Is Your Church a Factory?

“Our culture has taught us that growth is an expectation.  Businesses are expected to deliver double-digit returns every year in order to satisfy shareholders.  Individuals are instructed to maximize their potential.  Over and over the message is: grow or die.” -Organic Community by Joseph R. Myers

Other posts in this series:

Is Your Church an Object?

Is Your Church a Clone?

Is Your Church a Body?

Is Your Church a Scoreboard?

 

Humans will tend to choose a mechanical plan for growth because it tends to provide outward evidence of growth sooner.  The enormous building, the number of active small groups, and the increased attendance in services – all demonstrate that growth has occurred.  In an odd way, it is a quick fix.  Once the plan is made, most or all of the resources at the community’s expense tend to be allocated to the realization of the plan.  Once the plan is realized, the resources are often so depleted that bankruptcy results. 

 

Organic growth occurs when the community uses present resources to take small steps forward at the community’s own pace.  It doesn’t allocate resources toward manufacturing a plan that may or may not happen.  It uses its resources for what is happening right now in ways that will allow for quantum leaps forward in the future when the community reaches those points, whatever they are. 

 

There is a sense of mystery that surrounds organic growth.  You just plant the seed in the ground and then up pops a plant.  Organic growth is not something we can take control over.  If you are dealing with a living organism; sometimes they lie dormant.  A seed might appear to be lifeless, but there is in fact an embryo within it, one that is waiting to be activated.  And wouldn’t you know it; we are told in I John 3:9 that God’s seed is in us (Christians).  It’s the life of God which we should be looking for to grow us as individuals and the community.  But, when we try to take control over it, we deprive it of the elements necessary to activate its growth.

 

Mechanical order growth leads to bankruptcy.  Organic order growth leads to sustainability.  

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Comments

[joanne]

These are excellent, Michael. Am continuing to re-post them on Theologica (have to spread them out since I'm only allowed to post once a day), Facebook on FBN and my own blog. Keep the faith, brother, and may God "establish the work of your hands"