Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thinking about our mission...
It is healthy for every church to periodically focus on it's mission -- it's purpose for being. I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately as we at Southern Hills embark on an ambitious building program and as we continue to have multiple worship assemblies focusing on differing communication styles. It is easy for the projects and programs to become the mission. If they do, they will fail. Change becomes threatening and unhealthy if it does not clearly fit with the mission. So, for me, here are some quick thoughts about what I think should be our mission at Southern Hills.
Seek and save the lost. Buildings need to be functional as tools to funnel visitors and seekers to an encounter with the family of God. Assemblies are not designed to convert people, they are designed for the family to worship the Father together. But if we are reaching the lost, we will a lot of new Christians among us. How easy is it for them to get what we, and now them, should be doing?
Reclaim the fallen. We have lots of Christians in Abilene who have given up on church. I don't mean left our fellowship for another... I mean they don't see the relevance of church to their life. If we continue to do the same things in the same ways we will continue to get the same results. I am not so much interested in making it comfortable or easy for the faithful Christian to worship. I am very interested in making it comfortable and easy for the weak ones interested in coming home.
Disciple and equip university students. God has placed us in a position to have great influence on the church of the next 50 years. What are we doing about it? Do I mean that we should cater to the young? I don't want to cater to anyone, but I do think we better be about the business of making disciples and equipping these young adults to live faithful in this world. If not, we do not have to worry about the future of the church. Just continue to focus on what we older Christians want and in a few years it won't matter.
Well, just my thoughts. But these things are why I support the building program -- and I am not much of a fan of buildings. But I think we get why we should do this. And that is why I support Daybreak, Refresh, Sundown, Home Gatherings, and HIP. They are ways to more effectively enable us to make disciples, reclaim the fallen, and equip our students.
We are on the right track for the mission as I see it.
Your thoughts?
Seek and save the lost. Buildings need to be functional as tools to funnel visitors and seekers to an encounter with the family of God. Assemblies are not designed to convert people, they are designed for the family to worship the Father together. But if we are reaching the lost, we will a lot of new Christians among us. How easy is it for them to get what we, and now them, should be doing?
Reclaim the fallen. We have lots of Christians in Abilene who have given up on church. I don't mean left our fellowship for another... I mean they don't see the relevance of church to their life. If we continue to do the same things in the same ways we will continue to get the same results. I am not so much interested in making it comfortable or easy for the faithful Christian to worship. I am very interested in making it comfortable and easy for the weak ones interested in coming home.
Disciple and equip university students. God has placed us in a position to have great influence on the church of the next 50 years. What are we doing about it? Do I mean that we should cater to the young? I don't want to cater to anyone, but I do think we better be about the business of making disciples and equipping these young adults to live faithful in this world. If not, we do not have to worry about the future of the church. Just continue to focus on what we older Christians want and in a few years it won't matter.
Well, just my thoughts. But these things are why I support the building program -- and I am not much of a fan of buildings. But I think we get why we should do this. And that is why I support Daybreak, Refresh, Sundown, Home Gatherings, and HIP. They are ways to more effectively enable us to make disciples, reclaim the fallen, and equip our students.
We are on the right track for the mission as I see it.
Your thoughts?
