"Be the Church Going"
This is a response to a good friend's blog:
The Salvation Army may be the best equipped and prepared Christian mission, among God's people, to withstand the unstoppable trends that are impacting the Christian world.
As the needs and expectations of ministry change, including less dependence on institutional religion and professional pastors, The Salvation Army will lead the way in providing a real “church” experience and opportunity.
Although we do not prefer to separate our ministry in terms of “church” and “social services organization,” the fact remains that they are often beneficial to two separate groups of people. That is not necessarily a bad thing.
As studies and research indicate from highly trusted and respected organizations like “The Barna Group,” as to the way people are worshiping and serving as Christians, as well as what attracts people to the Church today, we are learning a lot.
Both believers and non-believers are stating that opportunity for hands-on, missional, meaningful, and genuine opportunities to help others is of great importance. This makes The Salvation Army stand out among other Christian movements, because of the many avenues of service through which new generations will be able to reach others.
Despite the criticism of some concerning The Army's lack of emphasis on church, the small size of the majority of our congregations and the strong emphasis on raising funds to offer social services to our communities may be exactly how God is moving in this and coming generations.
Christians who are no longer part of an active congregation and non-believers who are asked what they would look for, should they choose to go to a church, are responding with some very interesting answers.
The majority say:
1. They want to be a part of a small group of people and a congregation of no more than 30-40 people.
2. They are not interested in perfection in worship services. They are looking for something “real.”
3. They do not want to be a part of an institutional church with a professional pastor. They want to be a part of a Christian mission whereby people are “doing” the will of God as they serve each other and others, together.
4. They are not interested in “going to the church.” They want to “be the church going.”
5. They don’t want to “join” a church. They want to be actively ministering and being ministered to in the world of which they are a part, rather than in programs and church services. This will pose a major problem to those who insist on church membership or soldiership.
We can shun these responses and choose to treat them as if they are ridiculous requests, or we can focus on the realization that The Salvation Army has been prepared in advance for the new thing that God is doing.
George Barna is predicting that more and more small churches will be disappearing and that “professional” pastors will be forced back into secular work places. Salvation Army Officers are well suited for this change in the culture of the church, because of the demand on Christian social service organizations. In other words, the “pastors” of The Salvation Army will already have a “vocation,” which has long been a part of their ministry, while other churches may be forced to close down their “buildings” and send their pastor away to look for employment.
I believe that The Salvation Army is one of God’s anointed missions for “being the church going” for this and upcoming generations.
5 comments:
I love the enthusiasm with which you serve. I believe that as a social service ministry the Salvation Army is doing great things. I would love to see and experience the impact the S. Army is having in Africa and other places where the Holy Spirit is moving like wild fire and traditionalism is taking a back seat to God's will and where people are doing anything short of sin to reach the world for Christ. I hear great things about it.
I praise God that you do what you do. It's encouraging.
Miss you guys.
So here’s the question: Do most Corps consist of a small group of 30-40 people? Is it “real?” Are the people “doing” the will of God and are they “being the church going?” Are most Corps “actively ministering and being ministered to in the world of which they are a part, rather than in programs and church services?”
Thus the challenge of leadership.
Blessings,
Bret
Rick Warren says "Let's stop always praying that God will bless what we're doing, and pray that God will show us what he is blessing, so that we can do it."
I agree with Rick. Without The Salvation Army changing what it is, we often have to change what it does.
To believe that any body of believers will always do the exact same thing is really arrogant. Everyone changes the way they do things, even if they live in the same house their whole lives.
My parents don't do the same things they did when they had three boys at home. They changed the way they lived when their parents were dying too. They changed how they were entertained when television was invented, and how they watched movies when indoor theatres were built. But, can you imagine, now that we have DVD players and VCRs, hearing someone who has just rented a movie at Blockbusters, asking the Blockbusters employee where the theater is that will let them play the movie. Church has been done for so long in a theater setting that we have forgotten that we are the church and can worship in our living rooms, if we want.
The Salvation Army is an amazing and powerful tool for God, and it can only remain effective as long as it is willing to seek out what God is blessing, not always seeking a blessing from God for what it's doing.
Remember, a blessing is recognition of authority or power. That's why God blessed human beings and the Sabbath, and why we are expected to bless (recognize authority and power of) God. They both have some authority on this earth. But that's another subject. So the real question is: To what is God giving power for reaching the world effectively today?
I do believe that most churches are small groups who have created a clique, rather than a growing mission for God. True mission doesn’t require that those who have been served hang out with the servant all the time. Even Jesus told some that they were not to stay in his group as a disciple, but they were to go to their own neighborhood and tell what they have experienced. The world is changing and we can’t expect people to all gather in one place, though they will still gather as groups in many places.
Too many Christian organizations are still measuring round rooms with a straight-rule and believe that program participation is a true measure of effective ministry.
True ministry effectiveness is found when people are feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
I come late to this conversation. I challenge your statement about SA officers probably being the best equipped for this age. The fact is many have no grasp of the emerging culture, and have locked into the group think of an organization. True The Army is well positioned to attract the "Revolutionaries" of whom Barna speaks.
Unfortunately, we are basically equipped for a world that really does not exist and with theology that has calcified in many respects. While I embrace our holiness tradition wholeheartedly, I wonder if the organization has mistaken holiness for piety. If we have, we may be well positioned, but not well equipped for this age.
You spoke well in your response to Bret about real ministry being feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. But if we really are to minister, we do it without any expectation in return. That shoots most of what our movement practices and equips us for squarely in the foot.
Anonymous,
I agree with you. We'd better tighten up the ship and get our priorities straight. Otherwise, we will be the best equiped to sink.
Thanks for your words.
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