Haunted by a Fallacy (The Grammatically-Correct Church)

“Church” is not a verb (something done to people), nor is it an adjective (a kind of formal clothes). It is a noun that describes neither a place nor a thing (a building or an organization). Likewise, ministry is neither a profession and ministers are not merely paid professions (and I am being paid to say this). In the quagmire of myth and misperception, God is still working. God is still calling His people (the Church) to do Kingdom work (the ministry) in a powerful way that brings Him glory and more people to salvation.
After surrendering to Christ as my Lord and Savior in November of 1992, I remember the Holy Spirit turning my life upside down. I immediately became involved in every Bible study offered on our college campus. This was not out of compulsion from others, but from a desire to know more about God. I also began traveling to local churches almost every weekend with our campus ministry team. This was a team that would minister to youth groups. Within four months of my conversion, I experienced my first mission trip to Washington D.C. to share the Gospel with homeless people. By the seventh month after my “second birth,” God had opened up a door of opportunity to lead a youth ministry in my home church. God wasted no time immersing my life into learning, serving, and reaching out to others.

God wants to turn every life “upside-down.” Therefore, I will be exploring the biblical foundation for ministry this week. I am no longer convinced that the “traditional” model for ministry is effective or honoring to Christ. When it comes to ministry in the local church, I have a haunting feeling that we have made some grave mistakes. What if God has something different in mind? What if most churches reflect man’s vision instead of God? What if the genuine desire of believers in Christ is being thwarted by a great fallacy in ministry leaders?

I do not believe I have overstated the problem potential. So, I ask you, dear reader, please return as I unpack these thought this week in a series I will call “The Grammatically-Correct Church.” You can subscribe on the sidebar link. Your comments are more than welcome (especially those who challenge my thinking, because I am still trying to figure all this out).

Follow One, Lead Others