Core Values, Part 1: More Christians

Been doing a lot of thinking about these four core values...remember them from the other day? If not just scroll down a bit for a refresher. They are crucial as we move forward trying to plant a church here in Poznan that will reach people (period). We're done with doing things just because and we are passionate about being on mission! I'm pumped up even now writing this and thinking about our drive to see things change...things happen! And before I write anything else, let me just say that these are Michael Shattuck's thoughts at 10:16am this morning. This is not exhaustive, I'm not being critical of any particular church, person, or whatever. As I said in my first blog entry, my intent on even blogging at all is to get some kind of interaction going between me and possible visitors. So, if I sound like I'm getting personal...you disagree...want to add something...whatever it may be, then email me or comment. That would be great!

More Christians. Let me just begin by saying that the evidence is overwhelming (just read any number of George Barna's books which give stats on church growth) that churches these days are growing primarily from transfer growth (church hoppers) and generational growth (babies being born and eventually becoming members through conversion/baptism) and NOT through conversion growth (new people coming in who decide to become followers of Christ). This should alarm all of us.

Church cannot become just another subculture in society. But that's what happens when we aren't reaching people outside the Kingdom. Just take a step into any big corporation or organization (even the IMB - International Mission Board) and you'll see what I mean really quickly. The IMB is setup to work with IMBers...seen especially in the language we employ. For example would you know what I mean if I said, "Soon we'll have our AGM with our RLT, SAs, SCs, FPUs, and MKs." No way! You can't know because we don't really think you need to know!! [By the way it's like this....soon we'll have our annual general meeting with our region leadership team, strategy associates, strategy coordinators, field personnel units, and missionary kids.]

Churches are not supposed to function the same way as the IMB. Our goal is to worship Christ and as an outpouring of the love we have for him, to share the opportunity for life [in Him] with the people around us -- generally, sharing Christ with the world. How can people come to see or experience that love when it's possible the message isn't even in the language which they speak? We are not a club...honor society...fashion show...cultural fixture...etc. We are the living, breathing, moving, reaching, touching, loving body of Christ. How can we continue focusing only on people who have supposedly already decided to follow Him and lose sight of the rest of the world? Who is the target of the message anyway?

Maybe I'll let Jesus speak for Himself:

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?"

Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." (Matthew 9 - MSG)

So how do we re-route our course if we feel like change is needed. I think a lot of evaluation is needed. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of someone who would come into our club (oops, church) and experience everything just as they would. Of course this means getting to know who these people are. It's amazing how you can lose touch with the reality of the world when you spend everyday only hanging with other Christ followers. And listen, I'm not talking about interviewing people, studying their habits, looking their trash...I'm talking about finding ways to make relationships with people outside of the church. How else will you ever share Christ's love with them without getting to know them??

As we are able to understand the mindset of people in our communities...after we're able to see how they view what goes on inside our services, ministries, etc...then we'll generally have a pretty clear picture of how things need to be changed, altered, revised, or maybe thrown out and completely re-worked. We'll also, through this examination of ourselves and our church, begin to see transformation occur in our own hearts. It's amazing, yet so true, that this transformation is Jesus making you (and me) more like Himself! As we see people the way He did we long to stop focusing so much on ourselves and begin focusing all of our energy on them...not just to bolster our Sunday worship stats but to see the Light of Christ enter their lives and change them forever!

This is huge in my life...a passion and an enormous challenge! It is the continuing work of Christ that we have been given the honor to carry out. If it becomes one of the core values of our churches (and of us personally) then we are sure to see growth. Don't hear me wrong. This is not formulaic...this is at its root a transformation of our hearts as we continually strive to become more and more like Jesus.

More Christians.