dennis j adams

I have read thousands of pages, gone to more seminars than I would like to admit and listened to some of the most popular preachers and teachers in world speak on the subject: Church Growth. I have even had a private meeting with David Yonggi Cho! I absolutely know that we need change in the Church for this postmodern era that we live in. When one studies the history of the Church it is easy to see that change came about right at the time when it was most needed. This is one of those times! Yes, one of those “God wants this done now times!” (my quote not anyone else’s.)

Some want to defend her at the present state. Some want to just leave her and try to adjust to the secular world (good luck!). Some desire to dialogue about what can be done. Dialogue is a good thing. There is power in words and words can bring change. I know that some of you reading this blog may feel that you cannot trust who you may be in dialogue with. There is a serious problem in the Church when trust is an issue. That is a true gauge or measure, if you will, to point to the fact that change is necessary. We do not need clichés to keep this boat floating and we do not need weighty statements of promise with no action either.

At this point we need dialogue and that dialogue to be prayerful and sincere. With the exit strategy going on in America I really get grrrish, (I like that better than bullish or bearish), about sticking up for what was! What was is not working so let us move into what is or at least what will. Yes, we need change and we need it now.

I wonder if men and women who have decision making privileges really know what their strengths are. Being voted into a position does not tell me that you know who you are or what you may be able to do! What it tells me is that you can really politic well. What makes me want to follow a leader in Church growth is when that leader lives in the present, reaches back to pull from history, values, so when he sees into the future he knows where he is leading us! Go over to missionalcog.com and view the Engage21 videos. Read the comments and get involved! We are in a period of our Church that certainly needs attention and plausible change.

My Heart To Yours

Dennis

Church growth is the topic of discussion lately! Rightfully so seeing that a healthy church should grow at some rate. Transferring members from one church to another is not “pure” growth. I mean if your take a grape and graft it to another bunch of grapes you did not grow because you started with the same number of grapes. However, when you fertilize, protect, and nurture, new grapes appear on the vine. It is simple for me to type this out because being a simple man that I am, I can readily observe that some churches like the easy way of growth, transference! The difficult way to growth, which embraces sacrifice and commitment is when you emerge from the “bunch” and begin to take this Gospel of Christ seriously and sound it to the “outside” the they are welcome in the “inside” no matter what they are like. The door is open come on in and be loved by the God’s love. Jesus was always where everyone did not want Him to be, everyone meaning the religious and anti- social aristocrats of His day. He was always doing things with sinners. Just hanging out with people and listening to them. Jesus liked the little guy and he was anointed by a prostitute. I begin to laugh as I type this because He would really be a topic of conversation in this 21st century religious aristocrats design for a new growth paradigm.

Here is a cool thought: When the prodigal son came home, his father ran out, kissed him, gave him the utmost respect and through a party just for him. Yet, the brother was jealous and showed his butt about the whole thing. I really clearly see the church in this matter. There is a world of prodigals out there who need to come home! Why does the Church get so jealous over normal growth?”

“Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?” (Malachi 2:10, NASB95)

Here is my question to the world and the Church? Does Church growth come from an emerging Church or an emerging group of prodigals coming home?

My Heart To Yours

Dennis

All scriptures used in this blog article are New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.