The "Church Next" (PT.4)

So the "church-next" is sacrificial, incarnational, and missional. I'm sure we could probably add to those...but those are three biggies that at least will set some foundation for other stuff.

Now, if you were to give yourself a grade on those, what would it be?

I'll go first. Let's see....at our church and I think we are a giving church but maybe not a sacrificial church, yet. We are incarnational in a lot of ways, but I wouldn't say it's our normal pattern of life. And if you came and spent some time shadowing us, "missional" may not be the word you would use to describe us. So I would give our church a B, C, and a D-.

Isn't that great?! Nope, not really. It actually kinda sucks!

And what sucks most of all is that most of the problem is because I used a lot of religious tactics to accomplish the 'church-next' rather than to employ the biblical ideas behind making disciples that Jesus and the disicples modeled for us.

• I thought I could accomplish it (the church-next) through preaching. If I said it loud enough and with enough passion...everyone would get it and start living it. Nope!
• I thought I could make is happen through small groups. If we got everyone reading the scriptures and engaging in honest conversation then we'd be reproducting missional disciples like rabbits. No, again.
• I thought I could hand-pick a few people and challenge them to do it. You know, choose a few Christians, give them the rah-rah speech and set them loose. But that hasn't worked either.
  

Now, we do have some disciples (the kind that make other disciples) but it has been more luck than intentionality. It has been more God gifting them to us than it was from a purposefully lived life of disciples investing in people that became disciples that did it all over again.

So, truly, this is the next big challenge we are tackling as a church and it won't be easy. And for this "let's make it happen now" guy...it won't come fast enough. But I'm so excited about what can happen.

The alternative, of course, is worse than the sweat and tears and time ahead. If we don't do the hard work of what it means to be the 'church-next' we're doomed to becoming a religious club with intermittent impact....which might be OK for some...but it wasn't what Jesus was after. It's not OK for Him. (which means it cannot possibly be OK for us!)

So how do we do that?
The only course of action (and a big duh!) is to go back to Jesus' model: Call a few people to follow, invest your life into them, ask them for action and obedience, live with them in such a way that you can teach them as you go, send them out to do the same for a few others, stick with them through the journey.

It takes time. It takes purpose. It takes intentionality. It's going to kick our butt as leaders. But it's worth the cost. What we get on the other end will make us (and Jesus) very happy. We'll finally feel like we're accomplishing the mission.

I know I'm praying for this to happen in our church. We are an awesome church (and if you're a part of Cool River you know that) ....but we could be so much more. God wants us to be so much more!

I'm looking for some folks to start a revolution. Anyone want in?!


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