Additional Considerations
1. What were the priorities of some ministry you remember in your past?
2. How did you decide that those were their priorities?
3. What are some different ways that organizations do determine priorities?
Never will I forget a meeting with a well-known author when he looked me in the eye and said, "Every truly great organization has kept a simple transferable purpose for its members to readily grasp and understand." The truth of that statement has proven itself over and over in the history of great ministries.
We have adopted the purpose as expressed in the statement, "Knowing Christ . . . And Becoming Like Him . . . Together!"
This purpose capsulizes our central understanding of the Christian life. We believe that the Christian life has not been designed as a life of primarily learning Bible facts, deep Bible doctrine, or even "How to live the Christian life." Rather the Christian life at its core is a relationship. Intimacy with Jesus Christ is the goal as we hear Him speak to us in the Word, converse with Him in prayer, and by remembering His presence in the various events in our lives.
Let me break in here and share personally the difference the above has made in me.
How I wish I could take you on a tour of my library! It tells a very visual story of my Christian search for that which satisfies completely. My books tell of a journey looking for just what the Christian life is all about. Each of the sections in my library was brought together as I tried to find meaning and fulfillment in different time periods of my walk with God.
KNOWING BIBLE FACTS
In this section of my library you'd see my Bible encyclopedia, atlas, and dictionaries along with my survey books of both the Old and New Testaments.
I loved studying each book and learning all I could about as many people as possible. I loved being called a "walking Bible encyclopedia!" Yet, something was missing, and I wasn't sure what.
KNOWING BIBLE DOCTRINE
I decided that I must not be studying the Bible deeply enough. In this section of my library are my sets of systematic theology, Greek and Hebrew word studies, and my books on the Holy Spirit, Angels, Demons, and Prophecy.
This satisfied for a while. Then I noticed that areas of my life were still unaffected. My marriage, my anger, my depression, and my job remained untouched.
KNOWING HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
I became excited to find the Bible speaking to my life here and now! I bought books on marriage, children, emotions, counseling, and walking in the Spirit. I grew. . . I changed . . . I became more excited. Principles were being found in God's Word to speak to me right where I was! I was satisfied. . . for awhile . . . and then found myself feeling empty again.
KNOWING CHRIST
There was a definite parallel between my life and the Apostle Paul's as I read in Philippians 3:5-10. He too had known Bible facts, Bible doctrine and how to live the law like a Pharisee. However, he said that all those areas were like Crash compared with the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus His Lord.
But I knew Christ!
Didn't I?
I knew where He was born, to whom He was born, why He had to die, and even a little about how He could be both God and man at the same time. I had trusted Christ for my forgiveness when I was only a child!
Then it hit!
I knew about Christ . . . but I hadn't begun to know Christ! Certainly I didn't know Him like I knew my mom, dad, or brother! Not like I knew my wife and children!
No wonder my Christian life felt dead . . . there was no LIFE! Mine was a textbook existence using the Bible as a wise and inspired collection of facts, doctrine, and principles to be learned.
Christ is a Person to be known!
My whole definition of the Christian life began to undergo drastic changes. No longer was the Christian life merely the studying of the Bible for its facts, doctrines, and principles. No longer was the Christian life a certain lifestyle to be adopted and lived.
It became a relationship to be developed!
But I was lost! How do you go beyond knowing about a Person to knowing a Person?
I knew that I would need to spend time with that Person in a wide variety of situations. My imagination helped me as I began to take Him with me to basketball games and concerts. I visualized Him helping me in the yard and the garden. He came along with me as I played with my children, drove my car and worked in the office. Oh, yes. He continued to go with me to church, too.
A strangely wonderful thing began to happen! When I remembered that He was with me, I talked to Him much more. I guess that's prayer . . . but not like I had ever known prayer! I began talking to Him about everything I would see and experience. Sometimes it would be just complimenting Him on a piece of His creation. Other times I would be visiting with Him about a concern on my mind. But it was so natural and fun!
Then I had a desire! I wanted Him so badly to talk back to me! What was He thinking? What was He feeling? Did He like it when I complimented Him? What solutions could He give me to some of the situations that faced me?
Wait a minute!
God's Word! I get it . . . GOD'S WORD! They are His words. They are the words He would say to me if He would audibly talk with me! Instead He wrote them down!
God's Word became personal words to me -- one half of a delightful conversation between two friends.
I found myself coming to know Him! It became a daily adventure to learn to know Him more intimately. I wanted to share more of my life together with Him!
I found myself changing! Not by keeping a list of rules . . . but just by being around Him, He began to rub off on met How natural and delightful!
The other books in my library? The ones about facts, doctrines, and principles? I read them often. I find that they now are wonderful doorways into getting to know my God better and better.
I realize that taking you on that trip into my library did take some time. However, I wanted you to see how important those two words "knowing Christ" are in relation to our purpose.
Every event and activity happening at this church needs to be reflective of that central purpose of knowing Christ more intimately and becoming more like Him as a consequence of that knowledge. Each attribute of God's becomes ours only as we experience it coming from Him.
Maximum growth occurs in a "together" environmental community of love and acceptance in which we are able to get to know Christ better through the emotional involvement in the lives of other growing believers. Without that environment it's too easy for it all to remain only head knowledge -- never touching my life. Without that environment it becomes increasingly difficult to believe many of the attributes of God unless I experience it through the life of another believer.
Additional Considerations
1. Did you relate to any of the stages mentioned by the author in his Christian life? Which ones?
2. Can spiritual growth occur without involvement with other believers? What does involvement with others in the Body of Christ contribute?
3. What keeps our relationship with Christ from becoming just something we know in our head but never really feel? What has helped you?
Looking at the priorities of the early church in Acts 2:41-47 helps each person examine his own priorities. Within those verses, we find that the early church maintained a balanced approach to its development not unlike the balance we need for the physical development of our own bodies.
There was INSTRUCTION. This corresponds so closely to the intake of food as it says in Acts 2:42 "And they were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching." Although instruction may come in many forms, it's clear that it needs to come regularly.
Then there was FELLOWSHIP. Most closely this relates to the need for rest in the physical body. Acts 2:42 goes on to say that besides the Apostles teaching they were also devoting themselves "to fellowship." Here is where we have opportunity to meet with other believers, sharing that which is happening in our Lives, and finding it met with acceptance, love, and caring. It is a healing relationship. It is a relationship that alleviates loneliness -- removing that feeling that says "we are the only one wanting to really live the Christian life." There is strength in numbers. There is strength in the body of Christ.
Finally we see SERVICE. Service to each other and the world is expressed in Acts 2:45,47. Here we find the utilization of each individual's spiritual gifts and the excitement of seeing those gifts meeting needs in others lives.
Most ministries exist with an emphasis on one or the other of these three aspects of the Christian life. However, the ministry or believer that is only taking in instruction soon finds himself fat intellectually and often cold emotionally. With only fellowship, shallowness or instability begins to develop. With only service or exercise, very soon spiritual dryness sets in as the spiritual system is not being replenished by either relaxation or food. We desire to provide for every believer at this ministry a balance of instruction, fellowship and service. We are seeking to design each program so that every child, young person, and adult can find this balance in their own spiritual development.
Additional Considerations
1. Have you experienced a ministry that only emphasized one of the three aspects discussed? What effects did you see in that ministry?
2. Which of the three aspects is out of balance in your life now? What effects do you see?
3. How do various personalities or temperaments affect which of the three aspects one wou1d most likely gravitate towards? Which aspect would probably be pre-dominate in an outgoing person? A quiet person? A studious person?
Dr. Ray Ortlund's book entitled Lord Make My Life A Miracle has had an important influence on the development of this ministry. Within the book, we affirm with him the priorities of every believer.
First, the believer must grow in his/her love for Christ. The development of that personal relationship must remain foundational.
The second priority in a believer's life needs to be that of relating to the body of Christ (in which his own family comes first).
Then growing in one's love for the world that Christ loves comes out of the first two priorities. Clearly those priorities are enumerated in God's Word (John 15:1-27). We believe that they need to be maintained as the foundation in every believer's life as he seeks to organize his life around a system of priorities.
Additional Considerations
1. Take John 15:1-27 and see if you can divide the verses according to the priorities mentioned above.
2. Why mustn't these three priorities be re-arranged in a different order? Try them in different orders and analyze the problems.
Every ministry has several layers of participants.
At the core are those people who show up for every service whenever the doors are opened. Their loyalty is never under question. They desire to be involved in everything that they possibly can. The next circle are those regular attenders who come to the services, but never find themselves involved beyond the service attendance. Then there are the irregular attenders who come only occasionally (most often on Christmas and Easter). Finally there are the unchurched who only look in on what's happening.
The goal of every ministry remains that of bringing the unchurched, irregular attenders, and regular attenders into the core of the ministry. However, how a ministry accomplishes this goal varies greatly from ministry to ministry.
Many find themselves going-right after those who are on the outside circle -seeking to bring them into the core. Too often, if one desires to have attention in that ministry, he must become a visitor. Those who have been there for a long time find themselves ignored. Those who really want togrow find that they don't have the attention they need to continue their growth. Messages, classes, and programs are aimed at those who have not been involved in the ministry nearly as long.
We desire to work with a core of people (Christ's own pattern with his disciples) to reach the others with Christ's message. We see this pattern in Christ's life particularly clear in the book of Mark as we trace the development of His ministry in two re-occurring patterns of ministering to the multitude and then withdrawing with His disciples. . . ministering to the multitude and then withdrawing with His disciples . . . and on and on.
Based on the above, we believe that the core of ministry (those who are really dedicated to the process of growing) deserve primary attention in order to insure their continued growth. As they become increasingly attractive, mature, and skilled, they are able to turn and reach the outer circles. Therefore, much of our programming has been designed for the maturing dedicated believer. We have discovered that these people will then be most useful in reaching those who have not come as far in their own spiritual pilgrimage.
Additional Considerations
1. Taking just the opening verses of Mark (Mark 1:14-45) seek to divide those verses into the pattern mentioned above. Where does ministry to multitudes begin and end and where does withdrawal with the few start?
2. Every ministry that is growing faces the tension between the newer believer and the more mature believer. The ministry wants to keep both stimulated and growing. What can be done to help both at the same time?
3. Oftentimes it seems cold and almost uncaring to prioritize people as suggested above. How would you answer that criticism of the above principle?
Simply stated, we believe that people come before program. Traditions, pet programs, and other extra-Biblical practices must be discarded if people's needs are not being met. The needs of the individual must be also the needs of the organization.
Consequently, we desire to be quick to discard programs when they cease meeting needs. We desire to be quick to institute programs that better meet needs. For it is the needs of the individuals at this ministry that need to shape the programming of this ministry. We find that pattern modelled by Christ as He shaped His own programming of the ages to meet the needs of the world.
Remaining in line with the above, we also see that when people's needs are being met that quality will produce quantity. An organization who continues to strive for greater quality in the meeting of the individual's needs will find themselves growing in quantity. However, the question before the leadership and each person involved in programming needs to be "How can we better meet the needs of the individuals in our programming?" rather than the question of developing larger quantities in the program. Satisfied believers will be attractive believers.