Worth considering

Think about this and give us your thoughts.

Important priorities in the Church as identified by Dr. Dan Riemensneider, director of Healthy Church Initiative, Missionary Church. We call him Captain Remo and this morning in Seattle we had a long discussion on these priorities.

Connect to God
Connect to Ministry
Connect to Others
Connect to the World

Let me add my two cents. I believe that in the American Church we have predominantly assumed an early Greek posture in western Christianity. If you look at the Creeds you will find that they are mind oriented and not action oriented.

Jesus lived His life in the Hebrew "action oriented" model of ministry. While Jesus taught He taught for action/response/life-transformation. The message of Jesus was never intended as a head knowledge movement, but rather, it was putting into action what He lived and taught before them and this is where life transformation occurs!

The four priorities listed are great. What has become the problem is that in America they are lived out in the Greek Model of gaining knowledge as the main thing.

Imagine a Church in America and in the world where we live the Hebrew model of active, missional and intentional disciple making as the main thing.

Here's what the Church looks like based on the above principles through the Greek Model.

1. (Worship) We GO to Gather to a specified church location.
The more we know the more spiritually mature we think we are.
2. (Ministry) We SERVE in the "church" established ministries. We identify gifts and
then determine where they should serve inside the church walls.
3. (Connecting inside)with and serve those in the Church family.
We create programs to care for those in the body.
4. (Connecting outside) with the world. We plan connection or compassion programs to
go outside.)

*Notice that these things are done corporately and are controlled and programmed. Believers think that if they do this they are growing deeper and becoming mature.

Here's what the Church could look like in the Hebrew action oriented model.

1. (Worship) We GATHER to GO into the world. We meet in various locations.
When we gather we are being equipped to go out. We insist
that spiritual disciplines are lived out. As we worship corporately
we do so as the Christ family and we do not try to attract more
and more people to our gathering. As we reach the lost the entry
point is through relationships and smaller gatherings for support
encouragement and accountability.
2. (Ministry) We help people discover their passions and gifting. As they are
being discovered believers are released to serve in their passion and
gifting wherever God leads them. We never decide this, it is God's
job.
3. (Connecting to Others) We care for the Body of Christ. This is never placed
on the pastors shoulders. Each member cares for others members.
4. (Connecting to the world) While we rarely if ever plan outreach events we
teach believers how to listen to and hear the voice of God and then
serve where He leads and opens doors. Outreach is personally owned
and rarely a corporate event.

As we live in the world, we hold the purposes of the Great Commission as the main thing and in doing so we show the world who Jesus is through our lives and as people see Jesus in us, then Jesus flows through us to redeem them. And this is done over and over again!

In the Hebrew model we must be Holy Spirit driven and led in order to be successful.

Any thoughts?