A New View

We've never done it that way.

We can't do it.

They'll never go for it.

As pastors and leaders know, these phrases are passed around church meetings all the time. Last night at a meeting I had to endure those all over again. It made me very, very frustrated, and really feeling hopeless. I've just spent 5 weeks teaching a church renewal book, and now we have great ideas that could really impact the church, and I'm getting stonewalled.

If you want something changed, you're going to have to change what you do. And in the case of churchwork, it must always be focused on one simple aim: making disciples of Christ. If what you want or need doesn't ultimately have that goal, you need to re-evaluate what you're focus is. In everything a church does, they must filter it through the lens of seeing it's impact upon disciples. Further, if something isn't working, reconsider how you're doing it. If you're bible studies don't have attendees, or your stewardship campaign shows that people are not being generous, analyze why. Ask for help if you need to.

One of the things I struggle with in the United Methodist church is that with so many rules, how do you actually break out of the box when necessary to make disciples. I consistently feel like my hands are tied.

It just makes me so sad when the leaders of the church, the ones who should have the most faith, the strongest walk with Christ, can't conjure the energy to get to a meeting, can't hold forth their faith to believe that God is near and the Spirit is working in the church and just might have wonderful things for us, if only we let the Spirit reign.