Every now and then someone says something that is so profound it sticks with you.\u00a0 A couple of nights ago in a meeting I had that happen.\u00a0 Another pastor made the comment about the church he pastors at, “it has never been our goal to be big, it is our goal to make a big impact.”\u00a0 That is a very simplistic statement, but it is a powerful statement.\u00a0 When pastors or church leaders get together one of the first things asked or talked about is church growth.\u00a0 Some pastors are upbeat about the growth their churches are seeing, and other pastors are saddened by the fact that they feel every other church is growing except the one they pastor.\u00a0 There are more conferences than you can imagine dealing with the subject of how to get more people to your church, and please don’t even get me started on the number of books written on church growth.\u00a0 The statement from Pastor Troy has sent my mind to spinning and really examining a few things (that is always a good thing).\u00a0 What if churches focused more on making a big impact in the world?\u00a0 Is that even a biblical thing?\u00a0 I believe the answer to that last question is a resounding yes, it is biblical.\u00a0 One thing that sticks out to me as I read the Great Commission and the book of Acts is this, it was never about the disciples or the early church, it was always first and foremost about the Gospel.\u00a0 There is a tremendous push in society for the church to be concerned and combat social injustices.\u00a0 Social injustices, poverty, mental illness, chronic illness such as AIDS are certainly something the church should be concerned with.\u00a0 However, the church must be careful not to lose sight of the commission it was given, and that it to go and make disciples of all the nations (Mt. 28:19-20).\u00a0 As I have written here before, the church can and should care about the former, but only as they are doing the latter.\u00a0 Yes we need to care about human trafficking, drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, hunger, etc.\u00a0 But we need to deal with these issues as we are sharing the Gospel.\u00a0 Social ministry without sharing the Gospel is community service, which is good but it has very little eternal value.\u00a0 Since Tuesday night in that meeting, my prayer life has been a little different.\u00a0 I believe now is the time for churches to evaluate or re-evaluate their strategies and purposes.\u00a0 As Troy mentioned, are we only focusing on bringing people in?\u00a0 Please understand, bringing people into the church is a good thing.\u00a0 But do we have a strategy to send them back out to serve in the community and to make disciples?\u00a0 It has been my experience that we have plenty of strategies on bringing people in.\u00a0 We have plenty of programs that will do that.\u00a0 However, I believe the church is lacking in a formalized strategy to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-13).\u00a0 The result is tragic.\u00a0 The result is we have big churches, but in many cases we have very little impact in our community and in the world we have been sent to.\u00a0 I am not against mega churches by any stretch of the imagination.\u00a0 But I feel we should all as Christians be against any size church that focuses only on bringing people in.\u00a0 We should be against it because it goes against our calling and our commission from our Lord.\u00a0 So how can we have a big impact in our community and beyond?<\/p>\n
First, we need to humble ourselves and come to the Almighty God in prayer.\u00a0 We need to confess that we have been more concerned with bringing people into the church, rather than sending people out to impact the world around them.\u00a0 The numbers aren’t lying and our church attendance is confirming the numbers, there aren’t as many people going to church today as there use to be.\u00a0 The church’s influence in the world is waning.\u00a0 We need to follow the Jesus’ advice in Revelation 2 and return to our first love.\u00a0 We need to pray for the community that God has placed us in.\u00a0 As I shared with our church this past Sunday, there are approximately 10,000 people living within 5 miles of the church I am blessed to pastor at.\u00a0 I feel that God is calling us to reach those 10,000 people.\u00a0 Yes I know that sounds crazy and yes I realize that some of them are already saved and have a church home.\u00a0 But I believe there are more that aren’t saved and going to church than there are that are saved and going to church.\u00a0 My heart and our church’s heart needs to be broken for them, and we need to plead with the Almighty God to give them more time and to use us to share the Gospel.\u00a0 Secondly, define a strategy that not only brings people into the church, but also a strategy that pushes them out of the church into the mission field they are planted in.\u00a0 Whether you realize it or not, every Christian is a missionary and is planted in a mission field.\u00a0 Church leaders need to ask the question, how can we have a big impact in the mission field we are planted in?\u00a0 What is God calling us to do?\u00a0 How has He gifted us to reach the people?\u00a0 Next, preachers and teachers need to preach and teach on the necessity of making a big impact in their community.\u00a0 Leaders, cast the vision for your people and keep it in front of them.\u00a0 One thing that is coming out of many of the church studies is this, the younger generation is interested in being a part of an organization that is reaching people around them in a tangible way.\u00a0 Leaders, show your people how having a big impact in the community will benefit the community for the Gospel’s sake, and even show how it will impact them.\u00a0 This creates the all important buy-in from people.\u00a0 This is where it goes from a perceived need by the leadership to a felt need within the congregation.\u00a0 Once they see the need, leadership needs to train the people. Again, my primary responsibility as a pastor within the church is to equip the saints for the work of ministry.\u00a0 Teach the people the strategy God has given you as the leadership team on how to impact their community.\u00a0 It is my belief that this is where most churches fail.\u00a0 People see the need, the want to help, but they don’t know how.\u00a0 So leaders, take the time to make sure you invest and train your people, it will pay off big time in the long run.\u00a0 Finally, once the praying, planning, and preparing are done, it is time to do it.\u00a0 Put feet to your faith, go, make disciples, and have a big impact in the community you are planted in!<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Every now and then someone says something that is so profound it sticks with you.\u00a0 A couple of nights ago in a meeting I had that happen.\u00a0 Another pastor made the comment about the church he pastors at, “it has … Read More