Some churches are only one generation and only think about their own generation. What about the other generations – to recreate God’s ideal family. Because his family is for all to belong and be connected.
(Through Covid) None of us got it all right, none of us got it all wrong either. None of us got trained for this – but we had to be led by the Holy Spirit
We have come out of such a difficult time in the nation and the church. We’ve had so many questions we’ve felt so out of our depth. What might God be saying about the church going forward?
Can you put some names in these places? Who fathers/mothers you? Someone older/ wiser. Who makes you think? Deliberately surround yourself with people smarter than you. Who encourages your visions – inspiring you to move beyond the status quo? Who understands you – and shows you mercy? I know God does, but who can accept me as a sinner and not leave me there but walk with me to the altar for grace? Who offers you reliable judgement? To sound ideas off Who comes alongside you – and lightens the load? Team members have different strengths. Who rebukes you? Who loves you enough to tell you you’re going the wrong way. A good leader invites the ugly truth. Who has fun with you? If you need this one explaining, well… Who inspires you to seek faithfully after God? – when you leave their company, you feel closer to Jesus.
A pilot in thick cloud has to now fly on instruments. What’s on the panel ahead of you that will mean you reach the intended destination rather than make a dent in a mountainside?
However your church is doing, the Big C Church in the UK is smaller, shrinking, and strapped for cash which means…
Why would Paul name two men getting it wrong then apparently write ‘so the answer is don’t let women teach?’ Writing something which for 2000 years since has been used – by men – to clobber women into submission at worst, or relegate them to help in Sunday school at best?Could it be because we’ve read the rest of scripture through the lens of these two verses, rather than the other way round?
people think that getting better means ‘I just need to get a coach’ – but having someone who’s that bit further on, some others you’re working with, and passing on practical lessons to others is the best way to learn and grow.
Leaders measure stuff. Previously it was fairly easy to see whether you were doing okay. But what if what we re busy measuring no longer matters?
There are things we must do differently in a crisis, quickly, to enable us to have a future that we will be able to create something new for. Some things we just have to do now because “The ship won’t take much more of this Cap’n!”