A Movement Not an Institution 

I have just started re-reading a book called "Deep and Wide" by Andy Stanley. I love this book and this must be around the sixth time I have read it! I come back to it time and again when I want to be reminded of what church and church leadership is all about.

Andy Stanley is a fantastic communicator - both when he is preaching and writing. I highly recommend this book, particularly if you want to understand more about what church is supposed to be about.

In the first few chapters Stanley takes us through a very brief history of his own church and then of the church in general. He gallops his way through 2,000 years of church history and it is fascinating and exciting! He reminds us that the church of Jesus is supposed to be a movement not an institution...a movement of people with a mission!

He points out how often the church has slipped into the habits of institution and organisation rather than pursuing it's God given mission. This is the temptation for any organisation - to slip into worrying about managing things rather than pursuing the primary mission.

Re-reading these first few chapters of Deep and Wide has reminded me once again that the church of Jesus is a movement of ordinary people with an extraordinary mission given to us by an amazing God and we should be pursuing that mission with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength...bring it on!

God bless
Chris

Feedback:
Bob Moffett 25/06/2016 02:45
Agree totally that we have institutionalised the church of Christ and a major reason why so many people who have attend church for years are now D-Churched; no longer find the church relevant. Also those under 35-40 years tend not have and loyalty to a denominational label as they perceive it to be irrelevant to the reality of the gospel and scripture and a barrier to evangelism, discipleship and church life. I meet so many people who no longer attend church because it appears to be "organised" religion and no longer ticks the boxes of the reality of their faith. So cut the "stuff" that puts me in a box, labels me and tries to make me their product through organisational control rather than a move of the Spirit of God.
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