The Blog of E. Dale Nixon

It is so easy for a body of believers to emphasize either the corporate gatherings for Bible study, discipleship and worship or the missional expansion into the surrounding communities. Often emphasis in one area causes neglect of the other. Over the past few years, the methodological boundary lines have felt like the front lines of some evangelical civil war zone with cannon shots fired back and forth while the lost world looks on with their ears covered. As a Church, we must recover our fundamental identity as missionaries and begin assimilating a balance that unites the divided methodological extremes with the singular motivation of loving other’s into the Kingdom of God and urge all Christians to focus on the mission of Jesus both in the sanctuaries and in the streets.

Good question.

Among all the other possible questions…

Honestly, prayer brought me to this and the Spirit keeps pushing me to share it. Keep in mind it’s just a metaphor for something much bigger and more important.

So, again, why?

It is a change; of something that has been increasingly ineffective to something that has potential efficacy.

First, it is a shift of the ministry engine from a few ordained pastors to the entire membership of the church. Even if a hundred or so people function at a nominal level, they have more ministry potential than the entire ministry staff working at peek efficiency.

Example in time: 3 Ministers x 55hr.week= 165 manhours.

100 Members  x *2hr.week= 200 manhours.

Second, it is a change from complex systems to simple organic systems. Much of the time invested in organization can be eliminated when ministry stops being an add-on to our already busy schedules and becomes a natural part of, or just the way we do, our day to day routines; when ministry stops waiting for permission, approvals or check requests, but immediately responds when the need is apparent.

Third, it is takes advantage of the opportunities at hand, the technology available and the existing structures for networking and communication.

Fourth, when it get’s operational, it goes viral and has the potential to overwhelm an entire community and beyond. We used to call this kind of thing a ‘Revival.’ But then we tried to force it by planning Revivals with no absolute mandate from God.

This is not merely an attempt to patch up the old version and make it work again. It is a radical change from the kind of church and the kind of Christianity most of us are familiar with.

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* Please do not assume that I am suggesting members only need to spend two hours a week in ministry. I’m just pointing out how little it takes to surpass the desperate efforts of an overworked staff.