This is Ken, pointing to heaven, in his new sanctuary that doubles as a gymnasium.
After hearing from Ken we heard from five other local Methodist pastors who are in various stages of church planting. Some have more support from the Methodist powers than others. One pastor laughingly complained that he was promised money for the starting of a "parachute" drop church ("parachute drop" means that a church is planted without the benefit of a mother church sending some people), but that he didn't get a parachute. All he got was an "old mattress to land on" when he got shoved out of the plane.
The common theme for all of these church plants was the importance of prayer. This was strikingly evident as we listened to their experiences. They seemed to turn to each other when times were rocky. They appeared to be able to provide good support for each other.
We ate some excellent Tex-Mex food while we listened and asked questions.I will admit to feeling some concern that the focus of the prayer tended to be things like, "How can we get more people, more land, etc . . ." That may just be a reflection of the various stages of these churches growth. It may be a reflection of the fact that its easier to talk about those things to strangers than it is to talk about the lives that were changed and the communities that were changed.
Whatever the case, these churches are well-placed for potential impact on the community and the leaders we heard were all sharp and dedicated.
3 comments:
Wow...what a great rebuke, not only for church planters but the rest of us as well. What is, in the end, the desire of my prayer? To 'expand the kingdom'? To 'grow'? How much of what I ask for isn't worth, in the end, much at all?
Or, what if I don't get more land/people/space? Has God rejected my prayer -- or me? Does getting 'more' and 'bigger' equal the visible sign of God's blessing?
You, my friend, have given me much to think on. Excellent insight. Thanks.
Over and over again on this trip I saw that it would be easy to pick most any church apart, including the one I serve, for our failings. I really got a sense of how hard it is to construct something and how easy it is to tear it down.
I came away convinced that the leaders we saw (from the failed ones to the mediocre success ones, to the mega-spotlight ones) really want to do the right thing.
Only one leader struck me as being in danger of losing touch with the real motivation for ministry ... but, really,how does one judge such a thing from an hour long session together? I am reduced to intuition.
Therein is the key: how do I know my goals/prayers/dreams are in line? While it's easy to pick apart (often rightly so) a theology and ministry based on material growth, we Emmanuel grads run the danger of the opposite -- becoming so *anti* growth that, quite frankly, we're of no use to God or world.
The answer must come, at some point, back to the cross -- submission, humility, sacrifice, weakness, perhaps even defeat. The question, as it strikes me, is: What constitutes success? What are the 'defeats' that crush me? Too often I make goals/vision based on my strenghts -- and things that will look good; can I trust God even when it doesn't look 'successful' (by my self-definition)? Sadly, I'm not certain. I'm as easily deceived and as smug as the next guy.
Wouldn't it be great if Paul did give us a blueprint?
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