View From the Pew Challenge

Pete Porter made a comment that applied to all of my “VIEW FROM THE PEW” series of posts. He made such a good challenge that I should address his comment with a complete post instead of just a response to the the comment.

pete porter said...
David,In looking through your posts (which I enjoyed) I see a recuring theme, the making of observers out of the people of God. They are not to be pew warmers. The gifts of pastor, evangelist, teacher, prophet, and apostle, are for the maturing of the church for works of service to God. In other words, when they do there job, they do themselves out of a job. That I think is God's plan, and opens new fields of service to those ministrys. Ever expanding, to the whole world.

I believe Pete is absolutely right that each of us have been gifted by God to do the work of God through our local Church within our local Church and out in the world. “View from the pew” is not my way of saying that I am not getting what I want. “View from the pew” is my way of communicating to Church leaders about the ways their actions, methods, and programs are being viewed by at least one [me], and probably more, congregants who want to be a part of a healthy body of Christ.

It is my hypothesis that many, if not most, Church leaders spend much more time communicating with each other than they do communicating with non-leader believers and non-believers. I only question the heart of a very few Church leaders that I have known. I have no doubt that most Church leaders love the Lord and are doing their very best to serve him. However, it seems to me that many of these leaders, with good hearts, are stuck doing what they think others want them to do, without actually having a plan for what they really should be doing.

I do not advocate that anyone should sit in the pew and just observe without getting involved. I do advocate that Church leaders take a fresh look at all of their methods, assumptions, and programs; but mostly start listening to non-leaders.