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Thu, 26 Feb 2004
Feb 26, 2004, 14:38
[top/staff_editorials]
On Becoming a Church of Irresistible Influence
By Jason Silver
I just spent the day at a pastors’ conference. It was interesting to hear the nearly opposite messages from two of the speakers I heard.
The first session was delivered by a well known and successful CEO in a large public company.
He was frustrated with the lack of organization and planning he had seen in the church. Often tens of thousands of combined man-hours are put in each year, with only a handful of new believers to show for all the hard work. He felt that since the stakes are so much higher in the church than they are in business- life and death and eternity- a reevaluation of our purpose and strategies and a harsh bottom-line judgment was perhaps crucial if the church is to reach the potential God wants for us.
The other session was more thought-provoking for me. I’ll give you some background first.
I’ve had ten years of experience in churches that have operated using a strict bottom-line. Their measurement of success and efficiency caused many people to be treated in decidedly non-Christian ways. Measurement might have a bad reputation to me.
However, the problem isn’t so much the measurement; we need to constantly reevaluate our effectiveness. No, the problem is the measuring stick we use.
By which ruler do we measure success? If it is by the number of people who come through our doors, or decide to follow Jesus’ teachings, then how do we account for the ones who have moved in some quiet ways for which we cannot know or measure?
Even that is a simplistic evaluation. A more important question to me: is being successful even important?
The second speaker talked about three different kinds of churches: the status quo church, the success church, and the undeniable impact church. Many of his ideas come from the book, “The Church of Irresistible Influence.”
While the “status quo” church may be more common, with its focus on the big bad world, its goal of maintenance, it’s inward direction, and values of predictability- I have not had the unfortunate experience of serving in such a place. In fact, I think I’ve always been part of “success” churches where my bent toward innovation was encouraged. The success church seems like the best way to go on the surface. With a focus on drawing people into the church, and a goal for growth, this type of church seems genuinely passionate about fulfilling Jesus’ call. But the direction is still inward, like the status quo church- it’s about inviting others into the church.
They value life-change, innovation, experience, and enjoyment and are committed to outreach, all of which is good, but there could be so much more. The church is more than a spiritual health-club.
The undeniable impact church aims to give to the community around it in service. Jesus modeled a no-strings-attached service to hurting and wanting people around him; not because he was trying to grow the number of his followers, but because he wanted to demonstrate the Father’s love and to see them turn from their sins.
If churches follow his example, they will focus on equipping and training their congregation to go out and serve, with goals to influence, impact and care for their community. Unlike the status quo church and success church, the direction isn’t inward. Life change, and innovation are still important, but they’ve added spiritual and care impact, and personal ministry in the world to their value list.
None of the three approaches are necessarily wrong. Part of being a success church might be judging successfulness based on results. The truly innovative church will understand that loving people- without any strings attached- is more like Jesus’ approach. We aren’t trying to get them to come to church, we’re not trying to manipulate their minds, we’re just being like Jesus, and letting the Holy Spirit do it’s work of life change.
Jesus often gave reasons why he came to the earth. Among other reasons he said, “I’ve come to seek and save the lost,” “I’ve come that you might have life, and life more abundantly,” and “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me need not live in darkness.”
If that was why Jesus was here, shouldn’t we, as his followers, be about the same work he was doing? We should be seeking and saving, giving more abundant life, and leading people out of the darkness.
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Tue, 24 Feb 2004
Feb 24, 2004, 14:38
[top/staff_editorials]
Seeing Old Friends
By Jason Silver
I saw an old friend from my New Jersey days today. It had been five years. As I drove away from our meeting place I fought to keep tears at bay.
Seeing old friends is sour and sweet.
On one hand, I’m thrilled to lay eyes upon someone I love and miss. The old memories come flooding back, and we reminisce together.
We were old friends for a reason. A comradery instantly rematerializes between us. We chuckle fondly, and nod inwardly. “This is my friend,” we say. “I remember this! I sure like this person.”
And that opens the door to the sour part.
On the simplest level, we wish we could still be together. We miss the connection; the joking; the laughing; the understanding..
On a deeper level, some of these favourite memories can be difficult. Sometimes they’re events we’ve pushed away intentionally, or the memories are connected in our minds to those events.
Many times, the remembrances are of things that could have been. I may recall plans made, that never materialized. That brings yet another unfortunate emotion to heap on all the rest: disappointment.
But let’s not stop there.
There’s the mourning of time lost. There’s regret for not staying in touch. The friend’s children have grown, and I have missed it. This person has had many experiences of which I have not been part. I have had many experiences as well.
So then one mourns the lack of time to sufficiently reconnect. Though rapport can be instant, one cannot overlook the changes found inwardly. There is a realization that both parties have moved. How does one communicate, in an authentic and believable way, that this change has transpired? Is that even required?
That brings yet another sadness. I find myself fighting inwardly to be myself. I either begin questioning the authenticity of the change that has taken place within me, or begin realizing that many of the old quirks are still there. Sometimes we even regress, because it’s comfortable to play the part one has always played. We slip into old ways of relating. What should I feel now?
The solution is to either open up, or clam up. My desire to do this is directly proportional to the renewed commitment I have to the relationship. Will it be another five years until we speak again? Next time, will our children be teenagers?
My default behaviour is to want to pour it all out at once. “This is who I am now. This is what I’ve done. This is who I’ve become.” - Generally positive statements. But what I’m really saying is, “This is why you should be impressed with me. This is why I’m so great. This is why you should love me.”
As I drove to meet Doug, I determined to not go that route. I wasn’t going to list my accomplishments over these last five years. I wasn’t going to set myself up as anything more than the fellow I was. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to, so I practiced in my mind the questions I would ask. “How’s Jen? How do you like your new ministry? How is Jacqueline doing after her accident?” I thought of as many questions as I could. This visit wasn’t going to be about me if I could help it. At least, I wasn’t planning to “glorify myself.”
“What have you become? Give me more examples of why you’re so great. Give me more reasons to be impressed with you. Give me more reasons to love you.”
We had a great time. I left with laughter and tears. And it won’t be another five years until we meet again.
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