“The Shaping of Things To Come” By Marvin Eskew, Director of Christian Education
- If you could change anything you wanted to about Sunday church what would it be?
- What if Sunday church was intended to be a gathering and not a service?
- What if Sunday church resembled real life more and formality less?
- What if the music and singing was more spontaneous and free flowing instead of always orchestrated and rehearsed?
- What if the sermon time became more of a dialogue instead of a monologue?
- What if the church was never intended to be run like a business but instead was to be experienced like a family?
- What if your local church became a force in the community instead of a field?
- What if God’s idea of evangelism is more relational than propositional?
- What if the concept of a clergy is a historical development and not a biblical office?
- What if you cheerfully gave of your income instead of paying your tithes?
- What if you were a revolutionary like Jesus instead of a nice Christian like the people who attend your church?
- Do you have a feeling something is “out of sync” with your version of Christianity?
- What if you could imagine doing and being church differently?
In their book, “The Shaping of Things To Come,” Alan Hirsh and Michael Frost set forth the following challenge: “We will have to use our imaginations to go where God wants to take us. It will involve risk and courage to lead in today’s environment. The Father is looking for men and women like His Son who are untamed, wildly free, daring, radical, and dangerous. We must create a climate among ourselves where we can dream, where nothing is impossible and no thought too outrageous. Every local church should experiment like mad in order to find new and accessible ways of doing and being the people of God.”
We live at a critical crossroad in our time of history. Church as usual will not cut it. If all we do is improve our communication skills, build nicer buildings, hire charismatic staff, install the latest technological media systems, choose the best programs, increase our budgets for youth and children ministries, etc., we are misunderstanding what it will take to change the church culture and impact a postmodern world.
Since change experts tell us that only 3% of the population has the ability to envision something that they have not yet seen or experienced, 97% of us will have a hard time envisioning church being anything different from our story of it. Yet, we must be willing to try and be open and flexible enough to follow the Spirit as He leads us into creative approaches of expanding the kingdom and sharing the life of Christ together.
Plan to attend a workshop on this topic at the International Assembly, Friday?, August ?, 2008, Nashville, Tn. Article and workshop by Marvin Eskew, International Director of Christian Education for the Churches of God of Prophecy.