When the 30,000 member
Frankly, I find their candor refreshing in a wider church culture that likes to pretend everything is just great in the Body of Christ.
After a rigorous survey of its members, WCCC staff identified some indications that challenged an assumption that new Christians were effective, enthusiastic evangelists. In fact, they found, the opposite was more likely; those who identified themselves as “Close to Christ” or “Christ-centered” were doing the heavy lifting for evangelism. Among those more developed members, enough rated themselves as “stalled” or “dissatisfied” with their spiritual growth to make staff return to prayer closets and staff conversations with greater urgency.
Judging from conversations with folk in NW Area congregations, I suspect that we do a better job of protecting and feeding the flock than we do building up those recognized as true shepherds, evangelists, prophets, teachers, and apostles among our people. (Eph. 4:11-12)
We count too much on current structures and systems to sustain congregational life, and, sometimes we overlook what really gets results.
We Christians have nothing unique to offer if not Jesus. Our people can get excellent training from a variety of secular agencies to become more compassionate, brutally truthful, educated, enthusiastic, change agents. What universities, government agencies, and private firms are not specially called and formed to give is an awareness of God’s intention to reconcile the whole world as revealed through Jesus Christ. Has popular church culture produced more loyal consumers and producers of popular culture than disciples of Jesus? And if it has, what are we doing to make sure that those among us who strive to be “close to Christ” or even “Christ-centered” are being sufficiently supported to serve?
1 comment:
I am not at all a theological expert, however, I think that the established churches are straying away from the great commandment and great commission and are more worried about building buildings and doing all kinds of activities. To me, many churches resemble a lions club vs. an institution that strives to honor Jesus Christ. The greatest "spirit and truth" church that I ever was a part of met in the Vet's Club ($20 per week in rent) and had about 20 faithful members. SUBMITTED BY A VIEWER
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