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 Without Mission There is No Church by Joseph Chavady


[b]Without Mission There is No Church[/b]
[i]by Joseph Chavady[/i]

Another problem with North American leaders is that they let themselves be influenced by the principles of the business world. Most leadership literature focuses on marketing for churches, making profit out of the elderly in the congregation, using demographics, and becoming a CEO of a church corporation. Serving and laying down our lives for one another for Christ’s sake is not often taught. According to several spiritual leaders I spoke with most of North America’s church and ministry leaders have wrong priorities, and this wrong teaching infiltrates the church or organization from the top. Having said this, I know of many real leaders and churches that are truly walking with the Lord and serving and worshiping Him. I do not want to be all negative but aim to tell the truth in love. I just hope we will be open to the lord to speak to us and give Him the opportunity to change us.

The numbers orientation and business approach need to be changed back to a true focus on the Lord and active missions to the unchurched. Only this focus will keep our churches truly alive, because it is the Lord who gives life and genuine growth. Many of the historic churches in Europe are empty, and some of them are used as shopping malls or even mosques. For decades, these European churches put more effort and money into buildings than lives, and they paid with stagnation and death. European believers recognize this, and they have become enthusiastic about new ways of being the church. Now, the same trend is visible in North America. The churches have increasingly entrenched themselves as social institutions. They have a vast infrastructure, buildings, and staff - but the more they build on the outside the more the inside dies off. In Europe, this has led to a growing hunger, especially among the younger generation, for non-institutional expressions of faith. Maybe North America can learn from Europe’s mistakes, and stop the trend to emulate worldly success before it is too late.

There is a world full of people who are dying without Christ. Let’s stop playing ‘shop’ and reach them with the gospel. A church that does this will have Christ at its heart, and with Christ, the power to stay vibrant and foster genuine spiritual growth inside and outside its walls.


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