what if
What if there was a church where all people were welcome? What if the services were relevant and life-changing? What if there was a church that was filled with energetic praise and worship? What if children could be taught about God at their own level? What if there was a place where people could find peace, love, hope and direction? What if there was a church where spiritual needs would be addressed along with practical solutions for everyday issues? What if there was a church that would help in the development of Christians, bringing them to the maturity in God? What if there was a church that equipped and mobilized each follower of Christ for effective ministry? What if there was a church that reproduced itself through planting churches and assisting new churches? What if there was a church that would have a meaningful IMPACT on their community and the world? what if....
i confess i may be biased a bit but i looked at this list of questions and evaluated my church (healing place church) based on the questions and i'm happy to say we aced this test. not that this is the perfect church. we still fail to do all of these things all of the time, but these things are all things we strive to do and we are doing better at all the time by God's grace.
it's not about us - it's about Jesus.
i think you've posed some great questions every church should be asking themselves all the time.
and many of them apply to us as individuals - we should be doing the same ourselves - asking ourselves if we make all people feel welcome around us, if we are relevant and life-changing in the encounters we have with others, etc.
great post, dave.
Posted by
Dan Ohlerking |
8/09/2006 05:52:00 PM
Well, personally I would call that church "Sandals." Yes, I'm biased too, but there are churches who meet many of those criteria while striving toward the rest. I feel Sandals Church in Riverside, CA does that. Our motto is, "Being real with yourself, others, and God."
It's really not about becoming THE perfect church. If the church's goal is to "get out of its own way," then a lot of those characteristics you listed will develop. (Not by themselves, of course, someone has to have a vision.)
So, what if a church got out of its own way in pursuing deeper relationships with Christ?
I agree, this is an important post.
Posted by
Les Brown |
8/10/2006 07:55:00 PM