Transforming Church

There must have been over twenty kids involved in the program, including a number of senior high youth. Their excitement and energy was incredible.

We heard a powerful sermon from Dr. Michael Battle, the President of Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He remarked on the wonderful diversity in the room, and asked why, when we will live together in Heaven, do most Christians still worship apart? He spoke of spiritual warfare, and called us all to never be ashamed of the Gospel. His words were words of conviction rarely heard when theologians speak.

I have never heard a worship service interrupted so often in applause. People were spontaneously responding in a heartfelt and meaningful way to both song and word. What joy was present in their faces.

The worship service proves that what distinguishes healthy churches is not whether the worship is contemporary or traditional, but does it inspire. Indeed, inspiring worship is one of the eight characteristics of a healthy church according to Natural Church Development research.

St. Stephens has taken on a distinctly Caribbean flavor in recent times. The wonderfully lilting accent fills the room, and jerk chicken with black beans and rice grace the church supper. They have a successful Caribbean Street Party to reach out to the community. Pictures from the early years showed a typical white, middle class, suburban church. Now, the suburbs have moved on and the community is much more diverse. No longer do we see a small church stuck in the past, but one focused on the future.

To see a small congregation turn around is a wonderful sight. The difficult work takes years. The ground had been prepared prior to Pastor Buba's arrival. There is no question that his energy and leadership have infused new energy and a sense of momentum here. The ELCA Southeastern Synod Mission Director, Rev. Dr. Gary Christensen, remembers this church as his home congregation. He helped arrange for the mission to move to St. Stephens, and has partnered in the renewal of the church.

What are the keys to making this work? Pastor Buba has some wonderful leadership skills. But, for a vision of renewal to get off the ground, you must have it become a shared vision. As Jim Collins tells us in his profile of great leaders in the book, Good to Great, the leader's first step is to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people into the right seats. Then, the leader raises the question, "Where are we driving the bus?"

In other words, to plant a vision of renewal and discipleship, a pastor must first draw together a core group of leaders who are feeling the call of God in their lives. As Bill Easum says, you start transformation by gathering a group of Spiritual Leaders. Then, you begin the visioning process.

Last spring, Pastor Buba asked me to lead a leadership workshop for his church. In the day and a half, I was quite impressed with the group that gathered. When the Pastor read scripture, the whole group pulled out their Bibles and began reading out loud along with him. Their thirst for spiritual growth was obvious. The energy in the room was contagious. When you find a healthy core of spiritual leaders at the center of the Body of Christ, watch out! Great things are about to happen.