What does God mean by this?

By Bill Malick

bill-malickBarack Obama is elected president. Pelosi and Reid are calling the shots in the legislative branch. Gays are marching in the streets across California. AIG, many banks, and car makers have their hands out for cash as the U.S. walks an economic tightrope. Then there are the people in your churches in default or foreclosure, resulting in shortages in giving. Many local churches beg the question, “What does God mean by this?”

In November at our district superintendent Fall Leadership Conference, a team of us asked the “What does God mean by this?” question. No, we don’t have the perfect answer but here is a quick list of what we do know. Look over the list and give us your feedback.

  1. Radical multiplication will not happen primarily from paid professionals.
  2. We believe that success in our churches must be measured by reducing “lostness” in the communities we serve.
  3. The C&MA cannot do this alone—we must partner with others.
  4. We need to lean hard on the job training for ministry leadership
  5. Identifying and developing leaders becomes our #1 priority.
  6. We must return to the original C&MA core DNA.
  7. We must see adding holistic/soul-winning disciples as THE priority.
  8. Developing organic ministries is a must BUT accountability will be critical to sustainability.

Dwight Smith (Dwight will be our speaker at General Council for our Church Planting and Health Directors Breakfast on May 27th) identifies six threshold behaviors that must be instilled into the genetic code of our churches:

  1. People growing in their relationship with Christ
  2. People telling their grace story on a regular basis
  3. People knowing their spiritual gifts and employing them both inside and outside the church
  4. People living in a way that exhibits the fruit of the Spirit
  5. People obediently living a God-directed standard of Biblical stewardship
  6. People accepting responsibility/accountability for reaching lost people around them.

There is so much more to talk about, but enough for now. I need your feedback! Jon Rich and I are digging deeper into all of this along with Dwight Smith and will be opening up discussion as we gather several times with all of you in 2009.

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