A friend of mine is fond of saying that the church does best what she is structured to do. This may seem like an overstatement because many congregations are involved in a multitude of ministries. However, the reality is that we may do many things but we only do a few things very well. Those are the things we are structured to do.
Congregations may have a great heart and interest in community and global missions but their structure is primarily based on an educational and giving stucture. We learn so that we can give in order for others to go!
However, there is a great movement among congregations based on "being and doing" and not just "sending and supporting". Congregations are seeing an increase in mission trips and mission events. "Random acts of kindness" seem to be the norm for mission activity that is based on trying to bless everyone all at once.
As a former prison chaplain I would encounter many Christian volunteers who sought approval to be able to go in to every prison in the state. They meant well, they were just inadequately taught about missions. At one point the Texas prison system had over 20,000 volunteers registered to work in that system. Most wanted to go to as many prisons as possible and preach to as many inmates as would turn out. As a result the system was flooded with requests for worship services and crusades but had a great need for the more mundane work of personal discipleship or mentoring. I really believe that if we could have strategically assigned those 20,000 volunteers to 20,000 inmates we would have seen significant changes take place.
The reason I say strategically assigned is intentional. George Beto was the Executive Director of the Texas prison system who was credited with developing a rehabilitation system that included a school district, chaplaincy program and treatment program. Dr. Beto promoted the idea that probably 20% of the inmates were going to make parole and stay out. He believe that another 20% would never "make it". He pushed for the idea that it was the 60% in the middle that were going one way or the other. My spiritual interpretation is that this refers to the Biblical passage that describes "fields white unto harvest".
Intention church structures will focus on those mission oppporunities that foster intentional and long term relationships. Churches must choose to invest in lives and communites so that real change can take place. Right now most churches are structured for worship, education and fellowship. Of the 5,700 churches connected to my faith tradition there are only about 650 churches that report any kind of missions structure. Concurrently, there is an annual decrease in baptisms with a larger number of churches reporting no baptisms at all.
Is structure the solution? Not by itself. But structure does denote a commitment of personnel and funds. Typically, "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Matthew 6:21
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