More Movement; Less Meetings
How has it happened that our understanding up church can, by and large, be summarised by just one word: meetings? Every church I’ve been part of has seemed to view adding more and more meetings as being a vital part of its purpose. When I think of church, more often than not it is church meetings that I think about. And to be honest, I think I’ve had enough of thinking of church as little more than a series of meetings. It doesn’t seem to be what I see happening in the 1st century church and, more importantly, it doesn’t seem to be changing the world.
Even the very word “meeting� almost fills me with dread. I mean, is there anything inspiring about faithfully attending meetings? Sunday meetings, Bible study meetings, prayer meetings, leaders meeting…the list is endless. Is that what Jesus had in mind for His church? Isn’t the church meant to be a community of people on a mission together? The church has become an institution that calls people to come and hear good teaching, sing worship songs, and maybe pray, only for them to go back to living their “normal� lives immediately afterwards. The churches clarion call has become “come� when it was always meant to be “go�. I for one want to be part of something that is going somewhere. We have been calling people to attend our meetings when the truth is, meetings are static. We need to be inviting people to be part of a movement that is passionate about touching and transforming the world.
I’m not saying that there is no place for meetings by the way. But I do think the focus of so many of our meetings needs to be radically changed. The church exists for mission. We are here to bring in the kingdom. How many of our meetings are actually contributing to bringing in God’s kingdom? I think that any meeting that a church puts on has to be serving the purpose of extending the kingdom. If they are not, what’s the point? We also need to recapture – and live out – the truth that the church is about people – not buildings and not meetings. Churches need to be releasing people to live their lives amongst their friends, neighbours, and colleagues – not stealing all their time dragging them from one meeting to the next. Most people who are committed to most churches just physically don’t have any time to build relationships with people outside of the church…and surely that’s not right?!
As I see it, the place of the meeting is in equipping people for doing the work of ministry. They are there to equip and empower people for the lives they live in the world. People should leave any church meeting better equipped to bring in God’s kingdom. And teaching, worship, prayer, ministry are all important aspects to this. But too often we do these things for their own sake without a kingdom perspective. Matt Redman has it right when he writes: “Let worship be the fuel for missions flame�.
What do you think?
S.
