- Steve Timmis and Tim Chester, Everyday ChurchAt the heart of our vision is not a new way of doing events but the creation of word-centered gospel communities in which people are sharing life with one another and with unbelievers, seeking to bless their neighborhoods, “gospeling” one another and sharing the good news with unbelievers. The context for this gospel-centered community and mission is not events but ordinary, everyday life.
Programs are what we create when Christians are not doing what they are supposed to do in everyday life. Because we are not pastoring one another in everyday life, we create accountability groups. Because we are not sharing the gospel in everyday life, we create guest services. Because we are not joining social groups to witness to Jesus, we create our own church social groups. Please do not misunderstand. We are not against meetings or events or programs. The regular meeting of the church around God’s Word is vital for the health of everything else. This is where God’s people are prepared for works of service. But the works of service take place in the context of everyday life.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
"Programs are what we create when Christians are not doing what they are supposed to do in everyday life."
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5 comments:
Are you saying that if Christians were doing everything they were supposed to be doing, there would be no need for programs? Would that include worship gatherings?
"Please do not misunderstand. We are not against meetings or events or programs. The regular meeting of the church around God’s Word is vital for the health of everything else. This is where God’s people are prepared for works of service. But the works of service take place in the context of everyday life."
The "please do not misunderstand" is pointless after making such a broad sweeping statement. Though good for shock value, this is a gross generalization that is of little use in practice. Of course programs can replace authentic discipleship, but done right they will facilitate it. Programs, or organized community, is absolutely necessary when trying to accomplish something as a group. The larger the church, the more organization is required. Didn't the early church have a feeding "program" for widows and orphans?" Wasn't Stephen asked to be a part of this? I'd imagine that the authors would say that if the early church community had been caring for people the way they should, they wouldn't need this program. They go on to say, "Because we are not sharing the gospel in everyday life, we create guest services." How does "sharing the gospel in everyday life" help a visitor who has never been to your church before get connected to the body? Statements like this do little to built up the church, and much to fire up young would-be pastors/church planters who think they are going to finally get it right and start the FIRST biblically based church. Done properly, programs teach Christians what they are supposed to be doing, and help them transition it into a lifestyle.
Yet feeding widows and orphans was part of everyday life for the church, it wasn't something they came to or went to it was one of the rhythms of their life. Programs don't teach anyone anything. People do.
Brian,
I would revisit Acts 6, again. Observe v. 1, "... a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected..." Our earliest brethren programmed the distribution of food because it was decidedly not a rhythm in their lives.
Disclosure: I am a pastor myself, so not personally disengaged with this discussion. What I have found is that programs are neither the answer nor the enemy, but a shepherding tool that may be useful if carefully (biblically!) applied. To be sure, over-generalizations on either side do not aid our efforts (or unity!).
Saying "programs do not teach anyone anything" would be one such over-generalization. It is true that Christian doctrine and practice is passed from one disciple to one another, but can you really say that that passing-on can never be organized? Is that not confusing spontaneity or the lack of structure with spirituality? Those are not necessarily synonymous.
In the same way, "Programs are what we create when Christians are not doing what they are supposed to" - though I agree with the spirit of the statement - can be a literal over-generalization. It's a bit axiomatic, of course that's when we create programs! And why? Can we not structure our teaching, leading, or shepherding of Christians so that they begin to do what they are supposed to? It would be silly to suggest that a "program" has never been used to build better obedience into a Christian's life, wouldn't it?
On the other hand, programs are not the answer to everything - this is a particular temptation for us in the USA, which invented the pragmatic philosophy and has owned it as a cultural achievement. Again, we are helped in Acts 6 that when Christians are not doing what they should, their shepherds must all the more be devoted "to prayer and to the ministry of the Word" (v. 4).
Undoubtedly, the clutter of activities and programs in our churches often (usually?) choke out faithful prayer, proclamation, and simple practice of the Gospel. It is a very real problem that we as under-shepherds must address in our congregations. But as we do so, let's have more light than heat. A little less "this is always bad" or "this must always be done this way" and more: In what ways are we not believing and doing what we ought - and how have we aided that by the structured programs within our churches? Lord willing, I hope even this comment is of some measure of help. Blessings.
Peace,
Steve
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