Can the Church in America Get Healthy?

That's a good question I continue to ponder. Of course I believe she can. I wouldn't be working with churches in the Oregon and South Dakota if I didn't believe it was possible. However, at the same time we must create new wineskins to hold the harvest God wants to give us through new church plants. It is a both and deal! We must work hard to redeem the established Church while planting new Churches. Neither should be sacrificed for the other.

Now for the question. If the church in America would just get back to the basics of living the way Jesus taught us to live and lead we would have health. But no, we have to recreate newfangled ministries and approaches that serve us instead of serving the mission and Messiah.

Jesus taught us to pray! So we should pray. Jesus taught us to love! So we should love others. Jesus gave us a mission! So we should serve that mission! Jesus gave us the vision and values! So we should live out that vision and live by those values.

If the church in America is to survive it will do so because newer churches with younger leaders sometimes very young leaders are doing it right. Also because there are success stories in America where the established church is letting go of dysfunctional systems, confessing and repenting of sin and they are rediscovering the simple stratey of Jesus to change the world.

Those churches who love status-quo and doing church their way will eventually become more ineffective and will cease. Those who become desperate and disillusioned with business as usual and who pick up the strategy of Jesus will succeed. When we do church the Jesus way there is always a fruitful harvest.

The Church! Whose house is it? Mine or His? If it is His -get out of His way. If we think it is ours -you better keep an eye on your backside -God will not tolerate it for a second.

Yes we can get healthy if we want to let go and let God do it His way.