Bigger or better
When I was a youth pastor, the one game I always hated playing was bigger or better. You start with a tooth pick or something and you to some random person's house and you try and trade up by getting something bigger or better than you're tooth pick. Sounds all fun and great right now, but wait until you get to the end and you've got all these youth bringing old rundown cars, microwaves and other beat up pieces of furniture back to the church. Guess who gets to throw it all out? Yes...that's right...the good 'ol youth pastor! For me, bigger or better was bad.
However, as I reflected on this game and my "fond" memories of it, I realized that maybe there was some good that came out of it.
When we were praying this morning before our Sunday morning gathering, I decided to change the way I will sometimes pray. It's the prayer that has a bit of a "If that's what you want to do...then we're happy with that" feel to it and lately, that's been making me sick. It's the prayer that says "God, if just one person's life has been changed in some small way, then this was all worth it."
So I changed it. Actually, it's not necessarily that my prayer changed as much as my heart and perspective changed.
Instead of adding the disclaimer and having that "humble" approach, I've had this new surge of faith to believe that if I'm going to pray and if I'm going to believe God for something, it needs to be HUGE!
Now, don't get me wrong. One person's life being changed IS worth it. But my question is do we only have one person's life change because that's all we're willing to believe that God will do. It's almost like we're afraid to believe that God will do more so we don't pursue more for fear of looking really stupid.
I don't care anymore. I know I'm supposed to care and it's bad to say that, but I really don't. I am sensitive to playing the numbers game and basing our "success" off of how many people are coming and all that. But at the same time, changed lives is what we are all about.
I'm not satisfied to see the same group of people connected to TXC day in day out. What that speaks to me is that we aren't growing as people. I don't really get how an itty bitty church can justify staying small and spouting "But we're healthy!"
Healthy Christians are all about reconnecting people to Jesus. If that's not happening, there is no health. It's stagnant. It's stale. It's lifeless. It's inward focused. It's growth is stunted. It's people are disuillusioned to think they are healthy.
Since the outset of TXC, we have pushed very hard to not become THAT church. (none in particular...just with those characteristics) However, it's so easy to go there. It's so easy to slow down, especially in the stage of our journey that our church is in. We are that nice and comfy-cozy size where it's still possible to know everyone.
We won't be that church. We will dream bigger! We will take bigger risks. We'll attempt things that only crazy people attempt. And all because of this quote that I've lived by since I realized I was a crazy man and was going to attempt to plant a church in Mission:
"Attempt things so huge that they doomed for failure unless God steps in."
So we will attempt to reconnect more people to Jesus than we are right now. We will believe God that he will change just more than 1 person's life. We will attempt things that WILL fail...unless God saves us from falling flat on our face.
Yes, I agree, we're crazy and off our rocker.
I couldn't imagine it any other way!
However, as I reflected on this game and my "fond" memories of it, I realized that maybe there was some good that came out of it.
When we were praying this morning before our Sunday morning gathering, I decided to change the way I will sometimes pray. It's the prayer that has a bit of a "If that's what you want to do...then we're happy with that" feel to it and lately, that's been making me sick. It's the prayer that says "God, if just one person's life has been changed in some small way, then this was all worth it."
So I changed it. Actually, it's not necessarily that my prayer changed as much as my heart and perspective changed.
Instead of adding the disclaimer and having that "humble" approach, I've had this new surge of faith to believe that if I'm going to pray and if I'm going to believe God for something, it needs to be HUGE!
Now, don't get me wrong. One person's life being changed IS worth it. But my question is do we only have one person's life change because that's all we're willing to believe that God will do. It's almost like we're afraid to believe that God will do more so we don't pursue more for fear of looking really stupid.
I don't care anymore. I know I'm supposed to care and it's bad to say that, but I really don't. I am sensitive to playing the numbers game and basing our "success" off of how many people are coming and all that. But at the same time, changed lives is what we are all about.
I'm not satisfied to see the same group of people connected to TXC day in day out. What that speaks to me is that we aren't growing as people. I don't really get how an itty bitty church can justify staying small and spouting "But we're healthy!"
Healthy Christians are all about reconnecting people to Jesus. If that's not happening, there is no health. It's stagnant. It's stale. It's lifeless. It's inward focused. It's growth is stunted. It's people are disuillusioned to think they are healthy.
Since the outset of TXC, we have pushed very hard to not become THAT church. (none in particular...just with those characteristics) However, it's so easy to go there. It's so easy to slow down, especially in the stage of our journey that our church is in. We are that nice and comfy-cozy size where it's still possible to know everyone.
We won't be that church. We will dream bigger! We will take bigger risks. We'll attempt things that only crazy people attempt. And all because of this quote that I've lived by since I realized I was a crazy man and was going to attempt to plant a church in Mission:
"Attempt things so huge that they doomed for failure unless God steps in."
So we will attempt to reconnect more people to Jesus than we are right now. We will believe God that he will change just more than 1 person's life. We will attempt things that WILL fail...unless God saves us from falling flat on our face.
Yes, I agree, we're crazy and off our rocker.
I couldn't imagine it any other way!
