Our church has gifted teachers and one high school teacher periodically does guest preaching on Sundays. We love his sermons! You are right - there are a lot of gifted people in our congregations who have something valuable to offer.
Mike, this whole article was a trigger for me. I started dealing with all of this in the early 2000's as I sought to plant and/or Restart urban and intercultural congregations around North America for the Evangelical Free Church. Failed plants that made cynics, Seminary grads who could not see planting as a professional ministry, the insane reluctance towards change by most existing congregations and "mother congregations", and the rapid demographic changes that didn't allow a lot of time to get something going. Add to that, this generation's commitment to "church", polarization, and funding and you have zero missional congregation growth, much less multiplication. I haven't given up, just defining "church" differently
Our church has gifted teachers and one high school teacher periodically does guest preaching on Sundays. We love his sermons! You are right - there are a lot of gifted people in our congregations who have something valuable to offer.
Thank you Mike.
Mike, this whole article was a trigger for me. I started dealing with all of this in the early 2000's as I sought to plant and/or Restart urban and intercultural congregations around North America for the Evangelical Free Church. Failed plants that made cynics, Seminary grads who could not see planting as a professional ministry, the insane reluctance towards change by most existing congregations and "mother congregations", and the rapid demographic changes that didn't allow a lot of time to get something going. Add to that, this generation's commitment to "church", polarization, and funding and you have zero missional congregation growth, much less multiplication. I haven't given up, just defining "church" differently
Thank you Mike