In my role as Transitional Director of NextGen Churches, I got to see the church in action this week. It is inspiring.
I received an email from a man on Monday night...late. He was very concerned about his church in the Bay Area. He wanted to meet with me on Wednesday. It was urgent.
My natural response was to see how I could rearrange my schedule to accommodate this need. The problem: my schedule did not allow for that much flexibility on Wednesday. My busy-ness forced me to do the best thing instead--I contacted the pastor of one of our sister churches in the association. I asked if he could meet with the man from the Bay Area church.
This pastor leads a good church. He has 30 years of ministry experience to bring to the conversation. He said he could fit that meeting into his day on Wednesday, so I delegated the opportunity to him.
However, before he engaged the man in the Bay Area, he contacted another pastor from the association. He asked this pastor, who is younger with less experience, to go with him to the scheduled meeting. The younger pastor agreed.
Eventually both of them met with the man in the Bay Area.
The original concern in the Bay Area has not yet been fully resolved, as far as I know. However, the process pictured clearly what the church is supposed to do: we work together, using the gifts and abilities God hs given us to sharpen and serve one another. I am confident that the need in the original church will be met as these two pastors serve together. That is one example of the Church at Its Best.
This made me realize how infrequently I see/hear/read about positive things happening in the Church as a whole.
Great, encouraging post! I hope you continue to find inspiration among the pastors you are leading. Good stuff!
Posted by: Jami the Very Worst Missionary | April 16, 2010 at 06:42 AM