All Saints Word: Need Oriented Outreach

Need-orientated outreach.
7#8 of 8 Qualities of Healthy Growing Church

What is this Quality? Outreach which has a priority of discovering the practical needs in the communities served by our church, and meeting those needs as an integral part of our overall outreach.

How is it shown in Jesus?

Matt 25:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus says that the defining judgement between sheep and goats will be based on how we responded to people in need.

Jesus meets people's needs – he doesn't use them as a tactic to get his teaching across. A friend of mine was on the Walk of 1000 Men – a mission initiative the got 1000 men to walk the Pennine Way and evangelise people they met along the way, in the pub, wherever. He went into a rather rowdy bar with some tough characters and, being rather shy, he sat in the corner with a lonely looking bloke and tried to get a conversation going. News of their presence had obviously got around for he was hailed scornfully by one of the drinkers “Oh, there you go – they always go after the weak ones! Why didn't you come and talk to us?” Good question! Jesus stepped up to heal the man with the withered arm in the synagogue on a Sabbath and got into trouble – because the man needed it. Jesus accepted the lepers' challenge to heal them – and risked being made unclean – because they needed it. Jesus gave his life up for us on the cross – because we needed it. He ate with sinners. He drank with publicans. He visited tax collectors – because they needed it. Jesus even got into rows and arguments with the righteous people – because they needed it. The hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill and the criminal are all recommended to us by Jesus. His outreach was to those in need. Mark 2:17
“...Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ “

How is it shown in the NT Church?

Acts 2:47 “.... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” we read – and one of the signs of health in this growing church was that of Acts 2:45 “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need”. Of course the NT church had an expectation of the imminent return of Jesus. They sat very lightly to earthly things. I wonder how hampered we are by our material and financial well-being as we try to live out a Christlike life? The rich young man was sad when he was challenged on this. Matt 19:24.

The history of the church is very mixed. There have been times of great spiritual weakness and corruption – but also times of great service to humanity. Education, medicine, freedom, care of orphans and outcasts have often been hallmarks of the work of committed Christians. Many of out most worthy charitable organisations are, or began, as Christian responses to those in need. And when the established churches seemed to turn their backs on new challenges there were Christians who stepped into the breach for slaves, lepers, immigrants, children, prisoners, the poor and the needy.

How is it shown in our Church and in me? Are we still fired up by the need around us? Am I? Over the last 10 years we have shown this heart in our adoption of World Vision projects, raising tens of thousands of pounds for the needy overseas. We have embraced the food bank and take a good quantity each week to the needs in our city. We have opened “Friendship” and a “Bereavement” groups as well as Toddler groups. These are local needs which we have identified. But what about those needs that are hidden from us? What are the needs in your street? Are we sure that we know the real needs of those whom we are called to live and work and share the gospel with? Are we too often under financial pressure, time pressure, pressure pressure – which preoccupies us and numbs us to what is there all around us?

Jesus says: Matt 25:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” How owuld your world change if you really saw Jesus in the needs around you?

Three rusty nails - Roger McGough

Mother, there's a strange man
Waiting at the door
With a familiar sort of face
You feel you've seen before.

Says his name is Jesus
Can we spare a couple of bob
Says he's been made redundant
And now can't find a job.

Yes I think he is a foreigner
Egyptian or a Jew
Oh aye, and that reminds me
He'd like some water too.

Well shall I give him what he wants
Or send him on his way?
O.K. I'll give him 5p
Say that's all we've got today.

And I'll forget about the water
I suppose it's a bit unfair
But honest, he's filthy dirty
All beard and straggly hair.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mother, he asked about the water
I said the tank had burst
Anyway I gave him the coppers
That seemed to quench his thirst.

He said it was little things like that
That kept him on the rails
Then he gave me his autographed picture
And these three rusty nails.

---

Roger McGough (born 1937) England
from: http://brucespoems.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/three-rusty-nails-roger-mcgough.html

All Saints Word: Holistic Small Groups

1. 

   Holistic Small Groups. Commitment to small communities (6-12 people) within the larger community, which act like 'mini-church', where closer relationships can be formed, and where worship, prayer, pastoral support, ongoing discipleship, Bible application and outreach take place in a smaller setting.

What is this Quality?

That old model of church as petrol station where you go to get filled up with the Spirit to last you through the week is seriously flawed. The Spirit of God is “living water” as Jesus says – a spring within you. John 7:38. The common life of the Spirit is not something that happens in the Temple or Church Service – its what happens when you met together afterwards, at home, in the week. “Where two or three gather together” says Jesus

Holistic = whole. The real deal. The whole nine yards. The full monty. Hook, line and sinker. A small group who look after one another is good. A small group who study the bible together is good. A small group who support a missionary project is good. A small group who meet to pray is good. But they are not holistic. Holistic means that everything a church does on Sundays – the small group does when it meets in the week. And sometimes even more.

How is it shown in Jesus?

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” says Jesus. We tend to use this as a comforting excuse when not many people have turned up. But what if Jesus actually means that the small number is ideal for really meeting with Jesus? Jesus chose 12 from the hundreds of followers. Jesus chose 3 from the 12 for particularly focussed experiences. Most of Jesus' teaching – leaving aside the feeding of the 5000 and possibly the beatitudes – seems to have occurred in small groups of believers, enquirers or even opponents. It is there, where real face to face encounters can happen, that His truth is proclaimed. Sometimes is safer to hide in a big crowd. Cathedral, Festival, Conference or even Songs of Praise on the TV. There we can ride on the back of other people's enthusiasm, skill or relationship with Jesus. But Jesus turns to us as he did to Simon Peter at Caesarea Philip and asks “And what about you?” Matthew 16:15.

How is it shown in the NT Church?

In Acts we have the earliest description of Church life. Where are the signs of health here?

Look what they value most. Teaching – Fellowship – Breaking of Bread – Prayer – Signs & Wonders – Common life – Care for needy – Temple worship – Home groups – praise - good reputation. And that leads to growth. Look at the description. Can you spot the “8 quality areas” in them?

Here is a church who take their worship and fellowship outside the walls of the temple. They're all on facebook! They are all in Cell! The early church is structured around meeting in one another's homes. As persecution rose – so they were disseminated among the whole region.

How is it shown in our Church and in me?

We have adopted the structure of Cell church. This is where our primary pastoral care, discipleship training, outreach, community action are focussed. Of course, not everyone wants to be as involved as this. It is not compulsory. You may choose to opt out of these things. But you will be missing out on all that a small group can offer. Why small groups? More personal. More significant. More rooted in your life. More accessible to your friends. Our Cells have a set of values summed up in the acronym: CREED = Complete collaboration, real relationships, everyday encounter with Jesus, effective evangelism, and developing discipleship. These are values best pursued together.

Western religion has tended to deteriorate into the sphere of private, individual, personal opinion. It has been usurped by the rich and powerful and used as an “opiate” as Marx put it to defend the status quo. George Herbert's “rich man in his castle, poor man at his gate” has been used as the philosophy behind all sorts of chauvinism from race & class to one family being churchwarden for generations. This not the faith of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:44-47: “44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Ask yourself: Does that sound like me?

 

Don't be apart - be a part!

All Saints Word - Joshua 5 Cell Outline

Joshua 5:13-6:20, Matt 11:20-end

14-10-12

Welcome: There are two responses to conflict. “Fight” or “Flight”. Which is your usual response? Do you shout and scream, or do you run away and sulk? Or do you avoid it like the plague?

Worship: Sing “Fight the Good Fight” &/or Compile a list of things to pray “for” and a list of things to pray “against” .

Word: Read Joshua 5:13-6:20,

If you are going into a fight....

1. Make sure that you are on God's side.
   We are quite keen to defend ourselves. When is the last time you stuck up for yourself?We are attracted by the glamour of intervening on behalf of someone else. Remember the film “Beethoven”? The bullies confront the weedy boy who tries to stand up to them and is amazed that the turn pale and run away – not realising that his huge dog has crept up and is baring its fangs behind his shoulder. When did you last intervene on someone else's behalf. Read Proverbs 26:17. What does that say to you?Too often we fail to ask if this is God's fight or ours. We may be in the wrong fight. We may be misunderstanding his aims. Joshua asks naively “Whose side are you on” . Why is that a wrong question? Do you ever ask it?
   
   
2. Make Worship your first action
   Look back in Joshua 4. What is the first thing Joshua got the tribes to do in this promised land? Worship is when we put God in His rightful place in the hierarchy of our plans. Before we do or say anything we proclaim, to ourselves first”Praise the Lord, O my soul” says the psalmist, that He is God and Lord of All.
   What is the thing Joshua is instructed to do in Joshua 5? Taking off your shoes is a sign of acknowledgement of the presence of God who makes all things Holy. It's called “theophany” when God shows up. How do we/you respond when God shows up in your life? (This will be different for everyone, share your experiences).
   
   
3. Make obedience your golden rule
   Worship and obedience are married. Brides “obey” - grooms “worship” - at least they did in the old service, today its optional.. At the side of many church alters there is often the Ten Commandments. Why?
   Look at Joshua and make a list of the odd things that Joshua does in obedience.When Joshua is given a list of “silly things to do” by the Lord – he does them. Not because he understands the purpose or the method. But because he was told and he is putting his trust into action. What place does common sense have in God's service? What's the daftest thing you have done for God? What happened?
   
   

Work:
If you are not going into a fight....

1. Why not? Can you not see that evil still wages war on God's creation?
2. Why not? Do you find yourself naturally springing into worship? Who is stopping you?
3. Why not? Jesus says “Follow me!”, “Fight the Good Fight with All your Might” we sing.
   
   Share together the things you will be fighting against at work or home this week. Agree together on something to so that will make a difference. Pray for one another.

All Saints Word - Inspiring Worship

Inspiring worship. 

Worship (whatever the style) which inspires people, enabling them to connect with God in a way which energises and sustains them, and which is such a positive experience that it is a highlight of their week to which they want to bring others along. #5/8 "8 Qualities if Healthy Growing Churches"

What is this quality?
 Psalm 65, Mat 26:14-30

So you come to church. You sing a bit. You pray a bit. You might have trhe notices. Well, as Morecambe and Wise would say: “What do you think of it so far?” - (the old people will get that one). Am I feeling inspired yet?

We live in a consumer society. We educate ourselves – and our children – to be discerning and to make good choices. We know how to evaluate and select what will meet our needs from the plethora of options available. We want to get the best out of everything. We have a theological view of the world that says “all things were created by us and for us”. So, when we consider worship, churches, cell groups, websites, that is often the approach we take. Lets make it better. If this is not doing it for me. Choose something else. There are good and bad things in this.

Good: We won't be satisfied with humdrum, routine or sloppy, insincere worship. We will expect worship to touch our emotions and our spirits. We will want to be drawn closer in worship to an experience of the spirit of the risen Jesus.

Bad: We will tend to see worship as something we consume. More like a football team to support or a theatrical or musical entertainment. Or maybe like a flu relief tablet which needs to deal with our aches and pains, dry up our tears and give us a bit of a lift as well.

How is Worship to be “inspiring”? 2 Tim 3:16 says “All scripture is inspired by God” - or “God-breathed”. Inspiring means being breathed into by God. Does that happen? How could it happen more?

How is it shown in Jesus?: 
Do we see this in Jesus? Would Jesus do St. Matthew Passion? Would Jesus do Soul Survivor or Spring Harvest Big Top? What do we see in Jesus' worship? Look at Matthew 18

• Worship that springs out of God's mission purpose – the last supper as model worship v17
• Worship that embraces human failure – betrayal and denial are included v 21
• Worship that focuses on Jesus' sacrificial actions – Bread & Wine represent His offering for us v27
• Worship that is life offered to the Father –  they and a hymn and wenbt out to the Garden. "Not my will but yours be done" v30

How is it shown in the NT Church?: 
We don't get a service sheet from the NT church. They started in the synagogue – and got ejected. They met at the riverside, in homes as they were arrested in the temple, underground and in locked rooms for fear of the oppressors. They were engaged in mission. They broke bread, shared the gifts of the Spirit in prophecy and tongues and teaching. They were eclectic, ecclesiastic, gathered people of God. Buildings were not involved. The people meeting together to meet with their God. And God showed up.

How is it shown in us?: 
Is that what we are doing? Its not so much about wonderfully professional presentation or content. Compare the old backs to the wall Coventry City FC at crumbling Highfield Rd where fans, manager, team were united in adversity with the lifeless echoing splendid Ricoh where everyone moans. Does our worship spring out of what God is calling us to do together? Does our worship help us to face up to our human failures? Does it rely on what Jesus has done for us? Does it enable us to offer our lives in God's service? Are we the people of God gathered together to meet with Him today?Does God still show up?

What about "me"?
You know how it is when you are invited to a wedding when you are hard up? If you don't know them very well. If you don't know what present you could get that would be acceptable without wasting any of your hard earned cash, you send a polite excuse. They won't miss you anyway. But if you are invited to your best friends wedding you know that they want you to be there. The present is immaterial (and therefore, as a bonus, cheap!). You wouldn't miss it for the world. That's inspiring worship. There has to be something in you that can be drawn out by what we do in church together. Worship can't put it in. But it can let it out.

What lets it out best for you?
What could you do that would help those around you? 

Robin Trew
Rector
Allesley 7-10-2012

All Saints Word - Functional Structures

Functional Structures. "Organisational and leadership structures which enable all of the above to happen rather than obstruct it! Structures which are flexible enough to change when necessary."  #8/8 Qualities of Healthy Growing Churches

What is this Quality?
Read Exodus 18:13-27, Mark 2:18-22 
In Exodus 18 the scenario makes us ask; if every complaint has to go through Moses – who will be listening to God? Who will be leading the people to the promised land? It's a recipe for disaster. Moses father in law says “Get a functional structure” - use empowering leadership – gift oriented ministry – etc. If its not working – fix it.

How is it shown in Jesus?

Jesus: “New wine into new wine skins” Mark 2

Jesus honoured the law: “not one jot or tittle” would be written off.

But Jesus would not comply with the status quo interpretation of the law. His disciples ate grain on the sabbath, why? Because they were hungry. His disciples ate and drank with sinners. Why? Because they needed to call sinners to repentance. He healed on the sabbath. Why? Because the man's arm was withered and the kingdom would not stand aside. The old wineskin of “the law” was not wrong, just inadequate to contain what God was doing “now”.

The “structure” was OK for the old covenant, the old age. Righteousness rewarded. Sinfulness punished. It was clear and simple. You knew where you were. Rich? You must have been good. Suffering – you must have done something wrong. It's the old wineskin.

But the new wine says “forgiveness”, “redemption”, “renewal of mind”, “cleansed”. It goes from lame to walking, from blind to seeing, from deaf to hearing. It allows people to break out of the stranglehold of sin and begin again. It is like new wine – still fermenting, bubbling with life, growing, maturing, reacting, fizzing – the old structures can't cope with it. Bang! Temple sacrifice is redundant when the Lamb of God appears. Who needs Sabbath observance when Jesus says “I will give you rest”. Who needs the temple's holy stones when Jesus makes us “living stones”.

How is it shown in NT Church?

The church was “aided” by persecution – the diaspora spread the infection of the gospel throughout the known world. It went ahead of the structures. “We must elect someone to replace Judas” to cope with these 120 perhaps? - bang!  3000 in a day! We must tell them to behave like Jews – bang! Gentiles are speaking in tongues. Ever spent a day building an elaboate waterworks on the beach only to find that the stream bipasses you and finds a better way to the sea- or the tide sweeps in and laughs?

Paul and the council at Jerusalem. Like sandbags against the tide. The church and the judaisers. Like herding cats. The Roman empire and the army of martyrs – like trying to hold sand. And later – the corrupt Christendom can't hold back the reformers zeal. The dour puritans can't contain the Anglo Catholic revival. The Church of England can't quench Methodism. The stolid evangelicals and dead formal religionists can't squash the charismatic revivals.

But we have tried – and tried – and tried again.

We want it to stay the same! We like “old”. We like power! Thank God we failed!

How is it shown in our Church?

What “old wineskins” do we have that are stifling healthy growth?

Exclusive rules for a Church wedding? Gift of Grace denied on grounds of age, race, sex, intelligence?.

Baptism welcome -  superstitions, new birth obscured.

Things need PCC approval? Licensing/Ordination? Time-serving? Exclusive Teams?

Paper based systems? Technophobia?

Giving our “change”? Generosilty stifled.

What are our non-functioning structures? What are yours?

If its broke - fix it!

All Saints Word - Passionate Spirituality

Passionate spirituality. A spirituality nurtured through personal and corporate prayer which supernaturally naturally exudes the love of God in Christ. People obviously love God and therefore love His people. #3/8 Qualities of Healthy Growing Churches

What is this Quality
 Rom 12:9-21, Mk12:38-44

Look atthe sort of words used in Rom 12: love– hate – affection – zeal – aglow – rejoice – weep; in other words, make sure that your spiritual life soaks down to your emotional level too.

Mark 12: putting in everything that you have = passion.

Egg and bacon: the chicken is involved – the pig is committed. Passion demands commitment. Commitment is costly.

How is it shown in Jesus?: 
Jesus recognises the heart response of the poor woman in the temple. She knows these two halfpennies that she has to rub together will not repair the roof or pay the Priest. But her heart wants to give. Whereas the rich – who supply what is really needed – do not. Their giving does not soak down to their emotional level. Jesus could say of himself “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” and “These are my mother & brothers”. Jesus wept.

How is it shown in NT Church? 
Time and again the disciples met with opposition and persecution. Every time their response was one of prayer, thanksgiving, determination, sacrifice. Paul is always “rejoicing and giving thanks when I hear about you” - even their sorrows and suffering are a joy to him as he welcomes them into that fellowship. The problem with the NT church was often stopping them being “other-worldly” - expecting the imminent return of the Lord to the detriment of their family life.

How is it shown in Our Church? 
Where is our passion? What do we just have to do? Sunday – Cell – Youth – Children – healing – prayer – music – art - cooking – sport – money – time – energy? And do these things have a spiritual element? Are they things in which we encounter the living Lord? Do they naturally and regularly lead us to prayer, to worship, to thanksgiving? Do they naturally and regularly lead us to talking and thinking about Jesus?

It's possible to let the “thing” get in the way of the relationship. House renovation can be so expensive and all consuming that the family by whom it is done breaks up through neglect and strain before the job is completed. We get so engrossed in the Church Building, Church Music, Finances, Management, Projects – that we lose sight of the Lord . “Serve the Lord” says Rom 12. Remember whom it is that you love.

How can we grow?
It doesn't matter how beautiful the building is, how skilled the choir, how professional the music group, how tidy the churchyard, how full the coffers, unless our passion is for the Lord Jesus and our daily experience is of His presence, our spirituality will be impoverished. .

All Saints Word - Gift Oriented Ministry

Gift-orientated ministry. Valuing the ministry of all people and the variety of gifts in the body of Christ. Helping people identify their God-given gifts, skills and abilities and encouraging each person to use them in the overall mission and ministry of the church. #2/8 Qualities of Healthy Growing Churches

What is this Quality?

Maybe you grew up with favouritism? People always think someone else is the favourite! A brother that never cried? A sister that knew her tables without thinking? A colleague who went to the same school as the boss? Churches can have “favourite” ministries too. Things that we just have to have to be a lively church: preaching, children & youth work, healing, music, social outreach, evangelism etc. So we set up a plan and look for people to serve these ministries. But we can miss out those who have different gifts. We can have people working in areas in which they are not gifted. It makes people tired and ineffective. Gift oriented ministry is where the church has people with gifts using their gifts in the ministry in which that gift is most useful.

How is it shown in Jesus?

Jesus said to the disciples, at the ascension, “Wait!”. Wait till the Spirit is given – that great gift which was to empower and enable them to serve in mission. Jesus calls Nathaniel a “true Israelite in whom there is no guile”. He calls Peter “the Rock” - and he was sometimes rocky. He let Martha do the housework and Mary do the listening. He told a parable about people using their “talent” that is so incisive that it has become the word for a gift. He chose fishermen to fish for men. He did not say that anyone could do anything. He chose. He appointed. He sent. 3. 12. 72.

How is it shown in the N.T. Church?

Peter used his gift of impulsive faith in healing the lame man at the temple. Philip uses his gift of getting alongside people as he approached the Ethiopian. Paul uses his gift of confrontation and plain teaching at the early councils on the gentiles. Barnabas uses his gift of encouragement to keep Mark on side. Peter, Paul, Apollos – all used their gifts in harmony.

“ Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” (1 Pet. 4:10)

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us”. (Romans 12:4-6a) they are even listed Romans 12: exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy, prophecy, service, teaching
1 Corinthians 12: administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healing, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, tongues interpretation, wisdom
Ephesians 4: apostle, evangelism, pastor, prophecy, teaching
Also: celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, missionary, voluntary poverty
Before we start on music, art, dance, technology, accountancy, gardening...

How is it shown in our Church and in me?MLT have different gifts. We have hopefully appropriate “bubbles” in which we seek to empower other people to use their gifts. So we realised that leadership in our church often means using words or music – and we have many gifted people which is great. Thank you. But what about the pastoral people? What about the artists? Maybe we have not allowed them to function as freely. So we have the new group. Try it. Do we resist the temptation to say “this is important, it needs doing even if you are not gifted, come and help”. That's not gift oriented ministry. “This is important. We don't have anyone with those gifts. Let's wait” is.

How can we grow?

1. Know what your gifts are. Try it and see. No life sentences.
2. Use the gifts that you have eagerly. Don't wait to be begged. Offer yourself. Risk rejection.
3. Look out for others and help them to develop their gifts.

All Saints Word - Empowering Leadership

1. Empowering leadership. Leadership which seeks to identify, train and empower other leaders, giving them responsibility for people and projects. #1/8 Qualities of Healthy Growing Churches

What is this Quality?

Or maybe “virtue”. It is not a skill or an activity so much as an attitude.

Leadership can be dominating – imposing my will on others so that my objectives are secured. These may benefit those around me too. That might even be my main aim. But it can then be “dis-empowering”. What happens when the tyrant falls who has skilfully removed all those who might challenge his leadership? Chaos. No one is skilled enough to take over. The jealous guardian of a rota for ministry finds that more and more often they have to step in and take responsibility, no one will come forward to help, they end up “doing it all myself” and feeling hard done by. Empowering leadership is that which does itself out of a job. It identifies and trains up others who can do the job better than they can and is delighted to let go of the reins.

How is it shown in Jesus?

Jesus demonstrates the coming of the kingdom by works of power. It is an important message in a dreadfully uncertain environment. One action, one word out of place and the whole judicial system might come down on him out of time. So how careful is he? Not. He sends out, not just the 12 – but 72 others. People you've never heard of. People no one has ever heard of. They had a go. On their own. And it worked! Jesus did not cling to the Father's work and more than he clung to equality with God. Jesus appoints the fragile Peter as leader. Jesus calls the despised Matthew. Jesus passes on his mission to those undependable disciples. He empowers them with His Spirit and with His trust.

How is it shown in the N.T. Church?

The early church is unprepared and untrained. They are doing things that Jesus did not do. “You will do greater things than these” says Jesus. Not only perhaps greater miracles of healing – but the changing of whole societies as they spread the Gospel across the known world and into governments and empires. They are establishing communities of worshippers, appointing leaders, training evangelists, developing a church. The apostles never seize control. There are councils. There are Deacons. There are local leaders who judge them. They don't always like it – but their appeal is not to “right” or “authority” but to God. The pattern of the early church is – spread like wildfire, then set up some boundaries when it becomes clear what the Spirit is doing. When Paul and Barnabas fell out over John Mark, neither of them could assert authority. They couldn't agree so they split – multiplied as we'd call it – and the work increased.

How is it shown in our Church and in me?

The funnel or the trumpet? Kids love to blow a funnel. But a funnel is for containing something precious. Helping us to bottle something we want to keep. It's a form of control. A trumpet is for spraying sounds, fluids exuberantly. It's better for broadcasting. There are places for both but the church has often used all its trumpets as funnels. We can shut down the outpouring of the Spirit if we are too careful. If everything has to go through the ordained, the appointed, the elected then everyone else will learn to sit back, not to push themselves forward, be humble and keep quiet. Then, when the leaders get old, tired, worn down, corrupt, worldly – there is no one to complain. I hope we are not like that. I hope that if anyone wants to do something for God here our leadership is such as says “yes” and then seeks to be available to enable it. We want a church of “Can We” not a Church of “They should”. Each one of us needs to keep an eye on how we react to new people, new helpers. If out first thought is - “What a nuisance I'll have to redo the rota” or “I had to wait ten years before I did that, so should you” or “Oh that's going to upset Ethel terribly” - then we are dis-empowering leaders.

How can we grow?

So we sometimes have new leaders in Cells, MLT, PCC. New projects in creativity and youth work.

Every leader should have as a top priority the raising up of others who could do the job better. We will allow people to step down from one sphere of leadership – its not a life sentence – as they have succeeded in raising up new leaders. There will be people in leadership who were not here, not even Christians, 5 years ago. There will be young people, even children, with appropriate leadership roles.

Where are you leading? Its not just about official positions or management tasks. We lead by example. We lead by our conversations. We lead at home, at work and in the neighbourhood. Keep one eye on who you might encourage into this sort of leadership too.

Don't be afraid of upsetting the status quo. Don't be afraid of risk. Don't be afraid of failure. Turn the funnel around. Let it blow.

All Saints Word - 8 Qualities Talks

September 2012

8 TALKS ON 8  QUALITIES OF HEALTHY GROWING CHURCHES

Research on growing churches throughout the world has shown that all growing churches have all eight of the following qualities. (Book: Natural Church Development, Christian Schwarz, ISBN 1-889638-00-5. Web: www.ncd-international.org)

• Empowering leadership.
• Gift-orientated ministry.
• Passionate spirituality.
• Inspiring worship.
• Holistic small Groups.
• Need-orientated outreach.
• Loving relationships.
• Functional Structures.
  

Whichever quality is least developed is the thing that limits the church's growth. The shortest stave in a barrel is what limits the level of water in the barrel. So, by examining ourselves prayerfully, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can work out our weakest quality and improve it.

At the same time we make sure we are using all the other qualities to help us to develop the weaker area.

Each week we will focus on one of these quality areas and think about what is good in our church and where it might be developed.

If you are part of the church here too, to make sure we all play our part, there is a section to ask yourself where you might seek to grow in this quality yourself. Don't forget to do that bit too.