Sermon Notes from Sept. 23rd:
Text: Romans 6:13-19
I will do anything to make church theology interesting. I will sing Amazing Grace to the Gilligan’s Island tune. I will ride a bicycle into the church. What will I do today?
I will play with play dough. Watch me make a pencil, plate, corn, ball, & fish.
Why? Because I can’t make pottery, even if I could it would be too messy.
See Jeremiah 18:1-6
Isaiah 64:8 > O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Romans 9:21 > Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
Clay on the potter’s wheel is our image to better understand the work of sanctification in a believer’s life.
Wesleyans: We believe that sanctification is a work of God’s grace in a Christian’s life enabling him to wholeheartedly love and obey God by separating him from sin as the Christian surrenders completely to God.
Basics:
* Sanctification is God’s work, not ours.
1 Cor. 1:2 > To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy.
“Sanctification is the work of God in which believers cooperate.”
* We must be saved before we can be sanctified.
John 17:16-17 > They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Sanctification literally means: set apart for sacred use, to purify, to make holy and pure. God can’t set us apart until we are His disciples.
* Sanctification involves our entire being (all of us).
1 Thes. 5:23 > May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Like the clay on the potter’s wheel we must allow God to take complete control in order to shape us and then to use us as He wills. Unlike the clay – we have free will and must decide to cooperate with the Potter.
God’s Part – Sanctify My Part – Surrender
Romans 6:13 > … offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Offer = yield / to put at one’s disposal
Three Things You Must Say to Experience Sanctification:
1) Say “NO” to Your Self.
God can do a better job with me than I can do with me.
I need to give up control.
Gal. 2:20 > I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
Dead people don’t control anything. They have no power.
Have you given Christ the steering wheel of your life?
2) Say “NO” to Your Sin.
God can not stand sin in my life and will help me destroy it.
1 Peter 1:15-16 > But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Common Attitudes:
I will sin all I want, God’s grace is free.
Romans 6:1-2 > What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
I can overcome sin if I am strong enough.
Romans 7:24-25 > What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Sin and Satan are stronger than I am but not God.
But when I repent (turn from my sin) and trust in God’s power, He will enable me to overcome temptation.
Gal. 3:2-3 > I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
3) Say “YES” to Your Savior.
God can empower me to victory if I will always obey Him.
This is the true measure of our love for Jesus.
John 14:23-24 > Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
Shirley Caesar song: I'll say yes, Lord, yes
To your will and to your way
I'll say yes, Lord, yes
I will trust you and obey
When your Spirit speaks to me
With my whole heart I'll agree
And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.
Romans 6:19 > Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
Have you offered yourself to God today? It is a daily decision.
The first time is the hardest. But it is never easy.
Will you be like clay in the potter’s hands today and let God sanctify you so that He can shape you as He wants and use you as He wants?
God can’t shape us unless we are yielded to His will. Our hearts can be hard like clay can be become hard.
Eze. 36:26 > I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Invitation: Come and take a piece of clay (play dough).
Let it be your reminder of this act of surrender and your need to yield every day for the rest of your life so that God can sanctify you through and through.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wesleyans Believe In the Security of Believers
Sermon Highlights from Sept. 16th:
Text: 2 Peter 1:3-11
I rode a bicycle into church when it was time to preach and parked it on the platform. I told the congregation that I would later let them know why.
The question of the security of believers tends to divide the family of God (church) into two camps or opinions.
Calvinist – unconditional security
Arminian – conditional security
John Wesley: “Although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union; yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?”
Calvinist and Arminians agree on the core truth of the gospel – Jesus Christ is the only means of our salvation and faith must be placed in Him and His death on the cross for eternal life.
Differences?
Calvinist – focus on the sovereignty of God and election of the saints > predestination > perseverance of the saints
Arminians – focus on the free will of man and the choices people have > conditional salvation upon both saving and continued faith
Wesleyans are in the Arminian camp. Therefore, as Wesleyans:
We believe that God allows all people, including believers; freedom to accept or to reject His grace, believers can have security in Christ as they continue to grow in the knowledge and love of God.
Some Calvinists accuse Wesleyans of being eternally insecure; that we are never sure of our salvation. Perhaps this is because of a difference in defining sin.
SIN – missing of the mark of God’s perfect standard or willfully and deliberately violating a known law? BOTH!
Can we ever meet God’s mark of perfection? NO
Can we break free from willful violations? YES by God’s grace
1 John 3:9-10 > No one who is born of God will continue to sin, … he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.
Wesleyans who stay focused on sin will be insecure. You gravitate toward what you focus on. So how do we have security?
This is why I rode the bike today. When I ride a bike I don’t worry all the time about falling off. I have learned the two things I need to do in order to successfully ride a bike.
1) Stay focused on where I am going.
2) Keep pedaling. (Balancing will take care of itself.)
These two things are very much like the two things I must do to be secure as a believer.
1) Keep my eyes on Jesus.
The attractions of the world will try to entice me to look aside; like billboards on the road – they want me to take mt eyes off where I am going.
Hebrews 12:2 > Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Colossians 2:6 > Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.
2) Keep growing through spiritual disciplines.
Colossians 2:7 > Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught.
Personal Disciplines – Prayer, Fasting, Bible Reading, Meditation, Service, Self Denial, Solitude
Corporate Disciplines – Worship, Study, Fellowship, Sacraments, Preaching, Teaching, Intercession
Read 2 Peter 1:3-11
Every day I have a choice to exercise or not to exercise personal disciplines. Every week I have the choice to exercise or not to exercise corporate disciplines with other believers.
2 Peter 3:17-18 – Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Three Questions:
Have you gotten on the bike?
Have you put your trust in Jesus?
Are you keeping focused on your destination?
Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus?
Are you pedaling the bike?
Are you maintaining your spiritual disciplines?
Text: 2 Peter 1:3-11
I rode a bicycle into church when it was time to preach and parked it on the platform. I told the congregation that I would later let them know why.
The question of the security of believers tends to divide the family of God (church) into two camps or opinions.
Calvinist – unconditional security
Arminian – conditional security
John Wesley: “Although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union; yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?”
Calvinist and Arminians agree on the core truth of the gospel – Jesus Christ is the only means of our salvation and faith must be placed in Him and His death on the cross for eternal life.
Differences?
Calvinist – focus on the sovereignty of God and election of the saints > predestination > perseverance of the saints
Arminians – focus on the free will of man and the choices people have > conditional salvation upon both saving and continued faith
Wesleyans are in the Arminian camp. Therefore, as Wesleyans:
We believe that God allows all people, including believers; freedom to accept or to reject His grace, believers can have security in Christ as they continue to grow in the knowledge and love of God.
Some Calvinists accuse Wesleyans of being eternally insecure; that we are never sure of our salvation. Perhaps this is because of a difference in defining sin.
SIN – missing of the mark of God’s perfect standard or willfully and deliberately violating a known law? BOTH!
Can we ever meet God’s mark of perfection? NO
Can we break free from willful violations? YES by God’s grace
1 John 3:9-10 > No one who is born of God will continue to sin, … he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.
Wesleyans who stay focused on sin will be insecure. You gravitate toward what you focus on. So how do we have security?
This is why I rode the bike today. When I ride a bike I don’t worry all the time about falling off. I have learned the two things I need to do in order to successfully ride a bike.
1) Stay focused on where I am going.
2) Keep pedaling. (Balancing will take care of itself.)
These two things are very much like the two things I must do to be secure as a believer.
1) Keep my eyes on Jesus.
The attractions of the world will try to entice me to look aside; like billboards on the road – they want me to take mt eyes off where I am going.
Hebrews 12:2 > Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Colossians 2:6 > Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.
2) Keep growing through spiritual disciplines.
Colossians 2:7 > Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught.
Personal Disciplines – Prayer, Fasting, Bible Reading, Meditation, Service, Self Denial, Solitude
Corporate Disciplines – Worship, Study, Fellowship, Sacraments, Preaching, Teaching, Intercession
Read 2 Peter 1:3-11
Every day I have a choice to exercise or not to exercise personal disciplines. Every week I have the choice to exercise or not to exercise corporate disciplines with other believers.
2 Peter 3:17-18 – Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Three Questions:
Have you gotten on the bike?
Have you put your trust in Jesus?
Are you keeping focused on your destination?
Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus?
Are you pedaling the bike?
Are you maintaining your spiritual disciplines?
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Wesleyans Believe In The Family of God
Sermon Highlights from Sept. 9th:
Text: Galatians 3:26-29
We believe that the earthly manifestation of the family of God is the church and includes all believers in Jesus Christ of all ages. This family has one father, the God of the Bible, who intends for His family to live in community with one another.
Members of the family of God share the same:
1) Portal (same entry point)
v.26 – You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
As sinners, we all need a Savior – there is only one, Christ Jesus.
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
2) Parity (everyone shares a commonality)
v.28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Henri Nouwen: “We are unified by our common weaknesses, our common failures, our common disappointments and our common inconsistencies.”
No distinctions made based on: Race or Class or Gender
The church is built on level ground.
The family of God understands the common of community.
We need each other to survive. We are interdependent and interconnected. We rely on each other.
3) Promise (same hope, purpose and desire)
v.29 – If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We gather week after week to encourage, edify and exhort one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25 > And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
We rally with other local churches to support and strengthen each other in our mutual endeavor.
1 Cor. 1:2 > “with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours.”
John Wesley: “Although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union; yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?”
We look forward to the grand family reunion in heaven with all the family from all the ages.
Hebrews 11:39-40 > These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
As family members let us pledge our loyalty to the universal church and to one another by saying together:
Pledge to the Church: I pledge allegiance to the church of Jesus Christ. As part of God’s family I will live in harmony with my brothers and sisters, seek to exalt Christ and serve others in His name.
Text: Galatians 3:26-29
We believe that the earthly manifestation of the family of God is the church and includes all believers in Jesus Christ of all ages. This family has one father, the God of the Bible, who intends for His family to live in community with one another.
Members of the family of God share the same:
1) Portal (same entry point)
v.26 – You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
As sinners, we all need a Savior – there is only one, Christ Jesus.
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
2) Parity (everyone shares a commonality)
v.28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Henri Nouwen: “We are unified by our common weaknesses, our common failures, our common disappointments and our common inconsistencies.”
No distinctions made based on: Race or Class or Gender
The church is built on level ground.
The family of God understands the common of community.
We need each other to survive. We are interdependent and interconnected. We rely on each other.
3) Promise (same hope, purpose and desire)
v.29 – If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We gather week after week to encourage, edify and exhort one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25 > And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
We rally with other local churches to support and strengthen each other in our mutual endeavor.
1 Cor. 1:2 > “with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours.”
John Wesley: “Although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union; yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?”
We look forward to the grand family reunion in heaven with all the family from all the ages.
Hebrews 11:39-40 > These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
As family members let us pledge our loyalty to the universal church and to one another by saying together:
Pledge to the Church: I pledge allegiance to the church of Jesus Christ. As part of God’s family I will live in harmony with my brothers and sisters, seek to exalt Christ and serve others in His name.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Wesleyans Believe In The Inspiration of Scripture
Sermon highlights from September 2nd:
Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (primarily v.16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.)
As Wesleyans We believe in the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and have been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine. We believe that they contain all things necessary to salvation.
Trust in the Bible is built on 4 T’s:
Transmission – We have to trust that God spoke through the original human authors.
Transference – We have to trust in the early church fathers’ selection of books for transference into the canon.
Transcription – We have to trust that the copyists were collectively accurate in their transcribing of the original manuscripts.
Translation – We have to trust the translators of Scripture to communicate the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew texts.
As Wesleyans we make this Pledge to the Bible: I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.
Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (primarily v.16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.)
As Wesleyans We believe in the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and have been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine. We believe that they contain all things necessary to salvation.
Trust in the Bible is built on 4 T’s:
Transmission – We have to trust that God spoke through the original human authors.
Transference – We have to trust in the early church fathers’ selection of books for transference into the canon.
Transcription – We have to trust that the copyists were collectively accurate in their transcribing of the original manuscripts.
Translation – We have to trust the translators of Scripture to communicate the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew texts.
As Wesleyans we make this Pledge to the Bible: I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Wide World of Wesleyans
The Transition Team took a week off after our Unified Service and then jumped into the next task: Looking at Denominational and External Relationships. We will introducing or reintroducing the denominational heritage and beliefs to congregation members. We will also explore other external relationships (other churches in Bessemer City area) that have been nurtured in recent years. The goal is that the congregation come to a better understanding of what it means to be a Wesleyan Church in the Bessemer City community.
This goal will be accomplished through a two-fold approach.
1) Sept. 16th - The Wide World of Wesleyans
10 am - An all adult Sunday School class will be offered in the Family Life Center. All eight of our adult classes will combine for a presentation by the Transition Team on how The Wesleyan Church has been and should continue to be an agent for social change in our world.
6 pm - An Event of Denomination Information. Our special guest will be Rev. Jerry Lumston, Assistant District Superintendent. Jerry will inform us about how our District Assessment funds are distributed and how the pastoral search/call process works. We will also be given opportunity to ask any district or denominational questions.
Our seating for the evening will be around our round tables. Each table group will be led by a Transition Team member in an activity that will help you to reflect on what it means to be a Wesleyan. This should be both a fun and informative exercise. Child care will be provided for infants through fifth grade for the entire evening.
This is an event is being planned so that no one will want to be late nor leave early. Several door prizes will be given away from a drawing of names from those who are present by 6 pm and everyone is asked to bring pickup items, desserts and beverages for us to share as we fellowship around the tables after the service.
2) I will preach a series of messages - Wesleyans Believe In ...
Sept. 2nd - The Inspiration of Scripture
9th - The Family of God
16th - The Security of Believers
23rd - The Sanctification of Christians
30th - The Return of Christ
For those who are interested and are unable to attend our services I will post each week the highlights of my sermon notes. (I haven't figured out how to do a podcast yet. Plus, with sermon notes you can read in 2-3 minutes the essence of the sermon instead of listening for 25-30 minutes.
Until the next post - may God bless you!
This goal will be accomplished through a two-fold approach.
1) Sept. 16th - The Wide World of Wesleyans
10 am - An all adult Sunday School class will be offered in the Family Life Center. All eight of our adult classes will combine for a presentation by the Transition Team on how The Wesleyan Church has been and should continue to be an agent for social change in our world.
6 pm - An Event of Denomination Information. Our special guest will be Rev. Jerry Lumston, Assistant District Superintendent. Jerry will inform us about how our District Assessment funds are distributed and how the pastoral search/call process works. We will also be given opportunity to ask any district or denominational questions.
Our seating for the evening will be around our round tables. Each table group will be led by a Transition Team member in an activity that will help you to reflect on what it means to be a Wesleyan. This should be both a fun and informative exercise. Child care will be provided for infants through fifth grade for the entire evening.
This is an event is being planned so that no one will want to be late nor leave early. Several door prizes will be given away from a drawing of names from those who are present by 6 pm and everyone is asked to bring pickup items, desserts and beverages for us to share as we fellowship around the tables after the service.
2) I will preach a series of messages - Wesleyans Believe In ...
Sept. 2nd - The Inspiration of Scripture
9th - The Family of God
16th - The Security of Believers
23rd - The Sanctification of Christians
30th - The Return of Christ
For those who are interested and are unable to attend our services I will post each week the highlights of my sermon notes. (I haven't figured out how to do a podcast yet. Plus, with sermon notes you can read in 2-3 minutes the essence of the sermon instead of listening for 25-30 minutes.
Until the next post - may God bless you!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Living in Peace
For those who take the time to visit my blog - let me apologize for not getting more posts up this month. I will try to do better in the future - NO, I will have to do better in the future because I am promising to post notes from my weekly sermons during the month of September for those who miss a service on Sunday.
Now, let me catch you up on the follow-up of the Unified Service. During the month of August I preached a series of sermons focused on the concept of "living at peace". Our two foundational verses were Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14. The idea was that many of us had made peace at the Unified Service and that we needed to be reminded of how to now live at peace.
The weekly themes included:
1) Community requires Communication. Christian communication has a balance of truth and love. Ephesians 4:15
2) We need to be a Church of Peacemakers in a World of Troublemakers. The congregation was challenged to renew the Peacemaker's Pledge taken from Ken Sande's book: The Peacemaker.
3) How to Publicly Admit you are an Idiot. This sermon encouraged the congregation to be a confessional community. James 5:16
4) How to Handle your Hurts. This message reminded the people that people will often offend us. When we are offended as Christians we must either overlook the offense or confront it. Either way, we must also always have an attitude of forgiveness.
Even as the Transition Team continues to lead the congregation on to the next of the four transformational tasks I desire to provide teaching that will help our church to always be a community were forgiven and forgiving saints live out the gospel. To that end, our mid-week teaching will focus on the "one another" verses of the New Testament starting on Sept. 5th.
Later this week I will have another post about the Transition Team work and what is coming next for the congregation as we continue our journey through the year of intentional interim ministry.
Now, let me catch you up on the follow-up of the Unified Service. During the month of August I preached a series of sermons focused on the concept of "living at peace". Our two foundational verses were Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14. The idea was that many of us had made peace at the Unified Service and that we needed to be reminded of how to now live at peace.
The weekly themes included:
1) Community requires Communication. Christian communication has a balance of truth and love. Ephesians 4:15
2) We need to be a Church of Peacemakers in a World of Troublemakers. The congregation was challenged to renew the Peacemaker's Pledge taken from Ken Sande's book: The Peacemaker.
3) How to Publicly Admit you are an Idiot. This sermon encouraged the congregation to be a confessional community. James 5:16
4) How to Handle your Hurts. This message reminded the people that people will often offend us. When we are offended as Christians we must either overlook the offense or confront it. Either way, we must also always have an attitude of forgiveness.
Even as the Transition Team continues to lead the congregation on to the next of the four transformational tasks I desire to provide teaching that will help our church to always be a community were forgiven and forgiving saints live out the gospel. To that end, our mid-week teaching will focus on the "one another" verses of the New Testament starting on Sept. 5th.
Later this week I will have another post about the Transition Team work and what is coming next for the congregation as we continue our journey through the year of intentional interim ministry.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Book Review: Transforming Church
The question needs to be asked: How can church leaders go about transforming church so that it can be a transforming church? Ask another way: What needs to be changed about the church within so that it can become a change agent without?
Kevin Ford gives his answer to these questions in Transforming Church. Ford, based on his work as a church consultant, has developed a Transforming Church Index that measures five key indicators of church health. The premise is that church health, not church growth, is the primary indicator of a church’s ability to transform its members, fulfill its mission, and reinvent itself. Ford’s book guides leaders in how to measure their church health and how to become more healthy in each area.
The five key indicators of church health are given as:
1) Consumerism vs. Community – How church members relate to each other. Unhealthy churches are a collection of individuals acting individually, while healthy churches relate as a community.
2) Incongruous vs. Code – The church’s “genetic code”. Unhealthy churches lack a clear identity, while healthy churches have a clear sense of their DNA and take steps to align their ministries and culture with their code.
3) Autocracy vs. Shared Leadership – How the church leadership functions. Unhealthy churches tend to be overly autocratic or bureaucratic, while healthy churches view leadership as a shared function and as a ministry.
4) Cloister vs. Missional – How the church relates to the local community. Unhealthy churches disengage from the world around them, while healthy churches are focused on their mission and have an outward orientation.
5) Inertia vs. Reinvention – How church members think about the future. Unhealthy churches resist change and fear the future, while healthy churches embrace change, even when it is painful.
The next to last paragraph reads, “Is your church ready for change? Are there problems that need to be addressed? If you have the courage to face the adaptive issues, the tenacity to deal with inevitable resistance, and the humility to ask for God’s help, then be assured: Your church can and will be transformed into the image of Christ – one step at a time.”
Kevin Ford gives his answer to these questions in Transforming Church. Ford, based on his work as a church consultant, has developed a Transforming Church Index that measures five key indicators of church health. The premise is that church health, not church growth, is the primary indicator of a church’s ability to transform its members, fulfill its mission, and reinvent itself. Ford’s book guides leaders in how to measure their church health and how to become more healthy in each area.
The five key indicators of church health are given as:
1) Consumerism vs. Community – How church members relate to each other. Unhealthy churches are a collection of individuals acting individually, while healthy churches relate as a community.
2) Incongruous vs. Code – The church’s “genetic code”. Unhealthy churches lack a clear identity, while healthy churches have a clear sense of their DNA and take steps to align their ministries and culture with their code.
3) Autocracy vs. Shared Leadership – How the church leadership functions. Unhealthy churches tend to be overly autocratic or bureaucratic, while healthy churches view leadership as a shared function and as a ministry.
4) Cloister vs. Missional – How the church relates to the local community. Unhealthy churches disengage from the world around them, while healthy churches are focused on their mission and have an outward orientation.
5) Inertia vs. Reinvention – How church members think about the future. Unhealthy churches resist change and fear the future, while healthy churches embrace change, even when it is painful.
The next to last paragraph reads, “Is your church ready for change? Are there problems that need to be addressed? If you have the courage to face the adaptive issues, the tenacity to deal with inevitable resistance, and the humility to ask for God’s help, then be assured: Your church can and will be transformed into the image of Christ – one step at a time.”
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