When you think of church, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
Is your thought of something good that you want to be part of or something complex, flawed and messy? Perhaps you think it’s a little of both.
Is it a place of hope and healing?
Is it about a problem and a solution?
Is it an organization with a specific mission?
Ultimately the Church is about God and his people, good and evil and the story of redemption, and each of us are invited to find our place in that story.
The Bible gives us that story and is a self-revelation of God, His character, and His love for people. It’s about who we are, the choices we make and our response to His invitation.
The Church is a community formed around the overwhelming and everlasting love of God, yet we are held accountable to His truth and justice.
God’s holy sacrifice for our sin is matched only by Jesus’ obedience on the cross. It is both unimaginable and worthy of our worship.
Jesus is head of the church, not you or me. We are called to walk closely with Him, listen carefully and serve as leaders of people and ambassadors of the gospel.
The Church is not only about a lofty and supernatural story of good and evil, but our everyday lives and how we treat people. It’s about how we love ourselves, our family and our neighbor.
The Church, (the body of believers) is about the values and biblical convictions we embrace, our kindness to a stranger and how we drive in heavy traffic.
The Church is about a grand connection between the very ordinary steps of our everyday lives and the glory of eternity. It’s not easy for our minds to make the constant connection between heaven and earth. But that is the business of the church.
We live in the here and now. We have bills to pay, kids to raise, leaky faucets to fix and great cups of coffee to be enjoyed with friends.
We live in the tension of sickness and healing, problems and solutions, the pain of anger and the joy of love. This is the beauty of the Church. God brings meaning and purpose to life itself.
One of my most cherished examples of meaning and purpose in life is grandkids. I thank God every day for the joy of time with our three grandchildren. Grandkids are God’s idea. They are love in motion. (Lots of motion.)
We were created on purpose and for a purpose.
This is the business of the church.
So how do we “run this business?” Is there really a business plan for the church?
5 foundational essentials for every church: (The Plan)
Every church has the freedom to express itself in unique and varied ways, but there is a foundational set of essentials. I’d love to hear your thoughts, adds, or different ideas in the comment section below.
The content in each essential just begins to scratch the surface, so much more can be written, but for this post, lets establish the overarching plan.
1) Present the gospel in a robust manner.
The foundation of the Church is the message of Jesus Christ. Without Christ proclaimed, it’s not what the church was meant to be.
Jesus brings truth and grace to the context of the Church. Without Jesus, His death and resurrection, we have nothing to stand on.
The result of grace through faith is changed lives, worship and a sense of meaning and calling.
Everything we do must ultimately point to Jesus. That doesn’t mean we have to quote a scripture verse every time we walk across the lobby, but our ministries must be aligned and on purpose in such a way that its impossible to escape hearing and understanding the meaning and promise of Jesus sacrifice on the cross.
2) Care for those who are marginalized and hurting.
Jesus consistently demonstrated his love and kindness to those who were unaccepted, outcast, marginalized and with little to no ability to do something for someone else.
There is no guilt intended in that statement, not for you or me. I don’t recall who first said this, but “we ought to do for one what we wish we could do for many.” That is so good. If we all practiced that the outcome would be staggeringly powerful.
We don’t have to look far or hard to find human need. Ask God to prompt you where you meet that need.
That’s one of the many reasons I so deeply love the church, when we come together with unified purpose and approach, we can touch more people than we can as individuals.
3) Disciple followers of Jesus in their faith.
Discipleship is a great strength of the church, but we can always get better. How are you improving your process?
The best discipleship is about a changed life not a certain curriculum. Solid curriculum is needed and good, but not the goal.
The best discipleship processes are personal, biblical, and lead to an ever-increasing level of faith that is demonstrated in personal obedience and how we treat and serve others.
The greatest test of solid discipleship is if it leads us back to evangelism.
Five simple but important questions:
- Who is discipling?
- How are they trained?
- What are the desired outcomes?
- What do you pray for?
- Are their stories of changed lives?
4) Pray for human needs in a hurting world.
Prayer is an extraordinary gift.
- We are invited into intimate conversation with the One who created the Heavens and the earth.
- We are invited to pray to One who puts the very breath in our lungs.
- We are invited to talk to the One who loves us unconditionally no matter what.
There is great untapped power in prayer, it changes people and circumstances for the good, and it bonds us together at a soul level.
What is your last prayer that God answered?
What are you asking God to do for you?
What are you asking God to do for others?
The longer I lead, the more I understand that prayer is the true power behind the strength of every church. Don’t miss the opportunity.
5) Develop leaders to advance God’s Kingdom
Developing leaders is just as much about stewardship as time, talent and resources.
Developing leaders is the fundamental practice that enables us to reach more people for Jesus. Without more leaders, you limit the impact of your church.
From Moses to Joshua to good kings and bad kings, and the New Testament Church, the Bible is filled with examples of leadership. Jesus started with 12, who are you investing in?
The transformational process of developing a leader is an incredibly rewarding process. I’ve been in it for over four decades and have no plans to stop.
Developing leaders is something like prayer, its hard to do it wrong, but there are better and more effective ways. Start somewhere.
If you are at a loss as how to start. Start here.
