I talk to
those in club leadership who are often oblivious to the history, background and
current status of their club. They have stepped forward to volunteer in the
administration of the club and understand how to run a meeting; however, they
are disconnected from the mission statement. I’m reminded of Paul’s observation
of Jews, “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless
talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not
know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm” (1 Tim 1:6-7 NIV). It is imperative that we believers understand our
mission.
1 comment:
Gail;
-----Some clubs are about socializing, and little more. Their leaders not only can focus on administration and meeting protocol, they should focus on those and allow the club to be what its current members are. For that is their mission: socializing. Other clubs and organizations have narrowly defined missions. The leaders of these must purposefully lead the organization into that mission with much less regard for social currents. How much can heritage mean to either? Maybe the social club was into beer bashes last decade, but this decade its wine imbibing. Maybe a few beer buddies might hold over for the wine-fest, but most will probably be gone. The only important thing to the purely social organization is that there are people present to have fun. On the other hand, heritage is somewhat more important to the organization with a narrow mission focus. But neither can it be carried away by heritage, because it must serve within the social flavors of its own time. However, it can not so disregard heritage that its mission drifts or it forgets the fundamental principles, tried and tested in the past and handed down as successful modus operandi.
-----Although the church is a mix of these two, it is far more than just that. It is a social gathering because relationships are basic to love in the new life. Therefore, much of a gathering’s personality must rise from the mix of the individual personalities gathered. Yet the goal of its gathering is not to exercise self expression. It is to build one another up, to learn of each others needs, to serve those needs, to encourage, inspire, influence, and teach one another. Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 both imply that a church’s work rises out of whoever is gathering. Individuals have gifts and are called to exercise them. Church’s are gifted only as those gathering are gifted. And with the Holy Spirit giving the gifts and directing their use, what room is there for leaders to interfere with narrowed mission statements? The mission of the church actually within the leaders’ responsibility is its propensity to be a place where the members build up, encourage, inspire, influence, and teach one another.
-----We can’t know the Lord by proxy. I don’t know the Lord by you knowing Him, or by my preacher knowing Him, or one of the elders knowing Him. I can only know the Lord myself. Nor can I serve the Lord by proxy. I don’t teach by my preacher teaching, nor do I encourage by you encouraging, or evangelize by my church doing a revival. I can give some money so my preacher can teach and you can encourage and the church can evangelize. But then I am not so much teaching, encouraging, or evangelizing as I am just giving money, which is also a gift of the Spirit.
-----There are two ways leaders can direct the church labors. They can select a narrow mission for the church and mold proxy people into it, and tell the rest to go to the church down the street. Or they can know the flock under their watch, making the upbuilding, encouragement, inspiration, influence, and teaching available as needed for what they do by fostering relationships amongst the people, thus letting the Head of the Church be in charge of mission definition and Gospel spreading. A church well educated in the ways of the new life presented in the Bible and influenced by the leaders to walk in those ways will watch the flock go serve by the mere nature that they are becoming in the Lord.
-----Where have we ever seen this work? Where have we ever seen leaders lead that way? Personally, I think the Word of God is so right on that it should be a bigger part of church heritage.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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