I had a great conversation on The Kingdom of God with three friends this week and in the next few blogs will unpack what I mean by Kingdom, let begin by explaining why it is so important to understand the Kingdom. One of the worst things to come out of the Church Growth Movement is its emphasis on facilities. Church Growth tends to emphasize being in the right location and running the right kind of programs. If you do that the people will come, and they are right!
But a great location, great preaching and great programming can be a curse to the growth of the Kingdom. To illustrate what I mean let me tell you about a ministry I use to work with several years ago, it was called Cornerstone, a group home for delinquent female teens.
The drug craze of the 1970’s created a host of new social problems. One of the new problems was the need for hundreds of new state run juvenile delinquent homes for females. The federal government made money available to the states to open a large number of homes all across the country. To my knowledge the only church in Colorado that applied for a license to run a home was my church Bear Valley Baptist and the church that my friend Frank pastored. I doubt that the leadership in any other church in the state was even aware that the money was available. If church leadership is primarily focused on Church Growth rather Kingdom Growth this kind of “social action” information is not very useful.
Bear Valley Church ran a very successful home, called Cornerstone, for five years until all the funding for the federally funded homes was cut. A successful home meant that the girls emancipated, i.e. they finished high school and moved into adulthood and out of the system. Dozens of girls not only got their lives back on track; many became a part of the Bear Valley family.
So how does running a home like the Cornerstone relate to the right location with great programming? With a great location and great programming churches can easily be convinced that they are getting the job of the Great Commission done by keeping the consumers happy. After all they usually grow like crazy and that makes them successful churches.
During the three hundred years, when the church had its biggest influence on its culture, it didn’t have an address. And until church leaders learn to disconnect their mission potential from their church’s address; they will make very little difference in this Post-Christian culture.
The Wesleyans of 18th century Britain are one of Church History’s best examples of how Christians can make a difference without an “edifice complex.”
Thoughts about unleashing the greatest force on Earth
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About Me
- Rich
- I am a slave to no man or institution. I have worked with Frank Tillapaugh for thirty years and most of the ideas are work we would like to share.
The next generation
God thank you for two amazing young leaders
Looking Forward
Each year I get to spend time with young leaders and the gap is growing between them and my generation, why?
3 comments:
With a great location and great programming churches can easily be convinced that they are getting the job of the Great Commission done by keeping the consumers happy. After all they usually grow like crazy and that makes them successful churches.
Do you think that word - "consumers", is why some folks equate it with those "successful" churches? In other words, is it the mentality that a "successful" church must be "consumer" driven and not Gospel driven that keeps them (we) from doing "better"?
Let me redirect you for a minute. Let’s look at the “system” that is an Average church. Steven Covey once wrote that “your system is perfectively designed to produce the results it’s getting.” As you read this, you will also notice some problem areas that need to be addressed in the church, as well as some emerging opportunities. The system of an Average church includes all stakeholders (the people in the community surrounding the church, the members of the church, the church’s lay leaders, volunteers, pastors, and staff). The system also includes the structure (how Average church is organized) and the process (how communication and decision-making occur). It includes the strategy, mission, and purpose of an Average church. It includes the history and norms that have developed across the years. In other words, the system encompasses everything about an Average church. Within that context, both strengths and weaknesses are understood as a result of the system. In a complex system, changes must be made cautiously to avoid unintended consequences.
In a consumer culture, the church members will feel disconnected from the inner workings of the church. At the Average church, there are many contributing factors to this feeling of being disconnected. For example, at the Average church the decision-making and communication process that is primarily vertical in nature. In order to create ownership, a church has to pay special attention to horizontal, or lateral, communication and decision-making processes.
You stated:
"During the three hundred years, when the church had its biggest influence on its culture, it didn’t have an address.
I'll ask my question again in another way: is it really the "address" (as you have defined it here) that matters or the message itself (A Gospel or consumer driven message)? What was going on specifically in those years that is different from today?
You say But a great location, great preaching and great programming can be a curse to the growth of the Kingdom.
Gospel driven model would / could include - "great locations, great preaching, and great programming." No curse to any Kingdom I can see.
Consumer driven model - very concerned about - "the church members will feel disconnected from the inner workings of the church." God forbid! ;)
and they might "feel disconnected" and have no sense of "ownership".
When did having a sense of "ownership" help folks with "kingdom building" ouside of being held responsible for the tasks? - I am look forward to reading (learning) what you mean by "the Kingdom", perhaps I have misunderstood.
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