INTERDEPENDENCE - beyond connection

Last week a church member asked me why we are not using the church to downlink Shawn Boonstra’s Revelation Seminar. My reply was – “the church is not ready.” I am sure the question is not a lone incidence. Others may be asking this question, silently wondering “why did we break a routine of downlinking evangelistic seminars?”
Well, blame the NCD, blame the leadership for aspiring not only to implement change with new ideas, but to change the mode of thinking and practices. Blame the process which we began a year ago which is intended to remove barriers for growth and to create an environment in which the Healthy Church would grow naturally, all by itself.
A year ago we talked about fragmentation where each essential ministry pulls toward itself, by itself, for itself, producing competition for resources, time, people and priorities. The opposite to fragmentation stands God’s vision for His Church as One Body, united, connected, functional, whole. And the first principle is INTERDEPENDENCE: decision or action we make in one area of the church will impact other areas of church life. No ministry is an island.
Let’s look at an evangelistic series for example. Rallying the church together for 30 nights will create a short term buzz, a few conversions, a feeling that we’ve done our duty for the year, a success report at the Board.
Now let’s think about the long term effects:

• How will the converts be accepted and assimilated into the church?
  
• Are we ready for adding a new Sabbath School class?
  
• Do we have committed core groups ready to nurture newborn believers?
  
• Will this event of itself equip church members to do evangelism?
  
• Do we have a team ready to follow up interests with Bible Studies?
  
• Which ministries will have to sacrifice their volunteers to support it?
  
• Are you ready to bring your friends, or it does not fit your schedule?
  

I could go on asking questions. What looks like a good idea on its own may have consequences opposite to what was intended. Positive short-term can easily turn into a crisis long-term, and a painful short-term measures can turn into great success long-term. Conducting the Spiritual gift discovery (short term success) with church members, but not helping them to find suitable areas of ministry will turn off many from ever doing the gift Discovery again (long term side-effect). Not having a “satellite downlink” when everyone else is doing it (short time failure), that awakens the thirst for Evangelism and begins a process of training, equipping and outreach that will produce a Life style Evangelism 24x7 will be our long term success.
Instead of living “knee-jerk reaction” to every program that is advertised in the mail, we must consider long term plans, “side-effects”, and the final outcome.

• Today we are starting Worship Evangelism at both churches – affirming and sharing our faith values that will continue through this year, and improving our worship experience.
  
• May-June we will build relationships with the neighborhood around us through acts of kindness, participating with other churches in Love London project.
  
• Through this summer we will put an extra effort in developing small groups, preparing caring communities for nurturing new believers, preparing for Fall Evangelism.
  

Think INTERDEPENDENCE. Think CONNECTEDNESS. Think TOGETHER.