Something Big

I was recently at a local church with folks who were pondering their future. The people around the table were mostly in their 60’s and 70’s. A comment was made that it was hard to see a future for their congregation unless something changed, “something big.” I said, “Now we know what to pray for: something big.”

This is exactly the message that John and Baptist and Jesus both preached: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17). To repent means to change and go in a new direction. This is just as true today as it was when John and Jesus walked the earth.

Our world is in danger. Our culture has become so polarized and poisoned that we are unable to listen to each other and seek a common good. Trust in organizations and other people is on the decline. This is exactly the world that God loved so much that he sent his only Son to save it.

We are in a time of such rapid change that it makes my head spin. So we must change and go in a different direction if we are to be successful today in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. So here is what I see that needs to change in order to move in the direction of the kingdom of heaven.

Change #1: Return to spiritual leadership. That means our connection to God through a relationship with Jesus is the foundation of all that we do. For example, our district has traditionally offered leadership “training" events but spiritual leadership requires more than just training. I considered words like “revival” or “celebration” but then a word came to me: “incubator.” An incubator is an environment that prepares for a new birth. So on February 26 of this year our district will offer a "Spiritual Leadership Incubator" as a time to develop relationships, learn new ways of seeing the world, and preparing to go out to birth new ways of making a difference in our communities for God.

Change #2: Shift our mindset from membership to discipleship. Last fall we gave a book to all of our pastors called: “Membership to Discipleship: Growing Mature Disciples Who Make Disciples.” Instead of seeking members for our institutions, we must develop disciples of Jesus who serve Him and the people God loves. The author, Phil Maynard describes how this shift can take place in local congregations. I highly recommend it to all leaders.

So here is what I hope you will do: 1. Read your Bible every day and seek someone else to help you see Jesus and become more like him. 2. For United Methodist leaders in Northwest Iowa, plan on attending the Spiritual Leadership Incubator on February 26 at St Pauls United Methodist Church in Cherokee, and 3. Read “Membership to Discipleship” by Phil Maynard and see how it applies to your congregation. 

The truth is that the kingdom of heaven is still at hand and that is “something big.” It is like a pearl of great price (Mattthew 13:46) or a treasure that makes all the difference in the world. It is the realm of safe relationships that drive out fear in a world of hostility. Those kind of relationships are a taste of heaven.

No matter where we are, it’s the direction that we are moving that will make the difference over time. All we have to do is change and move in direction of becoming more like Jesus. Then the kingdom of heaven will be a part of our lives and that truly is “something big” that we can offer to the people around us.