Dan Smith & Mary K. Hucyke: CourageousSpace Newsletter
Why Church?
We believe when churches are at their best, they respond to their environment
and shifts in their environment creatively and missionally. This requires three
things of congregations: commitment, awareness, and adaptability. They must
be more committed to their disciple-making mission than any given form of living
it out. They must be aware of their internal and external environments and of
the changes taking place in both realms. They must be flexible and adaptive,
making the changes needed within themselves to live out their mission in their
changing environment.
When these three basics (commitment, awareness, adaptability) are not at the
heart of a congregation, they face the long and arduous journey of changing
not only their mindset, but their "heartset". This development of
a missional culture, rather than first of all growth, is the primary focus and
aim of Congregational Development.
Congregations and their pastors are getting better at giving the "right"
answer when asked the purpose of church - some form of "making disciples
of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world". Dig much below the
surface and there is often a lack of clarity about what making disciples and
transforming the world mean and why it is important. Even when understood, a
deep ambivalence about engaging in that work often emerges.
The hardest leadership challenge any pastor can face is helping a congregation
move from apathy and ambivalence into passionate commitment for the mission.
In more than a few instances, the first step is for the pastor to nurture that
shift in him or herself. You cannot lead people to a place you will not go yourself.
Across the next few months, we'll be using our newsletter article for unpacking
some of the issues commitment, awareness, and adaptability raise for congregations
and their leadership. We'll look at change, the different kinds we're faced
with and the adaptive change we're called to engage in as we hold onto our mission
and change our forms of living it out. And we'll look too, at what people need
from leadership to engage with and move through adaptive change.
We'll also be addressing the role of relationship in providing successful leadership
in times of congregational stress. Pastors full of missional zeal, but without
adequate relational skills can't lead anybody anywhere.
We begin though with the question that ultimately must be answered by every
congregation. Why Church?
What follows is how we answer that question coming out of our culture and experience.
It's how we describe it today - which is not how we answered it last year or
how we will likely answer it next year. The metaphor we use came from a really
terrific 10 minute film a colleague introduced us to titled "Rhythm"
produced by Nooma (available at nooma.com) and narrated by Rob Bell of Mars
Hill church in Michigan. It uses the metaphor of tuning instruments and playing
music to describe discipleship. We share our take, so that it will spur you
to name for yourself in your own words your deepest beliefs about what it is
the church is called to do.
We believe God works in and through creation for its healing, developmental
growth, and wholeness. Many organized groups assist God in this work. Rotary
and Kiwanis, para-church organizations and thousands more help move the world
in the direction God intends. The Christian Church does it in a particular way
that sets it apart. Its job is to assist in God's transformative work in the
world through the formation of disciples of Christ.
Disciples of Christ hold their relationship with Jesus Christ as primary and
shaping for their lives. They seek to look at the world through Christ’s
eyes and interact with the world as Christ would. Using the metaphor of a musical
instrument, disciples learn to "tune" themselves to God.
Beginning guitar players find those early days frustrating. They haven't mastered
the necessary techniques and often, their instrument isn't in tune. Part of
learning how to play the guitar is learning how to tune it and keep it in tune.
Guitars (like people) tend to go out of tune easily.
Experienced musicians know the importance of tuning up before playing and then
tuning between songs. The very act of playing (living) can cause it to go out
of tune. To tune a guitar, or a life, you need a "reference pitch"
- a trustworthy note from another source. Without a reference pitch, you can
tune your guitar and it will sound fine on its own. When you try and play with
another instrument, however, you will probably sound out-of-tune.
In order to interact with other instruments, being in tune with yourself isn't
enough. You need a trustworthy reference pitch. Jesus is that reference pitch.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are people who tune their lives to the life of Jesus
and thus to the heart of God.
Using that metaphor, churches exist to:
1. help "beginners" learn how to tune themselves to God
2. help long-time "musicians" keep their instrument in tune
3. provide a venue for beginners and experienced to "play" the music
of healing and wholeness together and thus have a more reaching impact in the
world
To do that , Churches must:
~ Understand that’s what they’re here to do
~ Decide they’re going to do that
~ Find whatever way they can do it in their particular setting
~ And do it.
So now that you've heard how we describe the work of the church, how do you
answer the question, "Why church?" for yourself? Once you've done
that, reflect on how important you really believe that work is. Go looking for
where ambivalence lives in you.
Want to really live on the edge? Call a colleague or two this week and arrange
to sit down over coffee or lunch to share with each other how you each articulate
this disciple making work we're called to. Share too, what each of you find
to be important about the work AND the personal challenge for you Practice with
your colleagues and you'll find it easier to have these same conversations with
your parishoners.
Speaking of whom, here are some ways to start the conversations with them:
1) Begin each committee meeting for the next several months by having people
share around the questions, "Why is there church?"
2) Create a "Why church" bulletin board in a visible location. Solicit
and post responses from a variety of your laity.
3) Create a forum, blog or section of your web-site that encourages people to
engage in the discussion "Why church?"
4) Preach a sermon on the topic and during it stop and have people turn to each
other in 2's and 3's to discuss for 6 minutes "Why church?" then invite
people to share some of their responses.
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