Re: The Once and Future Church - Study

in article [EMAIL PROTECTED], Scott Bryce at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote on 11/20/03 4:53 PM:

> Stainless Steel Streetrat wrote:
>> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Scott Bryce
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>> 
>> 
>>> Ask my pastor about his BEST ACTS model for church growth and his Plan
>>> for Growth. That is about as intentional as you are going to get!
>>> 
>>> --Scott
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Do you have his address <wg>?
> 
> Are you really asking, or just kidding with me?
> 
> At our church you can't even hold a Bible study without a mentor and an
> AIM sheet. AIM stands for Accurate, Intentional, Measurable. Your
> ministry, even if it is running sound, must have a target audience, a
> plan to meet the needs of that audience and a way to determine if you
> are meeting the needs of that audience.
> 
> Intentional is my Pastor's middle name.
> 

A former Pastor at my church got caught up in this sort of thing. He was on
a *plan* to double the size of the church in a certain time frame, had goals
with dates, was using some of the latest books. Everything was documented,
and everything had a purpose.

Except it didn't work.

I tried to remind him that the church was an organism, not an organization,
and that God builds His church, not the pastor and not the plan.

Eventually he left for another church. At that church he found himself in
less control than what he'd had at our church. He had to let go a lot more.
The first year at that church was rather frustrating for him (his hand had
been, uh, *firm* at our church).

The idea that everything must have an identifiable and measurable purpose is
an organizational one. But the church is not an organization -- or at least
is isn't supposed to be. And the wise Pastor realizes that he and the church
together plant and water, but God gives the increase. We do not do the work
of the Holy Spirit, nor do we possess His Perspective.

Raymond