Two weeks ago I began a series that was included in my book, Changing the Way We Do Church. In that book, I outlined seven steps that the church can take to launch and sustain a purposeful reformation. The basis for my optimism about this reformation is the phenomenal success of Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life. Millions of people voted with their money for that book (they bought it) and that tells me there is a growing hunger for purpose talk and help. The church can either participate and benefit from this phenomenon, or people will turn to business and other endeavors to scratch their purpose itch. You can read my first two Memos on this topic here.
Today we look at step two in the seven-step process:
Equip people to perform missions (both domestic and foreign), to launch business ventures and to carry out any other activity their purpose dictates and faith allows.
From my limited experience as a pastor and purpose coach, I would say that many people are scared of their purpose. They are afraid to do the wrong thing, so they do no thing. They have basically offered God what I call a funnel commitment, which starts out big at the top, but becomes narrow at the bottom:
"God, I will do whatever You want me to do - as long as it is this country, in this region, in this city, in this neighborhood, in this church, at these times and on these days and with these people, but I am Yours and will do anything you want me to do!"
Can you see how people are limiting themselves with this mindset? Their vision is small, just like the bottom of a funnel. Maybe you are one of those people.
The local church has an opportunity and perhaps a duty to set people free, to help people reverse that funnel affect so they have more opportunities to serve the Lord and not less. This second step involves the following factors:
- It opens people to wherever in the world their purpose is needed, not just in their own backyard.
- Most will not be able to fulfill their purpose in and through the church, so they will have to start their own organizations.
- Purpose requires great creativity to shape and produce opportunities for that purpose to be expressed and fulfilled. Most people are looking to what exists to express purpose; they may have to create the vehicle through which their purpose is expressed.
How about you? If you are a church leader, are you ready to help people reverse the funnel commitment? Can you help them go from what they see as limited opportunities to embrace the opportunities the whole world presents? Are you as an individual ready to embrace this funnel affect in your own life?
The church should be the most dangerous entity with the most radical people in the world. In most cases, we are not. Yet people are hungering more and more for this kind of message and mission, and churches who see and meet this hunger will grow, even when they are constantly sending their people out to fulfill their purpose destiny to the ends of the earth. Thank you and have a blessed week (and for my American readers, a Happy Fourth of July!).
************
KENYA UPDATES: You can read the latest from Kenya, including the report on the repairs to Pastor Peter's van and yesterday's Kenya team breakfast here. Once you have read, then please give generously to the needs there in Kenya. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221-0882. Thank you for your generous support.
BIZ BURGH: I was on the local show Biz Burgh last week and the show is in the archives. I was on to talk about the new associate degree in leadership I am leading at the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry. You can listen to the show by going to their site.
Comments