How well are we known in our communities?
So asks, Mark Lauterback, the following is what he wrote in answer to that very touch question. At the church where I have the awesome privilege to serve we are in the midst of asking this and many other questions. Questions of programming, relevance and priorities. Questions of ministry versus mission, building versus ministry, local versus foreign and the questions go on. This is by no means a bad thing! It's not only important but necessary!
In fact we must be willing to ask the tough questions on a daily bases and teach our churches to do so as well. This fosters a environment of evaluation instead of tradition, it promotes a fluid ministry focused on gospel truth expressed in an ever changing world. I am reading a pre-published copy of Kevin DeYoung's book, "The Hole in our Holiness" it is absolutely fantastic! In it Kevin defines what the pursuit of holiness is and is not, one of which is..."Holiness is NOT generational imitation" His point is that we always look to and lean on former models of Christ-likeness but as he writes... "Learning from the Puritians does not mean we have to talk like them, dress like them, or abolish Christmas like some of them did. There is no short-cut to sanctification by trying to relive the glory days of some bygone era."
WOW! truer words could not be spoken! So asking the hard and touch questions about ourselves and the effect we are having on our culture and community does not mean we go back to the 50's or 60's, but it does mean we ask. How has Christ in my life transformed me and the way I act, think, talk and appear before the world that is watching? Give Marks words a read and may we all start asking the touch questions and submitting to the Holy Spirit's answers with Christ-like, gospel centered obedience!
I serve on the Board of the local organization. I do so to be part of its
efforts to serve the needy in our city, and for the sake of knowing people.
Christ called me to know people where I live for the sake of the Gospel.
This is one of the venues I am pursuing. There must be one or two or more of them for me to know people for the sake of the Gospel. It is easy to live in a shell.
I have found, over years, that Christians have a remarkable capacity to live insular lives (do does everyone, really). I have asked people in churches where I serve to name people outside of the church with whom they have had thoughtful conversations. I have asked them to list the people they know for the Gospel. I usually get a short or a very short list. So what? Why does it matter?
We are called not to live insular lives. We are sent people, sent by Christ to the world. We are called to penetrate our communities with the message of Christ.
We are starting a new church soon. New churches are formed to penetrate new communities with the Gospel. They are not primarily formed to attract Christians, but to bring the Gospel to people outside of Christ.
We are turning our current church toward the mission. We want to be engaged in the Lord’s work of advancing the Gospel.
But starting a church is not penetrating the community by itself. New events is not penetrating the community. It takes intentional effort to know and be known, to build an awareness of our presence in the places where we have churches. If you build it, they will not come. There is more to it than that.
We are starting with asking God to work. He is first. But there will be specific steps for each to take into what God is doing.
I recently sat in a meeting where we reviewed an analysis of how much people in our city knew about our organization. It is called market penetration. The idea fascinated me. We were concerned about it. We had a mission and that mission required market penetration. We strategized new ways to improve in this. It was so very interesting. There was such an urgency.
What about you? about us as a church?
Do you strategize new ways to penetrate your community, not for the sake of a product, but for the sake of the Gospel?
I am talking about simple steps, a path of many years. Do you have one?
We will not be effective in turning to our communities with the Gospel unless each believer thinks our ways to penetrate the communities where we live.
This is one of the venues I am pursuing. There must be one or two or more of them for me to know people for the sake of the Gospel. It is easy to live in a shell.
I have found, over years, that Christians have a remarkable capacity to live insular lives (do does everyone, really). I have asked people in churches where I serve to name people outside of the church with whom they have had thoughtful conversations. I have asked them to list the people they know for the Gospel. I usually get a short or a very short list. So what? Why does it matter?
We are called not to live insular lives. We are sent people, sent by Christ to the world. We are called to penetrate our communities with the message of Christ.
We are starting a new church soon. New churches are formed to penetrate new communities with the Gospel. They are not primarily formed to attract Christians, but to bring the Gospel to people outside of Christ.
We are turning our current church toward the mission. We want to be engaged in the Lord’s work of advancing the Gospel.
But starting a church is not penetrating the community by itself. New events is not penetrating the community. It takes intentional effort to know and be known, to build an awareness of our presence in the places where we have churches. If you build it, they will not come. There is more to it than that.
We are starting with asking God to work. He is first. But there will be specific steps for each to take into what God is doing.
I recently sat in a meeting where we reviewed an analysis of how much people in our city knew about our organization. It is called market penetration. The idea fascinated me. We were concerned about it. We had a mission and that mission required market penetration. We strategized new ways to improve in this. It was so very interesting. There was such an urgency.
What about you? about us as a church?
Do you strategize new ways to penetrate your community, not for the sake of a product, but for the sake of the Gospel?
I am talking about simple steps, a path of many years. Do you have one?
We will not be effective in turning to our communities with the Gospel unless each believer thinks our ways to penetrate the communities where we live.
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