August 24, 2010
Childless
There are some couples that, for one reason or another, don’t have children. It’s neither right or wrong, good or bad, positive or negative. However, church developers would have us believe that if young families aren’t part of the membership make-up, then you’re becoming a dying church. Even though by all appearances my church is childless, I am pleased that the majority of our folks reject the need-for-youth philosophy. Just as many churches deliberately reach out to minister to youth, my church is ministering to older adults in the community. Some of our folks really are dying, but that does not equate to a dying church.
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Gail;
-----As the Denver Broncos were beginning their first pre-season game against Cincinnati, I noticed the NFL Channel was naming the top ten fantasy league players at each offensive skill position. I was amused to see Jay Cutler was the third rated quarterback, Brandon Marshal at number eight amongst wide receivers, and Tony Scheffler the seventh of tight ends. All three of these players were ran off the Broncos’ team because the little, genius coach didn’t like something about each of them. Obviously, he failed to notice what was primarily important about all of them, and now they play for other teams. I marvel at what the Broncos had before they had the little genius.
-----It seems churches also have little geniuses. These are people who are sure God has revealed to them the pattern for His church. They choose people who fit this pattern, giving them plenty visibility and praise for wooing the congregation to support big plans. Then anyone who does not fit big plans must quietly sit on the bench, or be run out of the church. I am as sure they sincerely believe their patterns are the Holy Spirit’s patterns as I am sure they believe the Holy Spirit works less in others than in themselves. Their behavior more evidences this than their denial hides it.
-----What the Denver Broncos and today‘s churches have in common is an organizational structure run by men. They both have their legal identities established by state law; they both own property; they both are controlled by a directing board of men; they both hire head coaches (denied by most preachers, but the resulting effects are the same); the head coaches both initiate a specified strategy; they both have a team which carries out that specific strategy; both teams have players who are held up as inspirational because they fit the specified strategy, and both relegate players to the bench or cut them from the team because they do not fit. Unfortunately, the church has more in common with the Broncos than it has in common with the Word of God. And some dare call a church “dying” just because it has too few young folks.
-----Biblically, the church is a team given its identity by God, not the state. It’s directing board is Christ, not the elders. It’s head coach is the Holy Spirit, not the preacher. It has no little geniuses. All are players on the field. Those men and women whose characters are most defined by the Word should be the go to guys on the field, and the spark plugs for the other players. But even at that, they can not be on the field in every play, for they are not the whole talent. No one man has all talent for all plays. So the Spirit sends any player onto the field whose talents best match the particular play at hand. The living, growing team does not move down the field by the talent of its best men, but by the appropriate talents humbly fielded for any given play at hand. The living church arises to its challenges through the variety of talents set into play only by the Holy Spirit. The dying church is measured neither in numbers nor age demographics, but rather by the effects of little geniuses acting like head coaches.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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