One of the things I’m doing preparing for the new start church is coming up with fifty affirmative statements someone might make to describe this church, as is it were already up and running. If you can’t do this, then you probably don’t have a good enough idea of what the implementation will be like.
Some of you out there will recognize this from Robert E. Logan and Steven L. Ogne’s Church Planter’s Toolkit. Which I would recommend, by the way. It may be the fastest, most direct immersions into another philosophy of ministry I’ve ever seen.
Here are the first ten:
- Worship isn’t wishy-washy.
- I can meet with other church members in my neighborhood.
- (Other) gay people don’t have to second guess being out.
- The parenting classes help me anticipate my child’s developing faith.
- I’ve can learn many different kinds of prayer here.
- Women and men share in leadership decisions on an equal and open basis.
- The lessons learned here apply directly to my life.
- The church doesn’t pander to (other) young people, but treats them (us) as interested persons.
- I can try on new ways to be spiritual without judgment.
- We take trips together to enriching destinations.