Transitions and Passages

This image (source unknown) sums up what both pastors and people have to remember during any transitions.  In some groups the clergy itinerate moving from one charge (church) to another as placed by superiors.  I some groups a clergy is called by the congregation to come and assume the leadership in a location.  Whatever the model, this principle from 1 Corinthians 3:7 is a reminder.  

 

Churches need leaders in the pews who participate in seeking God's will, who pray for God's guidance and who involve themselves in fulfilling the mission of the Christian life in community. Churches need pastors who will teach, guide, direct, inspire and encourage in a loving and grace filled manner.  One person in agriculture put it this way, "Church people are like a herd of sheep. I am their shepherd and I care for them, keep them safe, plan good for their future and teach them.  I leave the making  more sheep to them."

 

It is a good thing to remember that no one person can go into any situation and "fix" it.  Major consultants indicate they, for all the thousands they are paid, are seldom listened to and less than a quarter of their clients actually implement the solutions suggested.  The desire to be active in ministry, mission, and discipleship has to be born in the hearts of the people on the pew, they have to be released to follow that vision, trained as needed and then feed regularly a diet of good spiritual food.

 

Don't wait for the Rev. Bandage Who Will Fix All Our Problems to unload in your town, stir up the gift God has already placed in the hearts of his people, and make it possible for God to work in your heart, in your town and in your church.

 

---Marilyn A. Hudson, dedicated to all those moving to minister in new settings.

A Future-Seeking Church

Dr. M.J. Hudson

A church of Jesus Christ is a future-seeking church. It is a church that knows and appreciates it historic roots but recognizes what is in the past... is past. As the saying goes, the past really is only a prologue of the future.Any one person, at any one time, is to serve, as the active participant in a vast, generational torch passing process. As they pass the flame of faith the light should be burning bright and steady. Some churches – like the virgins discussed by Jesus – may have fallen asleep on the job. Their lamps are burning so low and so weak as to appear unlit.The modern American Church, however, has often fallen into several behaviors that are counter-productive to the true mission of the Church.

The “Present-Tense Congregation” model. They live for themselves focusing only on the present. The pews are too hard, the music too loud, the pastor does not visit enough, and the list goes one. This focus on self rather than on mission and outreach creates a tension in the church. The tension may be between those who know the mission of the church is not self-focused but ministry focused and those who want a nice comfortable chaplaincy church. It is the epitome of the modern consumer mentality that wants what they want and when they want it. Church, for these so-called Christian people, should be there when they have a need. As a result, volunteerism disappears, spiritual vitality decays, love is replaced by ego, and the church enters an ice age devoid of life or growth.

The “Past Perfect” model. Even though a past pastor might have been totally incompetent or the church people were so spiteful the church split – the past is so much better than the present. If only we could return to those halcyon days, life would be good. Don’t misunderstand me; history and an awareness of the past are crucial to successful church development to avoid making the same mistakes all over again! Often this model sees things in vague and hazzy terms lacking clarity or connection of cause and effect.

It is through an awareness of the rich heritage of the saints of the past that we can appreciate our faith today. The church, like some like prehistoric creature in a slab of amber, does not remain static. The church is alive. It is organic. It changes and adapts to meet the needs and problems of every generation with the unchanging love of God.

The “Transient Verb” model. The people who attempt to manipulate a congregation by threatening to leave. They take offense, get their feelings hurt, are unappreciated and move off to the next church down the road with an “I’ll show them” attitude. It is not all-bad though. Some churches would have no membership growth at all if it were not for these folks. The truth is that most of these “here today – gone tomorrow” people are pure trouble mongers. Look around your community at the many tiny churches struggling to stay afloat and you often see the result of these people who bring division and leave discord.

The “Future-Seeking Congregation” is a church that has restored their relationship with Jesus Christ. They recognize their mandate is “Go – into all the world!” Church is then a refreshing station in their own individual ministry modeling the love of God in their slice of the world. Church is the place of encouragement and celebration. Church is the place to learn, to be equipped, and then back out into the daily grind as witnesses of the love and joy found in a relationship with God.

The “future-seeking congregation” is a church that does not rest on what they used to do but dreams about what they are getting ready to do in the future.The “future seeking congregation” focuses on serving others and making a difference in the world. The willingness to take risks, engage in vision, take action, and remain spiritually vital is the foundation of the “Future-Seeking Congregation.”