While not that ground breaking, there is a theory in economics known as the "Human Capital". This is the idea that people contribute to the economic growth and not just machines and money. Seems like a no brainer. So we value eduction as a culture because education contributes to building up people's skill sets. And people, unlink things like machines or buildings, are self-generating, transportable and sharable. Meaning, that a person can learn more, does not loose their skills if they move or teach them to anyone.
In the UMC, we have a fascination with brick and mortar which come in the form actual buildings, or in assumptions like the minister is going to give me answers. And ministers have help promote the idea that the work of the church comes in inspiring people to give money, time or resources to causes.
But it turns out we may have forgotten about the greatest asset in the Church beyond the Triune God. People.
If we took seriously the idea of human capital in the Church then we would be working so hard to not inspire people to give money, time or resources, but we would inspire people to take initiative.
The Church ought to be in the "business" of training people to learn to see the world differently. We ought to be equipping people to learn things like "how to build relationships" or "how to create something they dream about" or "how to identify ways to use personal gifts to co-create the Kingdom of God". Too often Church leaders and Church attenders "go to Church" rather than "create Church."
What are we doing to create Church?
The first step might just be to build people rather than buildings.
In the UMC, we have a fascination with brick and mortar which come in the form actual buildings, or in assumptions like the minister is going to give me answers. And ministers have help promote the idea that the work of the church comes in inspiring people to give money, time or resources to causes.
But it turns out we may have forgotten about the greatest asset in the Church beyond the Triune God. People.
If we took seriously the idea of human capital in the Church then we would be working so hard to not inspire people to give money, time or resources, but we would inspire people to take initiative.
The Church ought to be in the "business" of training people to learn to see the world differently. We ought to be equipping people to learn things like "how to build relationships" or "how to create something they dream about" or "how to identify ways to use personal gifts to co-create the Kingdom of God". Too often Church leaders and Church attenders "go to Church" rather than "create Church."
What are we doing to create Church?
The first step might just be to build people rather than buildings.