You See Bones, I See an Army (cont,)

Finally continuing on with Floyd McClung's great book, here is what I liked in this chapter titled, Asking the Right Questions.

Simple Versus Complicated Church
I believe there are distinct advantages to such a simple expression of church and ministry:
1.  It is simpler to get things done.  It doesn't take a long time to conduct the business meeting of the church!
2.  Accountability is more natural and powerful with two or three people.  It is more difficult to confess sins or weaknesses with a larger group of people.
3.  There is greater flexibility.  It doesn't take long, or involve as many decisions, to change or adapt to new opportunities.
4.  Communication flows more easily with a small group of people.  Misunderstandings can be cleared up more quickly when the group is smaller.
5.  There is greater proximity ot people who don't know Jesus.  It is natural for a small group to meet in a restaurnat or bar or office, thus keeping a group located among people who don't know Jesus.
6.  Direciton is more quickly and clearly confirmed in simple church.  God often uses two or three others to confirm what he says to us.
7.  Leadership stays natural and relational.  When the leadership functions in a small group of people, it is much more difficult for it to function from a lofty position since everyone knows each other.
8.  Multiplication can happen spontaneously as the group grows.  It doesn'ttake a worship band, a fat check, a telemarketing campaign, and a new building to plant a new church!

The difference between complicated church and simple church is that the complicated church relies on programs to disciple people, while simple church empowers people to disciple people.

I believe deeply and fervently in the marriage of church and mission.  One of my coworkers said to me at one point, "You don't believe in direct sending, do you?"  He clarified that he believed local churches should not and could not send missionaries directly to the field, that they were not gifted or anointed by God to send people as missionaries apart from missionary organizations.  That kind of thinking seems a long way from the church of Antioch in Acts 13.

On the other side of the coin, there are many local churches that have no vision for the nations and no room in their thinking or their leadership for visionary leaders that are not part of their local church.  These churches are ingrown and controlling.  Their view of God is too small and their understanding of church is too narrow.

A person with a vision is not a prisoner of a person without one.

Vision from God for his church will give you faith for the church you are part of.  You will see how much God loves the church.  You will pray for her and weep for her and, if necessary, leave her.  You will be free to love, forgive, and submit to her and her leaders as well - if that is what God says to do.

When God imparts a vision and finds someone with courage to take hold of that vision and run with it, God himself will stand behind it.  If he gave it, it is his vision.  He will complete what he starts in you, as long as you obey him and act with integrity and humility.  Even if you make mistakes, God will rescue you if you ask for his mercy.  No force on earth or demon in hell can keep you from the will of God if you walk obediently before God and humbly before others.

[Speaking of his training program for doing simple church.]  Interestingly, we have to train people from traditional and institutional church backgrounds out of the old way of doing church, and orient them to the new paradigm of simple church.  I jokingly say to those we train, "You never have to worry about losing your job because you will never have one."  In other words, they key to passing the torch to the next generation of leaders in simple-church-planting movements is never to hold the torch, speaking of positions and titles.  We teach people to be servant leaders who raise up others to carry the torch from the beginning.  This is a new style of leadership that requires serving behind the scenes, being secure enough to be a coach to new leaders without poistion or title.  The goal of a simple-church-planting movement is not being an up-front pastor or elder but being a spiritual father or mother to a movement of elders and church planters.

That's plenty for today.  The part I would like to comment on is the last paragraph.  "being secure enough to be a coach to new leaders without poistion or title."  I don't believe it is always a sense of security that makes a person want a position or title.  Sometimes it is a belief that they will function better in society with other institutional church leaders if they have a position or title, as the church culture expects it.  It's a way of identification and an element of communication.  Whether that is true or not is debateable.  A person can always explain, "I don't have a position or title.  In our church, we all do the work of God, as is needed at that moment.  Some of the things I do or have done are . . ."  That would actually help to open up a dialogue of simple church methods and paradigms.  I don't believe we always have to conform to those around us to be effective in carrying out God's will for the church.

I also believe that sometimes people desire positions or titles out of pride, self-centeredness, and ego.  Some people have a goal to have the most lofty job title in an organization.  The Bible makes it very clear that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6.  My mom always quoted "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18.  Pride in someone is always the negative thing that I identify in a person first.  Whether it is in their words, their mannerisms, their actions, their lifestyle, etc.  For me, like seeing an alcoholic or ex-alcholoic, I can spot it a mile away.  Pride is the thing I like to work on correcting in a person, and it is not always easy, comfortable, pleasant, or enjoyable.  It can hurt, and it should.  It is a deep rooted evil that God opposes in people. 

Know that pride is the unhealthy version of what a person thinks of him or herself.  The healthy version is what the Bible tells us to do.  It is to have an honest estimation of ourselves.  That means we shouldn't think too lowly or too highly of ourselves, but know what our strengths and weaknesses are and continue to strive to become a better person.  "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12:3.  Even when we have a true estimation of ourselves, it doesn't mean we go around flauting all the positives.  Your good points will be evident to all.  We don't have to impress anyone but God, and he knows our hearts and our thoughts, and sees all our actions.