I had an interesting conversation recently with a friend of mine who has influence in the SBC. We were talking about the advantages and disadvantages of the small church and the large church. I was extolling the virtues of the small church and my friend agreed to a certain extent. Then he said something that totally blew me away. He said, "Les, the time of the megachurch is ending." [Note: This conversation happened before Frank Page's statement at the Small Church Leadership Conference.]
He went on to say that he did an informal survey of seminary students and asked them how many were planning on serving in established churches. To his surprise, less than 10% replied they were going to serve in established churches. The vast majority of them said they are going to plant new churches and the churches they are going to plant are house churches. Many of the students coming through seminary today have a heart to personally disciple 20 to 25 people at a time and then move on to another group of 20 to 25 and so on. They have seen what they term as the "superficiality" of traditional churches and what happens when 85% of the church's budget is dedicated to buildings and salaries. Little money is left for real ministry.
I can understand this view from our young people and their heart to simplify, which I believe is radically biblical. I'm not sure I want to "throw the baby out with the bath water" by doing ONLY house churches, but they are a viable approach which my church is starting to do as well.
I'm sure there will be plenty of seminarians who want to staff traditional churches. But isn't it refreshing to see the risk-takers who want to do church in a less institutional way? I'll be watching to see what this new breed of church planters will do. God bless them.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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7 comments:
Just a couple of thoughts..
I pray that God will move in others lives like He did in yours. You weren't a youngster when you surrendered to Christ's call on your life. I'd still call you a young man though. ;)
With that in mind, perhaps the large church and megachurches need to look within to find their pastors. At the last mega I was at, I saw many lay pastors, responsible for teaching, discipling, and ministering to 40-50 families each.
They were called Bible Study teachers and directors. To be quite frank, they were the real frontline pastors in most cases.
Mike
Mike,
What a great point. The lay teachers are the ones who are truly carrying the load. Thanks for reminding us.
Les
Les,
I thought I'd mention to you a new book out by J.D. Payne, prof here at SBTS of church planting called Missional House Churches. I think Paternoster is the publisher, but it speaks a little along the lines of your post.
I also sympathize with you on the nature of church budgets and structure (I blogged on this several time when last fall--I can send you the links if you want them).
Anyway, thank you for your hard work in emphasizing and strengthening our churches in the SBC. May the Lord use you even more in the days to come.
Timmy
Les,
I think my point was, to quote a famous politician, "if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it is a duck."
As I think you once attended a mega while in seminary (Prestonwood?), you have seen that many of the adult bible study groups at a mega resemble a Church more than they resemble a group.
Those who lead these "groups" are typically laymen, yet, if you picked up the entire group, put them in their own building, you would call them a church, and the leaders pastors.
The leaders teach (and often preach), disciple, and minister to these groups.
What I'm trying to say is that I think it would be fruitful, and biblical, to intentionally commission, develop, and train these leaders as lay pastors. I believe "titles" can matter.
I've been a SS leader and teacher in this large group context. Our staff even made comments that we in effect were pastors to these large groups. To be honest, I don't know if that ever sunk in.
I'm now an associate pastor at a small church with essentially the same duties, but brother, let me tell you, my thinking about my responsibility before God has changed somewhat.
I know teachers are held to a high standard from Scripture, just as pastors are, yet it's easy as a teacher/leader to sum up your entire responsibility to what you do AT the church on Sunday morning.
Perhaps if teacher/leaders in a megachurch context understood that they are in reality pastors, the megachurch would have its pastors already in the pipeline.
Mike
Timmy,
Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll be sure to read it.
Mike,
Agreed.
Les
Brother Les,
Excellent post brother. Recently a friend shared his concern with me over a pastor he knows. His concern was that this pastor's stated goal was a "mega-church." My first response was, "Have you talked to him about your concerns?" And my second was to share with him that he is 20-30 years late for that one!
As someone trained to look at a culture and evaluate how to go about reaching folks in that particular culture, I would say anything other than small, transparent, action-oriented communities are not going to fly with post-moderns. Roger Ferrell nailed this yesterday on SBC Impact. Now, I'm with you on not throwing the baby out with the bath water... Can a "regular" or "mega" church be these things? Sure (more difficult with a mega). But I can tell you that right now our community meets on Saturday evening as a whole and then in home groups throughout the week. "Membership" (find that in the NT) is ONLY through a home group. Each home group is responsible (and held accountable) for outreach in their local community and pastoral care of the members of the home group. All of our "clergy" are bi-vocational... and we intend to keep it this way.
When sharing this with other post-modern believers, their eyes light up. (We send all active church members back to their leadership if they want to be a part of our community believing Matthew 18 applies prior to leaving a local community.) When sharing this with unbelieving post-moderns they say things like, "Sounds a lot better than regular church." Hmmmm..... When God starts speaking to them about the condition of their heart, living life the best way, enslavement to desires and the World, where will they go for answers? Probably a new-age mystic over a "traditional" church... but we desire to offer an alternative. Of course, this is our goal. To worship our Creator and live set-apart lives together... in a culturally appropriate way.
I just realized how long this comment is going to be. Sorry! Rant over!!
His peace be yours in abundance,
From the Middle East
Timmy,
Thanks for the book tip. I just ordered Payne's book and look forward to reading it.
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