Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ministries vs. Programs

The trend for us today is for the follower of Jesus to be radical - for churches to be radical. This is in reaction against the "attractional" church model. So, what is be posited is the "missional" church model that does away with "programs".

Every church, and I mean every church, is to some degree an attractional church. People are attracted for various reasons. Some of the reasons are not biblical to be sure. What we want is the attraction is to be Jesus an d not us. So, then here is the issue - the attractional model is usually said to be the Sunday worship service and other programs that are need based.

The leaders of any given body will need to discern how people are to be lead to and see the Lord in the power of the Spirit. The lessons learned hopefully become a part of every day habits that reflect the reality of Jesus Christ.

What becomes "programs" are when they cater to what the individuals want with little regard for the gospel and transformation that leads to spiritual growth that affects the lives of others.

These same "programs" can be "ministries" if there is gospel intent that meet the needs and equips for the work of the ministry.

As I work with churches I try to help them see what God is trying to develop in them and what they may need to do in order to become what the Lord wants them to become. This will involve different ministries, a change of ministries, and maybe dropping some old ones.

My counsel is for churches looking to be missional is, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

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