Old Wisdom Versus New Wisdom
Old Wisdom #1: 'People Are Not Rejecting God; They're Just Rejecting The Container That God Comes In!'
Some people say it's not God that people have a problem with, it's the Church. We're told that it's because people are presented with a Church that's out of touch, marginalised, out of reach and full of hypocrites, they don't go to Church anymore. The Church has no attraction to them and therefore people are leaving (and not coming) in their droves. If that is true, the opposite must also be true. If the Church is trendy, approachable, friendly, relevant, within reach and filled with people who actually do what they believe, then people will come flooding back to Church - because it's not God they have been rejecting.
Even though there is an element of truth in this 'old wisdom', I have found two things far more overwhelmingly true. Firstly, in leading a really contemporary Church, people still haven't flocked to us in droves. Personally, I have not found people knocking on my door in high numbers because I wear 'Top Man' clothes and I'm really, really friendly, relevant and anointed. Secondly, when I got saved through the influence of friends who were committed Christians, I attended churches that were vastly different to the 'pop' culture that I was used to. My revelation overlooked the cultural disparity.
The truth that supersedes 'presentation and packaging' is that reaping the harvest is not so much about Church style, as it is individual faith and accessibility. It's about searching out and connecting with the harvest and seeing it successfully reaped. The growing hunger of the lost will cause them to open their hearts to your heart and those who 'go' will see God do great things.
New wisdom says: people will rarely just come into a Church meeting because they've heard that it's 'hip!' Nothing will ever replace the power of faith, prayer, generosity, friendships and the gentle presentation of the gospel through life and testimony. The gospel remains the power of God that causes people to shift from darkness to light.
Old Wisdom #2: 'When Your Church Building Is Over 80% Full, People Will Stop Attending.'
Some leaders say that the size of your hall will put a cap on the number of people attending your congregation. Many examples are cited that suggest that not long after a new, bigger facility is introduced, the congregation begins to grow again. Yes, it is often true that to 'go large' ushers in a larger congregation, but the enlargement itself is not the reason for the growth.
Often the completion of a larger venue and the expansion of the congregation are manifestations of the fulfilment of a word from God. It's the faith and the action attached to it that precipitated the spiritual manifestation - the growing congregation. As well as this, the growth arises from the results of proven ministry.
Paul told Timothy to entrust truth to 'reliable men' who will in turn do likewise. Proven reliability is not just a characteristic the church needs to get hold of - leaders need to hold to it as well. People ought to follow ministry that has proved itself through its actions and its fruitfulness. The larger congregation often indicates the proof of greater leadership reliability. Great teamwork, great faithfulness, great generosity - these are all manifestations of this.
New wisdom says: there is no such thing as an 80% cap if faith is abounding and all systems are go, the Church will continue to outgrow the venue. New wisdom, though, moves to double services or to a larger facility before this ever takes place.
Old Wisdom#3: 'People Are Not Looking For Superstars Any More.'
Some writers say that the age of the superstar Christian leader is behind us and now is the time for authentic team building with leaders who blend into the fabric of their teams. They say that there are inherent dangers in putting your hope in one man; that great danger lurks along the path of any leader who stands out from the rest. Stardom is a thing of the past and there's a lot of damage to show for it.
This is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Paul told people to follow him - thus setting himself up on a pedestal. He wanted others to be inspired by him and to imitate his example. The crucial difference between Paul and Robbie Williams is that Paul added 'as I follow Christ'. People are in desperate need of more heroes of the faith.
In the 21st century, where very few Christian leaders stand out from the pack (leading to some 'off the wall' type Christianity), the answer isn't 'no superstars please' but 'please give us more'. Every mountain climber needs a Hillary and every long distance runner needs a Bannister. Every Christian needs to be inspired by leaders stepping out into unknown territory and coming back with the spoils of war. It is the devil's aim to allow Church organisations to keep going with little inspiration. Inspiration will always result in increased motivation. A motivated team is invincible. An unmotivated team will always be a low achieving team.
New wisdom says: we need both great teams and great individuals who will inspire us to climb the high peaks and endure the deep valley. This is the day for multitudes of superstars blazing a trail of glory to the King.
© V3 Leadership 2003
Dave Gilpin is the senior pastor of Hope City Church in the North of England, UK. His church is a fast growing, modern church with congregations in Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool. For more information or to view the full article, see www.v3leadership.com.
| 
