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« Out of Africa! | Main | Church Reform When You're Not the Pastor #3 »

July 10, 2008

Church Reform When You're Not the Pastor #2

by Greg Gilbert

2.  Do what Christians do---love.
The part of church reform that we usually think about when we talk about "church reform"---the adoption of constitutions and statements of faith, the election of elders, and all the rest---is really only a fraction of it.  At the end of the day, reforming a church is mostly about doing the things that Christ expects of his people:  loving the saints in your church, pastoring them even when you're not the pastor, teaching them publicly when you can and with your life and words all the time, and sharing life with this group of Christians with whom you have covenanted. 

Reforming a church can take years, and it is never something that happens easily.  So settle in for the long haul.  Love, teach, exhort, encourage.  Share burdens, sorrows, and joys.  Talk about the gospel, and help to apply it to your fellow church members' lives.  There's a real danger in trying to reform a church that it will devolve in your mind into a project---a series of parliamentary steps that have to be run through---rather than a group of people who have professed faith in Christ and are struggling to be like Him.

Ultimately, the reason you are a member of a church is to encourage your fellow saints, to be encouraged by them, to spur them on to good works, to be spurred on by them, and finally to see everyone---yourself included---grow to maturity and completeness in Christ.  That's the goal.  Formal church reform is merely a means to that end.






Comments

AMEN!!! Love and teach in your appropriate manner. Decide not to leave based on anything but heresy or a clear call to be somewhere else. My time was but two years, but we stayed as long as we were living near the church...well, within 30 miles:)
Greg B

Greg,

This is an excellent series! Thank you for it. I appreciate your comments here about the dangers of seeing church reform as a project rather than loving and caring about the people in the church. What an easy thing to slip into-- especially since viewing ourselves as "just what this church needs" can feed our pride by making us feel superior.

Along those lines, it may be a good idea to frequently look at the others within the church with a view to identifying ways in which members exceed you spiritually. For instance, I may be the guy who knows the most about reformed theology; however, I should look to the guy who gets into the messy parts of people's lives, loves them, prays for them, and counsels them from the Scriptures. I should thank God for such a man and ask God to help me to emulate him.

Thanks again for this series. In Christ,

-Phil

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