Leaving Church Changed?

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When We Follow the Light We Leave Changed
We have good, life-changing news. The Gospel touches every need. We move from death to life and from out of darkness into His glorious light. God intends for us to not only have eternal life but that we live in His abundant life and light right now, every day. Each encounter with God and His Word has the potential of changing us from the inside out. Here’s the question for us: Are people leaving our churches changed? — How sad when it’s like they were never there!

The Need for Change

Perhaps people come with burdens that seem too heavy to bear. Maybe they come with a bad habit or sin they just can’t overcome. People may come empty spiritually. Or, perhaps they come never having put their trust in the Lord to save them.

  • How sad when they leave unchanged!
  • How sad when it’s like they were never there!

Even those who may seem to have it together still have room for growth. None of us have obtained all there is to life in Christ and what He wants to do in and through us. We each, with the Apostle Paul, must say, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12).

  • How sad when we think we don’t need to change!
  • How sad when any of us leave like as though we were never there!

The Goal of People Leaving Church Changed

You’ve probably heard it said, “Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.” If we want to see changed lives, we must prayerfully and purposefully head in that direction. What will it take to experience the presence and power of the Lord in our midst? What will it take to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18)?

  1. We must purposefully point people to a God who is great enough and caring enough to make a difference in their lives. (Ps. 145:3; Prov. 14:27; Rom. 8:28)
  2. We must purposefully work at connecting with the whole person and show people how the unconditional and all-encompassing love and power of the Lord reaches into every aspect of their lives. (2 Cor. 1:3-4; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12)
  3. We must purposefully help people get beyond head knowledge about God and His Word by presenting it as the life-changing, powerful Book it is that affects everything we do. (Ps. 19:7-11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
  4. We must purposefully encourage people to engage with God and His truth right there in our gatherings rather than remain passive bystanders. (Col. 3:16-17; Eph. 4:16)
  5. We must be the kind of leaders and teachers who authentically and purposefully model seeking after God and allowing His power to work in and through us. (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2-3; Titus 2:7-8)

Pray to this end, trusting God to work in people’s lives, including your own.

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Caught Up in the Mundane Things of Life?

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Oh, the mundane things of life! At home we must do cleaning, lawn care, pay bills, etc. In the church we must concern ourselves with record keeping, finances, safety issues, scheduling, etc. We might wish we could spend that time doing activities of more eternal value. But wait … is it God’s intent for us to compartmentalize life? Doesn’t all of our time belong to Him? Shouldn’t who we are in Christ affect all that we do?

If Caught Up in the Mundane Things of Life, Stop Compartmentalizing

Think about the purpose we’d have if we made more of a conscientious effort to run all of what we do, even that which seems mundane, through the grid of who we are in Christ and His purposes, design, and mission for the Church.
Do Even Mundane Things in Jesus' Name

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17)

Think about the perspective we’d have if we looked at all of life from our position with Christ in the heavenlies.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6)

Think about the power we’d have for all of life if we applied Jesus’ words about abiding, or remaining, in Him to all areas of life.

If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (Jn. 15:5)

What Happens When We Don’t Compartmentalize Life

Perhaps if we approached what we view as the mundane things of life through our spiritual eyes we wouldn’t find ourselves fighting over these issues. So many homes and churches are broken apart because we push our own agendas in the mundane things of life rather than seeking first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).

Maybe we’d bear more spiritual fruit if we looked to Christ for strength and sustenance in all we do rather than just for what seems like obvious ministry opportunities (Jn. 15:4-5). Some of the best divine appointments can come when we least expect them.

When we stop compartmentalizing, it takes our lives, and churches, to a new level. We begin to understand that we can reflect Christ at all times in everything we do, even the mundane. Our light shine at all times and God is glorified (Matt. 5:14-16).

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Where Should We Be As a Church?

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We need to constantly ask ourselves strategic questions to make sure we get or stay on track as a Church — ministry assessment questions. Start with the question “Where should we be as a Church?” because that provides God’s standard against which to measure all other questions we might ask.

God’s Standard for Answering the Question, “Where Should We Be As a Church?”

God's Standard Answers Where We Should Be as a ChurchWhile the Church has undergone changes in recent days, we still have an unchanging standard for where we should be:

  1. God’s Purposes for us to love Him with all of who we are and to love people (Matt. 22:37-40)
  2. God’s Design for the Church to function as a Body (1 Cor. 12)

How we get there may change but the above realities should remain our priorities for when we are who we should be, we will tend to do what we should do — God’s mission (Matt. 28:18-20).

Reflect on the potential, not the current reality. Then in light of God’s purpose and design for His Church, zero in on what ministry you should be doing to accomplish His priorities.

The question “Where should we be as a Church?” is the first of five helpful questions we might ask. Input for doing ministry assessments using those five questions is included in the Staffing Ministry Manual because to effectively staff, we need to see where it fits into the big picture so we recruit the right people for the right ministries and provide them with the training and resources they need to do the work.

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We Need to Think Outside of the Box

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Boxed In? Think Outside of the BoxTo think outside of the box, we first need to know what the box is when it comes to the Church and ministry. Perhaps we can say the sides of the box form the parameters we’ve built around us … maybe our policies, traditions, denominational nuances, comfort level, etc.

The parameters may not be wrong in and of themselves, but the programs and strategies we’ve held on to may not work today. We need to think outside of the box. For the Church to not only survive but thrive, we need to constantly challenge what we do, asking if there’s another better way to accomplish ministry that best fits our current situation.

How far outside of the box can we go?

We first need to get down to the essence of who we are and what we’re to do as the Church. That means stripping away man-made conditions about it until we truly get down to the biblical mandates. What must stay the same is what’s actually commanded in Scripture. All the other parameters (sides of our boxes), can potentially be broken down, exposing who God truly designed us to be.

As an example, God commands us to not neglect meeting together (Heb. 10:25). But, Scripture does not tell us where, when, and how long we must meet. But, it does tell us why … so we can encourage one another. The essence of this command is that we meet to encourage one another — that’s what we must stay true to. When we strip away everything else, and start thinking outside of the box, we should find that there are so many, many ways to make that happen. The box we created undoubtedly is not the only way.

If we’re going to thrive as a Church, we must stop viewing what we do now against how we’ve always done it. To think outside of the box, we no longer use the box as the lens through which we look but rather God’s Word. That’s the foundation on which we build our new structures.

Is there biblical precedence for thinking outside of the box?

We do have precedence for thinking outside of the box with Jesus.

Jesus lived in a world steeped in tradition where the phrase “But we’ve always done it this way” would have been the way of life. He enters the scene in a most nontraditional way … a virgin birth, born in a manger. The methodology used in His teaching, healings, and miracles varied. He did not serve people the same way each time but rather tailored what He did to the moment. He raised women to a higher plateau than common for that day. Some of the activities of Jesus and His disciples went so much against status quo that it disturbed, even angered, the religious leaders. After being killed on the cross, He came to life proving that He could conquer death and sin. Who had ever done that before?

If Jesus, in a world where the pace of change was not near as rapid as today, thought outside of the box and took the risk, why shouldn’t we? Make no mistake, Jesus lined up His earthly activity with the will of the Father (Jn. 5:17-23). He knew why He came and lived accordingly.

Likewise, we too must align with God’s Word and His character in whatever risks we take. We must get to the essence … God’s purposes, design, and mission … and live accordingly. As we think outside the box, let’s envelope all we do in prayer, stay consistent with God’s Word, and follow the leading of His Spirit. When we do, we’ll find a fluidity and ability to adapt, not rigid walls that box us in.

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3 Points to Remember in an Age of Digital Church Life

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Still Member of One Another in an Age of Digital Church Life

Whether all ministry happens digitally, or just part, we need to remember some key elements to church life that will help us stay connected as members of one another in the Body of Christ.

In an Age of Digital Church Life Remember These 3 Points

What can you do to further enhance these key elements in all you do, however you do it? You’ll find some thoughts to consider and also some links that take you to other websites to provide additional input.

1) Relationships still matter.

Technology must never take the place of human connections. When Hebrews 10:25 warns about “not giving up meeting together” it’s about more than physically meeting, although that’s very important. It’s about being present in each other’s lives, “encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” in ways that can truly be considered fellowship.

  • When using a digital platform, consider how you can still foster relationships.

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2) Engagement still matters.

We know people learn and grow as they participate in the process. Simply watching a worship service provides minimal or no interaction or engagement.

  • When using a digital platform, consider how you can incorporate participation within it but also how you can follow-up to enhance engagement.

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3) Communication still matters.

We want people to continue to feel like they’re a part of the Body. That means we need to communicate with them. We must not, however, assume everyone is getting digital communication.

  • When using a digital platform, consider how you can communicate with everyone by reaching out in multiple ways, even by making phone calls or through postal mail.

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If not a Cookie-Cutter Approach, Then What?

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The problem with applying a one-size-fits all, cookie-cutter approach to all people, ministries, and churches, is the tendency for it to:

lessen effectiveness
minimize unity

That doesn’t mean we can never use the same approach but we first need to take time to pray about it and assess what’s best. If we do apply the same solution to varying situations, it’s because it’s right, not because it’s convenient or easy.

Getting Beyond a Cookie Cutter Approach

Diversity So No Cookie Cutter ApproachWe need to understand and distinguish between what should be applied to all people, ministries, and churches, and what needs to be tailored to each situation.

We can, and should, learn from others, but before simply copying what they’re doing, we need to determine …

1) if it truly is an approach that fits our situation either in part or in whole.

Just because it worked for some, doesn’t mean it will be effective for us.

2) if it is God’s will for us.

Just because He used it elsewhere doesn’t mean it’s right for us.

To lead to the greatest benefit, we need to tailor what we do to our particular people, ministries, and church. That could at times mean using a pre-packaged curriculum and strategies or tools developed by someone else. At other times we might adapt those resources to better fit our situation. But, it could also mean developing something new or unique.

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