It is Dawn not Dusk for the Church

I had the opportunity to join Pinnacle colleague Mark Tidsworth last weekend in a workshop for the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As I introduced myself to the group, I said: “We believe that the church is not only going to survive but prosper.”

I sincerely believe this, but the caveat is that the church that is going to survive may not necessarily be the church as you know it now. If we are objective, we will realize that all expressions of the church have changed and evolved over the last twenty centuries. The reason that the church has not just survived but prospered is that it has continually been reinventing itself in order to fulfill its mission.

So how do we reinvent our churches today to be the people of God in our context? Here are some suggestions:

First, listen to the Spirit of God. My teacher Alan Roxburgh says something like this: “The Spirit of God is among the people of God and will lead them where they need to go and show them what they need to do.” This will only happen, however, if we are really willing to listen for the Spirit and not quench the message he brings.

Second, we need to get over ourselves. In the 21^stcentury, the Christian church no longer has a place of prominence, a central place of influence in the culture. At one time, the culture at least professed (even if it did not always practice) that the institutional church had a vital role in society. This is no longer true. If Christians of today are to make a difference, we must earn the right to be heard.

Third, we need to kill some sacred cows. Bill Easum wrote a book several years ago titled Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers. Others have picked up on that idea. There are some ministries in our church that were once successful and thriving, but they are no longer. The resources devoted to those ministries need to be redirected to places where they will make an impact for the Kingdom of God right now.

Fourth, don’t be afraid. Stepping out and taking risks is never easy. No one likes to change even if it is necessary. The story of the church, however, is one of constant change and it all started when Jesus began calling common men and women to leave their jobs, their responsibilities, their homes, and their families to follow him. The one thing he promised was to be with them “to the ends of the earth.” He is still issuing that call today and providing that presence.

I sincerely believe that it is dawn not dusk for the church, and each day’s dawn is new, refreshing, and full of promise.

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