Some mega churches, in attempting to build large attendance, lost track of the reason the church exists. The church is not a voluntary organization, but a community or fellowship of those “called” together by Christ. That calling, is what brings the attendees into the doors, not the programs or flash of the day.

The church was designed for the body of Christ. Its primary activity was to encourage believers and develop ministry skills that would help individuals reach out to the lost in their neighborhoods. It was also a place where Christians could unconditionally love each other in a way that would cause outsiders to see something appealing and Christ like.

Christ called specific people to each church so that when they functioned in harmony, they could overcome many of the issues of the day. The ministries that would flow out from the church came from the hearts of those attending, not from a program put in place by a pastor or steering committee. Outreach was a natural overflow of the relationships, and the love, or bonding, that occurred between church members.

Today, many churches are confused about its role in the community because the church is filled with numerous volunteers that were never called. In some American mega churches, people are convinced to participate in pre-established programs for the sake of others, rather than creating a new program by the coming together of like-minded people in relationship.

It’s possible that apathy drove the shift to pre-established programs, as most in the church felt they had to do something to exist. Unfortunately, having volunteers working shoulder to shoulder with the called creates very different results. When the called do what is on their hearts to do, it’s like harmony in motion. It reveals God’s hand on the project.

It’s not too different from the affects of barbershop music. When a barbershop quartet sings in perfect harmony, overtones are created. In other words, when the four men sing their parts in just the right way, the audience hears five notes. It is an awesome experience and a heavenly sound. It’s as if God joined in and sang the fifth part.

The same holds true for the called doing what they were made to do. There is an overtone effect that reveals the presence of a heavenly participant in the ministry – It’s amazing. This touch of the master’s hand is seldom present in volunteer based ministries that are void of the called.

My reference of the called is not to infer the differences between Calvinistic or Armenian viewpoints, but rather to suggest a difference between someone who has God stirring their heart in a particular area, versus someone who participates based solely on mental ascent.

To see these supernatural expressions within a local church, mega sized or not, churches must get back to the basics of building in depth relationships with God, the called, and the visitors. These relationships will then drive new programs that will be spirit led and touch people’s lives in many ways.

The outcome will be more people finding their calling and reaching more of the lost with the gospel. It might also shrink the church for a time, followed by geometric growth as the spirit leads the called to touch lives with compassion and grace.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers
Photo © diedel – Fotolia.com

The Shepherd’s Staff, made up of Ph.D.s and M.A.s, after decades of research and bringing health to the wounded and hurting, concluded that:

• Individuals grow through relationships
• Wounded people heal in relationships
• Unbelievers come to the Lord through relationships

Growth, healing and spirituality are tied to relationships. Basically, people need people. And, through these relationships people become whole, healthy and clear thinkers. They are able to understand things in life and embrace what is necessary for positive change.

Growth can come from the affects of iron sharpening iron, or simple words of encouragement. The key is for the communication to be in the best interest of the other person or the desire for them to be who they were meant to be – Not something different.

Last Sunday I had lunch with a couple of friends, which gave us an opportunity to catch up on our lives. During the conversation my one friend stated how important church was in his life, especially the worship. His words didn’t seem authentic to me, as I had watched him come late to church week after week. He would arrive just at the end of worship.

I asked him why his actions and words didn’t’ match up. He quickly pointed out that Saturday nights were his one time to let go and relax and he’d watch 2-3 movies, which many times caused him to wake up very late on Sunday mornings. I understood and then asked a clarifying question, “So, what I hear you saying is that your relaxation time on Saturday nights is more important than what you get out of Sunday mornings, right?”

My friend became angry because I didn’t believe how important Sunday mornings were to him. I told him that I would believe it the moment his words matched his actions. Then I saw the light bulb go off. He got it. He clarified that he didn’t’ realize his choices didn’t match his heart and he was going to do something about it immediately. He thanked me for pointing out what he hadn’t seen. He was determined to grow in the area of living with integrity.

The healing process is something I get to see every Thursday night with my leadership involvement in a divorce recovery program. One night we had a person who wanted to only speak the positive in hopes that she would recover quicker. After several weeks, she noticed that those who talked about their pain were healing faster than she was. I suggested that being authentic about our pain led to healing, while living in denial slowed the process.

Facing our problems can be uncomfortable, but it needs to happen if we are to become free from the three things that sets us back: An unrealistic worldview, sin in our lives, and the effects of our childhood. To be whole, we may need help from others to focus on those common issues we face. Whether it be a counselor, pastor or good listener, it is critical that we get outside perspective to help us understand how our viewpoint got skewed and how to reset it.

I’ve learned that the healing process always puts the person seeking help into a mode of desiring to understand how they were made and for what purpose. This undoubtedly creates a desire to seek their creator and learn about his design for their life.

When people realize who they are and what their purpose in life is, they become a lighthouse to others traversing the storms of life. They become icons of health and restoration. I’ve even seen the overflow of their lives ignite creativity and life-giving love within others, without any effort on their own part. It’s miraculous.

But, it all takes relationships with God, family and friends. We need each other to become the best us we can become. The rub comes in our societies trend of isolating people. We are given numerous opportunities to do things alone. There are less interactions at work thanks to email. The gym is loaded with people listening to music rather than engaging with others. The trains are packed with Kindle readers with few conversations about the books they’re reading.

Its time for us to build some relationships that heal.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers

Photo © yanlev – Fotolia.com

In the day and age of busy schedules and frantic pace, we seldom have time for intimate friendships beyond our immediate family. Even the buzz of actives within the home and the diverse tastes find us with little time for our precious loved ones. Thankfully we have mobile phones to help us connect during our daily commute to and from the office.

Whether talking on the phone, chatting with the person in the backseat as we drive, or dropping a quick email, we are separated from the once common experience of looking into each other’s eyes. We have lost the connection through the window of their soul. We are no longer in a place were our gaze can reveal their unspoken pain or their soft spoken cover up in hopes of not offending us because they desire something different than us.

This new form of isolation has given rise to a unique form of expression. Instead of sharing our thoughts and feelings during an intimate conversation, people now communicate more broadly through tweets, blogs and social networks. What was once private has become public and those participating no longer care to keep anything withheld.

New expectations have risen in the relationship building process. The younger generation who rarely had good communication demonstrated to them due to the broken home in which they were raised, now expect you to keep up with their Internet or electronic communications if you desire a relationship with them. Many of them just don’t have the time to be repetitive in sharing personally what they already shared publicly.

I was with a group of younger friends recently and asked one of them about their recent experience. The response was, “Didn’t you read my tweets or Facebook?” I shared that my schedule caused me to get behind in my reading. Her response was, “Oh, well, you can just read it when you get a chance to catch up.” She then turned to another friend and started a new topic.

People have no desire to talk about old news and social media drives information at a faster pace than what our social calendars allow. It is impossible to keep up. In my attempt to do so last weekend, I found that there were enough entries by my friends to fill two 400 page books. There was no way I could catch up in a couple of hours, let alone over the weekend that was already packed with adventure.

The opposite is also true. Trying to chat with someone that already read your blog can stop a conversation quickly. I raised a topic the other night that I had blogged about a few days earlier. It was a topic of interest to me and I was curious of my friend’s perspective. Unfortunately, his response was, “Yeah, I read your blog. That was really something.” Then he changed the topic. I felt ripped off because I didn’t gain his insight.

The burden of friendship has changed over the decades. Before I was born, neighbors met each other at the fence and chatted about all the issues of the day. They could argue or agree, but in both cases they walked away respecting the other’s opinion and came by the fence the next day. Today, we jot off an email or 140 character tweet and we expect others to keep up with our thoughts.

During the “good ole days” we carried the respectful burden of hearing out our friend’s opinion long enough for us to earn the right to state our view. Today, the burden isn’t that of patience, but of trying to keep up with the public announcements our friends release. It’s as if being a friend today has been redefined, as a person who is your friend’s number one fan in the world of social media.

The funny thing is that most of the people I count as close friends seldom read my blog. Oh, if there is an article that peaks their interest they will read it, but they certainly aren’t avid readers. Hmm, does that mean we shouldn’t be friends? Frankly, I desire intimate conversations with my friends, I don’t need them to be fans.

What kind of burden do your friends put on you? Do they expect you to keep up with their eNotices, or just want you to share in his or her great times and tough times?

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers
Photo © James Thew – Fotolia.com