Who does the church exist for?
Bill Hybels, founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church recently said this...
"The goal (of the church), is to slowly make believers independent. We (as a church and pastors) should focus our attention on introducing people to Christ, and then helping them grow to a certain point. After that--they should feed themselves and focus on helping the church introduce more people to Christ."
What do you think? Is it too much to ask people to focus on helping a church introduce people to Jesus? Is it possible for someone to feed them self? Does a pastor really know that much more about the Bible than everyone else (or maybe worded a better way would be "should the pastor know more?) Does schooling really qualify someone to know more about the Bible than the next person?
I'll just add one comment. At TXC our goal is always connecting the disconnected to Jesus. Whether we are talking about sex or judging others, the bottom line is that whatever we discuss or wherever we go, our end goal is ALWAYS connecting the disconnected to Jesus. For example, we talk about sex so that we have a correct view of our sexuality and God so that we can better connect the disconnected to Jesus.
"The goal (of the church), is to slowly make believers independent. We (as a church and pastors) should focus our attention on introducing people to Christ, and then helping them grow to a certain point. After that--they should feed themselves and focus on helping the church introduce more people to Christ."
What do you think? Is it too much to ask people to focus on helping a church introduce people to Jesus? Is it possible for someone to feed them self? Does a pastor really know that much more about the Bible than everyone else (or maybe worded a better way would be "should the pastor know more?) Does schooling really qualify someone to know more about the Bible than the next person?
I'll just add one comment. At TXC our goal is always connecting the disconnected to Jesus. Whether we are talking about sex or judging others, the bottom line is that whatever we discuss or wherever we go, our end goal is ALWAYS connecting the disconnected to Jesus. For example, we talk about sex so that we have a correct view of our sexuality and God so that we can better connect the disconnected to Jesus.
Normally I have a very difficult time disagreeing with old Billybones of the ship WillowCreek.......however, this is one thing that I must disagree on - and strongly.
If churches are growing people to the point where they are individualized then they, at that point, have grown Christians right out of Christianity. The goal of the church is not to slowly make believers independent but rather make them inter-dependent, co-dependent, and god-dependent. Never independent. Autonomy is not the way of the Bible or of Christian spirituality but of a selfish mindset.
Posted by
jeremy postal |
3:44 PM
Good point. Now...what about getting people to where they aren't dependent on a "preacher" to bottle feed them? Should people get to a place where they are having a deep relationship with God when they are away from the collective community?
Is that considered independence?
Posted by
Dan Richardson |
4:09 PM
the whole "co-dependant" language has a negative tone to it but taken at its true description it refers being dependant upon one another to keep each other accountable. that is what is family and true community. but i agree it is also a kind of interdependence towards the community. it is likened to a healthy marriage where there is and interdependance; a agreed upon dependance upon each other and upon God. But where things go goofy is when dependance only relies on leadership of the community rather than our personal deepening commitment to Christ alone. Bear
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:02 PM