Lessons & Thinking

Agile Church

A Linear Church In An Exponential World

The model of church growth that we have seen develop over time has been one of starting a preaching point, a bible study, and then developing a church that tries to grow and grow… There is much to be proud of and even celebrate in this model, but also many perils that lay in wait. The leadership demands on a leader with a calling to preach are put to the test during growth cycles and often at his own demise or his family’s demise. Is there a better way? Is something wrong with the current model? Those are excellent questions that need deep thinking to sort out. What is known is that our world had changed substantially from when our elders created this model, and the patterns and protocols that held sway during those times simply do not seem to work as effectively today. And, I’m struck by the pressure we saints put our pastors under for new facilities… we can walk away, but they typically can’t. There has to be a better model. This lesson was one that I have thought much about during the pandemic and one that continues to mature. So I’ll only show one chart here for reference. There is much to say about our world’s condition, what is ahead, and how we should be considering how to meet the demands that lie ahead. We need to move from “having church” to “being the Church.”

Hebrews 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Six Winds Blowing Against The Church

What began as a book recommended by a friend led to a troubling revelation. The book was The End of Power by Moises Naime. In the book, Mr. Naime does a beautiful job explaining the three forces he sees driving the world today; More, Mobility, and Mentality. As I read, I saw how these same three forces impact the church and its people. As I prayed that the Lord would open my understanding in the ensuing days, I noticed this was just a piece of the bigger picture. With much diligence, prayer, fasting, and reading, I realized that there were three other elements to these that had to be considered; Me, Morality, and Multilateralism.

I am a  “seven” guy, and I love studying and discovering the “seven’s” in scripture, history, and my own life. So naturally, I felt there had to be a seventh force or wind. Through prayer, I came to a clear understanding that “six is the number of men, and seven is God’s number”, and I knew I had seen a full picture with the six winds.  So I was satisfied that I had heard from the Lord and understood what God was trying to get me to see.

Then I was faced with the challenge of articulating this message and illustrating it to that people could understand the dangers we face.

The Danger of a Misplaced Purpose

Whether pastoring or not, all of us create an identity that is often our career, and when it is over and that time comes to hang up our shingle, we are lost. What now!? How can I possibly let go of this identity, this career, this role, this passion for another person of lesser knowledge, lesser passion for the people, and even fewer skills?

So we hang on too long. We can be blinded to the reality that our ministry/work experience can elevate our lives in our exit. In the futile effort to hang on to our identity, we can destroy the very essence of what we worked a lifetime to build. And we also destroy the passion and steal the energy from those chosen to follow us.

Maybe this illustration can bring understanding. I pray we can realize that with “Kingdom,” our purpose, and “Pastoring” our temporary role, we can better understand that there are challenges, accomplishments, and skills to share in the days following our exit from Pastoring.  Young men with zeal need mentors today to navigate the uncharted waters that lie ahead in leadership. Who better than the “tried in the fire” leader of the past? As the song goes, “Let go and let God.”