Transforming Church

What becomes clearer all the time is that it is through these practices that disciples grow, not through membership in the church. Ever since immigrants began coming to America, the focus of church has primarily been on the prerogatives of church membership, not discipleship. As a result in most congregations being a member does not emphasize these faith practices other than perhaps in the requirement to receive Communion and make a contribution of record at least once a year.

Sadly membership-based congregations assume the game plan, if they have one, is to get more members for the congregation. Their strongest motivation is to find relief for present members in meeting the financial responsibilities and in getting more volunteers for the ministry committees of the congregation. The folly of this mentality is that as congregations begin to grow the needs for even more dollars and people compounds as well.

There is little acknowledgement that in the Great Commission Christ requires us to become kingdom multipliers, not to be content with the trickle of a few new families joining the congregation each year. Ninety percent of our congregations don’t even have enough of a trickle; they are declining. Multiplier speaks to multiplying disciples by hundreds each year and not being content with adding members by tens.

When challenged with this the popular defensive response becomes, “Personally we are more concerned about turning the members we have into disciples than we are getting new members.” We cannot argue that Jesus never asked anyone to be a member. What He has in mind for us, though, is discipleship, and sadly membership has become a barrier to discipleship.

Something that may not be of huge consequence here but I like it, scripture has always put stock in the meaning of numbers. What we have been given are seven faith practices. In Hebrew tradition the number seven along with twelve are considered perfect because they add or multiply the number three for God and four for His creation. In both seven and twelve the numbers three and four come together. There are seven faith practices to be lived daily, not just the two that membership requires be acted upon at least once a year.

Also worth noting, like with the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, we see in these practices parallels with the vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationship with others. The first three practices exercise the vertical dimension of our relationship with Christ, the second three the horizontal dimension experiencing Christ with and through others, and the seventh practice shares both dimensions.

In recent years program churches have begun to realize that intentionally involving members in more programs does virtually nothing to grow them spiritually. A Reveal Study at Willow Creek bore this out, but it still missed the full significance of the faith practices in the life of the disciple.

Those who are content to be a member of a congregation probably don’t have to pay much attention to the faith practices. On the other hand, anyone wishing to respond to Christ as a disciple cannot afford not to pay attention to all of them as ways to grow in relationship with Him. Paying attention requires great focus and intentionality every day of one’s life.

To Pray ...as in praying frequently each day of your life
Prayer is communication with God, not just talking “to” Him. Those who think they are just “throwing” their prayers out there are likely to think they have to tell God what to do and even how to do it. In conversation with anyone it becomes even more important to listen than to talk. Talk with God as a loving Father but listen even closer. In this way prayer becomes key to knowing and growing with God. It builds assurance and confidence in one’s relationship with Christ and His promise to always be with us.

To Study ...as in reading and studying God’s Word diligently and daily
Discipleship is a life-long process. Neither Christian education for all ages nor worship should ever be sufficient or a substitute for studying God’s Word. So much biblical study in membership based congregations is designed to climax in Confirmation, producing adult, confirmed, active and voting members. Once that status is achieved discipleship as a life-long process has been derailed.

To Worship …as in worshipping regularly and faithfully each week
Jesus started the church for the purpose of nurturing everyone’s relationship with Him in this life. That happens in ways when we gather in worship with God (not just worship of God) through the Word shared and Sacraments received that cannot happen in prayer or study alone.

To Witness ...as in inviting others to experience Christ
Though it is the Holy Spirit who works to secure each of us in relationship with Jesus Christ, each Christian is to be an evangelist, share the Good News of Jesus with others, share with others what Christ means to them, and then invite them to come and experience a relationship with Christ themselves.

To Encourage ...as in passing on the faith to all others of any generation
This is mentoring, a practice that inspires others to grow and rise above where they are, to become in Christ what He aspires for them. The world dares us to “be all we can be,” but Christians are encouraged to be all that God has been and calls us to be.

To Serve ...as in becoming a servant for the sake of all others
Jesus as the incomparable model of a servant wants to mold us to be like Him. He shapes our service not measured by favors we receive from others or expectation of favors we will receive. A huge challenge in a self-centered world is to experience support within ourselves to exercise a selfless attitude in whatever service we offer others.

To Give ...as in giving freely in any and all ways to the glory of God
God’s grace was never for His own benefit. It has always been for others. Disciples as recipients understand their own blessing being ultimately for the benefit of others. The motivation to give is shaped by God’s grace, not by what is perceived as minimally required or necessary, leaving us the rest. To live giving that puts God first lets everything else fall into place. Besides encouraging generosity this faith practice helps us model God’s giving with no strings attached.

In 2000, a decade ago, ELCA church-wide as part of their efforts with education and evangelism did some significant work introducing the faith practices. They also developed logos identified with each practice, and a complete set of clipart that can be identified collectively with the practices under the theme “Living Faith.” I would encourage every pastor to preach and publicize these practices in newsletters and bulletin inserts to build consciousness regarding their importance.

Unable to grow disciples ourselves, we still need to train and provide environments for God to grow them through these practices. An ahaa! moment came for us when we started designing entire fall stewardship programs around the faith practices. When our primary concern became raising the spiritual awareness of the congregation rather than their biblical awareness of proportionate giving, it did way more to grow our stewardship response than any other approach.

You will find the ELCA materials on faith practices at this link: http://archive.elca.org/init/teachthefaith/. When you are at that site, be sure to click on the graphic library and copy the art into your own clip art file. At the same time be sure to check out all the related resources and use whatever works for your congregation. It may not strike a chord with members, but there is much help to link disciples with Christ for the growth He offers them.

Related Articles:
“Don’t Be a Member of a Church; be a disciple of Jesus Christ”
“A Program Church Problem”
“Discipleship as a Calling, not a way to Volunteer”