MAINTENANCE LEADERSHIP TO MISSIONAL LEADERSHIP

Over the next several posts I would like to invite the community to join the call of the Christian to be a creator of culture – specifically the culture of the Kingdom of God. There are at least nine shifts which have been expressed by many Christians that the Church must deeply consider as we find the dominate culture around us changing so quickly, last week I wrote a bit about shifting from church focused to Kingdom focused. This article I would like to share a bit about moving from maintenance to missional leadership.

If a community is church focused then it is important to the church to maintain the church. So for the sake of maintenance of the church, leadership will avoid real risks and failure because it might result in embarrassment and a “black eye” on the church. However, if the community is Kingdom focused then it is important to the church to promote the values of the Kingdom of God. So for the sake of the Kingdom, leadership will embrace risks and learn to fail forward because it will result in an explosion of the Holy Spirit. As we look at AHUMC I think it might be good to ask are we maintenance or missional focused. Do we embrace risks? Are we willing to be embarrassed for the sake of the Kingdom? Are we willing to fail? Can we see the working of the Holy Spirit? If the answers are ‘yes’, then we should share those stories with the community. If the answers are ‘no’ then perhaps we need to shift our leadership focus.

SHIFTING FROM CHURCH TO KINGDOM

Over the next several posts, I would like to invite the community to join the call of the Christian to be a creator of culture – specifically the culture of the Kingdom of God. There are at least nine shifts which have been expressed by many Christians that the Church must deeply consider as we find the dominate culture around us changing so quickly, and the first shift we must consider is from church focused to Kingdom focused.

Many ministries in the Christian world have an evangelical component and this is essential to the Christian call. However, evangelism sometimes is boiled down to “getting more members to join the church”. Which worked very well when the dominate culture was primarily Christian.However, this is no longer the case. The amount of diversity in the dominate culture has removed Christianity from is seat of prominence. We no longer have the luxury to assume everyone knows the Christian story and wants/needs to join a local church. Therefore, churches today can seek new members, but churches must recognize that the Church is not what we are called to create. God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit calls us to make Disciples. I wonder what ministries we would create if we did not worry about getting more members but making disciples? What ministries would we stop? I wonder if we stopped focusing on keeping an institution alive and focused, as in the book of Acts, on helping God create the Kingdom. What would that culture look like?

Who owns the car?

Recently I was encouraged by a dear friend of mine who not only reads this babble I post, but also gives me much hope for the direction of Church and the future leadership. Currently he is discerning if he should obtain his PhD in order to teach preaching for the next generation of church preachers. To him, I say, we need you. (Read his blog here).

In a conversation we had a metaphor was shared and it spoke to my heart in regards to leadership and the 'way the church runs'. One of driving.

When you were learning how to drive, no matter how safe a driver you were, you could not drive the way you wanted to drive. We all had to drive the way our parents wanted us to drive (both their good and bad driving habits) because they owned the car. They put their hard earned money and sweat equity into that car and they wanted to make sure the car remained as they desired it to be.

My friend's metaphor lead me to think, "Yes, I can see this happening in the church in many ways. The people who have put their lives into the creation and upkeep of the church want to make sure the church is safe, looks good, and operates. Which means we (new leadership) have to learn to drive the church the way those older than us want us to drive the church, not the way we feel called to drive."

But the thing is, this mentality may work for a car, but the Church is not a car. In fact we do not own the church. The Church belongs to God.

It is my prayer that I never forget that I do not own the Church. It is my prayer that I remember always, especially when I am one of the older church leaders, there are many ways to drive a car, and I cannot monopolize driving techniques on a car that, for all of us, is a rental.

Will someone be in charge other than me...

I recently was in a meeting which one person after the meeting said, "Will someone be in charge other than me? I have been in charge for several years and I am tired."

Another person instantly said, "YES! I would love to be in charge! I have some ideas on what to do and a change in direction. I will take this off your hands."

To which the original person said, "Well.... what do you mean new direction?"

I walked away and slapped my head.

In the church leadership I always hear, "we need young leadership" or "I have been doing this too long, it is time for a young person to take their turn." And yet, we are offended when the new/young person wants to do things differently than what the long time leader did.

Church, we cannot have it both ways. We cannot desire young/new leadership AND desire these new leaders to keep the status quo.

We cannot expect new wine to not bust old wineskin.