Have you ever felt a burning conviction that something needed to change in your church, but you didn’t know how to get the rest of the community to see it your way? Here’s an excellent article explaining how to introduce new ideas to a church community. Short version: reign in your righteous reformist zeal, and first work on establishing a relationship of trust and respect with your church.
How to introduce new ideas to your church
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October 5, 2007 at 08:59
That last statement “standing on the good news” is, I think, the key. I find questions the best way to think through issues like this:
Are fulfilling Christ’s great commission to help others become his followers and his great commandment to love others the goal of the church?
Is it my motivation for wanting the change?
Is what the church currently doing to accomplish these working to bring unchurched people into relationship with Christ and to deepen relationships within the church?
Are my issues with substance, with effectivenss or with style?
Is God calling me to effect a particular sort of person?
Should I press for change or adapt?
Should I stay or should I go?
October 5, 2007 at 11:46
Good stuff Mo. Asking ourselves a few key questions can go a long way. I have four Gen-Xers of my own – and it’s interersting to watch and listen to their emerging new ideas and approaches to being like Christ. I hear the use of words like relationships, community, tolerance, acceptance, emergent, without walls, and such. To much of this I say ‘Cool’. However, i am sensing a void of words like absolute truth, conviction, sacrifice and accountability. So long as the ‘New Ideas’ don’t contradict or overshadow the good ole Tried-and-True Ideas – and so long as they are not just New for the sake of New … Change for the sake of Change … simply a generational signature with no real purpose – then I say ‘Cool’.
Just curious Andy and Mo – how old are you ?
I’m 51. I enjoy seeing the different ideas from us Baby Boomers and the Gen-Xers.
October 6, 2007 at 07:32
Steve, I’m 49. I’ve got 3 Gen-X’ers at home and teach in a high school as well as well. I learn so much for them. I see some of those voids you’re talking about as well, however I also remember being 15, becoming part of the Jesus Movement in the 70’s then moving into a Christian culture where preserving “truth” and “tradition” sacrificed struggling souls. I’ve been trying to reconcile heart and head ever since. I recently “emerged” because I don’t think I can present Christ to this culture if I climb off the culture train four stations back. I’m trying to strip “truth” down to how Christ would speak to issues like “tolerance” and “relationships.” I’m still learning from people like C.S. Lewis and Chuck Colson, but people like Donald Miller and Dan Kimball are teaching me alot as well.
October 7, 2007 at 11:05
Irony of ironies, it seems the world has beat us again when it does the things of the law. not knowing the law. They’re finding that positive non-judgmental words connect us up with what can only be called the spirit. It seems the spirit doesn’t judge, only Christ does. How has that passed Christian attention. I can only guess that having a standard to judge by we can’t help but be sensitive to wrong. But being judgmental connects us up with the other spirit.
Other techniques are being absolutely loving, like love your enemies, and being purely thankful or forgiving. Sound familiar? I hope Christians take this seriously as I’d hate us to be last and the prodigal son get in ahead of us.