What Kind of Church are you Building Today

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 3:10-11 NKJV

It has been said that the "day of the institutional church is over!" I totally agree. The un-churched are not coming to our churches today. Attractional ministry is no longer effective. If we are going to be the people of God we must take the church out to the community where the people are! Where is the focus in the churches of your association? A missional church is focused outside of itself on mission, rather than on itself in a maintenance mode. I've found that maintenance focused churches are declining churches whereas missional churches are growing, vibrant congregations. A brief look at the New Testament church confirms that the early disciples were focused on being and doing. Today's society reflects the same challenges of the first century when Christianity was first introduced to the world in the person of Jesus Christ. New Testament churches today must direct their attention to changing the culture of our age rather than conforming to the culture around us. I would encourage any church to ask themselves, "What kind of church are we building today?" What kind of churches do you have in your Association? What does God want to do in you and your association? Consider the following contrast:

Mission Minded Church vs. Missional Church

• Religious ceremonies vs. Relationships
• Go to church vs. See themselves "as the church"
• Isolated from the world vs. Engaged in the world'
• Focus on maintenance vs. Focused on missions
• Activities vs. Accomplishing God's mission
• Sending and supporting vs. Being and doing
• Representative vs. Participative
• Mission is one expression of its ministry vs. Missions in the essence of our existence
• Teach people to know vs. Teach people to obey
• Explaining vs. Experiencing
• Worship is to entertain people vs. Worship is to exalt God
• Connecting people to the church vs. Changing the culture of our world
• Spend time at the church vs. Spend time getting to know lost
• Holding on vs. Forging ahead
• Design events for members vs. Design activities to connect
• Enlargement vs. Extension
• Retaining members vs. Releasing members to replace them with people outside the church
• Size vs. Sending and serving
• Mega Church vs. Multiplying church
• Compete vs. Cooperate
• Survive vs. Thrive
• Faithful team vs. Flexible team
• Not content to know about God vs. They hunger to know God

References:

• Milfred Minatrea, Shaped by God's Heart The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches
• David Putman & Ed Stetzer, Breaking the Missional Code Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community

Dr. Larry Cheek, Associational Missionary
Stone Mountain Baptist Association
Conyers, GA * 770-483-2776
lcheek@stonemountainbaptistassociation.org