What Kind of Church Are You? Identifying the one unifying factor determining ministry success

There are many different kinds of churches. You probably know that I am a proponent for integrity in the Church, seeking reconciliation toward unity instead of the usual process of continuous fragmentation. Therefore, feel compelled to add that there are too many different kinds of churches. But we can have that discussion some other time. There is a more essential point I hope we can consider here.

But first, let me ask: what kind of church are you? Does that seem like a strange question? Let me explain for just a moment.

I recall it being Ron Frost (Ron is an educator with Barnabas International and one of our special presenters during doctoral studies at Multnomah Biblical Seminary.) who first suggested to me that individual Christians are just as much church as are any group of Christians congregating in any number of churches. We each represent the body of Christ, and are each responsible for responding as the body of Christ. We are also responsible to congregate together, so please do not mistake me for advocating some sort of isolated religious practice that could be accurately called “Christian.” But even as we consider the various kinds of churches, please understand that I am asking what kind of church you are.

Several Kinds of Church: Governing Structures

In order to accomplish the tasks of vision-setting, decision-making, and ministry operations, there are three primary structures churches employ. Where decisions are centralized in a hierarchy of individuals fulfilling these functions, it is called an episcopal structure. (Which is not necessary limited to the Episcopal Church, a name applied to some offshoots of the Anglican Church or The Church of England.) This term, from episkopos in the Greek, means that there is one key person responsible to over (epi) see (skopos) the life and ministry of a given congregation. Where groups of mature Christians serve this function together, the term used is presbyterian, from the Greek presbyteros, or “elder.” (Again, this applies to other denominations that those which use the word Presbyterian in their titles.) When the tasks of vision, decisions, and ministry are discussed and decided by all those who gather in a given local organization, that form of “church government” is referred to as congregational.

 

Many congregations and denominations employ some combination of these structures, with varying leaders or groups of leaders in specific areas of ministry. But one form or another usually dominates most of any particular church’s function.

Many More Kinds of Church: Ministry Emphasis & Personality

So, are there just three kinds of churches? No. In addition to a variety of governing structures, churches pursue differing characteristics as their primary mood, ministry purpose, or perceived personality. For example, in most communities there are churches that openly advertise themselves as being the simple church, or the easy church. There are exciting churches, happy churches, and friendly churches, and not only are there significant differences among them, it can be frustrating to discover only months into your attendance that what you thought was a friendly church is intolerant of anyone who fails to fit the happy-Christian mold.

It is not merely mood and personality that determines the character of a local church. Some Christians gravitate toward a dogmatically-exclusive church, while others seek out a tolerantly-inclusive church. Of course, either of these might also be a politically-active congregations but pursuing very different platforms.

Again, there are hybrids here, just as with governing structures. Among the congregants in any one place, you will find different reasons for choosing the same body to which they choose to belong. But the children’s ministry church, the youth group church, the singles’ studies church, and the senior citizens’ road-trip church tend to be more uniform in composition. Still, there can be a surprising range of ages, socio-economic levels, and other demographic categories found in community-service churches, theological debate churches. And all this may be irrelevant to those who define their Christian experience by the musical styles of their worship team. Those, of course, range from classically-trained flamboyance in hymn-accompaniment, through grunge-rock mystical mumblings, to what one astute observer referred to as her church’s version of “The Country Bear Jamboree.”

Two Key Categories of Church

No matter what governing structure is implemented, nor what emphasis or personality results, each ministry in every local congregation falls into one of two categories.

The first is more prevalent. Usually, whatever the governing structure may be, there are distinct decisions about what that gathering of Christians will do in order to serve the purposes they believe God has called them to fulfill. They then pursue any number of activities they believe are appropriate to the task, and they pray that God will bless their investments and fulfill their expectations with the appropriate results. The temptation to pursue specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timed (SMART) objectives usually leads to counting “nickels and noses,” evaluating ministry-success in terms of “butts in the pew and bucks in the plate.”

Consider for a moment, though, that even if the way we keep score were to change, other aspects of that first category’s description might still require some revision. Several improvements may come to your mind. But the first and foremost among them is what, in keeping with E.M. Bounds’ chapter, “A Praying Ministry Successful,” points to the foundational perspective and essential activity of churches in the second category. This second category contrasts distinctly with churches whose leaders define their objectives of success, set goals along a path toward those objectives, make ministry-shaping decisions along the way, and pray for God to bless their efforts.

As Bounds writes, where the objectives of success is “holiness” as evidenced in “transfigured hearts and lives,” it is not in the board room, but in the prayer closets of a church’s leaders (whether one, some, or all members of the congregation are considered such). What brings about these results? It is that “their prayers entered into and shaped their characters; they so prayed as to affect their own lives and the lives of others; they so prayed as to make the history of the Church and influence the current of the times.”

Still Just One Kind of Christian

Three major forms of governing structure, unlimited and ever-growing types of personalities, and myriad minutiae of doctrine over which we divide from one another—there are so many ways to categorize the (too) many kinds of churches that you and I may choose to be. But what Jesus promises to the two or three gathered in His name, agreeing together in prayer, is still available today. For whatever other adjectives you think may properly modify “Christian” (usually a denominational or traditional identifier), would there be greater unity in the body and greater effectiveness in our ministry together if the main distinction could be that we are “Praying Christians?”

Perhaps, but I hope we would never call ourselves that. I object to so many other adjectives on the grounds that they serve primarily to define divisions among Christians. But I will critique this one for a completely different reason: redundancy. If we claim that being a Christian means having a relationship with God through Christ, and that where there is a relationship there must be conversation, then why would the idea that Christians are praying need to be emphasized. We are praying, or we are not Christians. So, why are we not praying together?

Villanova’s Buzzer-Beater: A Place for Fundamentals and Coaching in Preparing the Play-Maker

Marcus Paige...and the game is tied!

Villanova’s Buzzer-Beater

This past Monday night, in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the University of North Carolina trailed 74-71 until their guard Marcus Paige seemed to hang in mid-air, between two Villanova players, and hit an improbable, off-balance, double-clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 74 points apiece with 4.7 seconds remaining. It looked for a moment like we would be treated to five minutes of free basketball. But then, Villanova’s Kris Jenkins inbounded the ball to Ryan Arcidiacono (ARCH-ee-dee-AH-cuh-no) who drove up the court, drew two UNC defenders, and dished the ball back to Jenkins. For many children too young to practice Christian Laettner’s top-of-the-key turnaround jumper, it will be Jenkins’ shot and celebration that they will emulate as their game-winner, too. And so, it could be said, Jenkins’ shot not only brought such memorable recognition to himself, but it brought the 2016 National Championship to Villanova University, head coach Jay Wright, and the rest of his entire team.

It could be said that way, but before examining that perspective a little more closely, let me ask you a few questions about your own aspirations. Have you ever fantasized about being in the right place at the right time, able to do the right thing in order to make a heroic difference? Maybe your imaginary moment of fame brings you to home plate in the bottom of the ninth, trailing by a run with two outs and one on base, when you crush the pitch, sending it soaring into the stands. It could be, instead, that you see yourself valiantly responding to cries for help, diving into a flooded stream to pull a child to safety. Perhaps your aim is nothing more than finding the gallantry necessary to step outside your comfort-zone, approach an obviously distraught friend, and be willing to hear their full, honest answer when you ask, “Would it help to talk about it?”

No, not that Christian's heroics. Other Christians' heroics!

Christian Heroics

Knowing as many Christians as I have over the past three decades, there is one particular fantasy I have heard repeatedly. We picture ourselves actually engaging in conversation with a close friend, family member, coworker, or classmate. They comment on our relationship with Jesus Christ, and as the conversation continues we are privileged to hear their gratifying question, “How then shall I be saved?” Fortunately for many, this remains a fantasy. I say “fortunately” because most would find themselves utterly unprepared, not knowing what to say if that moment were to arise. (If you think you’re not one of those unprepared to answer your friend’s request to meet Jesus, then simply take the next few minutes to explain the gospel out loud. Okay? So, how did you do? Clear, concise, and compelling? Or complicated, confused, and incomplete?) Therefore, many Christians never need worry about answering such questions, because just having that conversation is too unlikely.

What if our heroic make-believe moment, though, required something less than a gospel presentation? What if the situation in which you see yourself allowed you to remain silent, to not even engage in conversation about something so “personal and private” as your own relationship with Jesus Christ? What if that moment in which you envision yourself rising to the occasion involved nothing more than simply saying no to temptation, and avoiding your favorite sin…just once? What if your ambitions only scale the heights of self-discipline so far as to actually leave the comfort of your bed, get showered and dressed, grab your Bible, and make it to church this Sunday? Does the bar still need lowered? Are you still only dreaming of one day picking up that Bible, opening it to a favorite passage, and praying about what the Holy Spirit says to you through God’s word?

Kris Jenkins - with the ball Arcidiacono just
passed him, during the play that
Jay Wright designed...etc.

Opportunity Meets Preparation

During the post-game interviews with victorious Villanova’s players this past Monday night, one reporter admitted their confusion about those final 4.7 seconds. There was a sense, according to the reporter, in which the game-winning shot was a result of a set play, orchestrated to produce the result it did. But there were also parts of what Jenkins and Arcidiacono had described that made it sound as though they were improvising on the spot. The two young men gave a reasonable-enough explanation, but not so much so that it prevented coach Jay Wright from being asked the same question just minutes later. In just a few brief sentences, Wright explained clearly and concisely what every coach seeks to do for his players (and what I believe many pastors seek to do for those they serve).

I remember there being three levels to Wright’s answer about that final shot. First, he explained that there were actually three end-of-game plays that his team had prepared. There was a play to run if there were more than twelve seconds left, another to run if there were between five and twelve seconds, and a third to run if there were less than five seconds. Therefore, the five young men on the court had only to look at the clock (4.7 seconds) to know which play they were going to run. The second part of Coach Wright’s answer, though, addressed the very point where the reporter had earlier found some confusion. In running the “under-five-second” play, it was still necessary to discern what the opposing team’s players were doing (double-teaming Arcidiacono, as it happened), and then make a decision about who would be open and available to take the final shot of the game. Jenkins, running to the right and doing so fast enough to get into Arcidiacono’s peripheral vision, was then tasked with the third element—making the shot—in what turned out to be a successful end to the game, the tournament, the season, and Jenkins’ career as a Villanova Wildcat.

More Than Meets the Eye

As above, then, “it could be said” that what CBS will forever label as one of their “One Shining Moment” moments, put Jenkins’ shot in an forever-unfading spotlight. Too, that shot, “it could be said,” brought Villanova their first National Championship since 1985, brought head coach Jay Wright to greater prominence (and potential job-changes), and so much more. But before we ascribe all that to the game’s final eight-tenths of one second (as the ball traveled to and through the basket) there needs to be a more careful, if concise, exploration of that “moment.”

Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright

Jenkins’ shot resulted from Arcidiacono’s decision. Arcidiacono’s decision was enabled by Wright’s play. Wright’s play was determined by the Wildcats’ circumstance. That circumstance had been rehearsed and the play had been practiced, and Jenkins’ preparation had included many such shots alone with a ball and a hoop throughout his young life. So, when the ball ended up in Jenkins’ hands Monday night, yes—the spotlight was, indeed, on him. But the endless drills, the foundational fundamentals, and the routine repetition of what to do when the opportunity presented itself, these elements on the part of a dozen young men, a coaching staff, an athletic department, a university, an athletic association, and a culture that values and supports the pursuit of excellence in sports, and probably dozens of other ingredients went into what many will remember as being the singular action of one individual player in that one shining moment.

The Opportunities Awaiting You

For every child who drives toward the hoop in their driveway, or sets their feet at the playground foul-line, or looks around to be sure they’re alone in the gym before saying to themselves, “to Jenkins…for the championship!” may there be at least one more of us who imagine ourselves heroically asking, answering, and acting on the question, “What would Jesus have me do today?” But let us also commit to fulfilling our own one-shining-moment, and passionately pursue the endless drills of the foundational fundamentals. May we remember that what may seem like only a routine repetition of the spiritual disciplines of scripture study, worship and prayer, fellowship and service, and the other habits of holiness, is the indispensable prerequisite to even being on the court during those critical moments. 

E.M. Bounds’ Seven Elements of Preaching from a Place of ‘True Praying’

There are a handful of moments over the past three decades of ministry when I remember being nearly paralyzed by the immense responsibility that accompanies the divine calling to preach the word of God. It is rarely simple, never easy, though occasionally exciting…like a train-wreck. Those overwhelming times sometimes result from the challenging subject matter of the passage at hand. Sometimes, I have felt myself engulfed by emotion because of the circumstances into which God’s word must be spoken. And more frequently I am amazed in contemplating the great privilege granted me by a congregation committed to enabling sufficient study, composition, and polishing for the messages they gather to hear.

I hope that one element is conspicuous by its absence. Study, composition, and polishing come easily to those blessed with a great deal of education, bountiful budgets of both time and money to constantly consume book after book, and the additional benefit of being engaged in dialogue with a diverse breadth of individuals of great spiritual depth. With all that, however, comes also the temptation to believe that I have something to say. I do, of course. But not in preaching. In preaching, my responsibility is to overcome the temptation to say any something, except to deliver that which is God’s message, in that holy moment He has appointed, for the edification of those He has gathered, that they may be the agency of His will on earth, just as it is in heaven. As important as preaching is, and important as careful study, composition, and polishing may be, there is one essential that should inform, influence, and inspire every word of every sermon. But because, as E.M. Bounds writes, “Preachers are human folks, and are exposed to and often caught by the strong driftings of human currents,” I find that I need a constant reminder of the necessity of the fullest possible approach to preaching through prayer.

Toward reminding myself of the richness of prayer that provides the foundation and fulfillment of preaching’s promise, I find Bounds’ seven elements of “true praying” to be a worthy contemplation.

1.       Vital Oneness with Christ – As communicators of the gospel, we are not merely commentators on the events and content of Jesus’ life from twenty centuries ago. If we are not continuously participating by allowing His ministry to take place in and through our lives, then we are preaching across a divide of insurmountable distance to those who have little or no hope of emulating what we present as an intellectual exercise instead of a living, breathing, active and living (thus Bounds’ use of the term “vital”) life of faith.

2.       Fullness of the Holy Ghost – Jesus told us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If we are merely to speak about God, then we may do so out of the abundance of our minds, the volumes of our libraries, or the class notes from our Bible college or seminary. If, however, we intend to speak God, to speak the way, the truth, and the life, to give voice to the living presence of the Almighty Creator of all that ever will have existed, then we must be filled to overflowing with God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit.

3.       Deep, Overflowing Fountains of Tender Compassion – In the next point, Bounds addresses our focus on eternal life for those we serve. But here, lest we overlook the circumstances of their lives, becoming “so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good,” it is essential that we not only know how others are living, but that we materially live as they do. The ivory pedestals of our isolated studies may be momentarily necessary to the study, composition, and polishing of our messages, but the lives into which we speak are “out there” where the dialogue is occurring for many more hours than we will ever preach. The phrase that has helped me most in making the time available for actively engaging in the daily lives of our community comes from Andrew Blackwood’s Pastoral Leadership (Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1949). I remember it as, “Pastoral visitation is sermon preparation.”

4.       Deathless Solicitude for Man’s Eternal Good – No matter how gratifying it is to see God’s resources brought to bear through our lives into the needs of those we are called to serve, the message we deliver is not merely incomplete but entirely heretical if it does not emphasize God’s eternal love, Christ’s eternal purpose, and the Holy Spirit’s eternal efforts to bring new, abundant, and eternal life into its fullest possible expression in every life He allows us to touch.

5.       Consuming Zeal for the Glory of God – Even in the previous two categories, it is possible to diminish God to being the cache of resources, or even the means to salvation. That Jesus is Lord and Master, and Sovereign King does not negate His character as the Friend of sinners, the Intercessor affirming the effectiveness of His blood in reconciling us to God, or any other aspect we may occasionally neglect in favor of others. The richness of both the breadth and depth of God’s attributes, character, will, and action deserve careful review to ensure that our preaching does not drift onto a few favorite perspectives at the expense of presenting the wholeness of His holiness.

6.       A Thorough Conviction of the Preacher’s Difficult and Delicate Work – I have discussed this above, but here I would add the confession that I have, too frequently, looked upon a sermon text as offering me an “easier” preparation due to my familiarity with the particular passage. I have learned, however, to reject this seductive enticement to my laziness. In truth, the more familiar a passage is, the more difficult it usually proves to think through how it applies to the congregation who will gather to hear it. Worse, far greater effort is actually required. It can be a struggle to determine what the passage does say, when I am already certain that I know what it has said to me previously. And then, the cold, hard light of truth, once seen, needs to be focused and filtered into fractional portions, set in an accessible order, so that the truth that so resonates in my heart will do the same for others on Sunday morning.

7.       The Imperative Need of God’s Mightiest Help – All of the above matters combine to motivate an inevitable decision. There are more than two options, but many preachers find themselves at some point in their ministry with the strong sense of being caught between only the Rock and the hard place. The hard place may be the personalities and preferences of a particular parish. Some may face a crisis of personal health, relationships, or finances. But often the hard place is deep within the preacher who faces the growing perception that an ever-closer relationship with the Rock reveals the terrible distance between what the preacher is and does, and what any disciple of Jesus Christ comes to realize: there is so much we can never be, so much we can never do. The weight of that realization can threaten to crush us. The attractive alternative to that brokenness is to walk away from the role and its responsibilities. But there is a third option. I happen to believe it cannot be accessed without the brokenness. Some would disagree, and perhaps they have found some other means to the same end. But the strength to hold up under the pressures of preaching is to accept what Bounds calls “the imperative need of God’s mightiest help” that is available only when, I believe, our strength has crumbled to dust and been swept out of the way.

Of course, this seventh element brings us full circle in Bounds’ list. God’s mightiest help is only available when we have nothing else to bring to the task at hand than our vital oneness with Christ. Are there still simpler, easier, more exciting options available to today’s preachers? Yes. And it would appear that simpler, easier, and more exciting preaching is more attractive to greater numbers. So, why pursue this prayer-drenched preaching that Bounds describes as being “a conspicuous and an all-impregnating force?” There is no reason at all, unless we choose to believe as Bounds does: “To (those) who think think praying their main business and devote time to it according to this high estimate of its importance does God commit the keys of his kingdom, and by them does he work his spiritual wonders in this world.”

When I look at the crowds that are being drawn, and especially when I hear the criticisms from among the simpler, easier, and more exciting options, so far, I do still hear the words of Jesus: “What about you? Do you want to go there, too?” It is only by committing to consistently “conspicuous” prayer that my answer remains, “Where else am I supposed to go? Only You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:66-71) And as their preacher, I refuse to believe that those to whom I am called to serve on Christ’s behalf should deserve anything else, which would make the message something less than the whole counsel of God’s word.