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Is the church a business to hire and fire or a family to raise up sons and daughters?
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 13th November 2023
Source: TCN / David Skevington
Date Added: 2023-11-13
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
Date Added: 2023-11-13
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
A business hires and fires employees. A family raises up sons and daughters.
When business principles and strategies become more valuable than Biblical principles, the Church will die.
In John 13:35, Jesus says, “Just as I have loved you; you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
The world’s relentless drive on rights, self-discovery and career goals (all fuelled in part by social media) has distracted the Church from its fundamental function.
According to Jesus, the way the Church must distinguish itself from the rest of the world is by loving one another as a family that gathers around the revelation of Himself. Yet, it seems the Church is trying to distinguish itself based on growth, influence and relevancy.
One of the major results of this is the breakdown in the raising up and discipling of young leaders.
To argue this point, statistically, a youth pastor only lasts 18 months in a leadership role.
Church growth models encourage “hiring the best.”
Ministry responsibilities, outcomes, goals and targets are centred around performance, numbers and programmes rather than character development, spiritual formation and theological content.
This is not to say that growth and structure are not important, but for the leadership team it should not come before the highest priority in the case of a young leader, which is to make space to equip and empower them to follow and lead in as much of the calling that Jesus has put on their lives as possible (Eph 4:11-12).
In John 15:4 Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
The Jesus model is that when we “be” (abide) with him, we “become” like him and when we become like him, we eventually “do” what He did.
A young leader should never be employed just to manage a task. First and foremost, the church should use the task as an opportunity to disciple them towards Jesus.
In Luke 15, the prodigal son externally had his identity restored but the internal journey of healing and restoring was just beginning.
There would need to be a personal decision between both the son and the father to walk out many barriers to see complete restoration.
Church leaders are looking for young people to bring passion, zeal and dynamic ideas to do a job when in actual fact the greater need and mandate is to father and mother hurt, broken, young, gifted potential leaders.
The challenge for church leaders is to take a never-changing gospel to an ever-changing society.
In other words, it’s about finding the tension between keeping the value but changing the culture.
Jesus encourages us to love because love serves to understand. Older generations were brought up with a high value on rules, responsibility and order, whereas the younger generations value self-discovery, experience and purpose.
In the context of these two generations mixing, misunderstanding is the greatest challenge.
Personally, as a young leader, I have had numerous challenges where I would have benefited deeply from having safe fathering support.
These challenges consisted of trying to lead without having any experience to draw upon; to stay focused on calling over career; to honour leaders but be an individual; to lead with confidence but not pride; to have passion but not let it become anger; to balance family and ministry and to learn that your leaders can have flaws.
Jesus’ solution was always health over success, obedience over outcomes.
The imperative question we need to be asking is not “what they must do?” but “who are you?” “Where are you going?” and “why”?
The forming of an identity based around the revelation of Jesus is the presence in a young leader that is the salt in a society that stops that culture from decaying.
Formation, direction and convictions are the non-negotiables that should be expressed because spiritual practices change character and character is leadership and when formed by Jesus will finish well.
The Church desperately needs real mothers and fathers in this time.
In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul says, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers”.
Young leaders need fathers and mothers who have three values: firstly, “courage,” to be risked on and to provide Biblical truth even when it's not attractive. Secondly, “compassion,” young leaders do not need to be impressed, they need to feel safe so that they can explore.
Thirdly, “cost.” Love is sacrificial and so when a church raises sons and daughters in a family there will always be a cost involved.
In Paul’s 13 letters there are 277 references to the word “family”.
The church’s greatest strength is family. It is her secret power, not just the love for each other but how the world views it.
The world needs to see that the church is the Good News not just stating Good News. The world is looking for authentic community. The church does that by raising sons and daughters.
For further conversations on this topic please contact davidskev@newwinevcf.co.za
David Skevington
Associate Pastor: New Wine Vineyard Christian Fellowship
When business principles and strategies become more valuable than Biblical principles, the Church will die.
In John 13:35, Jesus says, “Just as I have loved you; you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
The world’s relentless drive on rights, self-discovery and career goals (all fuelled in part by social media) has distracted the Church from its fundamental function.
According to Jesus, the way the Church must distinguish itself from the rest of the world is by loving one another as a family that gathers around the revelation of Himself. Yet, it seems the Church is trying to distinguish itself based on growth, influence and relevancy.
One of the major results of this is the breakdown in the raising up and discipling of young leaders.
To argue this point, statistically, a youth pastor only lasts 18 months in a leadership role.
Church growth models encourage “hiring the best.”
Ministry responsibilities, outcomes, goals and targets are centred around performance, numbers and programmes rather than character development, spiritual formation and theological content.
This is not to say that growth and structure are not important, but for the leadership team it should not come before the highest priority in the case of a young leader, which is to make space to equip and empower them to follow and lead in as much of the calling that Jesus has put on their lives as possible (Eph 4:11-12).
In John 15:4 Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
The Jesus model is that when we “be” (abide) with him, we “become” like him and when we become like him, we eventually “do” what He did.
A young leader should never be employed just to manage a task. First and foremost, the church should use the task as an opportunity to disciple them towards Jesus.
In Luke 15, the prodigal son externally had his identity restored but the internal journey of healing and restoring was just beginning.
There would need to be a personal decision between both the son and the father to walk out many barriers to see complete restoration.
Church leaders are looking for young people to bring passion, zeal and dynamic ideas to do a job when in actual fact the greater need and mandate is to father and mother hurt, broken, young, gifted potential leaders.
The challenge for church leaders is to take a never-changing gospel to an ever-changing society.
In other words, it’s about finding the tension between keeping the value but changing the culture.
Jesus encourages us to love because love serves to understand. Older generations were brought up with a high value on rules, responsibility and order, whereas the younger generations value self-discovery, experience and purpose.
In the context of these two generations mixing, misunderstanding is the greatest challenge.
Personally, as a young leader, I have had numerous challenges where I would have benefited deeply from having safe fathering support.
These challenges consisted of trying to lead without having any experience to draw upon; to stay focused on calling over career; to honour leaders but be an individual; to lead with confidence but not pride; to have passion but not let it become anger; to balance family and ministry and to learn that your leaders can have flaws.
Jesus’ solution was always health over success, obedience over outcomes.
The imperative question we need to be asking is not “what they must do?” but “who are you?” “Where are you going?” and “why”?
The forming of an identity based around the revelation of Jesus is the presence in a young leader that is the salt in a society that stops that culture from decaying.
Formation, direction and convictions are the non-negotiables that should be expressed because spiritual practices change character and character is leadership and when formed by Jesus will finish well.
The Church desperately needs real mothers and fathers in this time.
In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul says, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers”.
Young leaders need fathers and mothers who have three values: firstly, “courage,” to be risked on and to provide Biblical truth even when it's not attractive. Secondly, “compassion,” young leaders do not need to be impressed, they need to feel safe so that they can explore.
Thirdly, “cost.” Love is sacrificial and so when a church raises sons and daughters in a family there will always be a cost involved.
In Paul’s 13 letters there are 277 references to the word “family”.
The church’s greatest strength is family. It is her secret power, not just the love for each other but how the world views it.
The world needs to see that the church is the Good News not just stating Good News. The world is looking for authentic community. The church does that by raising sons and daughters.
For further conversations on this topic please contact davidskev@newwinevcf.co.za
David Skevington
Associate Pastor: New Wine Vineyard Christian Fellowship
Source: TCN / David Skevington
Date Added: 2023-11-13
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2023-11-13
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
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