I have been blessed over the past couple years to spend much time in the scriptures exploring the call/purpose of the church. This quest has been fueled by my responsibilities in the church I pastor and the desire to help ensure what I and the Elders who lead with me do is biblically sound. The thing I will consider here is how a church’s structure in terms of facilities, programs, teaching and plans for growth impacts the church’s fulfilling of its call/purpose. Many good things can happen in churches with different models and strategies for carrying out the work God calls us to. However, it is surely wise to evaluate different models of church by scripture to see if there is a better or best way to do church. For the sake of comparison I am going to present two different models for doing church which I believe would to some degree represent most of churches in modern evangelicalism. I realize no church may fit perfectly into either model and may be blends of both or have very unique church models I have not considered. I have labeled the first church model: Reach, Plug in and Grow and the other model: Reach, Equip and Send Out. I will assume that either model has the goal of impacting the world for Christ and have simply chosen different means for accomplishing that goal.
Model one – Reach, Plug In and Grow.
The goal of this model is to reach folks through programs, events and personal evangelism and then plug them into service in the church as soon as possible. Some keys to doing this model might include the following.
1. Make sure you have plenty of programs suited to people’s felt needs to attract people who otherwise would not come to church. These activities also provide an alternative “safe” place so the world’s influence on church families is reduced.
2. Have plenty of service opportunities in the church so everyone has a place to “plug in” and use their gifts (also feel a part of the church).
3. Provide non-threatening grow at your own pace atmosphere.
4. Provide age-divided classes so children, youth and various age adults can learn alongside others similar to themselves.
5. Provide mission opportunities for those who feel called to missions and so others can know “how blessed we are here”. Provide a percentage of the budget for mission work around the world.
6. Make sure the church has property for future growth as more people come and programs are increased.
7. Set aside money to fund future building projects as the church requires more space.
8. Increase staff to manage larger needs for ministry and administration as church size increases.
Model two – Reach, Equip and Send Out.
The goal of this model is to reach people through personal ministry and then equip them for personal ministry in their homes, schools, jobs, neighborhoods and for planting churches locally and globally. Some keys to doing this model might include the following.
1. Current members actively seek to evangelize in their areas of influence through relational ministry and inviting those they reach to church.
2. New members/families are discipled personally by members/families with more maturity.
3. Teaching is aimed at equipping every member of the church for ministry in their homes and elsewhere outside the walls of the church. Age mixing is desired for adults so they can learn alongside those who are different from them. Age segregated classes for young children and youth are careful not to replace, but complement parent’s roles in ministering to them.
4. Elders focus on teaching and equipping the congregation - especially future leaders.
5. Service opportunities within the church are kept minimal so they don’t distract from the call to go.
6. The size of church facilities is intentionally limited so that the planting of new churches and equipping of future leaders has urgency.
7. Avoid unneeded luxuries in the church so money can be sent to help churches in poor nations and model biblical stewardship.
8. Save money to help fund future churches which the home church trained leaders and portions of the congregation will leave to plant.
Evaluating these two models – If you were to ask, “Which church would most people choose?”, I think the answer is obvious. People naturally want to be in their comfort zones, would rather safely serve within the church building, would rather allow the professional to most of the ministry, would rather be able to see their church grow big, would rather see their families insulated from the world, would rather see their money go to things they can physically enjoy and assume only some Christians are called to ministry and missions.
What does God call us to do?
Matt. 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. (NKJV)
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (NKJV)
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (NKJV)
These previous verses support our common call as Christians to “Go”! All are to be witnesses for Christ and be involved in making disciples wherever He has us. Going = our personal, God assigned, ministry and mission.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)
Phil. 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. (NKJV)
1 Pet. 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (NKJV)
Matt. 10: 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (NKJV) In context - This is not confessing Him to other believers in the safety of the church, but to unbelievers who may be very hostile!
These verses further support the need for us to go and have exposure in the world so they can see Christ through our actions and words. God wants us to glorify Him as we tell others who He is and what He has done. It is particularly striking that our fear or failure to confess Him in certain circumstances might have serious consequences (Matt. 10:32-33)
God did not call the world to “go therefore into all the churches, become disciples and settle in”, He told us to go to them! The way we do church will either make “going” (personal ministry and mission) the normal expected thing and equipping will be desired or it will make “going” one choice among many and most will settle into church service and there will be little need or motivation to be equipped.
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