I see many people get tripped up because they do not understand this basic premise: keep the principles, change the method if necessary.
Principles are the foundational concepts that you believe are Biblical. They remain the bedrock of all that you are doing. They do not generally change.
Methods, on the other hand, are the ways and how-to’s that you use to implement those principles. There can be many different methods that support the basic principle (examples below). Methods may change. You may try one and decide it’s not working for you in your context. You don’t need to abandon the underlying principle, but you are always free to change, adapt, or find a new method to use that works better for you.
This is so important because often people adopt a method as the new “key” to church life. They find a method from someone, adopt it, and when it does not work according to their expectations, they then abandon the entire principle and feel let down that it ‘didn’t work.’
Keep the principle, but find a new or different way to implement it (method).
Example 1:
Principle: Everyone participates when the church gathers together (priesthood of all believers and ‘each one brings’ as in 1 Corinthians 14:26).
Method 1: No formal gatherings. Gathering with believers and unbelievers happens informally and sharing takes place through conversation and relationship.
Method 2: Meet with others at a regular time and place and everyone waits on the Holy Spirit together and seeks to simply follow what He puts on their heart to do and say.
Method 3: Meet with others at a regular time and facilitate times of worship, word, breaking of bread, etc, in which everyone has the opportunity to participate (more structure then method 2).
Method 4: Work toward formal small discipleship groups of 3-4, larger gatherings of 12-15, and network gatherings all of which are facilitated to provide participation at every level. (More structure still).
Method 5: Adapt, add to, change, modify, or combine any of the methods already mentioned or design some new methods.
The point is that the principle is sound, but we may find different ways to implement that principle depending on our own gifting, calling, and context. The key is: don’t give up on the principle if you have not yet found a method that suits you!
Example 2:
Principle: The church, at its core, is a going church. (Go into all the world. As the Father has sent me, I send you.)
Method 1: As you live life daily, look for where God is working and build relationships.
Method 2: Go to a particular area or neighborhood and begin prayer walking with a friend. Seek opportunities to pray for people and discover a person of peace in that area.
Method 3: Find a need in your community or somewhere in the world and begin to serve people. Build relationships and begin making disciples from those relationships.
Method 4: Draw together a group of believers who will join together, as a missional community, within a specific neighborhood or area or cause to work together to bless/serve others and reach them.
Method 5: Many other possibilities!!!!
The point is that the principle is sound, but we may find different ways to implement that principle depending on our own gifting, calling, and context. The key is: don’t give up on the principle if you have not yet found a method that suits you!
Example 3:
Principle: Make disciples! (Go and make disciples…)
Note: Each of the following methods assume that you have already reached out to some people through serving, relationship-building, and/or sharing and they are responding with a desire to know Christ.
Method 1: Disciple only through the informal process of relationship. Let the relationship and the leading of the Holy Spirit define all conversations and sharing.
Method 2: Use a curriculum (there are many to use) to disciple the person and equip that person to be able to do the same with others.
Method 3: Life Transformation Group.
Method 4: Discovery Bible Study.
Method 5: Any combination of methods 1-4 as well as many other options that are available or that can be designed.
The point is that the principle is sound, but we may find different ways to implement that principle depending on our own gifting, calling, and context. The key is: don’t give up on the principle if you have not yet found a method that suits you!
Many people agree on some of the basic principles behind simple/organic church life:
- Church is people who live the 24/7 lifestyle of following Jesus
- Loving God and listening to Him is where life comes from
- Loving others comes out of that life-with-God
- As the church walks in love for God and others, it becomes missional, ie, caring for the world and the lost
- Disciples are made life-on-life
- Gatherings are participatory, Spirit-led, where everyone’s gift matters and can take place anywhere and any time
- Serving and empowering others is the core of leadership
But, the models and methods that these principles give rise to will vary greatly!
If you are convinced of certain principles based soundly on God’s word, keep them! Build your life on them! And don’t give up on them when your method does not work as expected. Adopt and keep the principle. Adapt and change methods when needed.
This is how new wineskins are shaped!
Recent Comments