I'm Not Going to Heaven Without You

Several folks from our gathering of Jesus-followers are experiencing a learning exercise called JUST WALK ACROSS THE ROOM. From Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church, Just Walk Across the Room helps people to learn effective, relational ways to share faith in Jesus. In one of the videos, Bill Hybels talks about a friendship he had with a sailing buddy from a vacation community in Michigan. It was eight years from the time Bill met his friend Dave to the time that Dave committed his life to Jesus Christ. During that time Bill was careful to be genuine around Dave, to listen to the story of Dave's life journey, and to enjoy Dave's company. Bill didn't force faith down Dave's throat, but he watched carefully for the nudging of the Holy Spirit and opportunities to gently but clearly bring up questions of faith.

Bill Hybels said that he reached a point at which he was thinking about how much he valued his friendship with his sailing buddy Dave. Bill discovered that he cared enough about Dave that he couldn't stand the thought of heading into eternity without him. That's it...that's the right motivation for evangelism. We don't offer Christ to get more people into the pews. Nor do we do it just to boost numbers or increase offerings. We don't do evangelism just to get people in the category of "saved," then to walk off and leave them on their own. We do it because we come to care so much for them as people that we want the very best for them, which is a relationship with Jesus now and forever. That's exactly what God wants. Evangelism is born not of slick programs, revivals, commanding speakers, and the latest church growth seminar, as helpful as all those things may be. It is born of having the heart of God for another person.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Less "Ought to Do" and More "Gonna Do"

There are many ways to measure health in a church. One measure of improving health in a congregation might be when people hear fewer "ought to do..." statements and more "gonna do..." statements.

Few churches have any shortage of "ought to do" conversations. The choir ought to do this, the pastor ought to do that, the finance committee ought to do the other thing. Pastors and staffs say that congregation members ought to do various things, but the people aren't given the training and equipping to do them, and, in some cases, aren't given the freedom to pursue the ministries to which they are called. Church members tell pastors and staffs what they ought to do, expecting paid leaders to do all the ministry for everyone. Sometimes church people make "ought to do" statements to ministry staffs because church folks don't know how to get involved in disciple-making ministry, and giving direction to the staff is the only way they know to signal the desire to activate. As long as pastors, ministry staffs, and church folks throw "ought to do" statements at each other, the atmosphere in churches remains adversarial and protective of turf. Worse, energy that should go outward toward making new disciples becomes drained on internal confusion.

Churches that are growing in health keep their eye on the prize - the mission of making followers of Jesus out of those who are living far from God. Paid leaders in churches partner with volunteers in exploring and enacting strategies to reach that prize. It's less a matter of pointing out what others in the venture "ought to do," and more a matter of each one of us realizing that for which the Holy Spirit has equipped each of us. Our energy then goes to what we each are "gonna do." We then help each other, encourage each other, guide each other, and celebrate each other, as we act on our own "gonna dos."

By the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, I see evidence of this in the congregation of which I am a part. Even in these post-Easter days, our church is involved in a gesture of God's grace toward our community that is involving dozens of our folks. From the originators of this ministry to the ones working out the smallest details of it, people didn't just say, "That's a good idea. Somebody ought to do that." Instead, many, many people said, "I'm gonna do that."

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.