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FAMILY STYLE/NURTURING CHURCH |
PROGRAM ORIENTED CHURCH |
MISSIONAL/INVITATIONAL CHURCH |
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·
Jesus as the family man, bringing people into small circles where
there are commonly shared things (such as norms/mores/understandings about
life, the bible, doctrine, the afterlife) ·
Geared to having tightly bonded relationships of people in the
congregation where there is a strong sense of belonging ·
It is all about being “us” as in being “like minded” and “like
hearted” in all things ·
Worship is for the sake of finding comfort and being uplifted as to
feel better for having been there ·
Christian Education is for children and youth who need to learn how
to fit within the homogeneity of the family that is the congregation ·
Often closed to outsiders, or outsiders are kept in nominal roles for
the sake of their adding to statistical data of membership and financial
support of the congregation ·
Newer members do not share in leadership ·
The “good ‘ole days” are remembered as the golden age ·
Trying to get back to the “good ’ole days” is the goal ·
Memorials are key and take priority over the present and future ·
There is a common story known by the long term members which is not
often shared with newer members ·
Most everyone in the inner circle are the same in terms of social
strata, values, theology, preferences in worship and fellowship ·
Getting together to be there for one another is a priority ·
Healing and comforting gospel is honored ·
The goal is to perpetuate the family as “it always has been” ·
Pastor is the “hired help” working for the church that is the
“employer” fulfilling the perceived needs and wants of the congregation ·
Tendancy is to be nearsighted in servant discipleship not seeing the
larger picture of God’s grace and the needs of the world |
·
Jesus as the community coordinator ·
Geared to a target market audience ·
It is all about “them” meeting some perceived or known need in the
larger community (neighborhood/town/city) that is seen as the people the
church wishes to gain as members ·
Worship is for the sake of feeding the needs of others to feel better
about themselves and they plight in life ·
Programs are developed as being the reason and purpose of the church
with staffing according to program(s) ·
A sense of doing well is found in how full a calendar in with
activities and opportunities ·
The focus is on the other, but in terms of survival by bringing
others into the fold ·
More time is spent in meetings to organize, produce and manage
programs than in the world doing the work of church within society at large ·
The more programs that are up and running are a report of how well we
are doing ·
While the programs reach people and lead to increases in membership
and even financial giving, the people reached are never fully incorporated
into the core body of the congregation ·
The consumer/capitalist model of society and culture is reinforced as
being Christian and people come to see themselves as consumers of God’s grace
and thus more focused on receiving than giving ·
Prosperity gospel is honored ·
The goal is to meet needs in such a way as to present a God and
Christ that is molded/shaped/manipulated into whatever model or popular image
might be ·
Pastor is the social worked who keeps the machine oiled and running
smoothly ·
Tendancy is to be far sighted in servant discipleship not building
community but having persons loosely connected in events |
· Jesus as redeemer,
reconciler, Sovereign of a realm that is of justice and peace · Geared to making disciples
of Christ and serving the need for justice and peace throughout the world by
transforming society · It is all about God and
the call to BE church for the world for the sake of the common good · Worship is the prime
center of spiritual life because God is to be praised and given thanks · Everything that the church
does moves from the center of worship, outward into the world as servant
disciples · The goal of the church is
to be on the “cutting edge” of where issues of justice and peace are needing
to be dealt with · Most time is spent in
world tending to tasks of building and transforming the world as a whole in
local ways of being true to God, true to self (as people of God), and true to
others (as people of integrity and transparency) · The congregation as a
whole (core members, marginal members, non-members connected to the
congregation) see themselves as bearers of Christ for the sake of the
biblical mandate to “go and make disciples and transform the world” for
Christ is with us always · The gospel of prophetic
justice and peace is honored as wherever anyone suffers in oppression,
injustice, violence, inequality the whole body (of Christ) suffers · The goal is in being
biblically aware of Christ’s mandate to love God and all others without
exception and living that reality in each and every relationship · Pastor is with and among
the people as a pastoral and prophetic voice, sharing all the work of
ministry to the world in a local context and holding up for the church the
reality of both a broken world and a reconciling Christ · Tendancy is to see the
whole picture and address local needs while keeping a global perspective |
