Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Where is Our Sense of Urgency?

After reading a recent post by Trevin Wax entitled "Do You Have A Sense of Urgency?",  I was moved to look at the full quote from Kotter's book. Here it is:

"What is the single biggest error people make when they try to change? After reflection, I decided the answer was that they did not create a high enough sense of urgency among enough people to set the stage for making a challenging leap into a new direction."

As someone who has pastored military congregations where you usually only have a few years to make an impact I can testify that Kotter's insight is correct. Where is the sense of urgency in the local church? Just a rhetorical question. I don't expect an answer, although I do suspect that Jesus does.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

What is the Mission of the Church?

The term “missional” has become very popular in evangelical circles in recent years and the subject of some debate. As a former military officer I understand the concept of mission, and Jesus Christ certainly entrusted the Church with a clear mission.  However, I do have a problem with the second and third order effects of the theology that has been associated with some elements of the so-called "missional movement" such as a loose commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture and a false dichotomy between narrative and truth. So just what is the mission of the Church? I like the definition given by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert in their book, “What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission":

The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship and obey Jesus Christ now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father.


Friday, January 3, 2014

What Is the Gospel?

A good starting point for us in our consideration of renewing the church is to reflect on the definition of the Gospel. Pastor and blogger Trevin Wax proposes a conceptual framework for the Gospel that he likens to three-legged stool. One leg of the stool is the Gospel story which he describes as the overarching grand narrative found in the Scriptures that takes us from creation to new creation, climaxing with the death and resurrection of Jesus at the center. The second leg of the stool is the Gospel Announcement that centers on what Jesus has done to reconcile us to God through his incarnation, life, death and resurrection. This is probably what most of us think of when we think of "the term Gospel. The third and final leg of the stool is the Gospel Community. Pastor Wax writes:

"The third leg of the stool is the gospel community.Our response to the gospel announcement (repentance and faith) is not a one-time event, but a lifelong expression of the gratitude that wells up from the bottom of our hearts and overflows into love for God and his beloved community. We are shaped by the gospel into the kind of people who herald the grace of God and spread the news of Jesus Christ. God has commissioned the church to be the community that embodies the message of the gospel. Through our corporate life together, we "obey the gospel" by living according to the truth of the message that Jesus Christ is our Savior nad the Lord of the world."

He also collected a number of Gospel definitions that you may find helpful in your own reflections on the various ways in which we understand the complex idea of the Gospel.  

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Renewal Starts with the Gospel

As someone who has spent a great deal of time studying and teaching leadership, I understand the value of good analysis and planning. Developing a philosophy of ministry, establishing a biblically based vision, and developing solid leaders are all valuable. While doing these things may help you grow an organization they do not guarantee a church that faithfully fulfills the call of winning people to Christ and making disciples. It seems like a truism but renewing the church starts with the gospel. A Christ honoring church is centered on the gospel of grace.