It's OK To Let Go! R.D.Ice
6-04
This is a composite, but it is based on
true events which took place in two large metropolitan areas plus some other
places. Names are of course
changed. I have borrowed ideas from
other writings and filtered them through my mind.
"Through the years, Central Church
of Christ [not the real name] in Mytown, PA, gradually declined in attendance,
from 200 to 45 or 50. Looking out over
her 80-year-old pews, you saw only beloved senior citizens, and they were
dwindling fast."
"What to do??? The gates of Hell cannot destroy the Lord's
One Spiritual Church. But individual
churches can lose their candlestick.
After talking about money and trying to raise support, another patch to
a leaky roof, and seeking advice from respected brethren, the church hired a
young (very young) preacher who knew nothing of the difficulties. He made plans, hired an architect and
contractors, built some new classrooms, and added a second Sunday morning
service."
"But, as we found out, Central
Church had wonderful facilities, but no children left to enjoy them. The day was coming, and could not be
postponed. The candle was about to
sputter out."
Closing One Door to Open Another. "Turn it around or close it
down."
My computer has a "refresh" button. It resets to the original default
program. But how to do it in this
case??? We could imagine the Lord
saying, "OK. You did a good job. But the inning is over. It is time to move on and restart
anew." It was time to abandon the
past and move on to the future to accomplish the Lord's purpose.
Central sold the building, liquidated
all the assets, and gave the money to a church-planting group overseen by a
large church in the Midwest. Leadership
and planning was to be completely in the hands of the church-planting group.
This sort of church-planting had been done in Bay Shore, Long Island, NY, some
years ago. Begin something new and
fresh, free from the past and with a new identity.
This new church began meeting in a movie
theater. Discovery Church of Christ
spends no money on building upkeep, and rent is not all that expensive. Some who would not come into a
church-building did come to the movie theater church. The bulk of those who came were young,
skeptical, and curious. To them the
established church was irrelevant, bureaucratic. But these same young people were, however,
hungry for truth and starving for a spiritual connection with God.
Things
are happening. Our challenge is: How do
we connect with a generation starving for God but disillusioned with what
little they know of the church? How do
we eliminate barriers between a dying world and a living Savior??? Every Sunday
morning the lobby of the movie theater is transformed into a meet-and-greet
area for the Discovery Church of Christ.
Like Paul, we preach Christ Crucified, Risen, Coming Again! The church went back to basics, not
"issues". Sermons focused on
the purpose and mission of believers in Christ (the church). We studied fundamental doctrines (the
apostles' teaching). We set about to
discover and use our spiritual gifts.
Evangelism classes and evangelistic methods were taught. A home-cell group was begun - meeting from
house to house just like in Acts. In the
first six months, Discovery Church of Christ is averaging more than 250 in
worship attendance.
Some times a computer must be
restarted. It shuts down and then
reboots. Central shut down and then
restarted in the same community - but with a new identity and a new future. Discovery Church of Christ is just the first
phase. Additional seed money left by the
Central Church of Christ will be used to start two more new churches in 2007
and 2010.
"Jesus answered and said to him,
'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We
will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23 NKJV).
[Note: Mytown, PA, is near a large
population center and in a fast growing area.
But this fact did not help Central Church of Christ to this point. Something drastic and new was needed. Discovery Church of Christ was that new
beginning.]
There is more than one way of doing
things. Paul tailored his approach to
fit those whom he was trying to reach (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). We can do no less. What Central Church did would probably not
work in the rural area where I live. But
we ourselves are experiencing a time of renewal following a fire in our
church-building (and we do have a younger generation coming on). We praise the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and
vision for the future.
What can we learn from “Central -
Discovery”??? How can we step away from
the past and reach out to the future?
Paul said: “but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).
First, a quotation from Augustine. "Trust the past to the mercy of God, the
present to His love, and the future to His providence." And, as we say: "Keep on keeping
on!"
1. Why did this work? The gospel is the same. What really changed to make the difference in
reaching out to the community? What can
we learn from this?
2. It is always our intention to
worship God and obey Him! But we might
have been more focused on "the building" than on the Lord Jesus. Perhaps we have been trapped by the
past. Paul wasn’t. Phil. 3:9-11; 1 Cor. 9:19-22.
3. Someone said: “Success is 10% what
happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.”
Someone also said: “Life is what happens while you are making other
plans.”
4. We always remember that Paul
planted, Apollos watered, but God made the plant grow. Compare Psalm 127:1
5. It is dangerous to allow the recent
Past to be an albatross around the neck of the church. We always look back to Jerusalem, which is
right, but we also look forward to the future.
We are not to allow the world or the Past to squeeze us into its
mold. We are to be transformed (Romans
12:1-2).
6. Truth cannot change! But methods may change, and may need to
change. Paul was all things to all men,
“that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:19-23).
7. When we stand before Him, might He
say: “If you knew it would draw the people in to meet Me, why didn’t you do
it?”
