A short time later, a distraught, hostile man slipped into St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome with a hammer and smashed Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture The Pieta. Two cherished works of art were severely damaged. But what did officials do? Throw them out and forget about them? Absolutely not! Using the best experts, who worked with the utmost care and precision, they tried to restore the treasures.
One of the foundational grace passages of Scripture is Ephesians 2:8-9 “8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done so none of us can boast about it.” It is one of the most freeing passages. Paul states God restores fallen humanity by His grace and His grace alone. We play no role in this restoration it is a gift. Here is where the above illustration comes into play. When we ask why did God restore? Why does it even matter to an All-powerful Being? The often skipped following verse explains the mystery.
“10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”We matter to the Creator because humanity is His crown jewel, His masterpiece. God cares because every one of us were uniquely created for a divine purpose. So, what do you do with something unique and valuable when it is broken? You spare no expense to restore it. What did it cost God to restore His broken masterpieces? His one and only expert repairer, Jesus Christ.
Dear Father,
Thank you, for loving us to so much that you sent Your son, Jesus Christ to restore the damage sin caused Your people. Paul reminds us of the repair work of our Savior. “18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Because of what Jesus did for us we are now also in the restoration business. Help us be Ambassadors of restoration. In the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Three Essential Elements In A Transformational Community
You must abandon your preconceived notions about community.
“To enter into true community, our ideal community must be surrendered.” – “Called Together: A Guide to Forming Missional Communities.” When we think of forming a community, our rose-colored glasses picture a place where everyone gets along, and conflict is absent. While this lack of discord would be lovely, it is unrealistic. As long as we live on this side of heaven, sin will always disrupt the community. Conflict, tension, and disagreements in our relationships do not surprise God in fact, these moments afford, Him the opportunity to point us back to the grace and forgiveness offered through Christ. We should expect even welcome imperfection, as grace moments.
You must embrace imperfection
Remember putting your face above a headless frame painted to represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty? Many of us have had our pictures taken this way, and the photos are humorous because the head doesn’t fit the body. If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers, would the world laugh at the misfit? Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head? – Dan Bernard.
When we stop and look at the parish, this statement seems fitting. We have the perfect head of Christ on the imperfect body of the church. It seems odd to be a community who carries out our mission and make a kingdom difference we must embrace this imperfection. Believers live with the anxieties this absence of perfection brings. The church’s deficiencies allow for the unbelieving world to see a transparent organization that unlike many organization give and receive grace. Members of this flawed community by God’s grace forgive one another and receive forgiveness all under the work of our head Jesus Christ.
You must embrace brokenness.
So, every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. Romans 2:1
When I was a parish pastor, I devoted most of my time with church folks. Which is positive but you can get a little too comfortable in that setting and forget there are other people around you whose lives may be less neat and tidy. Not implying that church folks don’t have their issues because we do, which is the point that Paul establishes in the verse above. It is a caution for Christians not to get too high and holy and become judge and jury when we, in fact, are suffering from the same sin condition. To be a part of a transformational community means we embrace brokenness. We are all broken, we all fall short of the standards of God. In a Christian community, we point each other back to the forgiveness of the cross.
Next week: “What is the Leadership structure in Missional Communities?”
Other posts in this series:
Is the Church Making Disciples of Jesus or are we Making Consumers of Ministry Services?
I have to admit I have been one who has complained unconnected people only want to be entertained or view the church as a product and themselves as consumers. Often pondering the “what do members want from church discipleship or services question?”
Upon further review and distance, whose fault is that? Are churches sending the wrong message to Christ’s followers and to those we are attracting? Do church leaders have a pathway to make disciples or a strategy to attract customers to improve the ministries bottom line? The answer is not an either/ or, but a both/and when times get tough and dollars tight you will drift toward survival. Survival mode leads to an overemphasis on transactional ministry model.
Transactional Ministry
When I graduated from the Seminary, our commencement speaker made a horrible analogy. He said, “When you get into the parish view your people as cows, not pigs. Cows you can milk for years. Pigs are only useful when they are killed for food.” I was stunned and horrified by that example. This is my flock he is talking about. I am called to care for them provided them with ministry services not milk them and cast them aside. We are called to shepherd. A word of caution of we turn the church into an organization which only provides ministry services, i.e., Sunday school, Bible classes, various affinity groups we risk shifting our congregations into a transactional consumer driven destination.
“The Transactional Mindset is actually an old sales philosophy that has 4 main tenants:
- Value the transaction over relationship.
- Meet only their minimum expectations or whatever the customer will let you get away with
- Advertise and “market” to people constantly
- Use persuasion as a tool to get people to buy”[1]
Paul Hiebert makes this observation in his book, “Transforming Worldviews” about the church.
“Modern Christians tend to organize their churches the same way they organize corporate action in other areas of their lives. Consequently, many churches are religious clubs. They focus on a single interest (religious life), have voluntary membership, follow democratic procedures in organization, and have their own symbols, property, and patterns of behavior. There are attempts at building deeper fellowship through small groups and church dinners, but few members are willing to pay the price for real community: involvement in members’ daily lives and willingness to bear one another’s burdens through sharing and financial assistance. When a church organizes itself using the social principles of a club, it soon becomes a club, no matter what it preaches about community.”
When our churches reduce ministry to service-rendered (transactional), budgets become inundated with programs, and we pray these programs are what our members (customers are seeking.) Are these programs changing lives? Do they help make disciples? To be fair some do, but that is not usually what the ministries are created to accomplish. Our focus is on attracting people to our church to get them to buy into joining and being a repeat customer. This must be balanced with creating a culture and space for relationships, or our ministry can become mainly services provided driven.
Transformation Mindset
I am aware the term “transformation” makes people nervous. Allow me to ease your minds, The Biblical concept of transformation flows from a personal relationship with God. It is a Romans 12 concept, “2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Breathe easy, I am not inviting you to go off the deep end spiritually, into some touchy-feeling time of internal soul-searching. A transformation ministry mindset is God working regeneration of our being, our thinking, and changing our families and communities. It God doing a work in the heart and soul of our church community and our church’s community. It is reflected in how we witness and share the truth in the communities that called the church to serve with love and compassion.
I truly believe people want their lives to make a difference. People desire to live lives that are transformed by the power of the Gospel. These converted people ask different questions about their faith journey. It is not what can the church offer me (transactional) but what am I called to do for God (transformational). Imagine your church making this shift in the thinking of its members?
Instead of your members looking to attract more people to fill their pews instead, we are looking for ways to build an authentic community to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Here is how that would look.
- Relationships that are cultivated over a lifetime.
- A church that will exceed unconnected people’s expectations and surprise them with a genuine community.
- To be a part of a group of disciples who understand and connect with them without judging the past brokenness and mistakes. (Luke 15 the prodigal son, John 4, the woman at the well.)
- To be a community that shares and celebrates stories of transformation.
Not that transactional is wrong, but transformation offers so much more. If you like this share it.
[1]https://joshkilen.com/results-of-transactional-thinking/
Other posts in the series:
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