Zondervan 2001 AJM
December 02
Foreword –
moving to an age where church life has shifted from proclamation to
demonstration.
Before
you read this book…read this! Imagine : your community being thankful for your church; city leaders
asking for your church’s participation in the community; neighbourhoods talking
about how good it is to have your church’s witness to God’s love; lots of your
members passionate about community service, using their gifts in ways they’d
not thought possible; the community changing because of your church’s impact;
people in city praising God for your church instead of being hostile to him;
the spiritual harvest that would follow all this?
A church of
irresistible influence (i2) is possible.
Best
metaphor for church is a bridge; each chapter introduced with the story of the
building of a great bridge – always with the odds against, the insistence and
belief of the engineer, the difficulties.
I : THE
GREAT DIVIDE – WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO RECONNECT CHURCH AND CULTURE?
1.
The great chasm.
6 out of 10
Americans believe the church is irrelevant. That produces increasing cynicism
and hostility in the community, and increasing sense of isolation in the
church. How do we bridge the gap?
Strategies:
be culturally relevant (provide experience without commitment, which is what
they want); promise heaven now (American dream in pseudo-spiritual garb);
preach the word (inadequate); stick with the tried and tested (‘if the 50s ever
come round again, my church will be ready’). Barna poll compared lifestyles of
Christians and non, and in those aspects where Christians could have greatest
impact on lives of nonChristians, he found no visible difference.
At
first.. we didn’t understand that bridge building was what we were supposed to
be doing. Our church.. implemented many ministry concepts that only recently
have come into vogue in today’s contemporary church models : team preaching;
small groups; lay equipping and empowerment; passionate worship; strong,
focussed vision; seeker-sensitive evangelism; results-oriented planning – all
with a deep commitment to biblical accuracy and truth. But people’s excitement declined
after 4-5 years’ membership. They had been told they were to be equipped : but for
what?
Decided
they had choice: being a club, or moving out. God so loved the world.
‘Without its own bridges to the world, church life – in time – fades into
isolation, self-congratulation, and finally, irrelevance.’
2.
Living proof
First error
: to try to convince a postmodern world of truth when it rejects truth. Our
postmodern world is tired of words. It wants real. Real is everything. Real is
convincing. We are trying to build bridges on truth alone, whereas what the
world wants is proof. A fitting description for a church would be this: a
community of people who present living proof of a loving God to a watching
world.
Scriptural
foundation:
v
Mt
5.16 let your light shine before men
v
Luke
6.31-35 do to others what you would have them do to you; love your enemies and
do good to them
v
Acts
30.35 Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive
v
Romans
12.20-21 overcome evil with good
v
Galatians
6.9-10 let us not become weary in doing good; we will reap a harvest
v
Eph
2.10 good works prepared for you to do
v
2
Thess 3 do not grow weary of doing good
v
1 Tim
6.17-19 command them to do good, be rich in good deeds, be willing to share
v
Titus
3.8 so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good
deeds
v
Titus
2.11-14 a people eager to do what is good
v
Hebrews
10.24 spur one another on toward love and good deeds
v
1
Peter 3.13 who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
Early
church grew at 40% per decade (Stark). Michael Green links holy living with
effective evangelism – they stood out for chastity, hatred of cruelty, civil
obedience, good citizenship; did not expose infants, swear; had nothing to do
with idol worship; massive impact of their lives due to moral emphasis. Stark
points to link between plague and spread of gospel – Christians dared care.
Historian Durant points to almsgiving. Gospel spread because built over a
bridge of living proof.
3.
Jesus and the idea of irresistible influence
There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world; and that is, an idea whose time has come – Victor Hugo.
Driving
idea behind Fellowship Bible Church, Little Rock, Arkansas, has been compressed
into i2 : irresistible influence. By building bridges of real
spiritual integrity between the church and an increasingly skeptical society,
we possess the power and authority to be a catalyst for change and an engine of
influence. It was Jesus’ idea, illustrated with loaves and fish, by great
commission to make disciples, by promise to build his church, by metaphors of
salt and light.
The church
does not exist for the sake of the church. It exists for the sake of the world.
Many churches exist to meet the needs of their members – events, facilities,
activities. Others are driven by success – the bigger, the better. Often they
grow but still remain a stranger to their community, issuing invitations which
float by like leaves in a winter wind.
Fellowship
Bible church began with the idea of equipping Christians to live lifestyles of
spiritual integrity. Main focus was on changing lifestyles. Then added the
concept of service: equipping for life and service. Haphazard to start with,
and mostly done by hiring staff. Vision to help people discover their unique
design, and then dream with them about where that design could be employed to
both stir their passion and advance the kingdom of God. Vision of works not
limited to church needs but given the scope of the whole community.
Then they
asked, is our community really being changed? And added Mt 5.16, let your
light shine before men so that they may see you good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven. That became the vision.
4.
The core of i2 construction
I2
construction demands 3 significant ingredients: confession, vision, structure.
Confession as in Nehemiah; they confessed
their wrong direction,priorities, pride, compromises; and it made change
possible. We need to be grief stricken about how far our churches fall short of
being salt and light.
Vision : a church committed to Christ and
gospel; a church of winsome lifestyles and high moral standards; a church of
radical love and selfless good deeds that amazes the world around it. They
stopped improving their facilities, paid off their debts and hired staff who
would be community focussed rather than church focussed.
Structure : isn’t unspiritual, it’s the
difference between success and failure. Insight is not the same as achievement;
it needs converting into results. Church needs to be structured:
v
church
projects – most Christians believe the world is a lost cause; need to expose
them to the world by providing them opportunities to connect with it in a way
that will build confidence and compassion. Eg they mentored youths on an estate
and saw their lives change; they donated blood to the Red Cross; they worked
with city officials on projects important to them. People began to see these
things as spiritual.
v
Personal
ministry – Christian life is meant to crescendo round each person finding their
place in the constantly unfolding fabric of kingdom work that engages the
unique gifts and abilities with which each person has been endowed by God (1
Peter 4.10-11). Structures that ignore this produce stagnation. They have
astonishing structure that moves people from a discovery group (newcomer
orientation, small group training, church membership, taking 8-10 weeks) to a season
of life group (small group spiritual growth group emphasizing relationships
in life stages, taking 3 years), to a common cause group (small group
spiritual growth group emphasizing service to Christ according to gifting and
design, in successive one year commitments). Examples of common cause groups :
support to an adoption agency; small group support to those seeking freedom
from hurts and addictions; support to a foundation providing scholarships to
low-income families wanting Christian education; matching community needs with
new common cause groups; counselling to expectant mothers; teaching biblical
principles of financial responsibility; working with the deaf; working with
agencies in wake of natural disasters; divorce care; divorce prevention;
building homes for underprivileged; mission support; inner city children;
linking drs with medical students; marriage support; nursing support for
elderly; evangelism; mentoring of fatherless children by men; evangelistic
basketball to the unchurched, et al. As people get involved, they become
passionate.
v
Strategic
investments – planting new churches, giving money to faith-based causes;
training pastoral leaders; running training conferences for other churches;
connecting with city in more ways
5.
From lay spectators to i2 participants
Newcomers.
Task to move them from anxious, fearful, lonely, needy, confused, protective,
to: committed, courageous, lonely, connected, fruitful, focussed,
productive. How?
Isolation
in a church makes the world seem more threatening than it really is. Fear
is the biggest obstacle to personal ministry. Fear of the world, fear of
inadequacy. Use testimonies and success stories. Don’t try and turn people into
sth they arent – example of advertising executive who said he couldn’t do
church things; he was asked to help the church speak to the community with 30
second advertising sermons: enormous impact. Need to go with the grain and transform
who people are into ministry; their passion is a potential area of ministry.
Also: expose people to ministry. Programme it into your church calendar.
Confusion is next obstacle.They have a
process designed to introduce people to common cause groups and help them
choose one.
Lack of
direction. They do
a personality test (www.fellowshipassociates.com).
Most Christians have a limited understanding of what we mean by ministry;
frustration is the result.
Questions
of impact. Doubt
that it will do any good. Need to see it as a calling; and to measure success
by how much you love, not how much things change.
III
EXPERIENCING THE RESULTS: TRUE STORIES OF I2 IN ACTION
6.
Holy Surprises
Stories.
Couple who took children out of Christian school and put them into public
school; with another couple formed a common cause group and developed a sexual
abstinence and mentoring program which they have ended up taking to 13
different schools. Couple who began common cause group to help occupants of the
new homes the ch built learn how to look after them. Couple who worked with
inner city kids – events, moneyraising, summer camp. Business man who set up
foundation to train church leaders. Woman who set up agency to arrange
adoptions. Man who set up male mentoring for sons of single mothers. Couple who
set up divorce recovery and prevention services. Man who teaches stewardship.
7.
Wounded healers
Divorced
and remarried couple; ended up working with single parents.
8. Urban
entrepreneur
Millionnaire
Bud mentored black boy Michael. Ended up establishing foundation for urban
ministry, which coordinates efforts of many other agencies, most of which
staffed by people who care but have no strategic mind.
IV :
EXPANDING THE I2 EFFORT – NEW PARTNERSHIPS, NEW ADVENTURES
9.
Joining with other churches
Jack
Dennison, City Reaching – widening gap between the condition of the
average US city and the influence of the church. Game plan in NT is for cities
– Acts 1.8 you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth. NT churches named for their city; cp epistles,
Revelation.
But no
church, however big, can reach a city.
Churches in
Arkansas are beginning to learn to work together : through praying together and
through the credibility gained in serving the community together. Helped by IRM
– International Renewal Ministry – which helps facilitate prayer movts between
pastors and Christian leaders. Prayer and good works bring churche stogether,
like towers between which a bridge of spiritual influence gets built. The
churches in Little Rock are beginning to feel like the churches of Little
Rock. They started with 4 days away for pastors. Day one focussed on Christ.
Day two on personal pain. They elected 8 men to form leadership team; who have
coordinated network of pastoral prayer cells which unite once a month in a
citywide prayer meeting. Pastors have 4 day retreat annually.
He
suggested a Sharefest (a binge of service projects to the community). Immediate
sense by the others that here was the megachurch pastor making a power bid. He
apologised, withdrew. A year later someone raised the idea again, and they did
it. Enormous impact. They set up a Sharefest village, where people could come to
bring food, give blood, donate clothes or toys, sign up as organ donor, and
many other things. At same time they planned specific projects, one per church
– refurbishing a park, a school, a home, a playground, repair homes, work with
a social services agency. And finally, asked each church to make an advance
financial contribution. 100 churches signed up, 105 projects were performed in
the community using 3000+ church volunteers – effectively because manned; they
weren’t just cash injections but actually carried through physically. Evening
of prayer and unity; confession of churches of disunity, prejudice, pride, lack
of concern, selfishness to community; commitment to pray and serve together in
and for the community. The director of the Red Cross put up a card with Mt 5.16
to thank the churches – let your light shine before men that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The next
time they did it, 4300 volunteers from 100 churches renovated 26 schools,
invested $400,000 of manpower and materials in schools, gave $21000 for school
uniforms, thousands of dollars also to agencies working with youth, gang
members, urban poor, children; 8000 christians gathered to pray for schools.
Toys, clothes, school supplies collected.
10.
Equipping leaders
A church’s
health is measured by its sending capacity, not its seating capacity;
leadership crucial. Warren – the critical factor in ministry is not the idea
but the leadership. Need to choose, train, mentor young leaders. They set up
Fellowship Associates to do this, and to host annual conferences.
11.
Developing a community strategy
Every
community has a story, and that particular context must be thoroughly
understood and considered by any church wanting to make an impact on its
community in a meaningful way. Dennison – must gather info that allows us to
see our communities as they really are, not just as they appear to be. Usually
there is lots of research data; but rarely does it all get analysed together.
They did this. Then they formed focus groups of community leaders; surveyed the
633 central Arkansas churches to ask for info about their communities and their
programs. They found:
v
Church
attendance 25-40%, lower than national average
v
Race
and education are dominant issues, others being affordable housing, domestic
violence, healthcare access, youth in poverty, substance abuse, elderly issues,
transport, employment. Churches can use this list to imagine future common
cause groups.
v
There
is wide gap between community needs and church programs
v
Churches
invest little money in local ministry
v
The
community welcomes church involvement
Survey
recommendations : churches should reassess their ministry programs (ones which
support family, neighbourhood, education seem the likeliest); churches should
focus on existing programs first; should look for ways to work together; should
look for ways to partner other organisations; should pursue racial
reconciliation.
V:
ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE – THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY
12.
From here to where?
People show
interest in the truth of the gospel only after they’ve seen the relevance of
the church and the credibility of Christians.
C20th was
an age of separation – either a social gospel or a spiritual gospel, either a
horizontal construct emphasizing human compassion or a vertical one emphasing
grace.
But the
cross is a powerful combination of both! Horizontal AND vertical.
Why did
evangelicals abandon social action and community needs (not so C18-19, witness
Wilberforce, Wesleys, Finney)? Stott: reaction against liberal threat which
required them to concentrate on doctrine; division of gospel into social and
spiritual categories; disillusionment with world after WW1; spread of
premillennialism; identification of gospel by middle classes with their own
wellbeing. Result: our agenda very different from what it was 100 years ago. We
are disconnected from the real world; we mus shift our focus from an
institutional orientation to a community one if we are to survive and thrive.
We need truth AND proof, proclamation AND incarnation.
Otherwise
we are Pharisees; selfrighteous and judgmental.
I2
will require:
v
pastors
to redefine success
v
The
church to redesign its structure
v
Lay
people to reconnect with a lifestyle of specific spiritual standards and
service.
Nietzsche:
‘in Christianity, neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality
at any point’. If we get on with it, our churches will transform selves from
fading lights back into guiding lights.
See also
Jack Dennison : City reaching – on the road to transformation ,
Pasadena, Wm Carey Library 1999.