I suppose that, like Martin Luther five hundred years ago, most of us in ministry have strong feelings about what we'd like to change about the church. These are some of the convictions I've developed over the past decade of ministry. These are somewhat untried and untested ideas, but I really believe these things.
1. No one one church is or should act like it's the whole body of Christ.
2. The value of denominations is in what the uniquely offer to the Body of Christ not what separates them from the rest of the Body.
3. "When God looks at a city, He doesn't see many churches; He sees one church in many congregations." - Ed Silvoso
4. For the good of the kingdom and for the wise use of God's resources small churches need to join forces, pool resources, even merge together! (heresy, I know.)
5. God has blessed large churches to be a blessing to the rest of the body of Christ.
6. "The purpose of unity is not 'unity for the sake of unity' but to demonstrate that God's truth is true." - Mike King
7. A divided Body of Christ is a defeated Body of Christ.
8. Youth pastors and young pastors are the best candidates for forging unity (new wine and new wineskins and all that).
9. A church united is extremely difficult requiring, and thus demonstrating, the supernatural love of God.
9.5. This kind of love is what the world is waiting to see.
Those are my thoughts about building a better church. I'd love to hear yours.
2 comments:
I agree with some statements but not all of them.If the Church of Christ was truly united there would be one church boday and one denomination. I have my conviction of what denomination is truly the Church that Christ established but to say would make it seem that I don't care about other denominations.
Here, here! You've nailed it right on, Love. So glad to be married to you and see your heart come alive as you live out what God's gifted you with and put passionately on your heart. Keep forging ahead! I'm right here with ya...
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