Last week I began a series that includes excerpts from my book, Changing the Way We Do Church: 7 Steps to a Purposeful Reformation. In that book and in this series, I attempt to explain what I consider to be the implications for the phenomenal interest in the topic of purpose that has led to what I refer to as the 'purpose craze.' If you missed last week's introduction, go back and read it before reading today's.
The first step in fostering a purposeful reformation in the church and society is as follows:
Raise up an army of purpose-led men and women who have faith to do the impossible, who are freed from trying to be who they are not and released to be the fullest, best expression of who God created them to be.
Let's look at this step more closely:
- There can't be just a few people doing purpose. We need the synergy of a mass of people, an army if you will, who aren't just following someone else's lead and purpose, but are engaged in their own.
- This army must be faith-fueled, faith-inspired and faith-driven. It requires faith to discover your purpose. Once you have discovered it, you must have faith to fulfill it. As I have stated many times, faith is not an event, it is a lifestyle, especially where you purposequest is concerned. Your faith will then enable you to do more than you ever thought possible with and through your purpose.
- You must be free from any bias against yourself. In other words, you must stop trying to be who you think you should be or who others think your should be or want you to be. Stop trying to be who you are not and be the best you that you can be.
- You can't simply rely on your purpose; you need to be trained and equipped. Take classes, find mentors and coaches, pay for lessons and do whatever you can to be the best you can possibly be in your assigned purpose. And the training never stops; it's lifelong learning.
If the church is going to lead and have a part in this purpose reformation, it must begin to do things differently. We cannot settle for 'good church,' which starts on time, ends close to on time and tries to cram four hours of church activity into 90 minutes. The church will have to listen to what the Spirit is saying and doing among the people and tailor some of its ministry expressions and programs to equip and release God's people. If the church cannot do this, then people will seek their training and purpose opps someplace else.
If we want what we already have, we just need to keep doing what we are already doing. I think purpose requires a change of strategy for both individuals and churches. I have devoted my adult life to the purpose message, to see how it can benefit the church. Let's not turn back now to business as usual when the opportunity is so ripe to engage a whole new generation in the power of purpose. Thanks for reading, and have a blessed, purposeful week.
***************
KENYA UPDATES: I posted numerous updates from Kenya today, which you can read here. Also, I am hosting a breakfast next Saturday at 10 AM on the North Side of Pittsburgh to talk about Kenya. You can read about it here, then send me an email to let me know you are coming.
Comments