I live in a city that should get some kind of award for taking it slow when it comes to improvements.
We are the midwest and we like it that way. The problem with the safe, slow thinking is that we now lag behind in offering so many things. And the gap keeps growing. You’d probably not notice it too much unless you toured other cities. The contrast is everywhere. Hey…how did we get stuck?
I see the same deal in ministry. I don’t care where you are, there are lots of safe/steady paced churches. “We do this because that’s the way it’s always been done.” They are aging. Livin’ on the edge is a new coat of paint. Cutting edge is a new song or different rotation to follow. Big deal. Same delivery no matter what the surroundinga will get the same results. Same old same old. One basic leadership lesson I learned years ago was that you’d better replace yourself. Things change. Check out the world in which we live!
What a contrast this safe life is to the Gospel. It’s always SO fresh. Jesus just couldn’t be pinned down and be stereotyped. He ministered in the most unlikely moments of life. Always fresh.
I read this week that the Methodist and Lutheran churches are coming up with an ad campaign to bring the ones back who have left the “same old same old.” That should fix things. An Ad campaign? I hope folks can stir the pot more than an ad campaign. There is amazing love to share. Redemption. New life walking with the God of the universe. Encounters. Changes.
If your ministry area or church has got things happily organized… beware. It happened in my town and its will take a long time to get out of the rut. Join me in messing things up. Let’s share Jesus!