Transforming Church

The pastor's role is to equip laity for ministry not to merely take care of them. Growth and change in other people is the primary task of a pastor in a growing church.

Because most pastors don't stay in one place long enough, they seldom realize that most established church members have not grown spiritually since they were teenagers. This is not what God intended.

Churches lose 2,765,000 people a year. Between 3500 and 4000 churches close their doors every year while only 1100 to 1500 are started.

Spiritual journeys are everywhere in society but mostly absent in our churches.

Most church members are more committed to their space than to changing their world. Maintaining facilities and balancing the budget occupy more time and energy than evangelism, social action, and Christian nurture combined.

Mental maps are the unwritten and often unconscious assumptions, rules, and prejudices that affect how we think and act. They are based on our experiences. A map is always changing based on new discoveries. Explorers are always filling in the map as they go. A map can be improved, but it is always the map of the same area. The older we get the stronger our preconceived notions become about what will or will not work, the more our maps become fixed.

The Gospel cannot be improved or changed. But how we apply it to everyday life does change. Like a map, even though how we apply it may change, it is still the gospel we are concerned about.

Differences in our mental maps explain why two people can observe the same event and describe it differently.

And here's the kicker...lasting change in our attitude or actions cannot happen without changing our mental maps, and most of us aren’t conscious of them.

DNA defines an organism. It is in every cell of an organism. The DNA of a church is to make disciples who make disciples. The mission is defined by the DNA as the Great Commission. These churches live to introduce the world to Jesus Christ. Anything that no longer does this is discontinued for something that will. The goal is to share Jesus and to make disciples who share Jesus.

The Organic map is based on living beings that require regular nurturing. Health is based on a long-term view. The relationship between the organism and the environment is crucial. Organic beings have to adapt ahead of the changing environment in order to survive and then thrive. The whole is far more than the sum of the parts because of the many relationships between the organism and the environment. People in this map think holistically and envision systems and processes that go far beyond the whole.

This mental map is what drives church leaders to develop a strong mission statement, which is understood to be the DNA of the church. The leadership spends months developing a solid system that disciples, equips, and builds relationships both in and outside of the congregation. Once it is developed, years are spent implementing the system for the sake of the mission. Many small group systems come out of an organic map. This mental map includes very few quick fixes.

Ephesians 4:12 has long been a basic reference point for my teaching ministry. This text reminds us that the role of church leaders is "to prepare God's people for works of service." This service is not "running the church" and going to meetings. The role of church leaders is more than just taking care of members.