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TCT – What defines success in ministry?

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Great question, isn’t it? For most in contemporary evangelicalism, success is determined by nickels and noses (budget/people). As we come to the conclusion of our series of posts on Total Church, the authors come to our aid and define success in terms of:

two competing models of growth: larger congregations versus more congregations (urging church plants over sheer numbers)

two competing models of leadership: leadership as performance versus leadership as enabling (urging leaders to faithfulness not busyness)

two competing models of success: a church of glory versus a church of the cross (urging Cross-centered weakness as a model for demonstrating God’s power)

This was really the icing on the top of the cake for me.

This balance is further expressed in the conclusion where the authors write:

Our proposals should not be viewed as a recipe for success nor a guarantee of authentic ministry. Christianity is not a strategy or a set of principles. It is a relationship of love with the Triune God. The gospel word and the gospel community must be central to Christian practice. But our hearts should be fixed on the grace of God, the love of God, and the glory of God. The only true center of Christian existence is God himself. (p.203)

So there it is full circle. This book has really helped me as a pastor to be more God-centered and to keep my eyes on Him, while I still pursue the wise engagement of outsiders. I commend this book to you in that regard.

TCT – On Ministering to Children

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As we continue our consideration of the book Total Church, in chapter 12 they address ministering to children and young people. I thought the chapter was excellent on why the need for prioritizing ministry to these age groups is important. But they don’t encourage a typical evangelical feel for ministry. The authors seek to use the same Scriptural, community-centered approach that ministers to others: letting God’s Word speak to these ones of their need for the Gospel then incarnating Christ to them through genuine community and encouraging their involvement in community. In a day when age-graded divisions are seen as the norm, the insight in this chapter was fresh.

Here’s their summary from p.190:

We have a simple rule of thumb in our church: if we would do this as family, we can do it as church; if we would not do this as family, why do it as church? This is not intended to cover every possible eventuality, but it has proved useful in maintaining a church life that is refreshingly simple and uncluttered, with space for relationships and front-line evangelism. But these pragmatic benefits are only favorable consequences; the principle of church as family is primary. Mutual responsibility between the generations is normative for family life and the way in which values are transmitted. Should that not be normative in the church also? As those relationships develop and grow over the years, and as the child moves into adolescence, the strength of those intergenerational friendships can be powerful means of grace. In the purposes of God they can be ways of keeping the young adult from becoming one among the hundreds who leave our churches each week never to return.

Is this not a compelling picture of what God intended the church to be? Let’s honor God and relate to those who aren’t the same age as us.

TCT – Defending the Faith

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As we continue to look at Total Church, this week brings us to chapter 11 on Apologetics. I thought the authors did a great job of unfolding the history of how the faith is defended. They eventually call for a “relational apologetic”:

Apologetics is answering questions raised by our lives. This is not simply a matter of lone Christians living godly lives and doing good works. In the Old Testament it was the life of the covenant community that was to function as a light to the nations. And in the New Testament too it is the life of the community that commends the gospel…We need to persuade people that our story, the story of God, is true. But they will only explore its truth if we can first persuade them that it might be a better story. We need to address their hearts before we can begin to address the questions in their heads. (pp.178-179)

There are some enormous implications: 1) The Christian community should demonstrate the Gospel. 2) We should be more concerned about hearts over heads. Both of these are traditionally weaknesses in my own life and in the life of the church. We seek to make evangelism a door to door with one person all alone kind of thing. But there are corporate elements that need to demonstrate the Gospel. Also, we need to avoid a campaign to just win arguments. Hearts have to be addressed. People in our culture need to see a demonstration of people gripped by truth. This will awaken our role to speak to the head questions. Let’s defend the faith properly, in a corporate witness that demonstrates the power of God.

TCT – Theology, A Church Project

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Continuing my series on Total Church, today we turn to the subject of Theology. The authors do a great job of showing the importance of theology and how that emerges in a Word and Community centered body. They also tie its importance to Mission. The most helpful part of this chapter, though, was when they made a distinction between what they called “The Theology of the Academy and the Theology of the Church.” There is a huge distinction between what is fleshed out in the rigors of academia and what the church actually deals with. This section…

…is a critique of professional theology removed from the furnace of life and not hammered into shape on the anvil of the local church. (p.162)

This is so well-said. I remember well my seminary days when my professors who shaped me in such profound ways were waxing eloquent on problems. What I’ve found being in one local church, though, for nearly 8 1/2 years is that some of their critiques would have been better served by being forged in the anvil of a committed body. This is so helpful for me to remember. We are “doing theology” every time we gather together. This is a huge responsibility for our leadership, but also a huge responsibility for those who make up the church. You can divorce one from the other. Church and theology go together.

TCT – Spirituality

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Continuing my series of reflective posts on the book Total Church, today we turn to chapter 9 on “Spirituality”. This subject matter provides the authors a good chance to summarize the emphasis of this book. They write (on p.141):

Biblical spirituality is not about contemplation; it is about reading and meditating on the word of God. It is not about detached silence; it is about passionate petition. It is not about solitude; it is about participation in community. In other words, biblical spirituality reflects the dual fidelity we have argued for throughout this book. It is centered on the gospel and rooted in the context of Christian community.

I couldn’t agree more. Too often in the church, we embrace a worldly understanding of spirituality (through Oprah or some other idea that’s popped into our minds) rather than being shaped by what God has ordained to shape us by. Our passion should be singularly rooted in Christ. As that happens, our lives will be changed and community will honor Him.