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A. The church was not meant to be an organization, but an
organism.
1. A living, changing dynamic body; the body of Christ
2. That body is involved and active - it is a live body.
B. Theology, the understanding of God's purpose, is the
why of doing. (We have been created, called, and equipped to be God's people
and are therefore expected to act accordingly (Wilson 15)).
1. A theology of gifts - "Each individual Christian has a mission
in the world no one else can perform. It is untransferrable" (Feucht)
(Rom 12:6-8).
2. A theology of the priesthood of all believers - to do 6 things:
proclaim, teach, worship, love, witness, and serve (Feucht) (1 Peter 2:9)
C. But has our churches been faithful to these theologies?
1. Feucht: In most churches the laity belongs chiefly to the audience
and is engaged in what we call church housekeeping.
Unfortunately the layman's own congregation may have given him
this limited image of himself.
2. What we can do
a. become defensive and argue the other side of it
b. feel depressed and mumble, "Ain't it awful"
c. take the positive outlook of a paraplegic - "I have all the
parts, I just need to be rewired." If we have all the parts, we don't
we get down to the business of rewired in order for us to be fully
functioning in the six areas?
3. It is important for us to come together as the gathered church
in more enabling ways so that we might become equipped to be the scattered
church in the world. J. B. Phillips in the introduction to Acts: [The disciples of
Acts] did not make acts of faith, they believed; did not say
prayers, they really prayed. They didn't hold conferences of
psychosomatic medicine, they healed the sick.... But if they
were uncomplicated by modern standards we have to admit that
they were open on the God-ward side in a way that is almost
unknown today. Consequently, it is a matter of sober history
that never before have any small body of ordinary people so
moved the world that their enemies could say that these men,
'have turned the world upside down.'
D. Three types in the congregation: pillars: the faithful core of people that do about everything; pew-sitters: observers who enjoy
church, but for one reason or another shun involvement; absentees:
consider themselves a part of the church, but seldom attend.
1. Those of all three types have the same calling to ministry on their
lives
2. Those who are not fulfilling their calling are not doing so not only
because they have chosen not to, but because the church has not chosen to
utilize their gifts
3. This is often due to the church not having a place for their gifts
to be utilized - those who do, do. The church calls the rest to be
spectators. Some become pew-sitters; others absentees.
E. Three problem areas to be addressed if the church is to fulfill its
theological definition as a living organism
1. Leadership -
a. we leaders do the job because its quicker, or we are afraid to ask
anybody, or we feel nobody can do it right but us.
b. we leaders make the few decisions that are made, then wonder why
nobody is exited
c. leaders are used up, by doing all the work
d. committee chairpeople do all the work instead of enabling
committee members.
2. Motivation -
a. we think of what the church needs, rather than what the person's
individual needs are
b. matching jobs with gifts, and making time convenient help motivate
people to do ministry
c. recognition is very important for a sense of fulfillment
3. Climate
a. Are the church people friendly and warm - accepting?
b. Is the physical setting warm and hospitable? c. Is there too much
party spirit? "We always..we never.." Churches seem to use people up or miss them altogether. That
is the dilemma! It continues because we have not instituted
systems to see that it doesn't (Wilson 42).
F. I propose to the circuit and/or to individual churches on the
circuit, that we spend time with these concepts, in order to
1. Take a look and our charge, the individual churches, and our
community
2. Identify our strengths and weaknesses
3. Begin to organize our ministry in a way recognizable to congregation
members and community
4. Enhance our leadership skills, methods of motivation, and our church
climates
5. Identify our congregational spiritual and motivational gifts,
abilities, and talents, then create places of ministry in which our
engiftedness might be used for the church, community, and Kingdom
G. What it will take
1. A devoted, motivated, and dedicated "steering committee"
2. Time: a six-hour seminar, then short meetings twice per month for 7
months
3. Willingness to try new things
Questions and discussion period
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