Pastor’s Blog: “What a Great Church Should Look Like”
I have had a number of conversations recently within the church with some great folk who are concerned with our congregation and want to be a part of a great movement of God. This is great! As long as we are complacent nothing will happen. For any church to move forward there must be enough folk who sense the rumbling of God or “Holy Discontent” to stir the waters.
What should a great church look like? We could take pages and pages to fully answer that question. Allow me to simply place an outline before you of basics with a short commentary:
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Lead People To Christ! The first general area that guides the church and measures the effectiveness of the church is whether we are leading pole to Christ or not. Said another way, are we burdened and praying for God to give our lives people to invite to church with the goal of leading them to Christ? A great church is a church reaching out!
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Disciple People In Christ! No person should be brought to Christ or the church and left to fend for themselves or grow up without guidance. Folk need to be cared for, taught the fullness of the gospel, allowed to explore and become deep deep spiritual people. In this large area we lift up the centrality of worship , prayer, and bible study as the core motor pieces that drive us spiritually.
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Serve People For Christ! No congregation exists only for itself! God grows disciples deep that they might give the love away. This can be in part be caring for those of the congregation in need, but the serving must go beyond the boundaries of the congregation into the community the nation and the world. Currently C.H. is serving the women’s shelter locally, the Jubilee project in Sneedville (nationally), and we are sponsoring missionaries over seas (world), among others. Every member is called to be in ministry!!!!
This begins to give a look at the shape of the church. What remains is to refine the vision and to take the baby steps and the giant leaps we need to take to go forward!
William Easum, in his book “A Second Resurrection,” says “Churches grow when they intentionally reach out to people instead of concentrating on their institutional need; churches die when they concentrate on their own needs.”
Blessings In Christ
Pastor Tom
