Life Ministries

A Look at the Church
For a few days I want to post some church evaluation and vision teachings that I have used in the past that are still relevant today.

     In Ephesians 4:15, Paul says; "speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it's work." Paul is not talking about a specific “program”, but he is speaking about natural development and natural growth. This is how God designed the church to work and grow. With Christ as the center of everything; each church using its own people working together; to promote growth. There is an underlying sense that this is a natural process.

    Let see if I can put this scripture into my own words to kind of explain what is in my head:

“From Christ who is the head” - (the true leader, the center, the hub of all things…not the pastor or the board)

“the whole body” - (Young and Old, alike)

“joined and held together by every supporting part” - (Individual ministries and activities of the church )

“grows and builds itself up in love” - (Without love, we are nothing! There is no room for selfish interests or agendas)

“as each” - (person), (committee), (ministry), (department)

“does it’s work” – (not attempt to do someone else’s work, or tell them how to do their work, but does their part to focus on their own work.) I should add that there is always room for suggestions and new ideas when they fit the overall mission and purpose of the church.

    There is a good quote that goes like this: “There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!”

    First of all, I have come to the conclusion that there are four things that we must do in order to fulfill God’s vision for His church:  Always first, and most important, we need to look up – pray and listen.  If we truly seek God’s agenda and not our own, He will show us what that is. I also believe that it begins with (Believing God) If we truly believe that God is who He says He is, and that God can do what He says He can do, then we ought to be expecting God to do great and mighty and powerful and even miraculous things in the midst of His church!  If we don’t really believe that, we won’t really expect much…and if we don’t expect God to do much of anything, then what will God do? (Nothing)
     Second, we have to look within.  We have to discover our individual and our corporate unique gifts, passions, and abilities.  Before anyone volunteers to serve in any area, they ought to ask themselves if they are gifted in that area, or if they have a passion for that ministry, and, if they have the ability to have vision and foresight for the future?       
    Third, we need to look around. Take a good hard look at the church and ask yourself - “What needs to be changed in order to make this happen?”  Is it a major problem?  What then?  It may seem major to us…but not to God.
    Fourth, we need to look ahead.  What is the future of the church? Where do you want to be next year? What will it take to get there?  Where do you want to be within 5 years?  What will it take to get there?  Someone once said; “We can rejoice in the past; we live in the present; and we must always be looking to the future!”