ISS
Sunday, September 05, 2010
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02.16 PUTTING THE OFFENSE BACK IN YOUR LEADERSHIP 02.02 RELIGIOUS DETOX 01.05 WHAT'S YOUR STEWARDSHIP PLAN? 01.05 SEEKERS, SEARCHERS, & STRUGGLERS 10. 26 CIRCLING THE CHURCH WAGONS 10. 26 STRATEGY MATTERS |
guest blog post: david putmanSEEKERS, SEARCHERS, & STRUGGLERS
01.05 // david putman // mountain lake church // churchplanters.comOne of the bright spots of the church is that it can give those who are disconnected from Christ a safe place to explore, experiment, and experience the Gospel for themselves. For those trying to find their way to God, a shift in their worldview is a painstaking process that takes time. This complex journey can best happen in the context of a safe place and safe people. When followers of Jesus understand their mission to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and leave what Jesus left behind (those who live and love like him) the church becomes a powerful force in this process, regardless of what form it takes: organized or organic. At the heart of God’s missional movement, there are displaced people with seeking hearts. God created us as seekers. People in general are seeking meaning, purpose, and acceptance. Churches that address these basic issues dot the landscape of North America and are experiencing greater impact.
MEANING
Many of these churches are responding to humanity’s search for meaning with dogma without being dogmatic. The core question people are seeking answers to is “Why?” Historically, churches are eager to focus on “what”. “This is what you should be doing.” ”Don’t ask questions, just do what we tell you to do.” Those who ask questions are viewed with suspicion and seen as non-conformist. However, at the core of our search is our need to satisfy the “why”. We see it in our children. As little toddlers we demand that they respond appropriately and they do. Their first question is always “But why?”
Creating a culture of fellow strugglers, searchers, and seekers is the first step toward creating a safe place for others to explore, experiment, and experience the gospel. It’s a great day when you come to the point of not needing to have all of the answers!
PURPOSE
We must also understand the importance of responding to humanity’s need for purpose. Often we hear from those who have followed for a while, that they need more “meat” or desire to go “deeper”. Perhaps what they are articulating is a kind of boredom that comes with life when you lose your way or lose your intimacy with Jesus! We’ve seen over and over again in our ministries that those of us who are inside the church are just as prone to lose our way as those on the outside. For years researchers have taunted the church with findings like, “the church is boring”. We would assure you that churches who are REALLY focused on God’s redemptive purposes for the world are anything but boring! Why else would 30 million people respond to a book like The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren? Churches of all forms must accept God’s call to challenge those who attend, seek, and believe to follow Jesus into THEIR world. There is nothing boring about following Him!
ACCEPTANCE
Then there are those who are searching and seeking are looking for acceptance. They desire to belong. However, at the same time the family unit has been fractured by an economic system that drives us from our core families in search of the American Dream, and it doesn’t stop there. We are isolated by our brokenness. Sin has fractured our ability and desire to connect, to love and be loved. We are relationally wounded and unsure of how to respond so we take “fight or flight”. SO many others settle for the shallowness and pretension of social networking over the internet as their primary way they relate to other human beings! At the same time, we ALL long for a safe place to dabble once again in relationships. A place driven by an ideal like “peace on earth” or a mantra like “love one another.” A place where I can be myself and still be fully loved and accepted; a place where grace and hope resides, and I’m received as I am and someone sees a brighter future in me.
BROKEN
Finally, there are those who are seeking, searching, struggling who are simply broken. We live in a broken world that need fixing! Sin has left its ugly mark. When the pain of brokenness becomes great enough we go seeking, searching, and struggling often finding the church. When churches are shaped (heart) for broken people and equipped to show them the way to healing, redemption can be fewer then twelve steps away.
Contextualizing the Gospels means responding to these basic needs as the living, breathing body of Christ. When “followers of Jesus” come together to live, love, and leave like Jesus it is a powerful “show of force”. When this happens the enemy is intimidated and those who are seeking, searching, and struggling find a safe place and people explore, experiment, and experience the Good News! With all of that being said, I think you’re beginning to get the picture: We believe every church ought to be a “seeker, searcher, and struggler sensitive” church! If yours is not, lead your people there! Disciple them in the ways of Jesus! The church MUST follow the ways of Jesus! That’s how we worship Him! So are you willing to lead the way?
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02.16 PUTTING THE OFFENSE BACK IN YOUR LEADERSHIP 02.16 RELIGIOUS DETOX 01.05 WHAT'S YOUR STEWARDSHIP PLAN? 01.05 SEEKERS, SEARCHERS, & STRUGGLERS 10. 26 CIRCLING THE CHURCH WAGONS 10. 26 STRATEGY MATTERS 09. 21 KEYS TO THE GAME 09. 23 THE DREAM TEST 09. 23 WHEN THE ECONOMY STINKS
02.26 ChurchPlanters.com Conference was fantastic. Dean Herman, pastor of 5 Point Church shares about our breakout session on Generosity. http://tinyurl.com/y8u5pcs
01.06 2010 STEWARDSHIP CHALLENGE CONFERENCES. ISS announces Stewardship Challenge Conference Dates with John C. Maxwell
01.02 THRIVE CONFERENCE. ISS will be at THE THRIVE Conference, Sacramento, CA, Apr 28-30 as a featured speaker and exhibitor... drop by and say "Hi!"
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