If you build it...

Where will the Church of the future be built? What foundation will this Church exist upon? Will a stain glass window, a pew, and the Sunday School roll for 2009 be the excavated remains, the ruins, the proof that here once a Church stood? Open your vision and expand your mind to dream the impossible dream, to see the impossible, and to become passionate about the implausible. In Jeremiah 33, we read a passage that awakens us. A single passage mentioned here but really the whole chapter should move us from our state of slumber. In Jeremiah 33:3 we read, 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' What possibly could this mean? As you read the whole of the passage you begin to see clearly that God is speaking through the prophet to say, "Look at all these things. Look at these buildings, and palaces and cities that you have built up for yourself. These things will be destroyed and dead bodies will lie inside of them." "Nevertheless, I'm going to bring back healing, I'm going to bring back abundant peace and security." This is not something they could understand, they couldn't search for it. To them these cities, these walls, these buildings these...pews, were all they knew and experienced and could focus on. Obviously, the passage goes on to say that these things will change but not like we expect. Verse 15, "...I will make a Righteous Branch sprout from David's line..." From the Prophets to the Disciples, they were searching for a Warrior King to establish His Throne on earth (and still are today).

For us the struggle is still the same. How can we focus all of our intentions and resources on bringing about God's will on earth (Widows, Orphans, the Lost, organized Discipleship ring a bell?) while at the same time maintaining some semblance of order? (office work, programming, structure, staff, visitation,....fill in the blank.) First, our priorities are skewed. We (in general) feel as though we must maintain structure, programs, activities, and facilities. However, there is absolutely no direct correlation with any of these things that would inhibit the ability of God's people to minister with the help of the Holy Spirit to the Lost, Desolate, and Homeless if these things DID NOT EXIST! I, as a Christian can minister to any one in my path that God sees fit for me to come across without any of these things. There is no record in the New Testament of the apostles saying, "Come, let's build a building", "What we really need here is more structure", "I tell you what maybe if these widows had more activities they would stop complaining", or, "Stephen you'll never believe this but Peter is not keeping his office hours." What we did see is found and expressed as the blueprint in Acts 2.

What would this look like in our modern world of country family churches, and post modern mega coffee shop, book store churches? Remember the great and unsearchable thing part? What if the church of the future had no "paid" staff? What if the church of the future did not build grand cathedrals and padded chairs or pews (dependent upon what side of the aisle you find yourself on)? The grand question...How would anything get done? It just would! Christians with a passion for God and for the lost, desolate, and homeless without the burden of a building fund, benevolence fund, campground upkeep, or any other fully organized activity or program of the church would be free to invest their lives in the thing God was leading them to. For you see, I believe the Church of the future may resemble the NT model more closely than we realize very soon. Small groups of people living within proximity of each other will form "the church". Is this not the dream of the Church of God Anderson, IN? "We extend our hand to every blood washed one." "Salvation makes you a member." My thought is, when I experience life with my brother who lives beside me and we study and pray together and do ministry together, we just experienced the true Church, whether we ever once attended an official service or not!

The concept is simple, it's all about paradigms. The issue yet again is that the paradigm has flip-flopped. In fact, my first title for the book, was "The Flip-Flopping Pastoral Role". However, I quickly realized as I have poured the last six years into this work that it goes well beyond the role of the Pastor. The paradigm that currently exists is that we as members of the church exist to serve the Church and it's ministries, programs, and activities for the good of the community. Believe me when I say that ministry has certainly taken place. God has certainly blessed. But, if we are honest with ourselves would we say that the church is thriving or dying? Would we say the Church more closely resembles the Acts 2 community or the Community Center? The church in some senses has become nothing more than a glorified social club, where our volunteerism and service are required and are dues are called tithes and offerings.

The paradigm should however look a little bit different. I believe that the role of the church is to support each other, and not to be a burden. To provide opportunities to grow, to learn, and to empower each other to accomplish works of service for the Kingdom and not for the church. This is so subtle. I've mentioned before, but you may have missed it or not read it, but the paradigm goes to the heart of the Pastor's role as well. In the current paradigm the Pastor "does" the ministry. In the correct paradigm, the Pastor/Leader equips the Saints for Ministry. In our States currently our Churches support State ministries such as Camp meeting (edification of self...much?), upkeep and maintenance and speaker fees. A brief but true story that I'll need to get permission in order to quote in the book, but in a certain State, it was found by looking at the budget that more was spent one particular year for Bug control at the State campground than for Home and Abroad Missions combined! Should not the State exist to minister to Pastors and leaders who are in turn training and equipping Saints for ministry? The same paradigm runs to the National level as well, and trust me when I say this is not just an Anderson issue. This is a World-wide Church issue! Big Business, in Big Church is not the design and it will never work.

OK, take a breath, don't stress. Unless I am suddenly granted omnipotence these things will not suddenly change. You should be glad I am not omnipotent, because on a bad day........... God is the only one who knows the future of the church. I am willing to bet 4:1 though that the church of the future will abandon the post modern business model and return to the basics of every believer a minister,whether in a house church or a small group and every minister a beacon of light for the Gospel message that Jesus Christ came to die for souls, man, woman, widows, and orphans.

**NOTE: These discussions are not meant to offend in any way, but to spark conversation as to whether we are correctly serving God as "He" desires in our current model of "Church". I in no way wish to attempt a coup, or to overthrow the current system. I have no Tea Parties or Communion parties planned. I have no power to do so. I am merely a sounding board echoing the frustrations of friends, colleagues, and fellow Pastors that the church has left behind it's true calling. My prayers is that we may each learn from one another and grow stronger in our Faith. I'd also like to take this moment to say that I have never had issue one with National, State or Local Ministries. I've spent countless hours at camps working to support our State ministries and will continue to do so. You should know one very important thing though. Should it ever come to a choice as to who I will serve in relation to National or State ministries that I believe serve only for edification of self then...Joshua 24:15, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."