Thoughts From Chris

I am currently on a research sabbatical May and June and will not be posting on my blog until I get back July 1.  I am interviewing leaders regionally and nationally regarding the direction Grace Gathering is heading in the future. 

 

I am also beginning the journey of writing my first book.  If you go down a couple of posts below you will notice that I narrowed my topic to four different subjects (with a summary of each).  I had over 50 people respond with their input, and it was incredibly helpful.  If you were one of them, thank you!

 

Here is an analysis of the feedback.  The following is the percentage of people who ranked each topic as number one:

 

35% The Goal is Jesus:  how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living

29% Giving the church back to the people:  how to decentralize with growth

20% Sexual Purity of the mind: why abstinence is inadequate

16% The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues

 

I was surprised how close all four topics ranked in people’s minds.  This told me that all of them had some appeal.  This second analysis is even more telling, however.   The following percentages indicate how many people had the following topics ranked number one OR number two:

 

71% The Goal is Jesus:  how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living

55% Giving the church back to the people:  how to decentralize with growth

37% Sexual Purity of the mind: why abstinence is inadequate

27% The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues

 

Of the four potential topics, I have made my decision.  I am leaving room for God to change that decision at any point in the process, but I am going with “The Goal is Jesus.”   I think the predominant reason why is because the other three feed off this one.   Centering our character and life-mission on Jesus is the foundation of our sexual purity, puts in perspective the role of doctrine and handling debatable issues, and it is what drives the need for church structure to empower the people. 

 

While I think the other three topics will probably still be independent books in the future, I will include some of the content of the other three in this book (as well as many other issues).  The thrust of the book might also be more holistic than what the current subtitle and overview suggest.  The idea that Bible learning has hijacked Bible living may be a chapter in the book rather than the main thesis. 

 

I am very excited about how God will lead this and the impact it can have both in my life and in the lives of others.  Distinguishing between the goal/end (becoming more like Jesus inwardly in character and outwardly in life-mission) from the means (Bible studies, sermons, church attendance, small groups, doctrinal beliefs, biblical worldview, etc.) is very confusing to many people.   Many of us (including our churches) are deceptively content and satisfied with our engagement with the “means,” even though we may never be drawing closer to the “end goal.”   I am praying that God’s Spirit will guide every thought and sentence as I write. 

 

Thank you for your prayers during these two months away.   I am praying for a balance of productivity and refreshment.