what is the point?
In a Church context there are various ministries which churches engage in. From serving tea after the service to running a library to running bible studies, teaching sunday school etc.
The question is, what should the primary goal of those ministries be?
You might respond by saying, that is a no brainer, and to be honest, it should be. However, the church can get confused as to what the goal of those ministries are.
You see, when a church engages in a ministry which has at it's heart the spiritual well being of the people, in other words, those which include bible study, Sunday preaching and Sunday school, what should the primary focus of these ministries be?
Recently my church has re-launched their men's ministry, dubbing it, "Men behaving Godly". I read the manifesto and one of their goals was to "Teach the Bible". You might say, so what's wrong with that.
I have made it a habit to regularly attend a young adults bible study. In the past year I have got the sense that the goal of thse bible studies is to teach the bible. This has been especially highlighted recently.
You might agree that this is a laudable goal, and I agree, it is a laudable goal. You can do a lot worse. However, notwithstanding this, I think it is misplaced.
The reason I have been getting frustrated with this approach is that, to be honest, I don't need another bible lesson when I attend a bible study. If that is what I get then I could just as easily stay at home and listen to a tape. In this case I, don't have to go out and, I'll probably get better teaching anyway. Why bother meeting together if you can achieve the same goal by yourself.
What I'm really looking for in attending a small group meeting, is elements that you can only get from a small group, namely, love, support, encouragement and help. I've done Mark (this is the current book we're studying) many times. Teaching me mark again, is not that important to me. Supporting, praying, encouraging, now that's what's important. That's what will, along with the teaching of the bible, help me grow in Godliness.
The goal of these small groups, and in fact the goal of the men's ministry should not be to teach the bible. It should be for the people concerned to "Know God". Don't get me wrong, teaching is very important, but it is a means to an end. In my experience, the Church seems to think that we are all in vacuum and love and support amongst the people is not a necessary and important element of growing in Godliness. Why did God command us to meet together if this is the case. He wants us to support and encourage one another in order to grow in our knowledge of him.
So often at the bible study meeting I've attended, the focus has been on the lesson, we have to finish the lesson, the other elements of the time together are inevitably tacked on as a token onto the beginning or the end.
I have to mention however, that my particular church is not guilty of this misplacement in all the areas of ministry. Some of the areas it is doing a good job. The Sunday meetings for instance have the goal of growing people in Godliness, as does the Sunday school. I'm also sure that not all the bible study groups suffer from this malaise.
Why has this program driven situation materialised? There are, I think, I number of reasons for this.
1. Results driven ministry - Whether or not the bible has been taught is particularly easy to measure. A simple answer can be reached, was the bible taught? Yes, or No. There is not really a maybe and it is simple to measure. How do you measure whether people have increased in their knowledge and love of God? How do you know you've got results when aiming for something which is more difficult to measure.
2. Teaching the bible does require relationship or vulnerability. Let's face it, the modern person finds relationships particularly difficult. They find vulnerability particularly difficult. We live in a world where people do not know each other and do not reveal their true natures or the difficulties and struggles they are going through. In the bible studies I have attended I have from time to time shared the struggles or questions that I had been grappling with. In both cases the response I got was not supportive and to be honest, not loving. It certainly did not encourage me to share any more with the group. So you see, you're a vicious cycle.
3. Lack of trust in God. Why is it that, after 2 years, I had no idea the seriousness the sufferings of one of the members of the group due to a condition they suffered from. Because of the teaching focus, you could not have a meeting where you did not at least look at the bible. After all, that's the only way to grow anyway isn't it? If we don't teach the bible then how will people grow. It is not man's responsibility to ensure that people grow, it is God's, and God can use many avenues to draw people to himself. You cannot grow me by teaching me the bible, I have to learn the bible, and by learning the bible, I will learn more about the person who wrote the bible, and thus deepen my relationship with the Creator.
What you call something defines it. That's why the South African government has changed the names of many towns and Cities in our countries. It is also why the Minister of Education insisted on changing the name from of goers, from "pupils" to "learners".
Let's change our approach and make the glory and knowledge of God fundamental to all of our meetings. Let's start providing people with help, support, love and encounragement so that they can blossom and shine in his Kingdom. Let's do whatever is necessary go grow people in their relationships with God. Let's start living out our Christianity. God has always seen a "christian in community" as the only way.
posted by Michael Wiles at 5:19 pm
10 Comments:
This is a very good point and article. I started going to a bible study for that very reason - to try and make friends and have people that would perhaps encourage and uplift one and help in living a Godly life.
But, it seems Christian culture is very often to hide your sins because you'll get trounced on if you reveal a weakness or a struggle with an issue. So we're all superficial and talk about sports, work, the usual stuff, without ever going deeper. In the world it takes years to get to know someone well enough to entrust them with more, and it seems to be no different with Christians.
The pentecostals call these meetings Cell Groups because they're more a meeting of people to get to know each other in the context of getting to know the Bible. Perhaps that's a better name. I have a feeling, though, that I would cause major waves at that kind of group :) I'm tempted to go to one just to see what the reaction is to my opinions on things.
Anyway, it's unfortunate - it's the whole Purpose Driven Life idea, where the only thing that matters is numeric results, not what is going on in the heart. So pastors are measured on size of congregation, not Godliness or leadership in the Jesus sense. We are measured by how many church meetings we attend - you get points for teaching sunday school, playing music in the church, attending this and that. But all that makes no difference to my Godliness, to my relationship with God. And that's all He cares about. Where do you get help on that? Without the unloving response or criticisms when they see the real me.
When you say "Christian culture is very often to hide your sins because you'll get trounced on if you reveal a weakness or a struggle with an issue.". I can vouch for the validity of that statement through first hand experience. I have been trounced on when I've shared struggles.
I've heard of one church calling their groups "Life Groups". Now that is the coolest name ever. I'm not sure if the more conservative streams of christendom would be comfortable with that name however. I would propose calling our small groups "Growth Groups". Then growing in Godliness is obviously on top of the agenda, and it is more palatable amongst the conservatives than "growth groups".
Life groups or kindship groups is the title used by Vineyard churches.
Its interesting to look at what scripture itself says it should be used for; i.e. Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
And then its only used for teaching, not even for the other things.
And then we look at what the early church pattern of Church where everyone had something to contribute, everyone has a spiritual gift to bring, teaching was only one of them.
I think that the obsession with teaching has a lot to do with control, and with an active leader/passive recipient member model of church, which I don't see anywhere in scripture.
Andrew
Mike and Andrew, I have a question, and since I don't have your email Andrew, I'll ask it here:
How does one become anything like the Christian they should be?? It's beyond me what I should be doing to become that person. I must strive for excellence, live a life of love, become more Godly, grow in knowledge and understanding. But how?? Most people seem to think, "I go to church, I'm reading my Bible, I'm going to a Bible Study, I'm cool".
I don't know if you guys saw Garden State, but at the end when the guy has fully awakened and has a desire for life for the first time he says: "So what do we do? What do we do?"
Well??? Any ideas? Some people have it all sewn up at age 20 it seems - I think I'm going to be fighting this at age 70.
Hey Peter ;) i think that you're asking how do we grow as believers? I think that how we grow as Christians is almost synonymous with what it takes to grow as a person. I have found that as I pursue growth as a person there becomes more of me to relate to God and others with. One way we grow is through experience/s. Another is suffering and working through that. :) Another is relationships - knowing and being known, both giving and receiving. I think that is what Eph 4 is talking about: the community helping each other mature in Christ. Certainly Paul laboured to see Christ "formed" in people. And I think that that was primarily through his relationship with them. Personally along those lines i've grown a lot through going to counselling (or "therapy" as it's known in the States).
Wendy
yeah Michael i agree about homegroups. They're about relationships regardless of what you actually do in them. They are meant to be the vehicle where there is more bonding going on than in the larger church community. I think that we are often engaging in the symbol and not what it symbolizes.
Wendy
Hi Peter
(and Michael since this is your blog we are having the discussion on)
I don't know if I can claim to be particularly mature, so I don't claim any great wisdom.
These are the things that I have found helped me to mature.
1) suffering, now we don't usually choose suffering, and I don't think that we should choose suffering for its own sake but if we
2) help other people, then if they are truly needy then we will almost inevitably experience some degree of suffering as we see how they suffer and how unable we are to help them. If you become involved in helping needy people its better to do so through a structured ministry and to ensure that you have proper boundaries, otherwise you will burn out and stop helping anyone.
In this respect Cloud and Townsends book on godly Boundaries is excellent even though some accusser of the brethern typed reviewers don't like them (because they are 'psychologists')
3) developing a conversational relationship with God.
Dallas Willard writes about maturing from a conservative, biblical protestant perspective, he is a professor at university of southern california and teaches at Talbot Seminary in S Cal. His book 'Hearing God' speaks aboutdeveloping a conversational relationship with God in terms that almost all protestants will feel comfortable with (and not just charasmatics).
Personally I would say that the John Eldredge books have challenged me to grow in ways that few others have. But this is a very personal response others may not share.
4) a mentor;
Many christian men that I have known have grown through the presence of a mature, godly man in their life as mentor.
Perhaps God has already put someone like that in your life and you need to invite him into that role.
If you want to formally ask someone to be your mentor then I suggest that you ask him to make the commitment for only one year. Then arrange to meet for coffee, or a walk or ? once every two weeks or once a month.
This may happen without a formal arrangement, but it seems to be me that with the busyness inherent in Modern life that it is unlikely.
I personally haven't had much experience of mentors and what I have had has not been entirely positive, so choose wisely and carefully and be ready to re-evaluate the influence the mentor has on your life.
I guess that one of the reasons that I haven't had a mentor, except once, is that looking around the churches that I have been part of I haven't seen many mature men of God, indeed in the church I grew up in, most of the older generation behaved like spoiled toddlers. However perhaps I have just been unfortunate, or my standards are too high (what you say Wendy?).
DO NOT approach a pastor or minister for mentoring; invariably the minister will want to recruit you for various ministries that he is anxious to staff, even if you are not best suited to them.
This is not to say that ministers are bad, just that they are incapable of seeing beyong their own mission. That is another reason that ministers are not good mentors. They often do not understand the pressures of the ordinary working world.
Its also a strong likelihood that if you tell a minister that you want to grow in maturity that he will try to persuade you to enter the full time ministry.
What do you think?
"I think that the obsession with teaching has a lot to do with control, and with an active leader/passive recipient member model of church, which I don't see anywhere in scripture."
Funny that you say that because recently I have been struck by the fact that just as in Corinthians where Prophecy and Tongues were held in higher esteem than the other gifts, the gift of teaching is arguably held in higher esteem amongst the churches I attend. I must add however, that this was pointed out to me by a senior pastor of a church which suffered in this very manner.
Thank you so much for all your responses - Michael, Wendy and Andrew. They've given me a lot to think about.
Yes, definitely life experience grows us as people and as Christians (and those are synonymous - God works in everything for our good). I think Suffering is definitely the experience that grows us the most, but we mustn't invite suffering in the hope of growing. To that end - it's a good idea to help others and so share in their suffering and understand people more.
Relationships probably form us more than most things, but it's so hard to find the right people, or the right community where those relationships are actually something valuable. I realised I needed to make an effort in this since my natural state is to be on my own, and I have been trying.
Wendy, please could you explain what counselling is exactly - I have a vague notion, but I think it's probably wrong since I've never been. How does one find a Christian counsellor? What do they do - do they listen, do they offer advice?
Andrew, I've read every John Eldredge book (even Captivating), some multiple times. I often pick up and read the Less Wild Lovers chapter of The Sacred Romance. His books woke me up as a Christian more than anything has, except maybe Running With the Horses by Eugene Peterson but that was quite a bit later. I will look for Hearing God, and for the book on Boundaries.
As for a mentor - that's a tough one. Like you, I haven't met anyone I would want as my mentor unfortunately - I think this would be great if the right person could be found.
Mike, thanks for your email too - it is very encouraging and helpful.
In the end there seems to be so much counter-productive teaching and thinking out there in the Church and Christian sub-culture (Purpose-Driven Life, Prosperity gospel etc) that growing up is a lot harder than it should be because when I think I may understand something it's often in opposition to what the Church at large seems to think and then I question it - so one ends up more and more unsure. Or maybe that's just how it's always been.
Was just going to add to that regularly meeting with someone who is at a similar point on the path is a way. It would be different to the mentor idea as it would be more of a meeting of equals.
1. To pray for and with one another
2. To share struggles and temptations and therefore
3. To hold each other accountable
4. To share thoughts, questions, ideas
5. To read together
The main reason I have not done this is out of fear. It's probably more likely that you'd find someone of this ilk willing to embark on this kind of endeavour.
One way I know it would help me is that it would be a sure fire way of encouraging me to read the bible for myself.
To be honest, it's probably what Eldredge talks about and refers to. It's what he had with Brent.
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