Saturday, October 29, 2005

Conversations

I was travelling back from my Futsal game in Edmonton today (we won 11-6 vs. Taylor), and I got stuck (read: chose to go) in the girls van. We had a lot of good conversations about a wide variety of topics. It was interesting to sit with a lot of people who are of the same age, and who also have their own opinions about the church, and different topics that are bound to come up when you talk about those things.

Because I've been involved in ministry in the past few months, a lot of what has been going through my head has to do with my own paradigm and what kind of ministry I really am looking towards. Do I want to pastor in a huge church with a food court, and tons of resources, or in a small church, where there are maybe two pastors, and I've got to be a lot more creative on small resources? Or do neither of those models fit where I'm going?

Am I looking for a church that is radically different from what we say today. Less service focused, and more relation-based? What would that look like? How could I foster open, accepting, and honest relationships in my congregation? Where do I start in my own life, I have so much to learn, so much to change. Yet I have to remember that it's a journey, not an instant cup of coffee.

Thoughts to consider. Father carry me through.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What does that mean to be less service focused.. more relation based? Providing services? As a pastor or getting the congregation involved? Seems to me that in a God focused church we all (and I mean WE ALL) should be using our gifts. Equally. What does this lead to? A church that leads the church. The pastor leads, yes... but the church also leads as God speaks to the people. Yikes... this is a longer conversation.

Stephen said...

Haha, that it most definetely is. What you end up having, is a person who provides vision, and a congregation that is equally involved in ministry.