Pastor'S Column

Pulling together “core values and bedrock beliefs” on the way to having our vision and mission revealed is really an exciting adventure. I am very grateful for Tom Bandy's leadership. It really seems as though God is preparing “the church” and Sanctuary for another reformation. The first reformation focused on what the church believed; this one will focus on what it does. “Methodists” have always seen a tie between the Word of God and the work of God. As the church, we're called to be the body of Christ, the whole body. We're not just called to be the mouth of Christ, but the feet and hands as well. Every time a new reformation has come, five renewals have preceded it. Here are those five renewals.

1. Personal Renewal: It starts with the heart. If God is going to renew the church, he'll begin it with “you” and then it has to continue with the rest of the church. You might call it rededicating your life, being filled with the Spirit, or the “deeper life.” I don't care what you call it, just get it! The bottom line is this, you need to fall in love with Jesus again. Do that and all of a sudden it's not about religion and rituals; it's about a relationship with Jesus. You realize that Jesus doesn't just love you, but he likes you.

2. Relational Renewal: Jesus told us this. He told us to love God with all of our heart and then love others as ourselves. When you have relational renewal in the church, the gossip goes down and the joy goes up. How do you know when a church has been through relational renewal? People hang around longer after the service. They want to spend time together. If people don't want to hang around after the service, we have a performance not a church. The church is more than content; it's a community.

3. Missional Renewal: This is when a church discovers what God wants it to do. We have a kingdom assignment. We're not here just to bless one another. God wants to bless the world through us. Specifically, God has given the church five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. Missional renewal happens when we focus on these purposes. When the church gets personal, relational, and there is mission renewal, it can't help but grow.

4. Cultural Renewal: In this stage, God renews the culture of the church. Trying to change the culture of the church without going through the other three renewals is called martyrdom. None of us can change the culture of the church. Only God can. But once the first three renewals have happened in the church, God will change the culture.

5. Structural Renewal: After our church has been through the first four renewals, it's going to outgrow our current structure. No doubt about it. The structure that works for a church of 100 won't work for a church of 250 and so on. There is no perfect structure in Scripture. Why? Every situation is different. We've got to structure our churches differently depending on our circumstances. We will be going through structural changes, but it won't be a once and done thing. You can't put new wine in old wineskins. As our church begins to get healthier and healthier, the structure has to change.

There's a sixth renewal, but it doesn't happen in the local church. Institutional renewal happens when Christianity's institutions change. Institutions like seminaries and denominations are always the last ones to change; they never start the change process. Change always happens first in the local church. Institutions are there to preserve the change of the previous generation. Take a look at a tree. The growth of a tree is never on the trunk. It's always on the new branches. Institutions are like trunks. They provide stability not innovation.

A great spiritual awakening is on the horizon. Be aware of these five stages of renewal. God has called you to be a catalyst in the renewal of our church. We will be keeping you in touch with where our church is on its journey for you will be an instrumental part in formulating our “core values; bedrock beliefs; vision and mission.