What programs should we start? What programs should we have? We believe that God has a very specific plan for this ministry in the light of those questions. We also believe that we will find His specific plan for us by unwrapping the spiritual gifts of our people. We will then find where God is working.

Too often the church has looked where God wasn't working. Yet, they want Him to work there so they spend time and energy in that direction. In contrast to that approach, we believe that we need to be looking where God is working in people's lives and move with those people with whom lie is moving -- continuing to be close enough to others in whom He might yet still work and bring about hunger for Himself.

We, once again, see this entire pattern in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ as He spent time with the spiritually hungry. He would teach the multitude and then withdraw with those that were ready to go and learn (Mark 4:1-12). It is also the very pattern used by the Apostle Paul in establishing the church in the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10).

Additional Considerations

Taking that passage in Acts 19:1-10, note some principles of Paul's strategy for reaching Ephesus as well as any indication of the success of that strategy.

God has made each person a unique creation gifting them specially. The fact that so much of the church looks alike means that someone has sacrificed their uniquenesses. That is a tragedy!

We believe a wide variety of creative ministries will evolve as people are asked the simple question "What do you want to do?" Out of that one question comes new creative ministries based upon an individual's desires and capabilities.

Ministries at this organization must be shaped to meet the needs of the people and their gifts rather than people fit into stereotyped ministries. As much as possible, each ministry must be shaped around the unique spiritual gift mix of the individuals involved in that ministry.

Additional Considerations

1. Read over I Corinthians 12:15-21, Ephesians 4:11, and I Peter 4:10.11 to remind yourself of the variety of giftedness in the body of Christ.

2. What are some ideas you have about how the above principle can be practically applied within the ministry? What can be done to help this happen more effectively?

As a result of shaping ministries to fit the unique gift mix of an individual, the person begins to feel like the ministry that they are involved in is indeed "their ministry." This ownership of ministry is important for the maximum effectiveness of that ministry. If an individual feels like he is doing this ministry for "the church," that ministry typically will not be accomplished nearly as effectively. The simple reason for this can be seen in the fact that the ultimate responsibility for the ministry fails to reside upon the shoulders of the individual involved in that ministry.

An additional implication of the above concerns the terminating of ministries upon the leaving of individuals. With the above philosophy, it is not unusual for ministries to end as people leave. God continues to keep variety in the ministry's life by taking and sending new people.

In spite of the fact that each ministry belongs to an individual rather than to "ReCreation," no one should minister alone. The staff exists to insure the success of the individuals in their ministries. The staff exists as those to equip and train as well as support the lay person in his individual ministry (Ephesians 4:11,12).

This perspective of the staff as equippers rather than performers enables the lay person to sense that their effectiveness of ministry will be greatly enhanced by working with the staff person rather than "going it alone."

Jesus regularly made the point that those who were to succeed in the Christian life were those who were able to have and maintain a child-like dependency upon Himself (Matthew 18:1-4). Too often, as we grow older, we lose that dependent spirit and begin to think like "adult Christians."

Our desire in ministry continues to be the conducting of those ministries in a child-like dependency waiting for God to supply, instruct, terminate, and begin those ministries in which He desires our involvement.

Additional Considerations

Make a two column list contrasting characteristics of children and adults. Then simply place a star by the qualities of children held as admirable by the Word of God.

We believe that ministries as well as personal lives function most effectively with the use of goals. James 4:13-17 talks about the proper use of goals. Goals at this ministry are statements of our faith. They are prayers. They are those aspects of life and ministry for which we are asking God to supply. Every goal has an understood "if the Lord wills" following it.

However, we believe that it is beat to express our faith in specific terms as we ask God for that which we need to move forward. Both as individuals and as a ministry we need goals to hold in our sights. Each goal we set comes under the umbrella of the broader goals God has already set for His church as described in Ephesians 4:11-16 and Romans 8:29.

Additional Considerations

1. Take some time to study James 4:13-17. Does it say that we are not to have goals? What principles for goals do you see?

2. What goals do you have personally? How do your gifts and talents affect those goals? How do the talents in the ministry affect its goals?

Was Jesus an optimist or a pessimist? That one question forms an excellent foundation for the discussion of possibility thinking. Jesus was not unrealistic in how He spoke. He saw man as he was, life as it was, and death as it was. However, He ended with a positive affirmation of the fact that God would be victorious. Knowing the Person of God convinces us that there is a solution to every problem.

I Samuel 14 presents an exciting story that is the foundation for the way we desire to operate and discover ministries.

As Jonathan and his armorbearer were deciding whether they needed to go up to the Philistine's camp, Jonathan made an exciting statement when he said, "Come and let us cross to the garrisons of those uncircumcised. Perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few."

On the basis of the Person of God, we are committed to the fact that God is unlimited. He can do anything He desires to do with a few people or with many people. He can accomplish an unlimited amount.

Furthermore, we are convinced that we must not say "NO" for Him. We are not wise enough to know clearly that which He might want to do. Therefore, every opportunity within His character remains a possibility for us as a ministry.

We must begin to move in the direction of an option slowly enough for Him to say "NO."

With this approach, many programs will begin and then stop. We move in a direction and find that we are stopped from going that direction. On the other hand, we also find that often He says "YES" and we enjoy an exciting opportunity of seeing God at work that we would have missed had we said "No" for Him.

May this process never discourage us from moving in new directions -- looking for options that God might desire to accomplish. We would desire rather to try and explore great things for God having the door shut, than never to have explored. I

Additional Considerations

Take the account of Jonathan and his armorbearer from I Samuel 14 and see all of the principles that you can find from that account that teach us about exploring new areas of ministry.

Based upon the previous sections, we believe in pragmatism when it comes to the evaluation of ministries. Ministries that are not accomplishing their particular purpose must be replaced with those that will.

Merely the fact that a program has been going for a long period of time does not validate that program. "Is it meeting its purpose in the lives of the participants?" and "Do we have qualified leadership for that program?" are two questions used to evaluate and sustain or terminate programming.

That second question regarding leadership is a method we have of determining God's desire in a program's beginning and termination. We believe that God supplies gifted people to our ministry as He desires various programs begun and developed. Also, He takes away people as He desires certain programs terminated.

We believe that there must be variety in people's lives. God Himself operates in a variety of ways, maintaining our interest as He works with us.

Variety in the believer's instruction, fellowship and service is imperative if he is to remain vibrant as a believer. We desire to produce that variety in styles of teaching, service opportunities and fellowship activities. Therefore, we must remain flexible enough to change when new needs present themselves.

One further application of this principle has to do with the purposes of various meetings. We believe that throughout the week there must be different purposes for each meeting in the ministry's calendar. Meetings should not duplicate functions. No two meetings during a given week should have as their goal the accomplishing of the same purpose. Duplication of functions produce boredom in the lives of people.

At the time of this writing, Sunday evening services have been designed as a time of corporate conversation with God -- listening to His voice from the Bible and responding to Him in worship and praise for what He has done for us and what He is teaching us.

Fellowship occurs most intensely through the home group meetings which has as their primary purpose that of developing "family like feelings" among the members of the body of Christ. In the home group, we are called upon to share each other's burdens, caring for one another in a personal way.

Additional Considerations

Consider how God has maintained variety and flexibility in your own spiritual growth. How has He kept your attention?

Ministry is an essential ingredient in the life of the developing Christian. Therefore, we desire all recruitment at to be based upon an honest caring for the individual. We desire every believer to be experiencing all that God has for him/her -- including being used in ministry. Recruitment for a ministry must never revolve around the needs of that program. Our caring for the individual must remain primary.

Additional Considerations

1. How can you tell whether a person cares more about you than about his program when he approaches you7

2. Based on the above, what guidelines suggest themselves as to when to let a person out of his responsibilities and when to encourage them to stay in a given ministry?

The Leadership Team and the respective staff and management personnel need to be continually evaluating the results of ministry at this ministry. This evaluation is accomplished by looking at the programming in the light of the product that is being produced and the ultimate glorification of God in the programming used in the production of that product.

Both of those criteria are very important. If we aren't seeing people becoming more like Jesus Christ through the programming, that programming must be seriously questioned as to its validity.

On the other hand, the end does not justify the means. Consequently, each program must also be evaluated as to its ethical implication and morality in showing off a clear picture of God (I Corinthians 10:31).

Additional Considerations

What would be the results of the following:

If the programming is evaluated with no consideration being given to the quality of person being produced?

If the quality of person being produced in the only criteria without considering the glorification of God through the programming?

Reaching the unchurched has become a very important facet of the ministry of this ministry. How can that best be accomplished with who we are as a ministry?

Described in the New Testament as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:27), we see God continuing to beautify the church until that day in which the actual marriage supper occurs (Revelation 19:1-10).

That beauty that is being placed in the life of the healthy believer has an attraction when viewed by the world. As God produces a felt need in the life of the unchurched person and he sees a believer with that need being met (whether it be internal peace or a good marriage), the unchurched person wants it!

Unfortunately, most unbelievers do not have a close enough relationship with the unchurched for that beauty to be seen.

Much of the fault for that needs to be laid at the door of the church.

To better understand what that means it is important to realize that there are two primary components that give the ministry guidance and make it what it is.

The first is Biblical norms. Here we find standards that cause the church to be different from the world in lifestyle and conduct. If the church loses these and becomes like the world, the attractiveness disappears (Ezekiel 16:15-22).

On the other hand, the church also contains many cultural taboos.

These extra-Biblical norms have been added to the lifestyle of the church. These cultural trappings make the church even more different than the world. However, unlike the Biblical norms, these taboos do not necessarily add anything to the attractiveness of the believer. They serve most often to only make the believer seem more strange in the eyes of the unchurched person. These extra-Biblical norms serve only to isolate the believer from having meaningful relationships with the unchurched person.

This is not to say that these cultural taboos were not added to the church's lifestyle in good faith and with proper motives. Indeed many were added to help insure the fact that the believer would not cross the line of Biblical norms. Instead of leaving that line being the Biblical standard "And do not get drunk with wine. . . " from Ephesians 5:18, many churches have made a general rule of "no drinking." Some have even taken it to the point of prohibiting ever entering a restaurant that serves liquor. Isolation rather than attractiveness becomes the result of such a practice.

It is not the purpose of this section to decide for each believer what is right for him. However, the church must allow that individual freedom that each believer has when it comes to moving against "church culture" in no violation of a "Biblical norm."

There are so many common denominators upon which to build relationships with the unchurched. Sports, hobbies, and occupational similarities all are areas both the churched and the unchurched have in common. Jesus often used the similar enjoyment of eating as a point of contact and beginning (Matthew 9:10-13).

Yet in too many churches if someone desires to get close to an unchurched person, they're isolated from the rest of the body (not unlike the response of the Pharisees). "They're not concerned about their testimony," is often the pious statement, even though they never once violated a Biblical norm!

The goal of this ministry is that of creating a community with a culture shaped by the Biblical norms ONLY. Removal of a strange "churchy" language and clearly knowing the difference between Biblical norms and cultural taboos are both part of that process.

Too often when we ask someone to come and be a part of the church community we are not only asking them to make the long journey to our church life that has been affected by the Biblical norms but also all the little cultural taboos. We are asking them to learn a new "spiritual language" as well as a new Lord. How unfortunate. For many of the unchurched, the trip is too long. We believe as time goes on, we will find an increasing number of people with no church backgrounds. For them the trip is even a longer one.

However, in a ministry in which only Biblical norms are the shaping influence, an unchurched person visiting will not feel as out of place or awkward. But that is not the greatest benefit! Believers, with the blessing of the church, will be able to be close enough to unchurched people that their attractiveness can be seen! Those believers will not be remaining behind the cultural line but will use their freedom in Christ to reach and be there as God produces felt needs in their neighbors and friends.

Only in that type of ministry environment will there be necessary support not only as a motivation for those relationships but also as a safeguard against the believer being a casualty in being drawn away from Biblical norms by the world's system.

Additional Considerations

1. Seek to isolate all of the cultural taboos Jesus violated in Mark 2. How do you believe those cultural additions came into being7

2. How good are you at differentiating between that which is cultural and that which is Biblical? Below is a list taken from a recommended book by Joe Aldrich entitled Life-Style Evangelism.

Simply place a checkmark in either the Biblical or Cultural column depending upon your evaluation of the statement.

Some Final Thoughts

Several ministry growth experts today are indicating that thirty years is the average period of time that a ministry remains effective. Few can make the transition of the generations and go on with effectiveness reaching more than one generation.

The desire of this book has been that of wanting to keep this ministry on target in an effort to maximize the time that it will remain an effective institution.

The separation of the purpose from the activities will begin to spell doom for the organization. I pray that the distribution of this book will keep the vision of the first generation alive into the second, third, and fourth generation of this ministry by God's grace. David Arch

Additional Considerations

Below is a letter criticizing the philosophy of this church. After reading this book, what faults can you find in the writer's reasoning? How would you answer those faults if you were asked to write back?

Dear Dave,

Having been away from the church now for about two years, I thought that I'd take some time to write back and mention some of my concerns about the directions that now I can see the church taking (it's tough to see it while you're involved in it).

The more I get into God's Word, the more I see a need for obedience to God to be a prevalent theme. God desires obedience in love (John 13:34,35). I'll be the first to admit that having obedience as my central focus does make the Christian life more demanding and less "fun." However, I'm not sure that it was ever meant to be "fun." I try to balance all of this with the thought that God wouldn't 4emand from us what we are not capable of doing,. and so goes the battle.

Since I've been gone from the church, I've also learned a very valuable lesson about prayer. Too often I found myself saying, "I'll just pray and God will answer that without me having to do anything but sit and wait." I have found out that God wants us to do as much as possible, to the best of our ability and then He'll do the rest.

We're attending a church that believes in old time Gospel preaching. God wants a broken spirit in the Christian life. The pastor believes that one man, himself, needs to be totally in charge of the church. When I visited with him about house groups, he indicated that they would only breed dissension in the church. Eventually that would undermine the authority of the Pastor. In some ways, I believe that he's right. Particularly, I agree with him when I consider man's basically sinful and selfish nature.

I'd be interested to know what you think of my ideas. Please write when you get the chance.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Copyright 2000. Dave Arch and Greg Carlson. All rights reserved.