Wow! There's a part of blogging that is fun and exciting because it allows one the opportunity to express what God is doing in one's life. Yet there is also a part of blogging that takes away from the excitement, and it is "finding the time" to blog. And this is where I have found myself over the past months: "How do I fit blogging into the ever increasing time constraints placed on my shoulders due to trying to develop disciples for Christ's Church?" So to answer this question, I am hearing in the back of my mind, "Just get-r-done!"
LHH has completed some chapters in its book - the chapters of getting started, meeting in an elementary school, and meeting in homes. All of which have developed the church to become more like the Savior we are following. And now we find ourselves in the next chapter of our new home, which we are calling "The House," trying to find ways we can reach out to the community where God has moved us.
God has steadily grown us in all chapters written. Yet there always feels like, warranted or not, there is pressure to be bigger and to grow faster. After all, we live in a world that says success is based on how much you have and we are bombarded with it everyday. And in church circles, that means numbers of people, programs offered, monies received, and size of buildings.
But this seems so contradictory to everything we know about God and how nature clearly shows us that not all things seem fair or are fair. In fact Jesus made it very clear that it is not the powerful who enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but those who are humble and meek. Paul made it very clear that the Church is a Body made up of many parts, some parts more significant than others, yet all having great value to the Body.
Yet knowing this, I have still found myself thinking a lot lately on what God desires for His Church. And questions such as: 1. Does a church have to be large to say that they are effectively fulfilling the Great Commission?, 2. What does a church really have to look like in order to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" from God when it is all said and done?, 3. Is there a lifespan to a church that makes it appear to have God's favor?, etc
Yet, the more I think, the more I hear these words, "To be effective as a Church for the cause of Christ, you must only remain faithful."
So how big a church is does not always represent its heart. The church could have little love for Jesus, yet do things that draws people to attend. On the other hand, there are big churches that have great love for Jesus and are seeing great multitudes. So size doesn't represent the heart of a church.
Right in my neck of the woods is a Hispanic Church Plant that meets in a small business space beside the Big Lots store. They might have 30 chairs. Yet, if they are touching souls for the cause of Christ, especially the Hispanic culture that have migrated to our area, then praise God for His little Church.
And the more I think on these questions, the more I realize that God would prefer a thousand little 30 seat churches meeting in store fronts who are sharing the Gospel over just 1 large church of a 1000 in a community who is also sharing the Gospel. I say this because the math speaks for itself: 1000 churches x 30 followers = 30000 followers.
So the conclusion I am getting is that LHH is a church that will and must reproduce many small churches in rural and small town areas. The more churches LHH can produce, the greater impact for Christ that the Church can have on this community and its surrounding areas.
But it takes an acceptance that big is not always better. It takes a church, despite its size, who continues to value discipleship and the mission it is called to in sharing Jesus Christ. And in the end it takes a church of small churches to all have the same vision and understanding of what God wants for them - "To Reach Up, To Reach In, and To Reach Out.
No comments:
Post a Comment