Asking the Right Question, Part 2

Twenty five years ago this month I left the comfortable setting of Seminary life for my first fulltime ministry position (a pastorate in Middle Tennessee). As my wife and I packed up to move, said goodbye to our friends and headed off to our new ministry adventure, I asked myself the key question I had been trained to ask, "How can I grow my church?"

St. Joseph, Tennessee is a wonderful little hamlet on the Tennessee-Alabama state line. It had a population of 900 within the city limits, along with its only traffic light (yellow). About 8,000 people lived within 8-10 miles of our church, on both sides of the border. I was the first seminary trained pastor in the history of the church.  They called me as pastor on a 49-0 vote. I was thirty years old.  The church had been plateaued for twenty-five years. What was I gonna do?

We went to work. We started new units. We trained new workers. We promoted outreach activities. We used every program in the Southern Baptist lexicon to train people to share their faith. I helped organize activities at the local Senior center. But for eight long months.....not much happened. But we kept working .....serving.....and praying.

Then God began to work. People starting coming to Jesus.....back to Church......back to service. There were frustrating days but blessed days as well. We bought property. We found buildings to put on the new property.....and God blessed. And we were then and remain now grateful for what God did through us.

But if I were starting again twenty five years later I would ask myself a different question. Instead of asking "How can I grow my church" I would ask instead: "How can I impact my community.....and my world?"

This does not mean that the question I asked twenty-five years ago was the wrong question. I just happen to believe the second question is a better one. Why do I believe this? First, it takes the emphasis off of 'us' and puts it on 'them'. It's less selfish. It puts the needs of others before our own. Second, it's visionary. It allows you to widen your vision and get you into the community and out of your comfort zone. Finally, it does not mean we should not give attention to buildings, budgets and baptism. We still need to train workers,and teach people how to share their faith.  We must remain faithful to the gospel. And it remains faithful to the New Testament mission of the church.

That's why its a better question.

It's the right one.