Dueling Smorgasbords

I have been seeing a common theme among various ministries lately. No matter where they locate, suburbs or inner city, they have problems in common. There is a burnout or near burn out in the leadership and a lack of volunteer help to operate. They all look tired. At some point they express giving up or not knowing what to do to get people motivated. Meanwhile the church members express that they have no idea what their ministry should be. They have resources that are under utilized. Be it the church building that sits empty 5 days a week or stacks of stuff that goes undistributed.

Now I see this from an insider’s perspective. It is not what is being portrayed to the public. In fact, I think what is being portrayed to the public is the cause of these problems. Our rush to embrace a programmed approached to ministry has led us to place ministry on the table as an offering to those we minister to and with. The idea behind programming ministry comes from addressing the “felt needs” of the community. Therefore we design an offering to address the need and we present it to the public. Many things may look like programs but there is a unique and subtle variety that stifles ministry. I will do my best to describe it.

When we design a ministry in order to involve or serve people as a means to grow a church we misplace the focus. When we design a ministry in such a way that it offers a way for people to serve for the sake of serving we strip ministry of its required need for passion. What I see saturating the landscape are many good ideas that have been developed in staff meetings and offered as a smorgasbord to the public and the volunteers. Leadership envisions a solution to the “felt needs” of the community and then designs a way to solve that problem that requires as little commitment as possible from the volunteers. They present it in such a way that – You can serve as much or as little as fits your schedule.

The first problem is that most of these programs are designed to get people in the church or a bible study or small group. This means that the main emphasis is not on the person but the growth of the church. This influences what needs are addressed. It also places the unsaved in a position of questioning the motivation of the offering. Do they really want to help me or do they just want to convert me?

In the area where I serve there is no doubt that one of the biggest needs in the community is a job. I have yet to see a church that is doing anything to bring jobs back to the area. It does not mean it is not happening it just means I have not found it. But I am looking. So if they are doing it, it must be held tightly inside the walls of their church and not out where the public can find it.

I have seen people feed the poor then require them to attend a bible study to get the food. I have seen basketball programs that require the players to attend a halftime bible study in order to play. I have seen a homeless shelter that resembles an assembly line moving people from one station to another. One of the stations in the middle of the line is a video of the founder sharing the Gospel. Is it wrong to share the Gospel? No. Is it wrong to link our compassion to a requirement to listen to it? I think yes.

Many of the programs I see offered today have a dehumanizing effect on people. Those offering the program may not see it. Before you volunteer again take a moment and put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if all you wanted to do was play basketball and make some new friends and you were told the only way you can play with us is if you attend our bible study? How would you feel if I said I would feed and cloth you but made you show up at a set time and walk through a line like cattle? How would you view the Gospel if it were forced on you in order to obtain the basics of life? Programming the ministry sanitizes it and makes it safe. Ministry is supposed to be messy and dangerous. Read Hebrews 11.

So what is my problem with all of this? I see a passionless system of burnt out volunteers and leaders trying to meet needs as a tool to present the Gospel. I say enough already. Its time you take your passion and get empowered to use it to minister to the poor and the hurting of the world. When you do what inspires you, you will not burnout. Get yourself equipped to put into words what God has done for you. I promise that sometime along the way you will get the opportunity to share your testimony, the Gospel, with those you are ministering to. As others connect with your passion they will come alongside you and your ministry will grow. Focus on the people and let God build His church.

No longer willing to be looked at as an Outsider

I have now taken a strong public stand against many of the practices of the modern American Church. As I go about the task that God has called me to, I am confronted by an imposed ideal I will no longer be placed under.

I will continue to proclaim that:

 inviting unbelievers into our worship gathering
 segregating by age and affinity
 inviting or attracting as a method of ministry
 and a lack of the personal responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission

are tares of the devil sown into the modern church.

I will not be placed in the position of defending these stands unless those who oppose them can supply a biblical basis for them. These practices do not come from Scripture and should not be treated as something that has pre-eminent rights to be practiced in the church. Opposition to them should not be treated as an attack on God since He never instructed us to do these things.

I am often confronted with an ideal that the practices of the existing church is in some way above questioning. Because these practices exist they must have merit. Therefore I am looked at as some “outsider” that is opposing or threatening a “God ordained” system of religious hierarchy that is above question.

I am no longer willing to be placed under this ideal. If you choose to practice these things without examining the Scriptures then the risk is on you. I am sounding the warning for you. These practices are opposed to the clear teaching of Scriptures!

You may ask “why then are they so prevalent?” The answer for this is complicated and I would be glad to share my opinion for the cause of each. The real question is not “why are so many doing it?” The real question is “why are you doing it?”

Can you find one Scripture that instructs or allows the practice of bringing unbelievers into the worship gathering. It was never allowed in the temple. It will not be allowed in heaven. Why now and where is the clear instruction?

God’s design for the church was to be a family. Family should not divide by age for every thing they do. The root of this practice is found in Darwinian Evolution and is well documented.

Inviting or attracting as a ministry method is a result of allowing unbelievers into the worship gathering. It came as a result of the professional clergy established by Constantine. This idea of professional clergy eventually took the responsibility for fulfilling the Great Commission off each believer and placed it on the professional clergy.

I will no longer be looked at as an outsider. It is you that must deal with the challenge to these practices. My voice will only get louder and the remnant will only grow larger. God is calling His church to shed the baggage of these false practices and return to the practices He ordained. If you won’t look at your practices in the light of Scripture then you will have to answer for that. Take note of this – as you stand before that Great White throne on judgement day there are two excuses that you will not be allowed to use. The first is – I didn’t know. You have now been told and that excuse is taken away. The other one is that – Everyone else was doing it!

Vicarious Christianity

Is your faith based on a vicarious relationship?

As followers of Christ we must accept the vicarious atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ in order to become a part of His church. In this context, the word would take on the following meaning. - performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another.

It is the vicarious atonement for our sins that brings us forgiveness, cleansing, and a restored relationship with God. Without this vicarious act we would be unable to satisfy the demands of God’s justice and therefore be forever condemned to eternal punishment.

In America today I see another form of vicarious Christianity that I find troubling. This vicarious relationship is with the church that the Christian attends. In this context the definition of the word would be one or all of the following - taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute - felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others

This form of vicarious Christianity has crippled the transformational power of God’s people. When I ask people about their ministry I often hear people tell me about things their church does that they take no part in themselves. When I speak of my ministry I often hear – our church does something like that. It is as if there is an outline of responsibility in the Bible that can be met through membership in an organization that contributes to an effort. Yes the body is to work together to bless the world but each Christian has personal responsibility to minister as well. I believe this is one of the attractions of large churches. I believe that people feel better about their vicarious faith if the church they are attending is addressing as many issues as possible.

This approach to faith and ministry has only propelled the consumer attitudes of today’s churchgoers to a new level. Its almost as if they know they have a responsibility to preach the word, serve the poor, help the widows and orphans, etc… If their church has a ministry addressing one of these issues then they are vicariously addressing the issue and therefore off the hook for their own personal responsibility to these issues. The prime example of this is the huge number of people that try to compel people to come to church to hear their pastor when in reality they do not share their faith personally with anyone.

So we find the smorgasbord of programs laid out on pamphlets in the foyer. New guests can quickly assess if the church will provide a vicarious substitutionary provision for their personal responsibility. Now I can become affiliated with that church and I can appease my own conscience when someone asks me, “what is your ministry?” I can answer with “we” do this or that even if I don’t participate in any of the mentioned ministries. I can avoid the tension of sharing my faith personally by inviting people to hear my pastor.

We need people to return to the place of accepting and fulfilling their personal responsibility as Christians.

I Have Just Finished My First Book

I have just released my first book. This book is a big picture look at the coming reformation of the church in America. Please feel free to share the link with anyone that might be interested.

Disciple Driven Church - The Coming Reformation